# Catfish gets revenge. Try'n hard down!



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Ate lunch yesterday and headed to the boat to catch a bucket of bream for my first flathead rod and reel adventure. Eased into a little creek and popped the lid on my little can of wigglers...... Hey! What's that smell! Dead rotted worms - Crap! I will say this. Little bream ain't picky. Had about 10 worms that didn't have any insides but their skin was hook able so I basically fished with a half a thimble full of what looked like little tiny condoms. Managed eight tiny bluegill when the thunder started. I made it back to the cabin to wait it out and it rained for 3 hrs. Decided to scrap the rod and reel trip since the boat is now soaked. Decide to bait up a trot line instead. Catch a break in the rain and head out to the mouth of the creek, throw the net and catch a few shad. The rumbling returns. I find a nice green limb and tie the line to it. I get three hooks out and the wind starts gusting, lightening starts cracking and I get out of order with the hooks and tangle the line. Oh God! The rain starts all at once and the line is getting worse as I fight the current and wind. Finally I get it back on track baiting it like a wild man. The bream aren't to hard but I am squirting the greasy shad out of my fingers like watermelon seeds! Tie on the brick and drop that sucker. By now it's like a hurricane with lightning so close I think I hear the thunder first! I hit the throttle and plane her off - can't do it - feels like pea gravel pelting me. I pray and idle back the half mile to the cabin. My wife is pretty sure I've lost my mind but gets me a towel and some dry cloths anyway. Fast forward to 10:30pm. Rain stopped and I'm excited, but wife says no way your going alone in the dark to check a trot line in the river! It actually made sense - BUT! I beg and finally agree to idle speed and to wear my life jacket. I dig my $100 life vest out from under all the crap and discover the foam lining has been used by my boat mouse to build a nifty nest for his family. It's unwearable plus it's soaked. In desperation I remembered my BIL leaving one of those big orange ones. Yep! There it is. I strap it on and discover it's rated for up to 120# im 220# but I'm wearing it anyway. Off I go into the night - alone - looking like an oompaloompa. I round the corner and hit the cotton cord with the qbeam. Shaky, shaky!!
I position the boat and notice the current is strong, dam must be open. Third hook has a 4 pound channel. Fifth hook - another one, get him off and think I feel another one. Yup another 5 pounder. Feels like that's it. Keep backing her out and feel the brick pull free from the mud 30' down. By now im just using my headlight and have lost sight of the bank. I realize the current has me back close to the bank so I hit the trolling motor and head out but the back of the boat turns and I sink a hook into the rear seat, then one tangles around the steering cable. I try to readjust but just make it worse. I decide to pull up the rest of the line and get the brick and about halfway the loose line tangles around the trolling motor. All this with this huge bulky life jacket squeezing my neck! As I'm sitting there tangled in 3 places holding the line I feel the line pull, I think. Hmmmm. One more? Just what I need! I decide to get to the end then just cut what I needed to - I start pulling straight up, I can feel the dead weight of the brick but nothing else. I turn my head to see if the headlight will pick up the bank when all of a sudden the line surges so hard I have to release it. I feel the trolling motor bounce and realize the line is still tangled around it. I pull it up and get the line back - I ease it up - huge blue cat. He surges again throwing water in my face. I spot the net in the back of the boat. I hop down to get it and step on one of those slippery shad in the bottom of the boat - I slip - but like a ninja I recover and after about ten tries I get the fish in the net and then in the boat. Everything is so tangled and I am completely out of breath, just standing there looking at him when someone touches me on the shoulder. At first I thought it was the ghost of my old grandpa wanting to congratulate me but realize pretty quickly that it's a cypress branch and I'm all over the bank! I recover again and just drop the brick to recover when it's daylight. I head back at a blistering slow idle. Holler at the wife to bring the camera. I hold up my prize while she snaps my pose! That's when it happened! As I'm smiling trying to look cool holding my prize - he flips and cold cocks me right in the jellybeans! I had to go to my knees - I started to clean that turd and eat him but after I recovered I dropped him back off the dock. 
Geez
I think I'm tryn to hard!
Here I am with my trophy and the next pic is him popping me in the nuts - enjoy


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## joebuck (Oct 1, 2007)

Some of the best posts we've had on here in a long while ...


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

You couldn't find the waterwings that went with the choker-floater? I bet that was a laugh...for your wife!


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I laughed so hard, my head hurts. I think I forgot to take my blood pressure medicine today ,so that probably contributed. But dang, right in the nads ! Bawahaha ! Sorry brother laughing with you not at you. You are laughing aren't you ? Nice cat too ! Bawahaha. ...


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## TFRIZZ30 (Jun 26, 2014)

And best post of the year goes to Try'n Hard. Those trot lines always turn into an adventure. Wish we could bait them with brim.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Hell, yeah! That's what I'm talking about - combat fishing! I had a mental image of Lt. Dan in the crow's nest, screaming at the hurricane, "YOU CAN'T SINK THIS BOAT!"

Great story, Try'n, Well worth the wait. And a fine blue to boot. :thumbup:


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## Tomslick66 (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm still looking for picture #3! The "after" shot. 

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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

fine cat, better story!


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## Prowler (Apr 26, 2011)

What a great story!! It is nice to know that I am not the only one who can catch a fish, a boat seat and my wife's purse all with one line and hook!! Thanks for sharing. Made my day!!


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

That's what ya get fer fishing when others aren't!!! hahaha Sweet cat though brother!


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## jmacvip (Oct 1, 2007)

Great Post Kevin. Your GrandPa would be proud of that tale. And for the record listen to your wife next time.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Wirelessly posted

LMAO. Funniest thing I've read in quite a while. 

This deserves to be published in a fishing magazine. 

The photos are priceless. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

Great story, what did the bigun weigh?


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

Classic my friend. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us!


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## WannaBay (Dec 2, 2015)

I was reading and was afraid you had gotten finned.
But, anyway I'm sure the swelling will go down soon...


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

For kicks and giggles...











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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

DLo said:


> Great story, what did the bigun weigh?




I actually never got to read the scales that I am holding him up with. Takin' a shot to the egg roll will give you a short case of memory loss. tossed him back before I weighed him. Would guess 25#


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Lucky you were not holding it by the tail.

Shish Kabob anyone?

Ouch!!!


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## firespan1 (Sep 7, 2011)

*Goodun*

Great post, funny as heck!! Reminds me of the time I was trying to get my anchor unfouled in heavy current on conecuh river. Broke the anchor line and left it dangling in the rushing current to get the outboard started before I smashed into the flooded blowdowns. Promptly fouled the prop with the anchor line which is now stretched tight from the bow cleat to the outboard. With ol "skint back" trussed up like a hogtied wild pig, all I could do was hold on as an oversized game of Pinball ensued.Not one overhang or blowdown was missed, all were treated equally.Lost my shirt that day,literally!!Not to mention my lucky Mark Sossin Saltwater Journal hat.


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

I feel for you, but not bad enough that I didn't laugh. Hard. The facial expressions are priceless.

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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

I think I just shat myself


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

The miniature life vest was a nice touch, I thought.


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