Catching Frankenfish - The Grand Fishing Expedition
At O dark thirty my fishing partner, Chucky, also known by his Ojibwe name Can't-Catch-Fish, headed for Clear Lake California, the Bass capital of the West. Can't-Catch-Fish is also my blood brother and cousin six times removed. A couple of times I've thought of removing him permanently, but that's another story.
It was a 700 mile drive to Clear Lake that we intended to cover in one day. Arriving at 6pm that night we were exhausted. After a wonderful dinner of cold cuts, dry bread and old cheese we headed for bed, determined to be fishing at first light. First light came and went, but never fear, Can't-Catch-Fish and I hit the water around 10am. Heading to our secret fishing spot on the lake we arrived with great anticipation, knowing that Frankenfish was lurking in the deep. Can't-Catch-Fish made his first cast and promptly broke the tip off his rod and his lure ended up stuck on a tree. Having fished with Can't-Catch-Fish many times I knew this was a better start than most of his adventures. The last time, after a mighty cast he tripped over his own feet and fell in the lake. I almost changed his Ojibwe name to Big-Foot, but at the last second decided to give him one more shot to become something of a fisherman. Can't-Catch-Fish changed to a new rod and was now set to go after Frankenfish. I quickly landed a few small bass as Can't-Catch-Fish was trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. This is an ongoing saga with him. Finally Can't-Catch-Fish has a strike, after a mighty battle, during which he got his thumb stuck in the reel, he landed the fish. Now came the moment of truth, could he unhook the fish without major damage to the boat, me or the fish. I heard a scream and quickly turned to see what happened. There was the fish flopping on the bottom of the boat and Can't-Catch-Fish screaming in pain, the hook stuck in his thumb. I pulled out my Bowie knife, (took that from Jim Bowie at the battle of Crooked Creek, or was it Whiskey Creek) and did a quick cut and paste and out came the hook. Satisfied that I hadn't cut off his thumb I went back to fishing while Can't-Catch-Fish bandaged his minor wound. The day ended with me catching a number of fish, none of them Frankenfish, and Can't Catch-Fish living up to his name.
Day two stated with the same scenario, fish for me, nothing for him. Reminds me of the song "Whiskey for me, beer for my Horse''. Finally late in the day I hooked into a big one, sure that this may be Frankenfish I was excited. Of course Can't-Catch-Fish got into the act. He didn't reel in his line and quickly our lines became tangled, me with what I was thinking was Frankenfish was getting a little excited and angry. As Can't-Catch-Fish was trying to untangle the lines, I was screaming at him to ''cut the line'' before thinking that we would be loose with a Bowie Knife in the boat. This is not good. Finally I convinced him to cut the line with his teeth. As he grabbed the line and attempted bite it in half the line slipped between his teeth. The fish sensing that he had an advantage quickly headed out in the opposite direction, snapping Can't-Catch-Fish head to one side then the fish headed in the other direction. Can't-Catch-Fish head looked like a ''Bobble Head Toy''. finally the line took out one of his front teeth and the line snapped. Off to the dentist for Can't-Catch-Fish. Our fishing day was over.
Day three, four and five were repeats of day two. Minor mishaps and a lot of fish, but no Frankenfish.
Day six, our last day before heading home. Knowing that this was our last chance to catch Frankenfish we pulled out all the stops. Finally a major strike for me, this had to be Frankenfish. The battle was on, first I had the advantage, then Frankenfish, back and forth the battle seesawed, exhausted the fish was beside the boat, it was the biggest bass that I had ever seen. Now Frankenfish had to be netted by Can't-Catch-Fish, a thought that made me sick to my stomach. Missing the fish each time that he tried I was at the end of my wits. Finally with a mighty sweep Can't-Catch-Fish hit Frankenfish in the head with the rim of the net and stunned him, also knocking the hook loose. In an amazing show of sheer stupidity, Can't-Catch-Fish tripped and fell overboard, now I have a stunned Frankenfish in the water and also Can't-Catch-Fish right next to him. Who to save, I went for the net and scooped up Frankenfish, leaving Can't-Catch-Fish in the lake. He was hanging off the side of the boat screaming for me to save him. I had the trophy fish of a lifetime in my hands. Pulling Can't-Catch-Fish on board, my mission complete. This fish was so big that the picture of him weighted three pounds. I had won, now I released Frankenfish to fight another day. An Ojibwe War Cry and the fish was gone back to the deep.
I quickly phoned by Uncle Walks The Horse, owner and sole employee of ''Walks The Horse Tackle, Bait, Fry Bread and Night Crawler Shop.'' Before I can tell him about my record breaking fish, he said, what has dumbass broken now, do I need to order more rod and reels? Uncle Walks The Horse had Can't-Catch-Fish number.
That my friends and fellow fisherpersons (PC) is a true story. Of course there is the old saying ''All fisherpersons are liars, except you and me, and I'm not so sure about you anymore.''
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This is the Pope telling all at the Vatican about the fish that he caught when I was his guide. This is a really true story, the Pope will verify it.
Since you were his guide, I am surprised the fish wasn't bigger than that. Another great fish story. (wink)
You must have missed this part RW...The Pope was showing the size of the bait, not the fish we caught..LOL
Ahhhh.....now that makes more sense. (grin)
One of my favorite stories, Kavika. As always, so much fun to read.
