gradycodd Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 If you're struggling to keep at it right now, this is a good littl story for ya... Bear with me, I'm a detailed story teller hahaa This was roughly my 15th outing of 2018 with no fish in the boat. In the past, my slumpbusters are almost always well worth the wait, and this was no exception. I left work early to hit the lake for a couple hours, was hoping to catch the stocking regardless of how useless the first few were. I put in and notice the only other person on the lake is leaving. Insane, a January mid week stocking and I'm the only one there, fine by me. I head to my first couple of spots and see nothing, no trout, no bass, barren. For 3 hours or so, I never once see a trout, and I assume they just delayed the stocking because I would have seen the dude roll up and dump them by then. But I'm looking around and everything looks primo, stable weather on a New Moon, high water with perfect clarity and not a soul around, a dash of trout would've truly done it in. I decide to revisit a favorite spot of mine before the sun goes down and give it one more good cast before I call it quits for the day. Mid cast methodically swimming mid water column and the soft bait gets clobber gnarled, I set into her and work her to the net and drop the first fish in the livewell at 8lbs 2ozs, I quickly reset the bait and line up another banger of a cast, and within inches of where the first fish bit, I get smoked again this time by a much smaller fish, a feisty little 5er, and as I'm clambering to get him off of my bait and make another cast, I see what I've been waiting for. 2 trout come flying out of the water in perfect sync with a full grown boil beneath them. I bust out the punker and send it far past the sweet spot and work it into the zone. There is something to be said about having a rod on the deck for every application. The way this specific spot sets up is something a lot of people tend to overlook, but something I've been in tune with for some time, and contains one boulder that has a special place in my heart. My bait finds itself directly above the rock and gets flushed, arguably my favorite sound on earth. I swing and horse in another good fish at 8lbs8oz. In fact she was a resident fish that I caught 2 years ago off the same rock with an hph. I back off the spot, drop her in the well and crack a beer while I wait for the dark to set in and for the fish to set back up for what I'm very aware is about to go down. Once I hear the trout beginning to get nervous again, I lined myself up and sent the soft bait back into trout hell. The first cast I get a couple bumps and taps as soon as I clear the rock, but no commitment, so I quietly slide around and make the same cast from the opposite angle, this time the bait bumps the rock and this particular fish knocked about 27 feet of slack into my line. I reel tight, crack her and net another solid fish. This one much fatter, only 22 inches long but tying the last fish at 8lbs8ozs. I drop her in the well and back off again, I scoot down to another few areas for about half an hour or so and let my spot rest. Nothing to write home about anywhere else, this was all going down in a 25 yard stretch, so I decide to go back to my rock and make my cast. This time I ticked the rock and nothing happened, so again I slide around and try it from another angle. This time letting the bait come up the side of the rock and opening my bail to let it fall straight down off of the deeper side. The second that bait dropped to the base of the boulder it gets pounded, this time the fish is working me, she pulled locked down drag a few times and made some seriously impressive runs, I thought I hooked my big one for the night, but shockingly she only went 7lbs15ozs. She fought better than every other fish that night and ended up being the 2nd smallest of the limit. I was now at the lake for far far longer than I had anticipated, and having to work first thing in the morning I decide to weigh my limit and take the money and run. I believe if I had the opportunity to fish through the night I would've been able to beef that limit up even further, but I was plenty grateful for what I was given in a matter of hours. Moral of the story, stick to it and respect the grind, it can and will pay off. Just be ready. and getchurself some Trapper tackle trebles, fish just don't come off anymore. It's comical to watch them try. Didn't hear it from me Lurejerk, Nateraz, Backyardbassin and 37 others 40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcolo4sho Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Gangster!!! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Wow what a day! Got my heart pumping just by reading this! VolunteerSwimbaits, gradycodd and SpotStalker 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsneezes Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 I really appreciate the detail in this write-up (as im looking out my window at 12"+ of snow). That's an unreal way to start the new year! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R8R Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 That's like prostaffer material right there, nice gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbass Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Cool story and unbelievable fish, great job gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleAvilla Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Sick stuff right there gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuranSD Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Super F Dope!! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Wow! Three 8 lbers! What an outing! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niki814 Posted March 11, 2018 Report Share Posted March 11, 2018 Sick write up!! Can't wait for this snow to be gone an fishing already gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurejerk Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 That's the way to do it ! Great write up dude. gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipleadthefish2 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 What an awesome story!! Way to grind brother! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinos240 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Damn bro! Way to work! gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brushhawg1 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Killer outing man. gradycodd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YELOSUB Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) Best story I have read in a long time, almost felt as if I was there...Thanks for sharing Grady... Edited March 13, 2018 by YELOSUB gradycodd, Dee Money 916 and Mason 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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