BB's first Ecky report of the year (PICS GALORE!!)
Posted: May 31st, 2008, 12:31 am
Met up with my buddy from Adel to go try and see what we could shake loose at Ecky. We had decided after our weekly Kiwanis meeting, we would head down around 2 pm. Actually left at 5pm. 
Backed BB in the water at exactly 7pm. Headed to stop #1. I told Joey we needed to get with it and put 'em in the boat as dark was only about 2 hours away and i didnt want to try to navigate the river that late.Tied on the Skitterwalk and first cast bam 24" red!!
Second cast , grass pile. Third cast, BAM! 25" red!!
Cast a few more times, cast number 7, BAM 20" red!!!
Decided to save the spot for the next morning and moved into cove to to pursue the trouts. Got set up, tied on the secret weapon and first cast BAM!! 19" trout.
Worked on in a few minutes and BAM!!! 21" trout!!
Joey is fit to be tied by this time. I tell him to stick with what he's chunking and it will happen. He slow his retrieve and BAM!!! 21.5" trout
We continue fishing another ten minutes and decide to call it a day with 2 reds and seven trout, 18.5"to 21.5". Top red was over 6 lbs and the top 5 trout were over 11 lbs.
Day two.
We hit the water around 7 am. Head to a different spot than the night before, wanted to try out a new spot i found last year that I thought would be great if the water temp was less than 80 degrees.
Fished in real tight, began to feel this stinging levitation feeling and realized the sand gnats are trying to take me back to their camp for some kind of sick ritual.
Decided to move out to a ridge that was at the end of the point we were fishing. Bam!! 22" fatty.
Joey quickly follows up with another 21" beast.
We fish on out to 2 foot of water and the first bar. Tie on the ol jerk shad and BAM!! 20" trout.
Fish on to the next bar and BOOYAH!! 21.5" pig inhales my jerkshad.
Fished on out and started picking up little dinks like this.
Kind cool to see an over zealous 8" trout bust a 7.5" jerk shad!!!
Trout fishing slowed up a bit and I told Joey it was time to go check the spring bed. I havent been down there this year but I felt like we may find a cobia or two down there. Pulled North of the ditch and began to drift over the sandy bottom. Looked down and saw an 80lb plus monster swimming with BB. Knew she was too big of a girl to tango but said what the helk and threw an eel at her. She sped towards the eel at light speed and at the last second, veered. I looked on the other side of the boat and it looked like a field of miniature fighter planes layingon the bottom. There were easily 15 to 20 cobes hanging near the bottom. I tied on a 7.5 " jerk shad and slung it over the top. Three cranks of the handle and I see this dark shadow speeding towards my offering. Smash!!!! Line goes tight, I put the BB smackdown on her, the fight was on. Fishing with a 7"6" medium action carrotstix rod, calcutta 200B spooled with 6lb power pro and a 15 lb leader, I knew I had to take it easy. I worked her for about 20 minutes and got her to the side of the boat. After 8-10 attempts to net her by my pal, I began to worry the ling may get knocked off. I handed him my rod and grabbed gill plates with both hands. Straight into the fish box. She wasnt happy!! A few minutes and some high fives later, pics were made.
We settle down a bit and I tell Joey lets give em a minute. We move off the site to let em settle a bit and start chunkin for trouts again. Lord was lookin down on us. First cast with the jerk shad and a hand size pinfish foul hooked to the bait. I turn to Joey and ask him if he was ready to rumble. For some reason beyond me, I grabbed the lightest rod (7 ft light action carrot stix with a calcutta 200B and 10 lb mono, 15 lb fluoro leader) I had on the boat (it was already rigged with a 3/0 weighted hook that I usually fish 5" jerkshad with). A quick rigging of the pinfish and I told Joey to put the rod in the rod holder until we saw a cobe. We drift over the spot and I tell him, Whatever you do , dont throw that pinfish in front of that big cobe we saw!! I look down and see the 80+lb moster easing from under the bow. Splash goes the pinfish. Im thinking this aint gonna take long . All of a sudden a nice size cobe darts from under the boat and inhales the pinfish. I put on my coaching shoes. I tell him, thumb the spool and let him run. After about fifty yards of line goes out, I tell him, alright set the bail and set the hook hard!! He does and sets the hook like a field hand slinging dirt with a shovel. The battle is on zinig zing zing goes the drag. I look at the spool and see silver. Fire up the Opti and he starts regaining line. Replayed this scenario 3 times. Finally got the cobe along side the boat and realize he's got that little hook buried in the gill plate of a 40+" cobe!!!! 
I start to panic. I calm Joey and myself down and tell him that fish is coming in the boat. its his first keeper cobia and its going home with us. I continue coaching, rod tip up, dont horse him, easy now, no slack but dont horse him. He gets him boatside and Im stretched out, gaff in hand. I tell him soon as i stick him, open the fish box and get out the way!!! I slam the cobe in the heart with the gaff and straight in the box. Tiger punches till our nuckles hurt!!!!
After a couple of cold ones and some more Kudos, we decide to leave the rest for another day and go finish our trout limit. Total tally for the two days, 17 trout to 22", released a 23.5, a 22, and a couple more over twenty. Caught probably 75-80 trout total,probably 30 of which were shorts. 4 reds up to 25, and the two brown bombers,my 39" and Joeys 45.5" pig. An awesome day with a great friend. Got home , cleaned fish this evening after work and looking forward to some cobe steaks soon.!!
