Short Lived Hot Streak

I have branched out a fair amount this year in search of other fish, but at the end of January I found out my fish that were at the taxidermist were lost in a fire. As shitty as it was, I felt worse for the taxidermist. He lost everything, I lost one fish. I figured this was fuel enough to get back on the horse and chase big gators again. I have since just short of lived on Indian. I have had many quiet days, but I had a couple days of a hot streak and managed a dozen or so fish in the mid 30s range.

I informed Dad of the hot streak and told him to get up here as quick as possible before it slips away. The hot streak was gone as quick as it came. When Dad came up the mercury plummeted, and so did my bite. Dad managed a smaller pike early on and that gave us hope, but the day was slipping away without any other action.

Because of the cold, it was brutal fishing, and with Rachel home alone, it was only fitting that we pulled the plug and head home. As Dad went out for his final pee, a lone flag went up. It was the flag that was frozen so it wouldn't spin, and the bait was a congealed mess of smelt goop. As I ran up to the tipper, it was bouncing in the hole. When I grabbed it, all I got was dead weight; this was a good fish. The first look in the bottom of the hole was that of a giant head. This was BIG, and it was going to be close to my next 40. As I pulled her up through the hole, both Dad and I knew it was going to be by the hair of my teeth one way or the other. At 39 inches, she was short, but a stout fish nonetheless!!!

I got her back into the water after measurement and before pics because it was so cold, her fin tips were already frozen. We took a few quick pics and slipped her back into the lake to grow and be someone else's 40 someday.

And just like that, the fishing died again. I fished three or four days with nothing spectacular to show for it. I tried different spots and different lakes.

I did manage one 34 incher back on Indian at the buzzer one evening.

It's only a matter of time before we find fish again.



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