Had to be there....

[striperjoe32]

I went out for a couple hours on Wed night and caught a few cats. First time I ever used a baby carp for live bait(and last). Nice night, little boat traffic, lots of sturgeon skydiving and then..........decided I needed a little more bait and went in a pit near Osborne. Caught everything in the gill net but shad(crappie, bass, cats, etc.). I decided to scoot across the "pond" to the other side near some docks and use the throw net. I was rolling in the Catfish Cadillac, pitch black except i did have my "headlights" on and I was just about to the spot to start throwing and all of a sudden I hit a deer. that's right there was a deer swimming from one side to the other in about 10-11 ft of water and he came out of nowhere. I actually pulled back instantly and he was about 10 ft dead ahead. I then killed the motor and actually had no idea what I had done to the deer as we did make contact. I was afraid to look under the pontoon but i raised the motor and started looking around and then heard something. The Da*n deer was on the shore climbing up the side and headed into the woods. I really don't know who had bigger eye balls when we spotted each other but alls well that ends well. Would this be a fish story or hunting story? Anyway expect cooler water this weekend and I know the bite will follow right behind !!!!

[Scott]

Amazing. Just when you think you've heard everything.

At least you didn't catch him in the net. Now THAT would have been a tough release!

Keep being careful out there, Buddy.

[WVBowhunter]

Did ya check out the barge bite---lol

[basstardo]

So what happened with the carp? I used to use them in the Ohio River for flatheads. They'd eat them like candy.

[CATAHOLIC]

The water temps were around 84deg from the pump house to hopewell and 89deg at the Dutch Gap ramp area on the outgoing tide. Hopwell area was down to 74deg two weeks ago and the big fish were on we had two over 70lb that week. Its amazing how the river can heat up so quick.
Joe, Glad you guys didn't hurt the boat or yourselves. We watched some deer swim the river last year in January at Sturgen point and it took them a over an hour to cross and they were dodging boats. We also tried a 10" carp the other night and we got a major flathead bite but he pulled it under a log and wrapped up. Classic flathead bite slow pull on the clicker we locked it down the rod tip touched the water then the drag was screaming..... Then it was over :(

[striperjoe32]

Had a major smackdown tonight (Thursday) and landed a beautiful 47 lber, other than that nothing but dinks and some good chatter with the tugboat captains. Bedtime now, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz .....striperjoe "layin' low"

What wind?????

[mini moe]

I've found that most of the time, that a flathead will bat the hell out of your rod and then pause for a second or two, then pull it steady. Sometimes you just see the steady pull down, like Steve did, it's usually because you weren't looking at the rod when he first whacked it, and sometimes, but not too often they will just run steady. That initial whack of the rod is him sucking the bait in with water suction. So if you guys get that kind of a bite and miss the fish, it's most likely a flathead. It's important to keep a tight line on a flathead, even more than a bluecat, because his mouth is so hard that the hook will not penetrate well if it's not in the corner of the mouth and will come out with a slack line. I have had a couple over 40 lbs. and bunches in the 30 lb. size, that when I laid the fish in boat the hook just fell out.