Can't-Catch-Fish thanks you RW.
Frankenfish=bass. Never knew that. Being a large mouth bass fisherlady, I really enjoyed your story. Thank you.
Your welcome magnoliaave.
I'm a avid bass fisherman...In Table Rock Lake we have largemouth, smallmouth, KY spotted, white bass and mean mouth bass. It's a bass fisherman paradise.
My best hawg is 10 lb 15 oz. Best smallmouth is 5 lbs 12 oz.
My biggest bass was a little over 9 lbs. Did not catch and release.....hanging on my wall.
Caught him on the other side of our lake. I went down the bank where there was an overhanging tree and a fallen tree was in the water. I positioned myself with one foot on the bank and the other on the fallen tree. (I don't even swim and was alone). I cast out a bit and gradually reeled in close to the tree and other debris. He took it and when he did, I managed to back up so I was steady. It took awhile while the adrenalin flowed. I carried him in my arms back across the lake to show my husband. He was as excited as I.
Nothing like it....when he hits....he goes with it.
The Hawgs that I've caught are all catch and release. What I do is weight and measure them, take some photos and then send all that information to a place in Texas that does a exact replica of the fish. That way I have the memories and the fish lives to fight another day.
I love your fish tale, Kavika!
I like to trout fish and I had a good story last year. I will be going back again in October and hope to have another story.
I think Can't-Catch-Fish might be my long-lost twin brother. I'm pretty sure we share DNA
Thanks Trout,
I've done quite a bit of trout fishing (no insult intended
). I have a great story about me, the trout and the bear. I'm still alive so the bear didn't get me but it was close.
My best rainbow is 7 1/2 lbs. Caught on the upper Klamath River on the California Oregon border.
I expect a great fish story when you get back from your next fishing trip.
7 1/2 lbs???? Now that's a fish!
I hope to have a good one. But the one thing I'm going to do is take a picture of the before and after of the beer can pile
Are you aware Trout that there is now a limit on beer cans. Yes, it's true sadly. One beer can for every trout caught.
Here is a photo of my 7 1/2 lb trout.
That's a beauty!
I call it my ''one beer can trout''...
Last year I got to the camp site on Friday. My daughter and sil got there the day before. Mr G and his buds had been there since Wednesday. By Friday the beer can pile was a foot high. It was 3 feet high by the time we broke camp on Sunday
Our speckled trout are darker in color with more spots on the upper body.
Although both the speckled and rainbow are the same trout, the speckled lives in salt water, where the rainbow will live in fresh water and they go to sea and return at this point they are called Steelhead.
Our speckled are caught in a blend of salt and fresh. They are a delicacy here in the South.
I know, I've fished for them in the tideflats and backwaters by Port Aransas TX...Great eating
Fantastic.
We had a favorite fishing hole on the Patuxent. Copper heads EVERYWHERE. You had to watch every step. Even going up an down the side of a very steep hill. But the reward was huge, large mouth, small mouth and blue cat.
Ahhh, the good old copperheads. We have some here, but what we get in the lake are cottonmouths. That's an attention getter.
Thanks for reading the story dave.
That's what we have. And, I tell you the day I looked down and saw three coming to the bank where I was fishing, I didn't take kindly.
We used to have cottonmouth here when I was younger. Pre-teen. They would come up and attack your fish on your stringer.
I haven't seen them decades.
I think that perhaps a lot of them migrated to our lake...
Don't swim in that lake.
I need to figure out how to do a bow hunting story.
I have a great bow hunting story. I went bow hunting for gitchi sabe (big foot) in the Trinity mountains near Willow Creek CA. Once I found him and knew that me and my bow were dead meat we sat down and talked about fishing...Really, it's a true story, honest.
A story only you can tell, Kavika. (giggle)
lol yes it is about " The Big Little foot " :-)
If you haven't read the other stories by Kavika I encourage you to read them. Kavika has a great way of telling a story that is truly so enjoyable, no matter what it is. Honest.....(big grin)
That's funny.
OK Kavika... are you going to ever tell us the story about your biggest catch? She married you!!!
LOL, you are such a meanie.. leaving poor can't catch on the side of the boat. And why did he not swim? Did his big feet get in the way?
Great story!!!!
Actually Can't-Catch-Fish has difficulty swimming because of the lead weight in his ass.
Oh for goodness sake, it was Red's biggest catch. Being Irish and coming out of Brooklyn she didn't know an Indian from an Indian. Now she knows the difference and understands that the Irish were not the original people of America...LOL
Dear Friend Kavika: I think Frankenfish was a actor, working for scale.
He just taunts fisherman for the halibut.
Some day he will go to far, and pay a big price for being such a smart bass.
No shrimp, in Las Vegas come called him a whale.
At gambling he is known for being too shellfish.
Oh well, it is easier to tune a piano than to tuna fish.
Enoch, driving his run down Tilapia Jalopy.
LOL, good one niijii.
Okay, I will have to re-string my real. But I am not going to the copper head nest. Some nice pan fish will do me fine.
LOL
Oh man, my neighbor brought me some fresh rock fish from the Chesapeake. It is like a type of bass that lives in salt water.
Perfect timing.