I went for about an hour to the golf course ponds behind my house just to wet a line. I was throwing a 1" Gulp minnow on a 1/32nd ounce jig head. I got four small gills, the largest was a lttle bigger than my hand,lost a couple of others and got a little bass that might have been nine inches if he stood up straight.
But man I caught the biggesy oscar I've ever hooked. I'm reeling past a culvert and bam! That thing hooked itself. It started taking line in two short but hard runs from a Penn Battle with the drag cranked as tight as I dared with four pound line. That Penn's drag is no joke either. Its the best ultralight salt water reel out there, and this fish of unknown specieces was taking line. I've caught small 12" tarpon on this rig that didn't take as much line, they just jumped. Anyway, after the second run I'm sure its not a bass as it didn't break the surface, but buried itself in the inshore weeds. Now I'm trying to force it up with the rod bent double, largely from the weight of the weeds.
I start to wonder which will go first, the line or the rod. I have an el cheapo Berkley cherrywood, and yeah I know, why put a hundred dollar reel on a twenty dollar rod, but I like the action of the thing and if I break it I can buy four more and still save money over a St. Croix.
I thought it would bust tonight, as I was determined to see what the fish was. But by giving it some slack and then working from different directions I got it on the bank.
It was an oscar that went an honest 14 inches. It would have towed a similarly sized crappie or bluegill around that pond if you tied them tail to tail. That thing fought like a mangrove snapper. As a conservationist I wish they weren't here. But as a fisherman? Darn they're fun.
