First time ever in a Hobie fishing

1-19-08
Pat loaned me his Hobie Mirage drive Adventure to try out,
went to Marble Falls Texas, Lake Marble Falls is at a drawdown, drained lake 7 feet, so where the Falls used to be before dam built, is skinny water to exposed rock tops with gaps between exposed parts, the entire way across lake....other side of that line of rock is deeper water

We lanched at Lakeside boat ramp about 12:30 pm
Lake Marble Falls is S shaped, not a ton of wind at the ramp, some gusts, lets head to the deeper water... kayaked to the left was fine till we rounded the bend, felt like sustained winds of 20, gusts to 25 or 35, was going to use my favorite newest, bestest rod and reel & leash was too short, unhooked leash .... ooops ...immediatly ... PLOP, ok, I had others ... wind got bad, headed towards dam, fished a bit in the 20 mph wind, had to cut my dumbell anchor as it tangled round my leg , then we finished to the rope at the dam and headed back ... rudder control set screw got loose, so I raised rudder for the way back... I paddled while pedaling... I honestly would not have made it back just paddling, and wouldn't hve made it that far.. I gotta get a Hobie..... fishing.... not a bite while we were kayak fishing BUT

OK, 5:45 or so, kayaks both cartopped, tackle etc in cars .... LOTS of fish activity on the surface, Pat had to go home, I got a rod out of the car, got a package 2" white swimbaits put in shirt pocket ... quickly tied a 2" white swimbait on with 3 overhand knots

Bank Fished ...
First cast, 13" White Bass
Second cast, about a 3.5 lb Largemouth
Third cast, something broke line at the hastily tied knot
tied on another swimbait,
next cast nothing
next cast something took it, couldn't set hook
next cast something took it, couldn't set hook
next cast something took it, couldn't set hook
Looked at swimbait ... oops forgot to remove hook protector tube

get camera from car, photo fish ok my new yellow AKF ruler
go home

cleaned the white to the extent of gutting, removing head, toss in bathroom sink filled with water
I need to post report ...
turn on computer, open camera ... WHAT, I forgot memory card at home, its still in computer from the other day
Take picture of fish in sink

all in all, I had a blast,
First white I caught since about 1968
Largest LMB I got in 2 years
First time ever in a Hobie

BTW, totally empty stomach, full of eggs
Here's the only photo I can show though

Hi RPB,

Great fishing story. I was well entertained. Murphy (the law guy) can sure make his presence known and always when you need it the least. I loved the camera event. I personally always catch the biggest or the most and of course when I have forgotten my camera or so excited by the catch and eager to get the fish back in the water and ooops I forgot to take the picture. I catch and release fresh water and only keep what I will eat in salt water. 6 weeks ago on the lake behind my house I had bought a dozen shiners for bass fishing but started trolling a 2" Rapala silver minnow in my Revolution .. after 2 hours and 13 fish (10 largemouth bass, 1 bluegill and 2 butterfly peacock bass I still had not used a single shiner.
I anchored off my favorite weeded peninsula and fished shiner and bobber and produced 2 more peacock, an 18" and a 20". The trolled Rapala outperformed the shiners that day and also the following weekend where I did not want to come back to my house because 6 hours of pedal trolling and casting produced 17 bass the largest being a 22" largemouth. Trolling with the mirage drive is killer fishing and the Rapala Silver Minnow 2", 3" and segmented typically have good results in my area (Southeast Florida).

Nesting season in the lake is here and the lockjaw is setting in so I have my sights now on the flats at the far south of the everglades in Flamingo and the 10,000 Islands on the west coast. The kayak fishing there is incredible so I have heard and only 90 minutes away. Tarpon, snook, red drum, trout, cobia and permit. I intend to do some traveling with my Revo.

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.