Fish Catching Travel
Day 3 on Falcon Lake – Making the best of it.
When I got up the next morning I could hear the wind was still blowing. I stuck my head out and was happy to see it had decreased to a small gale, but it was going to be a whole lot better than yesterday.
I started on the same long channel bank right around the corner from the ramp where I caught 4 or 5 the first day. It is nice and rocky, leading to a brush point with plenty of deep water. I was determined to catch fish on that jig, and this bank was perfect for it. As I made my way down it, there seemed to be a lot of shad splashing around. I fished that whole bank without a bite on the jig, and then my mind finally assimilated the important fact, there are lots of shad here. So of course out comes the Red Eye Shad, a rattling bait.
On my third or fourth cast I caught a good one, around 5. Then I caught another fish, and another. So being the brain surgeon I am, time to keep after it. So off to the bank where I had saved the day yesterday. Though they had only been small the day before, I chalked that up to the front. This time I stayed way out, barely able to reach the brush on a cast, and slowed rolled that Red Eye Shad. And well-la, a good one.
Now that is a Lake Falcon fatty!
I didn’t bother to measure her, after yesterday and my lowered expectations for today, I was just glad to be holding her. Now I was sitting on the end of the point where two arms joined, with brush out to 14 feet of water, leading to the flat by the bridge. Staying way off it, and slow rolling that Red Eye Shad produced a fish every so often. The good ones had it way down in their throat as you can see above. A little while later I caught another nice one.
The day is looking up.
And so it went for the rest of the day. Catching one here or there in the Velano. Now the wind was still blowing, but at least it was fish-able. I would catch a couple of small ones, then a nice one. I did switch between the jig and the rattle bait, and while I caught a few on the jig, I could not seem to find the right bait other than the rattle bait. I did manage to catch a couple on deep diving crank baits, but not the size I was catching on the Red Eye.
There were a couple of interesting things that did happen to me on day three. Terry, a friend of mine I have fished with, called me the night before wanting the fishing report. Of all things he asked me if I had seen any of the big alligator gar. He had seen some big ones on a prior trip to Falcon with my brother. Interesting question out of the blue.
About mid-morning I had one of those thumps that says to a fisherman, big fish. I set the hook and the fight was on. At first I thought it was a true monster bass, a minute later I am thinking it must be a big catfish. Somehow I managed to keep it out of the brush, and when it finally surfaced it was a big alligator gar, and I mean big as a log. I have never actually caught one before so what to do? I have a gaff in the boat so I decided to give it a try, I really wanted my bait back, and he had inhaled it. So with visions of this great picture I would be taking, I slipped it in his gills and went to lifting. He went nuts, shook off, and broke my line. Terry, you owe me a Red Eye Shad for even bringing it up.
Not that long after the great alligator gar incident it finally happened, I lost a big fish in a bush. In 4 trips to Falcon I have been fortunate, or lucky, to have not lost a real big fish there. In this case, he went right in a tree and there was nothing I could do. I tried letting it go slack, tried to lead him out , you name it. Nothing worked and finally the line broke. Falcon is not a place for medium heavy rods and 20 lb test. I had been lucky so far, guess it is time to scale up just a little.
At about 3 p.m. I began thinking about the 4 hour trip home. My back was hurting like it does for all old fisherman who stand up for days. My hands were feeling the days of holding the rod and cranking. I fished a few other places and was about to leave when I saw a point near Beacon Resort that I had not fished yet. It was now about 4, and I made the old last cast, you know, the one you make after the other 30 last casts, and damn if I did not catch one.
Time to quit when you actually catch one on the proverbial last cast.
All in all a good trip. I can only think how it would have turned out if I had not lost a day due to the conditions. Even then, I still managed to put quite a few good fish in the boat. The size of the fish, and the potential on Falcon Lake to catch a double digit, are what brings people from all over the country . It keeps me coming back. So I guess I am still stuck at a 9 lb, 3 oz for my big fish there. I did not break the DD mark, darn, looks like I have to go back again.
Good Luck and Tight Lines!
NOTE: Sorry about the pictures, There should have been 2 more but for some reason they will not load. My bad.
