Tailrace Striped Bass
Fishing
The Red-Fin was V-waking across the water in the tailrace below the dam,
when amidst a spray of water and the sound of fury,
The Red Fin took flight propelled by a gigantic tail, 3 feet into the
air.
Staying calm during the adrenalin rush as the air born lure
dives back
is
a moment know only to the bravehearted
topwater Striper fisherman.
In the instant the lure is in the air you tighten your grip and set your
body.
Your mind quickly takes inventory.
Did I set the drag?
Will the line hold?
Where is the dip net?
Don't set the hook on the sound.
Feel the fish.
Keep your rod up.
Keep Calm.
You know that when the lure lands back in water you have got to continue
your retrieve and as sure as you start it back up its going to disappear in an explosion and take off like its tied to the
back of a Chevy.
No doubt about it, this was one big fish.
Although I had the drag on my reel set tight, this striper was
in control.
It
shot up river into the swift current with the drag screaming.
All
I could do was lean against the arched rod and hold on, no reeling at this
point.
How this striper could strip line so fast into this current with 30 pound line and
a tight drag seemed unbelievable.
With line disappearing fast it seemed that I would not stop this combatant.
Then the striper, for reasons known only to the fish, sliced to the
right an headed for calmer water, reeling frantically, rod up, I managed to
take back
line as the striper blew across the bow in a wake more reminiscent of a
surfacing submarine.
Knowing when the striper stretched the line out I was in for another
tackle busting jolt.
I said a quick prayer to be able to hold on to the rod keep it up and not
wimp out as my arms and wrist were burning.
When the fish felt the full drag it started a rolling, twisting surface
trashing - water spaying show displaying its fury of finding itself
restricted in its race to open water.
Finally the thrust of the runs grew less intense and the striper rose to just beneath
the surface, fanning its great whale tail, its silvery-purple hues
distributed among the stripes evident
in the clear water and morning fog.
I worked the fish to the side of the boat and and my partner with the
look of "is the dip-net big enough" managed to corral the giant.
If you're looking for big-fish excitement in Arkansas, you have to get
into Striped Bass fishing.
These exciting game fish hit hard, fight even harder and
grow to unbelievable size.
|
Until you have cast a top water plug
into stripers in a surface feeding....
tail spacking frenzy..... you, my friend, have not
fished. |
Please Practice Catch and Release ....
Most of all Create Cherished Memories.
"There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but
only a few will catch your heart.....pursue those."
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