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OBSESSION BY STEVE GILDERSLEEVE |
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HOW DID MY OBSESSION WITH CATFISHING
START. I HAD BEEN FISHING A PRIVATE ESTATE LAKE FOR CARP FOR THE LAST THREE
SEASONS, WITH SOME BRILLIANT RESULTS. I COULD GO NO FURTHER REGARDING
CATCHING THE CARP, AS I HAD CAUGHT ALL THE LARGE FISH OUT OF THE LAKE UNTIL
ONE AUGUST AFTERNOON. I HOOKED THIS FISH WHICH REALLY TESTED MY TACKLE TO THE
LIMIT. WHAT FASCINATED ME WAS THE POWER OF THIS FISH EVERY TIME I PULLED, THE
FISH PULLED BACK HARDER. I HAD PLAYED THE FISH FOR ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES WHEN
IT SURFACED. IT WAS MY FIRST SIGHT OF A CATFISH. I HAD NO IDEA OF IT’S
WEIGHT, BUT WHEN I TGOUGHT I HAD FINALLY GOT IT READY FOR THE NET THE FISH
GAVE ONE SLAP ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AD THE HOOK AND LEAD FLEW PAST MY
HEAD. I STOOD SPEECHLESS, I HAVE CAUGHT SOME VERY BIG CARP BUT NONE HAD
FOUGHT SO HARD AS THIS CATFISH. THAT WAS IT, THE NEXT WEEKEND I READ ANYTHING
I COULD FIND ON CATFISHING AND WATCHED ANY VIDEOS I COULD FIND. THE WEEK
AFTER I WAS BACK AT THE LAKE READY TO OUTWIT THOSE CATS. MY FISHING TACKLE
CONSISTED OF 12 FOOT 2 1/2LB T.C. BRENTWOOD ANGLING CENTRE RODS, SHIMANO
BAITRUNNERS WITH 12LB DAIWA SENSOR LINE WITH 15 INCH QUICKSILVER RIGS AND
SIZE 2 PARTRIDGE Z15 HOOKS. I SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF CATCHING HALF A DOZEN
ROACH AND RUDD LIVE BAITS. WHEN THE BAIT WAS PLACED ON THE HOOK, I USED A
SMALL SECTION OF ELASTIC BAND, SO THE BAIT COULD NOT WORK ITSELF OF THE HOOK.
WITH A GENTLE UNDER ARM LOB OF THE RODS THEY WERE SET. I SET THEM UP ON THE
BUZZERS SET MY SHIMANO BAITRUNNERS TO THEIR LIGHTEST SETTING. AFTER
APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS THE RUDD LIVEBAIT STARTED TO PANIC, MY
INDICATOR WAS DANCING ABOUT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BUZZER WENT OFF AND THE
BAITRUNNER SCREAMED OFF. I TURNED THE HANDLE OF THE REEL AND SLOWLY PULLED
INTO THE FISH TO SET THE HOOK. THAT WAS IT, ALL HELL LET LOOSE THE FISH TRIED
TO GET INTO THE SNAGS BUT I MANAGED TO TURN IT. THE FISH REALLY TESTED MY
TACKLE TO THE LIMIT AND IT MADE MY ARMS ACHE. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES TOO AND
FROING I GOT THE FISH IN THE NET. WHEN I GOT THE FISH ONTO THE BANK AND ONTO
MY UNHOOKING MAT, I PULLED THEMESH APART AND THERE WAS MY FIRST CATFISH. |
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THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED ON THE 25/04/05 |