The legend of the Batpole, Part MCMXXXLIV
It was indeed a most excellent day for fishing! Even though it was blisteringly hot, and I started out late, and I got exactly two sips of coffee before knocking the Circle K cup down a five foot drop and breaking it open. It wouldn't have been my first choice for a day off, but I was recovering from the long trip weekend. And the best way to relax? Fishing!
The advantage of a hot Monday morning is that I saw exactly one boat fishing, and two others at the pump station, and one at the small dock. So I was virtually alone, and in my favorite honey hole. And the Bluegills were indeed biting. I caught several just shy of six inches (up from 3-4 inchers last week at Dawson, and four keepers at Evergreen.) I finally kept a first one at about six and a quarter inches. Six and a half is normally my minimum to get a decent filet out of.
But they kept biting, and it kept getting hotter. It was hot enough that, while I brought Vera pole down to the shore, I never used it - I was content to let the little Batpole have the day. Twice I had to stop, go to my car and sit in it with the A/C on to cool down a little. Then I got a six and three quarter 'gill, followed by one just shy of six and a half. Then I started walking the small strip of low-water beach I was working, and spotted bubbles coming up in four spots. Casting out got me four more between six and six and a half. So I knew I had dinner for tonight caught.
About 11 AM I was sure that I'd stop by noon - just too hot. And then at 11:15 my worm got taken by a real fighter. Most of the fish were pretty feisty today, but I thought I had finally landed a real bull. As I worked it in it started to have a different feel. For the non-fishing people reading this, it's really interesting how different species are different in how they take the bait and how they fight. I was getting suspicious as I pulled it in that I had something other than a 'gill on the line.
As I reeled it into the last three or so feet I saw that it was a longer, sleek fish. "Bass?" I wondered... Then as it came to ground and I began to lift it on the line I saw the barbels. "Catfish!" I shouted. I hadn't even known that there were any channel cats in this lake. So I got brought it to my Gator Grip 20" measuring board. (Total aside: Since I go after Bluegill mostly, and Gator Grips only measure down to ten inches, I scribed lines at the 9, 8, 7, 6.5 and 6 inch marks.) It measured out to shy of 13 inches, nose to compressed tailtip.
"Wow!" I thought. Yes, I know that Cats grow much larger than this, and that I had caught a fairly small one by comparison. Enough so that I had to go back to where I'd set up base and get out my fishing regs book. It told me that channel cats in Illinois are only subject to site-specific regualtions, and Evergreen has no size or creel limits on Cats... I decided that, while I could turn it back to become a Catfish Hunter kind of fish, that we could still have dinner with it.
Finally, at noon, it was time to give it up for the day. One more 'Gill went on the stringer, for seven Bluegill and one Catfish. I'd never cleaned a catfish before, but it skinned just like we'd seen on Dirty Jobs, just smaller, and on the internet. So we broiled up a mess of fish for dinner, and the fish were indeed yummy (even though I only had two bites of the Cat and let Nikki eat the rest of it, eating my fair share of Bluegill.) All the fish were indeed delicious, and the cat had a flavor I especially liked.
If you've made it this far in the entry I have to say Happy Anniversary to my wife in LJ - our 1 year anniversary was last Friday. :D Happy Anniversary, sweetie! I love you!
And I'd hoped to expound on our family reunions - Nikki and I met one cousin (though I'd have to figure out the relation...) who was really cool on my Dad's side of the family. I'll have to wait until later or let Nikki post about that, though.
All in all, a wonderful weekend.
The advantage of a hot Monday morning is that I saw exactly one boat fishing, and two others at the pump station, and one at the small dock. So I was virtually alone, and in my favorite honey hole. And the Bluegills were indeed biting. I caught several just shy of six inches (up from 3-4 inchers last week at Dawson, and four keepers at Evergreen.) I finally kept a first one at about six and a quarter inches. Six and a half is normally my minimum to get a decent filet out of.
But they kept biting, and it kept getting hotter. It was hot enough that, while I brought Vera pole down to the shore, I never used it - I was content to let the little Batpole have the day. Twice I had to stop, go to my car and sit in it with the A/C on to cool down a little. Then I got a six and three quarter 'gill, followed by one just shy of six and a half. Then I started walking the small strip of low-water beach I was working, and spotted bubbles coming up in four spots. Casting out got me four more between six and six and a half. So I knew I had dinner for tonight caught.
About 11 AM I was sure that I'd stop by noon - just too hot. And then at 11:15 my worm got taken by a real fighter. Most of the fish were pretty feisty today, but I thought I had finally landed a real bull. As I worked it in it started to have a different feel. For the non-fishing people reading this, it's really interesting how different species are different in how they take the bait and how they fight. I was getting suspicious as I pulled it in that I had something other than a 'gill on the line.
As I reeled it into the last three or so feet I saw that it was a longer, sleek fish. "Bass?" I wondered... Then as it came to ground and I began to lift it on the line I saw the barbels. "Catfish!" I shouted. I hadn't even known that there were any channel cats in this lake. So I got brought it to my Gator Grip 20" measuring board. (Total aside: Since I go after Bluegill mostly, and Gator Grips only measure down to ten inches, I scribed lines at the 9, 8, 7, 6.5 and 6 inch marks.) It measured out to shy of 13 inches, nose to compressed tailtip.
"Wow!" I thought. Yes, I know that Cats grow much larger than this, and that I had caught a fairly small one by comparison. Enough so that I had to go back to where I'd set up base and get out my fishing regs book. It told me that channel cats in Illinois are only subject to site-specific regualtions, and Evergreen has no size or creel limits on Cats... I decided that, while I could turn it back to become a Catfish Hunter kind of fish, that we could still have dinner with it.
Finally, at noon, it was time to give it up for the day. One more 'Gill went on the stringer, for seven Bluegill and one Catfish. I'd never cleaned a catfish before, but it skinned just like we'd seen on Dirty Jobs, just smaller, and on the internet. So we broiled up a mess of fish for dinner, and the fish were indeed yummy (even though I only had two bites of the Cat and let Nikki eat the rest of it, eating my fair share of Bluegill.) All the fish were indeed delicious, and the cat had a flavor I especially liked.
If you've made it this far in the entry I have to say Happy Anniversary to my wife in LJ - our 1 year anniversary was last Friday. :D Happy Anniversary, sweetie! I love you!
And I'd hoped to expound on our family reunions - Nikki and I met one cousin (though I'd have to figure out the relation...) who was really cool on my Dad's side of the family. I'll have to wait until later or let Nikki post about that, though.
All in all, a wonderful weekend.