Big Fish Sightings Anyone??

[Red Childress]

Did anyone see/catch a stud or two over the summer??

Excluding our Vermilion trip (which is still unbelievable to me), we saw one "for sure" stud that was lost at boatside on 8/21 and another fish that appeared to be in the low 30-pound class that followed up in early-July. There was another fish that was only in the mid-40 inch class but had a huge head and obese body that could have weighed as much as the other 2 fish but just did not have the length.

We did not raise or see many studs this summer on the river. My hunch is that most of the brutes were going at night or simply over-fed with trout.

On a side note, do not be surprised if someone gets very close or actually breaks the state walleye record this Winter either from the river in Feb/March or through the ice of Kinzua. The pike record is definitely in danger too. There have been a few 48-49.5 inch pike caught from Kinzua over the past 3 summers not to mention the over-fed River pike as well. These 4-8 inch stocked river trout are everywhere and I mean everywhere....... the top end fish are just eating themselves into a diabetic coma. The conditions are right for some very heavy fish this Fall/Winter.

[Pescatore]

I had one early in July. I spotted its fin sticking out just on the edge of some lilly pads. I pointed it out and tossed a showgirl at it. It took the bait immediately and just as quickly spit it out. This is where it got interesting. Immediately after the fish spit my hook, my partner tossed a different colored showgirl at the beast and it took it! He was able to hold her on the line for about 20 seconds, then she flopped and sunk as the hook came out again! She was definetly a beast! When she flopped next to the boat I just stood and watched with the net in hand. She had to be near 35-40lbs. Like Toothy said in an earlier post " It just seems like to big girls know how to shake off".

Jason

[cband]

Several weeks ago, we spotlighted a Walleye that was pushing the record mark. Unbelievable how gorged this fish was. It definitely had a belly full of trout. The last two falls, we have put a 14lb and a 12lb walleye in the boat. Hopefully we can continue that streak.

[Anzomcik]

I have seen two real super nice PA fish. The one was spring time and i moved her 3 times, over three day period, she swiped twice at the bait but missed both times.

The other fish, i am still after, seen the fish twice jump after my bait (two different trips) first time it jumped strait up and it was all of 4 foot. After it landed it went strait into a hot follow, then bolted at boat side. Secound sighting it jumped like a dolphin, completly missing the bait.

So i hope to get her in the net tonight...

[Red Childress]

I enjoy spotlighting more than fishing sometimes.

[Anzomcik]

HEART BREAKER!!

Oh, the story of my big fish tonight does not end with a happy ending.
The night seemed perfect, we had a small fish on earlier in the night that shook free. We motor our way to the home of Jimmy the jumpin musky. Wind was blowin hard but in the perfect direction, so we set up and start casting. I was usin a curly sue, that the fish jumped at before. I makde my first cast nothing, i told myself to get in good hook set stance and think of what to do next if Jimmy was home and hungry. Secound cast about 1/4 the way in Jim is out of the water like "air jaws" curly sue in the mouth, i feel some weight and i lay a hook set that would knock the world off its axis. My rod Xheavy rod bent like a trout spinner, i yell "GET THE NET, I NEED IT NOW!" I get the fish next to the boat as the net was waiting for me to rise the fish enough to scoop. I can see this head of a horse just a shaking, i could not pull anymore to try to stop it. I keep playing the next 3 secounds over and over in my mind, the bait flys out of the fishes mouth and i am left thinking what another 12 inches could have done.

It was not ment to be, this time. The biggest kick in the pants to me is i have worked this fish for about three weeks now, and i could nto complete the task.

So put me down for seeing this fish three times now.

[McDunnoftheAllegheny]

I had two big fish encounters over the summer, the first was a follow from a very stout and lengthy musky that followed in but wasn't hungry yet, the second was actually in the same spot and I hooked into this fish, it was the biggest musky I have personally ever seen I am sure this fish was over the 50 mark without a doubt, but unfortunetly I lost the fish when it got tangled in the outside of the net when I was getting ready to land it. I had seen the fish twice in the previous week and after I did hook up I haven't seen it since.....

[Anzomcik]

Well I am sure everyone is wondering what has been Jimmy been up to. Saturday i took my Wife to the spot, she has always been good luck for me. She was throwing a small curly sue, and i was using a glide bait.

We were working his haunts pretty hard when i turned to cast the other way, first cast i see a dark submarine slowly rise below my bait, then a white maw wide open. Swing and a miss, i work the bait faster he is hot on its tail and jumps after the bait, missing it completly.

We drift away from the spot and give him some time, when we felt he was ready i eased in again giving my wife all the best casting angles, and i lob a homemade bucktail in the middle of BFE and half way in the first cast a big swirl behind it, with no follow. Strike three, we packed it up shortly after that.

Maybe wednesday he can get hook into his mouth.