Yep, you read that right, this is part 2. Part 1 has not been written, yet. Ha
Last year around this time, my GF and I took a road trip to visit my best friend Mike and his GF out in Toledo, Ohio. Last year we went to a German American Festival, and had a great time, but our timing this year was off. We came out a week too early for the fest, but we made due and had a good time any way.
Got out to the same spot I fished last year with some success catching smallmouth bass while wet wading on the Maumee River. When I came out here around the 4th of July, the river was unfishable, because, of high fast moving water. Hoping that the water levels have decreased since then, I was hopeful to get out there and fish. As we finished lunch at a pizza buffet, my GF and best friend Mike sat down on a bench in the shade and watched me do my thing on the river.
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| Maumee River - Ohio |
I brought my 5 wt fly rod and bait caster down to the water with me. I casted a few flies, but had zero luck. I waded back to the shore to some bushes I laid my rod down in, and swapped my fly rod for my bait caster. I hooked up with a really nice smallie, but lost it to some sly aerial moves done by the fish. After that, I waved for Mike and my GF to come down. Mike refused, but my GF didn't, and it was a nice surprise, because, she normally would refuse, as well.
After my GF came down it was smooth sailing from there, I had lady luck on my side, and started to catch fish....some strange fish. Haha I was tossing a chatterbait and working some of the deeper pools and runs/ripples, and hooked up with quite the eclectic group of fish. Normally this lure catches me bass and northern pike....fish that I usually fish for. On this day, there were no bass caught.
Here we have a Channel Catfish. I cannot even remember the last time I caught one of these, but I can tell you, the last time I caught one of these was on a nightcrawler.
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| Channel cats got sass. |
Next up on we have a Sheepshead. A strange fish that I do not know much about. I caught 3 of these last year, and all 3 came in kayak bass fishing tournaments.
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| This one put up the best fight out of the 3 I have ever caught. |
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| Release. |
Last but not least - This fish was actually the first fish that I caught that day, and it was right after I took that picture with my GF. She was about to go up, but I told her to give me 5 more casts, because, I wanted her to be there when I caught a fish. Sure enough, 3 casts in, I hook up with something BIG!
What was it...I had absolutely no idea. I couldn't tell what kind of fish it was by the fight, and it didn't show face until it was at my feet, and when I saw what I had hooked, I could not believe my eyes....My very first Flathead Catfish! I've been wanting to catch one of these on the Fox River back home, because, of their size and what I hear about their fight. This one lived up to the hype. One thing I will remember about this Big ole Flathead was that it smelled absolutely horrible. Hahaha Hand down the stinkiest fish I have ever caught. Cool none the less. Haha
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| Flathead Catfish - you stink. |
Before exiting the water and climbing up the rocks back to the bench my GF and best friend were, I spotted some trash on the rocks. As I got closer to it, I took notice that it was a cast net. It was probably washed away and caught up on the rocks when the river was flooded. When I picked it up, a shed from a snake skin fell out. I was thankful that it wasn't alive. haha I gladly tossed that net, so, other animals would not get caught and die in it. #leavenotrace
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| Trash. |
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| School of shad. |
With my limited allotted time, I caught some fish, smelled some fish, cleaned up some trash, and knocked a fish species off my catch list. It was a beautiful day.
