In the late afternoon, I went back to the spot to check if the Big Bully jacks are back. Took out my favorite topwater lure and casted towards the river's bank while drifting with the incoming tide. I was probably casting for a good half an hour when I came across a deep pool near the bend in the river. I casted parallel to the bank and as soon as lure hits the water, a massive explosion swallowed my 4inch lure. On instinct, I set the hook hard. I was confident that my 30lb braid on the Citica should be able to take the fish. Oh sheet, my leader was only 20. I have set the drag at around 1kg. The fish took some line so I locked the drag immediately.
The fish might have felt the tension so it dove really hard and it managed to pull me with my kayak a good 15 yards towards the other side of the river. I wanted to drop my anchor to get a leverage but my anchor was still velcroed to the rope. I wasn't using it the entire day. When the fish was about to reach the snag, I decided to pump the rod to make the fish turn. On the first pump, It turned but it went back to the direction of the snag. I pumped one more time and then tack! my leader snapped. The fish ran off with my favorite lure. My guestimate, a good 5-6kg Bully Jack.
Today, I prepped myself for a quick round 2 just before Christmas eve. I replaced my leaders with a 37lb mono. Tied on a 40lb snap and brought out my last spare fave lure. I was really pumped, I barely got any sleep last night. At around 3pm today, I drove to my launch. When I was prepping my kayak, I realized that I forgot my paddle! F$##@! I had to load the kayak again and drove back home to get the damn paddle. At around 3:30, I was on the water again and paddling like mad to my new spot.
Before casting, I anchored my kayak really good and casted and casted like there's no tomorrow. No takers. I was really getting frustrated. I thought to my self, maybe the fishes knew about this lure since one of them has one like it as a lip ring. I switched lure to a bigger and louder 6-incher. After 15 minutes, bam! the dam fish missed. I went on with the WTD, the fish doubled-back and hit the lure again. WTF, it missed again and my lure went flying a couple of feet away. I gave the lure a couple of jerks and the fish went for the lure again. On the third attempt, it was fish on! I really thought that it was a big one but it turned out to be a smaller fish. A locked drag and an anchored kayak proved to be a no contest.
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| A 2.5kg Mangrove Jack! |
Half an hour later, I managed to get another Mangrove Jack! A bit smaller at 1kg but fiesty. I was trying to take a photo and it thrashed around and knocked the phone off my hands. The phone got wet. There goes my Phone+Camera and all the photos in it.
I wasn't able to get even with last night's fish but I got two of its cousins. Just in time for Christmas eve noche-buena.
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