On The Record - Big Fish Stories!

[shortshank]

We all have that one fish that battled all the way to the boat or bank. That got me thinking if there was a record kept for the longest battle for a fresh water fish of any species. In the May, 2006 issue of OutDoor Life they say the record stands at 24hrs. A man hooked a 100lb.+ King Salmon on the Kenai River in Alaska, fought him for 24hrs. only to loose him at the net.
My first reaction to that article was to write to them and tell them about the Sturgeon that was 400lbs+ I fought for 48hrs. only to loose him because he wouldn't fit in a net. Next big fish story teller welcome!!
Don

[curdog]

Don I did read about that guy in outdoor life. But did you read the next months edition about the same guy. The storie goes a Alaskan Game Warden found on the same strech of river a big grizzly bear dead with a tip of a fishing rod sticking rod out of his mouth and the line stillin the water. Puzzeled how that could have happened he called a wildlife biologlist. The biologlist proceeded to cut the bear open and found the guy from the previous issue still holding the rod and reel inside the bear and to top it all off the line that was in the water had a 150 pound King salmon still on the hook. You take about a man that deservers an award he does!



LOL

[shortshank]

Well folks it's HOT, Real Hot, here in Portland today 102 Degrees. We are going after the record high temperature tomorrow. Please take plenty of water/nonalcoholic beverages with you if you're gonna be out in this stuff. You guys that have to be in it a suggestion...take a cloth wash rag, handkerchief, towel, anything you can think of and wet it down and stick it around the inside of your collar. If you are like me, one under my hat keeps the old dome cool too. I would also ask anyone that has an elder neighbor give em howdy around 1-2:PM just to check if everything is OK. The hottest part of the day here is 4:PM. Everyone please be extra careful.
Don

[ike whitson]

We all have that one fish that battled all the way to the boat or bank. That got me thinking if there was a record kept for the longest battle for a fresh water fish of any species. In the May, 2006 issue of OutDoor Life they say the record stands at 24hrs. A man hooked a 100lb.+ King Salmon on the Kenai River in Alaska, fought him for 24hrs. only to loose him at the net.
My first reaction to that article was to write to them and tell them about the Sturgeon that was 400lbs+ I fought for 48hrs. only to loose him because he wouldn't fit in a net. Next big fish story teller welcome!!
Don

I have to say those time's are pretty amazing ! why would you keep a fish on for that long ? Are you trying to land them on a fly line and a 6# tippet ?

[ike whitson]

I have to say those time's are pretty amazing ! why would you keep a fish on for that long ? Are you trying to land them on a fly line and a 6# tippet ?

I have to add to this out of my own curiousity, wouldn't that time pretty much KILL the fish you were after!

[shortshank]

I have to add to this out of my own curiousity, wouldn't that time pretty much KILL the fish you were after!

Ike these fish are tuff, they eat while trying to get away!
Don

[cschottfish]

Don hope that wather brakes I will be in portland next monday on vacation.

[shortshank]

Cooled down quite a bit. Supposed to get all the way up to 79 degrees here today 08/01/06 in Portland. Get out there and catch a fish!
Don

[dcaruthers]

Got my Record fish in just under 1 hour of fighting.

Fished my very first Catfish tourney at Santee Cooper in 1997-98 out of a 15 1/2 ft narrow Lowe boat. My partner (also Air Force) was called in to work the weekend at the last moment so I had to fish the tourney by myself. I had never fished a tourney before and was also new to boating. My boat had a 9.9 Merc tiller steered on it. When the horn sounded to launch I cranked my throttle and took off like a turtle outta surgery. The other much bigger and faster boats about swamped me so I just turned my boat off about 200 yards from the peir to let all the boats pass and the water settle down. I also wanted to see where everyone was headed.

While I waited I threw out two lines with cut salt-water herring on them. Keep in mind that my fishing equipment was that of a poor E-4 with two kids. I had 4 two-piece Shakespeare Cirrus medium sized spinning combos (the $20 ones) spooled with the then brand new Spiderwire (10/50).

My rod holders were brand new to me...I had just bought them from Wally world (I think they were Roberts or something like that). I was steadily watching the other boats and trying to decide if I wanted to fish a blowout, the river channel, or try the stick-ups when one of my rods started very slowly bending down and toward the back of the boat. It just kept going and I thought my eyes were plauying tricks on me...you know the feeling. About 6 inches into the bend, the rod tip slapped downward and hit the side of my boat so hard it sounded like a 22 cal going off. Still in shock, I hopped to the front swivel chair and tryed to get my rod out of the holder...I couldn't. Try as I might, the design of the rod holder would not let me slide it out without first straightening the rod and relieving some pressure. Without a second thought, I flipped the bail and the rod straightened and the line was going off the spool as I lifted it into position. I closed the bail, angled the rod tip toward the water and just as the line pulled tight I set the hook.

Now the fight started and I'm sure it was not pretty. Although good for the money, those Cirrus rods were not made for fish that big. I had the rod butt wedged in my waist, my left hand on the handle, and my right bracing the joint where the two-piece rod joined to keep it from breaking. The rod creaked something fierce for almost an hour. I had never anchored and the fish turned the front of my boat more than once. I never got spun all the way around, but it did swing at least 30-45 degrees. I would get the fish close to the boat and it would just take my drag back out.

Another boat fishing in the tourney saw me fighting and came over to help. They were nice enough to net the fish with some type of cradle net (still not sure what kinda net that was, but it was neat).

I could in no way keep the fish on board because my live-well was only about 2 X 2 1/2 ft, and I did not want to put that thing on a stringer for a 36 hour tourney so I headed back to the launching dock...towing the fish slowly along side me. I had cut a small slit in it's lower jaw and tied my stringer through its jaw. I secured it to a back anchor cleat. I got back to the dock exactly 1 1/2 hours after the tourney launch horn with a 76 lb blue. The expression on the faces of the people at the launch will live in my memories forever. They weighed the fish and asked me if I wanted to keep it or release it. Being new to this, I quickly learned they had prizes for the largest and most weight released alive so I had it released alive and headed back out to finish the rest of the 36 hour tourney. Hell I had a good start right? I only caught 6 fish the rest of the tourney...all weighed around 15 pounds.

The winner of that tourney had over 500 pounds of cats. I won $100 for the largest catch and release fish. This payed for my entry fee, all bait and food stuff, gas and gave me a memory of a lifetime. I got a part time job just to upgrade my equipment, been using Abu and Ugly Sticks ever since. Since then, my biggest catfish is 42 lbs.

[shortshank]

David sounds like you had the trip of a life time! Thanks for sharing with us, a very nice read. I've fished in a couple very small tournaments but never won anything. I'm still waiting on my first 50+lb. catfish. I've knocked on the door with my personal best flattie, no luck with big channel
cats. Those blues would sure be fun to tackle that size or larger. Thanks Again & keep em coming!!
Don