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Well, the water was about 2 feet higher than optimal and stained, but the weather was nice and I decided to get out before the thunderstorms came. I got out early and ran a little above my usual float. I found some clearer water above an island on the VA side. I threw a spinnerbait and then a chatterbait to the shore. I cast the chatterbait in front of a large boulder that had a water intake pipe behind it. I thought I was snagged, but something big surfaced. It fought hard and I thought it was a carp, After a few minutes, I saw some slime on the line and knew it was a catfish. A couple minutes later, I netted the beast. It was a big flathead catfish. I was so excited, I forgot I had a boga grip. I took a couple pictures and decided it was too big to carry back to measure it on the side of the boat. I lifted it with my left hand and released it. That was a mistake, but nothing major.
I really wanted to catch some smallies, so I worked a flooded island and then cast behind laydowns and floated. I caught one dink on a firetiger Big O. I started using swimbaits with spiked tails and a tube. I cast behind one laydown and was dragging the swim bait and I hooked a fish. It felt like a good fish and when it surfaced, I could see it was a big smallie. I finally netted the fish and it looked to be about 4 pounds. I took a couple pictures and measured it and it was 20.25"! That was my second 20+ smallie in a week. It was healthy, not very fat and had no signs of spawning.
I continued casting behind laydowns and got a few bites in one area, but only landed this one fat 13.5" chunk. I lost a couple swim baits and had something break me off in that same hole.
I kept trying, but the water was getting more muddy and I only had one more fish bite off a tail on a keitech. I got off the water at 3:00pm, before the rain hit.
Last edited by drxfish (May-10-18 2:37PM)
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Nice work John, I thought about today as well but I had to go to the doc.
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I guess I misidentified my catfish again. I was told it is a channel cat. It had such a big head compared to the body, I thought it was a flathead.
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It does look like the "upper jawbone protrudes out further than the lower jawbone", the mark of a channel.
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Good job DrX
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