Well today was the last day of jury duty for me =( The weather was smoking hot out and after making some serious mental deliberations I decided to go to Chabot this afternoon instead of San Pablo. I was walking the bank and hoping to find some fish that had moved onto beds. Sure enough on a bare bank there was a log with pair on it. The male was about 2lbs and the female 6. I worked the male with a chartruese yamamoto grub but he wasn't too agressive. Threw out the castaic bluegill at him a couple times and that got him going. The female was kind of squirrely at first and wouldn't stay still but as I was working the male with the bluegill and he started hitting it almost every cast, I thought to myself, why not try the female. Started working her with the grub and about 25 pitches later I rolled it in front of her, she turned and woofed it. I had her on 25lb on my calstar 800L and although she fought good it was over quick. She weighed 6-3 and some trout guys took a picture for me. That was cool, I finally got a good one out of Chabot! I went right back and caught the male almost instantly on the grub. Wow, 2 fish in one day after 8 skunk trips to Chabot... Well the best (worst) part was soon to come. I walked down the bank a ways and was walking by some trout fishermen. The one guys says, "hey you want to fish for a big bass." Duh, ok I said. Looked down and there was a 10+ on a bed right in front of these guys. They had been trying to catch it with a nightcrawler with no success. I pitched out and the male started hitting my grub right away. I didn't really want to catch him so I kept pulling it away. I threw at the female about 10 times and suddenly, almost imperceptibly, she inhaled the grub!!! The grub disappeared so quick I couldn't believe it. I set the hook and she was on! She rolled a couple times and bulldogged up and down the bank. I eased her closer and just as I knelt down to get ready to lip her, the hook pulled!!! Ugggghhhhhhh. The most incredible letdown. To FINALLY hook a giant in Chabot and then lose her at the bank. It was rough. I had seen the hook during the fight and it was just barely in her lip, so I guess the skin just tore enough for her to get away. I was bummed but optimistic that I might find some more big ones that were willing to bite. I walked further down the bank and saw another two giant fish on this clump of weeds and junk. The big fish looked 11 or 12 and the smaller one maybe 8lbs. I had a castaic bluegill tied on for the bed fish so I cast it out past them. Reeling it by, the big one turned and followed it slowly with the smaller fish close by. I was by no means expecting it to hit. I let the bluegill fall to the bottom. The fish edged closer and then, incredibly, she pinned it to the bottom and ate it!!! I swung and it was fish on. This fish was one pissed of toad. She made a strong run pulling 20lb off my reel and then got completely airborne. I saw the hooks and they looked solid. As soon as she hit the water she went up again with a huge headshake and she somehow spit the 2/0 gammie hook out!!! I couldnt' believe it. Two ten pounders lost in a single day. Incredible.
It was so hot out I decided I was done for. I walked back but wanted to check on the big bed fish I had lost earlier. Right when I get there, some old dirtbag is putting the male on a stringer. I saw the female and stood off in the bushes and watched this guy. Sure enough, he's using a kastmaster and I'm sure trying to snag the female. I walked up to him and told him it was illegal to snag bass. He says, "oh no I'm catching them in the mouth." "Just watch me I'll show you" and all this crap. I told him ya right you're full of it. Typical tough to prove situation. Hopefully she was still to spooky to catch. I'll never know. Lake Chabot is one wierd lake, but every once and a while you stand a chance at a big one. Today I had 2 but the fish gods were not in my favor.

Here's the 6-3

http://www.calfishing.com/images/daily_reports/4_24_01_rob_6_3.JPG

Yeah buddy. Don't get too down on yourself, a 6-3 is still a good fish in my book. I'd be happy to even SEE two 10's in a day on beds... Could be worse, that could've been the biggest two fish you've ever hooked... har har.
-Brian

Hey, good job in getting them hooked! That's usually the hardest part.

What, no slammers in your pocket? What's up with that.

Oh, bad to hear about that guy trying to snag the bass but good job in trying to talk to him about that. We should all make it our responsibility to let these snaggers know there's no place for it on our lakes and fish.

BTW - how did you get the Castaic Bluegill to sink? I'll do anything to make it sink - I hate how it floats!

I got lucky on the bluegill. Mine suspends and sinks very slowly. I think it has to do with the monster 2/0 treble I use on it. Something to think about for you :-)

A while back when Castaics first hit the Lafyette scene, everybody had the bluegill, and some guys poped their somwhere so it sunk, u didn't do that on accident did you? I think its somwhere on the hinge part of it (there's gotta be a better name than that for it, but I forget, brain fart, old age ya know, lol).

Leif

LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-01 AT 04:11 PM (PST)

...brads(nails) in the soft body :-)

Helluva story Rob. What a heartbreaker.

C

with a couple of SuspenStrips. Skeet had talked about it some on that B.A.S.S. special they ran on him a year or two ago, up at Clear Lake. Run 'em up just in front of the hook, on the body. You can make it sink, suspend, or slowly rise, by altering the size of the strips you leave attached.

- jeff

-----------------------
Every day Congress convenes, we lose a little more of our LIBERTY!!!

(-- Mark Levin, radio-show host/KSFO 3-6pm)

Maybe **RYAN** can give you some tips! ;-) If there's anyone who can catch a Chabot HAWG, it's him!

Seriously, though, sorry you missed those mamas. I know you've been wanting to yank one from that pond for awhile now. One thing about fishin', though: sometimes you can leave FISH-less, but not without some profound memories (and STORIES!!!)!

You'll get those fish, sooner or later. Sounds to me like you're only adding to your wealth of knowledge as you go, bed fish or no bed fish.

I'm curious: do you feel you had a better chance at these sows, working from the shore? Think you might've done better from a kickboat or aluminum boat? I would think you'd have had a poor angle on 'em from the shore, but you sure were able to work 'em off the beds, from the sounds of it!


Keep at 'em, buddy!

- jeff

-----------------------
Every day Congress convenes, we lose a little more of our LIBERTY!!!

(-- Mark Levin, radio-show host/KSFO 3-6pm)

Jeff
They key in sight fishig is being able to see them. Hard to do in a kickboat but easy to do from standing 10 feet up on the bank or on the battery on the front of my boat. So yeah in a way shore fishing was an advantage. I probably could have caught the same fish from my boat as well, although the fish in Chabot are particularly wary. My hobie polarized glasses are also majorly important. Without a good pair of polarized glasses you are giving up a huge advantage. I am learning a lot this year about working bed fish. If I find a fish that is locked on a bed, I believe I can catch it no matter what. Pretty awesome to have the opportunity to find some fish over 10 that were like that. The next part I need to learn is how to put 'em in the boat.

Great report, and nice photo! I also swear by the polarized Hobie Lites- Glad you got the kook with the kastmaster to leave that big girl alone. Tight lines!

Rob,

Try the Ika...the counterpart to the Senko. Yamamoto is up there on the wavelength of Bob Marley. Forever loving Jah.

In the name of his Imperial Majesty, Halie Salassie, please throw that Ika on 20# and a 4/0 EWG Gami hook.

Who da cap fit, let them wear it!

Sorry for the cryptic insight. Jah 'tinually liveth in I and I.

Talking Blues,

Mwp