LJ Tuesday

[Iceman]

I mixed a little work and fishing yesterday. Ran 2 errands along the way and still managed to launch about 6:30am. On the way back north stopped by Hobie and picked up a customers kayak . AndyACE was off work and carpooled the 90+ miles down the freeway. One footers at 5 seconds will keep your face dry but not your trunks. Glad I brought a fleece as that gray morning stuff and a breeze being wet gets me cold. Seeing all the good stuff that has been happening close to the bottom, I planned to fish one high and one low. Bait was tough and I managed 4 greenbacks and surprisingly no spanish. Rigging up to drop one down and found I was lacking in lead over 2 oz, so went ahead with just a flyline, until Andy convinced me to drop down and gave me a 5 oz torpedo.

Lots of sleigh rides from the right and the wrong kind.



Fish tapped on the bait and loaded up and swung. Alive, heavy and just stuck to the bottom. Fish never took any line and did not even toss it's head much. Made me nervous that it had all the fight left in it. Straight up and down, I pedaled forward to lay it out. Stuck it in the right spot, but the gaff only went in and not out, that worried me while I put it on the clip. Andy came over with a heavy stringer for back up. Pulled a gill and blood flowed and finally the fish thrashed a while boat side. I pulled him up and thumped him several times and let him thrash again. Game over.

32# and a Romeo Y Julieta Reserve to celebrate.