Name=Jeff
Date=10/3-4/98
Area=Lake Havasu
Bait=Shad Raps, Fish traps
Water_Temp=
Water_Color=Clear
Fished_From=Boat
Report=Got invited to go back to Havasu last weekend for some fishing and various other water activities. Weather was cooler this time and much more windy. We started fishing Sat. afternoon after running around town looking for a new prop for th pontoon boat because someone stole the old one while it was in storage. (Crazy Horse storage yard sucks!) After about an hour of trolling the shad raps we had only one small striper in the livewell. I decided to switch to a 2-oz. leadhead with a fish-trap swimbait in grunion color. Trolled that for about ten minutes when the rod started screaming as 8-pound test began pouring from the reel. Last time our biggest bass was around 4-pounds so I didn't bring anything higher than 8-pound test to fish with. Mistake! I was almost out of line before my buddy could turn the boat around to chase what I believe to have been a huge striper. I had the fish for at least five minutes and was gaining line back when the fish turned and my line went slack. My little reel couldn't keep up with him and he was able to shake the jig from his mouth. Sure wish I could have at least seen him. Amid all the excitement, a boat flagged us down from a distance. They had ran out of gas. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing nice guy and towing them in. Later that night we fished off the back of the beached pontoon boat and caught a 2-pound catfish and more small stripers using cut mackerel. The next morning I had my 8-yr old daughter and a friend trolling. We had already caught a few small stripers and were heading to where I hooked the big one. Before even getting to the spot we got hit hard again; first one rod, then the other. A double hookup with big fish on 6 and 8 pound test!! The 8-pound broke first, I really didn't see what happened, my daughter however was screaming "daddy you take it this ones too big". So here I am trying to fight a fish and chase it down with the boat at the same time! Iwas actually doing pretty good until the fish went deep. I had him straight below me but could not move him at all. I put a little more pressure on the 6-pound line and snap! There went my other shad rap! Again, I wish I could have seen these fish. Don't know how big they were, but I know they were big. Next time I'm bringing 15 and 20-pound test!!
Rating=Good
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