dumb and dumbest

[waterninja]

after getting skunked the last 2 outings i thought i would try a new rainbow honey hole. left early and just as it was getting light i hit some black ice on the hwy. at 90 km and put my van in the ditch. pretty scary but got out with no damage to myself or van. i was berating myself for being stupid. got to the lake and had my line in at 8:45 am. 20 min later i hooked a big one and had quite a time fighting him into position to pull up a 6" hole 30" deep (hand drilled). just as his head cleared the surface the hook let go and without thinking i grabbed his head and tried to finger hook him by the gills. before i knew it i had my arm up to my shoulder down the hole and he was gone. the 2 guys fishing near me thought it was pretty funny as i stood there swearing to myself for being such an idiot. i don't know if i got the last laugh after icing 3 ten to twelve inchers and one beauty at 17" while they got skunked but i was certanly the only person fishing in a t-shirt. left at noon for a fish fry

[ivegonefishing]

Great story; sounds like you had a blast!!
Did the same thing last week with a pike, a partner who decided to help me land it, who dropped it halfway out of the hole, kicked at it to try and keep it on the ice, hit the mound of ice (from drilling the hole), broke the line and then fell on his side onto the ice! Then I got into the action. The pike started sliding backwards with hook and leader still in his mouth, I try to grab him by the gill plate (he was a keeper) but he slides down the hole, because of slippery ice and fish slime, with my gloved hand and jacketed arm following him until I can't reach him anymore. The first thing I did was to make sure no one had seen us The second thing was to check on my partner The third was to check on my pride
Still had a great day though

[dkrhome]

Sounds like a great day to me....you have a story to tell

[Kim473]

Originally Posted by waterninja

after getting skunked the last 2 outings i thought i would try a new rainbow honey hole. left early and just as it was getting light i hit some black ice on the hwy. at 90 km and put my van in the ditch. pretty scary but got out with no damage to myself or van. i was berating myself for being stupid. got to the lake and had my line in at 8:45 am. 20 min later i hooked a big one and had quite a time fighting him into position to pull up a 6" hole 30" deep (hand drilled). just as his head cleared the surface the hook let go and without thinking i grabbed his head and tried to finger hook him by the gills. before i knew it i had my arm up to my shoulder down the hole and he was gone. the 2 guys fishing near me thought it was pretty funny as i stood there swearing to myself for being such an idiot. i don't know if i got the last laugh after icing 3 ten to twelve inchers and one beauty at 17" while they got skunked but i was certanly the only person fishing in a t-shirt. left at noon for a fish fry

Was that the spot I told you about? When pulling a trout up, I allways sorta pull sideways over the ice and not str8 up so that the whole weight of the fish is not on the line and hook.