Author Topic: Small Mouths (Read 848 times)

Lawdog · « **on:** April 02, 2004, 03:16:25 PM »

While fishing for Small Mouths yesterday I caught something strange. I was casting one of my in-line spinners(white and red 1/4 oz.) along a wall I had always had good luck at in my favorite little lake when something like to tore the rod out of my hands. Fish fought like a bull dog taking line like no "smallie" I had ever caught had. No jumping just bull headed, slugging it out giving me all the fun I could ask for. Finely got the upper hand and landed a light tan colored trout the likes that I had never seen. Had a red stripe down the side and weighted just over 4 pounds. Put it in the live well and headed for the nearest bait shop to find out what I had caught.

Found out it is called a Thunder Trout. I had never heard of them before. They are a new strain of rainbow trout developed by Phil Mackey of Mt. Lassen Fish Farms. I didn't know they had stocked the lake with 2,500 pounds of these trout almost four weeks ago. The stocked fish ran from 1 to 5 pounds and are bred for their fighting ability. I called Mt. Lassen Fish Farms and talked to one of the biologist there and he said "tougher, meaner breed of fish." He went on to say that "Their main attraction is their line busting, reel stripping fighting ability." I also found out that they are stocking more and more lakes and reservoirs with these fighters. Here I though I had caught something rare and maybe even valuable but just ended up getting a lesson on what is now available. I will say this they sure live up to their name. Makes you wonder what they are going to come up with next?? Lawdog

:eek:

1911crazy · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2004, 01:29:28 AM »

My strangest catch so far could of been a new state record for a salmon. I was fishing one of my favorite spots that is a small pond formed by a man made road that is fed off a very large lake here that was stocked with salmon many years ago. I was using my "Hank Parker Special" thats what I call the Manns Crankbait baby1 in crawdad brown its one hell of a crankbait. Now to my story I'm fishing one night alone and was throwing my crankbait after a few casts I paused before taking it out of the water when all of a sudden it made a strike and the fight was on. The fish was about 24"+ completely silver with baby sized square teeth having no net I was in trouble I couldn't reach the fish nor did I want to drag it out of the water and hurt it. I just had a knee operation and i couldn't bend it fully yet. So I let my line go slack after shedding a tear and it came off to be free again to be caught again by me i hope. Being that this place gets the winter runoff from the big lake you just never know what you will pull out. Now to my Hank Parker Special story I was watching a taped TV Hank Parker show he was fishing in New Hampshire on lake wini and it was in the fall and he was using a manns crankbait size baby 1 in crawdad brown and pulling smallie after smallie out of the water. After the TV show I flew down to the new walmart to see if they had this lure it was snowing to beat the band here but i had to go anyway I had to have this lure now!! I got two of these Hank Parker Special lures. Now it was opening day here ane we fished for trout first(stream fishing) then we went to a local lake and on my very first cast the Hank Parker Special caught a bass right away. After fishing on my way home I stopped at walmart and picked up two more Hank Parker Specials for my kids. Everytime I buy a new lure and if it works I buy more for my kids and to stock up on them too.
BigBill

Guardian · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2004, 05:58:07 AM »

You folks ever heard of a GRENDLE ! (spelling may be wrong).
These things live in a swamp close to my home.
Looks like a pre-historic catfish with a mouth full of jagged teeth
and a strange shaped tail (More like an eel tail).
I have seen them several feet long under the old footbridge over the creek that feeds the swamp. Meanest looking fish I have ever seen.
They really like Ducks to eat, and will take a full grown drake off the
surface. I have caught many of the small ones, but the big ones just
refuse to come out of the water!!! They will normally cut your leader
or break your tackle.

Wags · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2004, 01:13:53 PM »

BigBill - Had my best year on bass last year, catching most of them on the Baby 1-, though Tennessee Shad was the finish I used. It produced both large and smallmouth bass, as well as stripers at night. Grey ghost was a close second. I too, picked up the crawfish color over the winter and look forward to giving it a try! Guardian - the fish you were describing sound alot like a bowfin. I've only caught one in my life, and it fought well, a very enjoyable fish to catch, but ugly as sin. Had a mouth full of nasty teeth..........

S.S. · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2004, 04:37:11 AM »

I too have caught those Grindles, They fight harder than any fresh water fish I have ever caught. There is a swamp outside of Carrollton Ga. That
is chocked full of them. The one in the picture is a "BABY" compared to some I have seen in that swamp.

http://www.bowfinanglers.com/

Guardian · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2004, 04:48:44 AM »

Buffalo swamp?
I am a "patron" to that swamp also.
Don't sit on the bridge with your feet in the water !!!!!