As some of you know Ron and I enjoy chasing what we call Trophy Alligator Gar (100+ pounds).Ron and I hit a different part of the Brazos via private access yesterday. We got on the river about 5:00 and proceeded downstream a couple of miles until we found a good looking spot. After unloading some gear we set off to find some bait. We can always find some shad or mullet but yesterday we could not find anything so we ended up seining some river minnows. With the minnows we were able to quickly catch a couple of Gaspergoo (drum) which weighed 2-3 pounds each. Having some bait we set out somes rods and got to relaxing.
Pretty nice spot to spend the night fishing,
The two Northwinds. Although they are built using to different construction methods they are pretty equal in performance,
As they sun went down and cooled off a little it become very comfortable on the sand bar. From the start we had a lot of runs on the big poles. We had a couple of good fish on during the night but were unable to land one.
I love sunrise/set on the Brazos.
Long about 2am or so it was time for a little coffee to jump start us. To me nothing tastes as good as coffee brewed in a old style perculator.
During the night we caught a couple more gaspergoo and two Fish Gar (longnose) in the 3-4 foot range. Also caught some small channel cat and bass.
Just after sunrise the big fish got hungry. Ron was on a solid hookup when my reel tookoff. We had two large fish on at once, less than a fifty yards apart. Some how those two fish got together and both exploded on the surface at the same time and looked like one huge fish. Shortly after that Ron's fish threw the hook so he came down the gravel bar to help me land my fish. It was another 15 minutes or so before I managed to get her up to the bank, but she was not finished just yet. Everytime Ron would run the noose down the line she would explode and tear another 100 yards os line from the reel again. After the fourth try Rone was able to get the noose around her but when he went to pull it tight the fish somehow went backwards and ripped the hook from her. The only thing holding the fish was the steel cable of the noose between her front teeth, I grabbed the lead rope off of my kayak and got it around her head before she was able to shake loose. We got her up on the bank and started taking measurements for TPWD. We also take DNA samples but had left the vials at home. She is one big fish and my personal best (so far).
This old fish has had a hard life. At some point she had been shot but had healed just fine. More recntly she had somehow gotten a roofing capnail stuck through one of her gill plates. Did not seem to her affect her so we did not try to remove it.
It tookm us ten minutes or so the measure her and get some oictures then she was released unharmed to grow up and fight another day. We always have a great time on the river regardless, but it's always nice to catch a big fish.
Pretty nice spot to spend the night fishing,
The two Northwinds. Although they are built using to different construction methods they are pretty equal in performance,
As they sun went down and cooled off a little it become very comfortable on the sand bar. From the start we had a lot of runs on the big poles. We had a couple of good fish on during the night but were unable to land one.
I love sunrise/set on the Brazos.
Long about 2am or so it was time for a little coffee to jump start us. To me nothing tastes as good as coffee brewed in a old style perculator.
During the night we caught a couple more gaspergoo and two Fish Gar (longnose) in the 3-4 foot range. Also caught some small channel cat and bass.
Just after sunrise the big fish got hungry. Ron was on a solid hookup when my reel tookoff. We had two large fish on at once, less than a fifty yards apart. Some how those two fish got together and both exploded on the surface at the same time and looked like one huge fish. Shortly after that Ron's fish threw the hook so he came down the gravel bar to help me land my fish. It was another 15 minutes or so before I managed to get her up to the bank, but she was not finished just yet. Everytime Ron would run the noose down the line she would explode and tear another 100 yards os line from the reel again. After the fourth try Rone was able to get the noose around her but when he went to pull it tight the fish somehow went backwards and ripped the hook from her. The only thing holding the fish was the steel cable of the noose between her front teeth, I grabbed the lead rope off of my kayak and got it around her head before she was able to shake loose. We got her up on the bank and started taking measurements for TPWD. We also take DNA samples but had left the vials at home. She is one big fish and my personal best (so far).
This old fish has had a hard life. At some point she had been shot but had healed just fine. More recntly she had somehow gotten a roofing capnail stuck through one of her gill plates. Did not seem to her affect her so we did not try to remove it.
It tookm us ten minutes or so the measure her and get some oictures then she was released unharmed to grow up and fight another day. We always have a great time on the river regardless, but it's always nice to catch a big fish.