Backed BB in the water at exactly 7pm. Headed to stop #1. I told Joey we needed to get with it and put 'em in the boat as dark was only about 2 hours away and i didnt want to try to navigate the river that late.Tied on the Skitterwalk and first cast bam 24" red!!Second cast , grass pile. Third cast, BAM! 25" red!!
Cast a few more times, cast number 7, BAM 20" red!!!
Decided to save the spot for the next morning and moved into cove to to pursue the trouts. Got set up, tied on the secret weapon and first cast BAM!! 19" trout.
Worked on in a few minutes and BAM!!! 21" trout!!
Joey is fit to be tied by this time. I tell him to stick with what he's chunking and it will happen. He slow his retrieve and BAM!!! 21.5" trout
We continue fishing another ten minutes and decide to call it a day with 2 reds and seven trout, 18.5"to 21.5". Top red was over 6 lbs and the top 5 trout were over 11 lbs.
Day two.
We hit the water around 7 am. Head to a different spot than the night before, wanted to try out a new spot i found last year that I thought would be great if the water temp was less than 80 degrees.
Fished in real tight, began to feel this stinging levitation feeling and realized the sand gnats are trying to take me back to their camp for some kind of sick ritual.
Decided to move out to a ridge that was at the end of the point we were fishing. Bam!! 22" fatty.Joey quickly follows up with another 21" beast.
We fish on out to 2 foot of water and the first bar. Tie on the ol jerk shad and BAM!! 20" trout.
Fish on to the next bar and BOOYAH!! 21.5" pig inhales my jerkshad.
Fished on out and started picking up little dinks like this.
Kind cool to see an over zealous 8" trout bust a 7.5" jerk shad!!!
Trout fishing slowed up a bit and I told Joey it was time to go check the spring bed. I havent been down there this year but I felt like we may find a cobia or two down there. Pulled North of the ditch and began to drift over the sandy bottom. Looked down and saw an 80lb plus monster swimming with BB. Knew she was too big of a girl to tango but said what the helk and threw an eel at her. She sped towards the eel at light speed and at the last second, veered. I looked on the other side of the boat and it looked like a field of miniature fighter planes layingon the bottom. There were easily 15 to 20 cobes hanging near the bottom. I tied on a 7.5 " jerk shad and slung it over the top. Three cranks of the handle and I see this dark shadow speeding towards my offering. Smash!!!! Line goes tight, I put the BB smackdown on her, the fight was on. Fishing with a 7"6" medium action carrotstix rod, calcutta 200B spooled with 6lb power pro and a 15 lb leader, I knew I had to take it easy. I worked her for about 20 minutes and got her to the side of the boat. After 8-10 attempts to net her by my pal, I began to worry the ling may get knocked off. I handed him my rod and grabbed gill plates with both hands. Straight into the fish box. She wasnt happy!! A few minutes and some high fives later, pics were made.
We settle down a bit and I tell Joey lets give em a minute. We move off the site to let em settle a bit and start chunkin for trouts again. Lord was lookin down on us. First cast with the jerk shad and a hand size pinfish foul hooked to the bait. I turn to Joey and ask him if he was ready to rumble. For some reason beyond me, I grabbed the lightest rod (7 ft light action carrot stix with a calcutta 200B and 10 lb mono, 15 lb fluoro leader) I had on the boat (it was already rigged with a 3/0 weighted hook that I usually fish 5" jerkshad with). A quick rigging of the pinfish and I told Joey to put the rod in the rod holder until we saw a cobe. We drift over the spot and I tell him, Whatever you do , dont throw that pinfish in front of that big cobe we saw!! I look down and see the 80+lb moster easing from under the bow. Splash goes the pinfish. Im thinking this aint gonna take long
. All of a sudden a nice size cobe darts from under the boat and inhales the pinfish. I put on my coaching shoes. I tell him, thumb the spool and let him run. After about fifty yards of line goes out, I tell him, alright set the bail and set the hook hard!! He does and sets the hook like a field hand slinging dirt with a shovel. The battle is on zinig zing zing goes the drag. I look at the spool and see silver. Fire up the Opti and he starts regaining line. Replayed this scenario 3 times. Finally got the cobe along side the boat and realize he's got that little hook buried in the gill plate of a 40+" cobe!!!! I start to panic. I calm Joey and myself down and tell him that fish is coming in the boat. its his first keeper cobia and its going home with us. I continue coaching, rod tip up, dont horse him, easy now, no slack but dont horse him. He gets him boatside and Im stretched out, gaff in hand. I tell him soon as i stick him, open the fish box and get out the way!!! I slam the cobe in the heart with the gaff and straight in the box. Tiger punches till our nuckles hurt!!!!
After a couple of cold ones and some more Kudos, we decide to leave the rest for another day and go finish our trout limit. Total tally for the two days, 17 trout to 22", released a 23.5, a 22, and a couple more over twenty. Caught probably 75-80 trout total,probably 30 of which were shorts. 4 reds up to 25, and the two brown bombers,my 39" and Joeys 45.5" pig. An awesome day with a great friend. Got home , cleaned fish this evening after work and looking forward to some cobe steaks soon.!!
