# Multi species and a river monster



## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Went fishing with my buddy last Saturday. We were targeting drum, but we knew that with the lure and technique we were using no telling what all we would catch. I listened to the weather before we left and they were calling for cloudy skies gradually giving way to sunny skies. Perfect! So I didn't bring any rain gear. As we were getting close to the ramp to put in it started sprinkling. No big deal as long as it doesn't get any worse. We put the boat in and start heading up stream to our favorite stretch. It seems the closer we got to THE bank, the rain got heavier. I decided to take my shirt off seeing how it was just damp at this point and put in a dry place for later when the sun is supposed to come out. So here I am standing in the boat with no shirt on in pouring rain fishing. It rained for a good half hour or more. I never thought I would be cold in August, but I'm telling you that when my buddy was ready to run back up stream for another drift, I was shivering. I'm not listening to those knuckleheads who give the weather anymore. Now to the fishing. We were drifting and jigging Flitterbaits off the bottom. My buddy hooked up first after just a few lifts. Turned out to be a nice hybrid striper about 2 lbs. He lands it just as a boat with 4 guys with raincoats on go past us. They got a good chuckle seeing me standing there without a shirt in pouring rain. We ran up stream to start our first full drift. It didn't take long and I bring a nice drum to the side of the boat. As long as it rained and was cloudy the bite was on! I think I caught 4 and my buddy caught 2 on the first drift. We ran back up stream again for another drift. This time my buddy hooks up. I'm watching him land another nice goo when I feel a tick at the top of my lift. Goo(our pet name for drum) don't usually hit at the top of a lift. More like they are just on there when you start your next lift. Anyway I set the hook and this fish takes off then comes back on me. I thought I lost him, but I reeled down and came tight on him again. That's when it took off for the middle of the river. My drag is screaming! My buddy asked me how my spool was looking and I looked down to see it getting small fast. I told him to start the motor. We chased this beast to the middle of the river. We were both trying figure out what it could be. My buddy says big flathead. I say nope, can't be. They run strong but slow and steady. This fish was fast! I say it has to be either a blue cat or a big hybrid. My buddy says maybe a true striper. I say nope, the river temp was 87 when we first put in. Stripers just don't get very big in warm water. My buddy says maybe state record hybrid. I say maybe. Now it's just a tug of war. This fish is bulldogging now. I'm leaning on it pretty hard now and I'm starting to gain some line(got to love braid). I've fought this fish for a good 10 minutes now. At one point I suggested cutting the line because it was eating into our fishing time. My buddy says no way, we need to see what it is. I'm now convinced I've snagged a big spoonbill. As I start getting it close to the boat I see the line going back and forth. Yep, I've snagged something big. Finally it breaks the surface and it's a beast alright. My Flitterbait was right at the tail of a big spoonbill(paddlefish). My buddy grabs the tail and hoists it in the boat for a closer look. Had to be 35 to 40 lbs. I've got to say that was very exciting not knowing what it could be. We put him back in the river and go back to drifting. Sun came out and shut down the fishing for us. We still caught a few, but nothing like when it was cloudy and raining. We fished from 8:30 am to 2 pm and caught 21 goo from a small 10 incher up to 8 lb., 5 channel cats all around 1 1\2 lb, two sauger, one hybrid and one spoonbill. That's a pretty good morning. Love Flittering!


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## joebertin (Mar 26, 2010)

Great report, thanks.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Flitterdone Scott!!


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

do you guys catch many paddle fish in the river? Im in northern ohio and have never seen one.


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## HANeal (Nov 8, 2009)

I love a good fish story!


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

odell daniel said:


> do you guys catch many paddle fish in the river? Im in northern ohio and have never seen one.


Check out the southwest forum in the winter time. Always a few good ones posted up


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Here's one from the Mississippi River. Sorry you got hijacked Scott


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

My god,,,,, What size net do you need for something like that ??


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## chris1162 (Mar 12, 2008)

even funner gettin em into a kayak!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Hard to know, More of them get snagged than caught in the mouth, but I have seen them caught in the mouth. Put a tail rope on like Wicked Tuna


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

great rain story, LOL. and the fish story was awesome. congrats on the great fishing.

not meaning to hijack your thread but many yrs ago my wifes brother and myself decided to go cat fishing one night. we got the boat launched and headed to our spot. about 3/4 of the way it started to rain, and we had no rain gear with us. it started coming down in buckets. couldn't even see where I was going. so we just shut the boat down and set there with our heads down in the downpour until it stopped. we were both just drenched from head to toe. he looked at me and I looked at him. then I started the boat and headed for the ramp. we loaded the boat and headed home. neither one of us said a word from the time I started the boat until we were about half way home, LOL. we both was thinking the same thing. we didn't want to fish and both of us soaking wet.
sherman
sherman


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Love the stories.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

Great read, I know it's a good story for sure when I feel my pulse rise a bit. That has to be the coolest strange looking fish in Ohio water


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Wow I fish largely the pool between pike island and Hannibal. I've never even seen one before Thanks for the pictures guys! Now I have no hopes of catching one but knowing they are in there makes me smile. I must admit the river bite for me was not good this year so I headed to the nearby lakes.


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