I left on a bus from midtown at 5 PM and said, if I get home before 6, I am going to hit the river. Pulled into my driveway at 5:59 and loaded the car and was on the water by 6:10. The river is still higher and more stained then I like, but there were a couple areas I just had to make a few casts. I made the long paddle and passed up some great looking spots, but there was ONE area that I had to fish and have enough time to get back before dark.
I picked up at least 5 nice pike heading to "the spot" and started doubting myself for even trying to make it there. All the pike were over 30", but I knew there were bigger ones in this spot.
I made it to the spot and on the first cast, I had a huge blow up without hooking up. The third cast......Bam....hooked up and landed a solid fish that pulled me through the whole area I wanted to spend some time in. I thought the spot was ruined for the night.
After getting back into the area, I made 2 more casts and hooked up with a REAL good one. After pulling weeds off the line and getting pulled around, I landed this pike at just 40 ".
Now I really thought the spot was done for the night after fighting the last one for 10 minutes.....wrong again !! A few casts later, I hook into a pike that was at least 8 inches bigger than the last one. This fish made 2 jumps about 25 feet away from the kayak and was heading to boh sides of the river pulling line. After a couple more runs, the weeds were just too much and the fish got off at the kayak.
I only had a few more casts to make before it was going to be dark and I still had a 30 minute paddle back to my car. There can't be another pike here after all the crazy action in the last 40 minutes................WRONG again !! I hook up with another great pike and land it. A quick picture and I had to paddle my a$$ back to land before dark. This one was just at the 40" mark also.
I haven't had the time to make it to this spot in about 2 months with all the salt water striper fishing I have been doing, but I can't wait to have some more time and fish all the spots I passed up with the weed conditions that are in the river now.
Danny V
