Infatuation with lures- Part 4- The End

The Redemption

Towards the end of the night, I thought I was going the get a chance for redemption. Because we were loosing water and we had to push out with a tide I switched from fast sinking shad to a sinking shad. It’s slower sinking   progression allowed me to work it at a slower pace. I got a hit at the end of a cast, literally as I was reeling in the slack. At first there was just a stubborn dead weight. Like the fish was saying ” how dare you  hook me!!!”  That was followed by a screaming fast run first to the left before changing direction to the right. I don’t like this, I said to myself, something is not right. Suddenly I can feel it’s progression upwards. It’s too far and too dark to see what is happening but I am certain that I am correct…..

Then I feel a head shake, fish  breaking the water and then lading back into the water and stripping the drag. I don’t know about your but no self respecting large striper has ever came out of water and shook his head on me which can only mean one thing….

Big, very pissed off bluefish

After few more energetic runs I brought it to my side although you can never say that you got it ” under control”. Somehow I managed to get Boga around its jaw, a quick weight showed 18lb plus and after few photos the fish was released unharmed. I do have to say that being tall sucks when you have to take pictures with a fish, every damn fish look tiny.That is why I stick taking pictures of other people..lol

ODM Genesis rod that I used for the first time had no issues tossing these very heavy shads into wind or controlling or fighting all these fish. I am rarely this impressed with rod after a first nightly use but then again I usually do not catch these many quality fish in one season, never mind one night.

In closing, I know it’s one night of crazy fishing and if Silver Fox did not have equipment problems and ifs he fished all night along me, he might have similar results with a plug like darter or bottle plug. He got most of his fish by tossing heavy loaded needles into strong NE  wind. All I can do is report what my success rate was that night. And it’s not really one night, it’s kind of continuation of week nor’easter few days before which was the continuation of confidence I got by fishing with Patrick few days before.

Which brings me to possible, or equal if not even more important part of fishing, having confidence in the lure you are using. Yes, I did have a very good success with Sebile stick shads last few weeks but I am at the point where I feel EVERY cast could be a hit. I did not feel good that way for the past year or so that I owned these lures. Something obviously changed, my confidence in these lures is currently sky high. In fact I am writing this on a flight AA22 that just took off out of Dallas Fort Worth on the way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Ryan White from Century rods. We are hoping to put some major hurting on  exotic species. Here is the real kicker. A month ago I had about 30 to 40 different  poppers ready to be packed for the trip rom super strike, line stretchers and some exotic variety. Guess what? I substituted two boxes of stick shads for the poppers, meaning I left a lot of  the poppers at home. That’s how confident I am right now when using this lures. I know, I know, I used the poppers for over 30 years and shads for 3 weeks, and yeah, part of this is probably an infatuation.

Only the time will tell if I was right or if I was brimming with overconfidence. I know Ryan will throw popping plugs  most of the  time.

Hasta La Vista Amigos