KY Lake July 5th What a couple of gluttons for punishment

[M R Dux]

Tim (Quackrstackr) and I have been watching the generating schedule at KY Dam, hoping them pulling water would fire the crappie bite back up. Only big problem is with them spilling water at the dam, there is still more water coming into the lake than going out and the lake is on the rise. It's almost to 362.

We got on the lake this morning right at daybreak. You would have thought it was a middle of the week day---very little early boat traffic. We started trolling cranks on some of our favorite spots and were marking some bait and some fish, just nothing that wanted to bite. After a couple of hours, we only had one 14 inch crappie to show for it.

We headed out on the main lake to check some channels we have done well on in past summers. Again we marked fish and bait but the only thing going in the livewell were white bass and green carp.

We did have a couple of minutes of extreme excitement when I had a long-nose gar in the 4 1/2-5 foot range jump all over one of my custom painted c55s. This thing was as big around as my leg and as soon as I stuck the hooks in it did the most impressive somersault jump about 80 feet behind the boat. Here we are with this dinosaur being pulled towards the boat on a 16 foot pole at 1.8mph. It was jumping and thrashing with its mouth wide open showing off an impressive set of razorblades. I managed to get it along side of the boat and Tim got my big net ready to try to dip it up. Why I wanted this thing in my boat so bad is still a mystery?? I think somewhere back in my mind I wanted to get pictures of it so I could see if Chaunc could top this! Tim had the monster in the net from behind 3 TIMES and each time it would manage to get free. Finally my crankbait came free but the line from one of my other rods had gotten tangled with the one the fish was on and the next thing I knew, was wrapped up in his teeth and the fight was still on. I still don't know why Tim though lipping it was a bad idea?

Like all good things, this fight finally came to an end. All 3 of us involved were no less for the wear. I just wish I could have gotten a picture of Tim trying to net it.

We ended up with enough bass and white bass to grease a skillet so the day wasn't a total wash-out. By 11 we started to find out that all the lake lice had slept in but were out and about.

Good day with a good friend. We both will have some laughs over the one that got away.

[floatntiny]

Good job Doug!!! Does that make you the King Of The Goos and the Gars now?

[blueball]

nice report,ive had a couple gar on ,but theve always got off before they made it bto the boat,lol

[kycreek]

Them teeth will hurt you. Don't ask me how I know.

[M R Dux]

Good job Doug!!! Does that make you the King Of The Goos and the Gars now?

Not if I can help it.

I kept looking at that crankbait in that gar's mouth and thinking that thing is going to come loose and hit one of us between the eyes. A crank the size of the c55 with #4 sickle hooks would leave a mark for sure. I'll never doubt the ability of a Capps and Coleman 16 foot trolling rod to take on whatever I throw at it. That's also why I went to Trilene Big Game 12 pound test solar line last year.

[cajun fryer]

Doug you should write articles. I know you told me the story face to face but after reading it I was almost there in the boat.
I two wish you would have gotten a picture of it in the net. That would be a great picture on the wall in the shop.
After my first trip pulling cranks I wish I would have gotten a picture of that cat fish with your crankbait caught in its mouth and my finger caught on the other treble hook. But I wasn't thinking picture I was thinking very out loud which tackle bag has the leatherman in it and witch compartment the bag might be in that has the dang pliers in it.

[M R Dux]

That is the exact reason you are likely to trip over at least a half dozen pairs of needle nose pliers in my boat. The hook in the finger and the pic that Bigbaddad sent me recently of the treble buried up in his leg are the reason there are also a pair of side cutter pliers at the console of my boat.

The jump that thing made initially was a thing of beauty. No tarpon or billfish have anything on the acrobatics of a gar.