High Noon Irvine Beast...

[TommyGun6480]

Got a limit yesterday (2/9) of solid fish with the biggest going a little over 4lbs. Found most of them mid lake and they hit a little bit of everything. Solid strikes trolling, but only stuck one that way. Talked to a few who said that the early morning had been slow (I got there around 9am or so). Had a rare Monday off so I figured the same techniques and areas would work today. Sorta right, sorta wrong.

Again on the water by about 9am and headed towards mid lake where I'd seen them very active on Sunday. A few rolls here and there, but not the activity that I saw yesterday. Started the troll and after an hour or so got one near the bouy line. Another hour on the troll and nothing. Wind started to pick up a bit so I set up a drift and rigged up the mini jig. Took about ten mins and I had #2, both were average size but fought pretty well.

The magical High Noon hour was approaching, but I had to wazz so I began to paddle towards shore to find a biffy. Dropped the troll rod back first though. I had just turned into a cove when the rod begins to sing. Grabbed the rod and thought one thing: the weight was too heavy to be a fish.

Then the headshakes hit...holy donkey bastard, this aint the bottom.

Fish stayed deep, not moving much but not giving an inch...then took her first run. By this time, my kayak had swung back towards open water. All I could do was hold on, the drag screaming.

It is at this moment that I began to question knots, line, skill, manliness, reason for living, everything (Im sure you yellowtail/thresher/black seabass guys are shaking your heads and calling me a wuss right now, and you're probably not wrong. Big rainbow vs. 32lb La Jolla yellow...yea, pretty much the same).

Then, with another violent headshake, the run ceased. I was about 15mins into the fight now and I had not actually seen it. Finally about 30yds away the fish surfaced. Whoa, a dolphin.

Took two or three more runs of about 15 or 20yds before giving up. I laid the net out and Im pretty sure I heard the fish laugh. Head lopped over one side, tail off the other. Only one choice...The Mick "Mankind" Foley Mandible Claw from the old WWF days. This fish had one headshake left, but the fight was gone. Hoisted it in and realized it was bigger than I originally thought.

Went 13.9 on the scale.