Lake amador 3-9-14 (non yak)

        It was my girlfriends 21st birthday and I decided to take her fishing at the first place we ever went on a date.   (yeah, I took her fishing for our first date.) Anyway, we were there on the dock and fishing at about 630am. We were the first folks there for about an hour but nothing took. I am looking at my girlfriend when we hear the bell go off on her little firebird combo. I go to grab the doubled over rod and then, POP, the rod straightens up and nothing left on the other end.
       
         By now it is about 7:30 or a little later, and people are starting to flock to the dock side we are on. We fished for another 15 minutes in the spot and I decide to move a single rod to the empty side of the dock and cast it maybe 3 ft from shore, I attach my giant catfish bell and mosey on back to the other side to re rig the pole that was hit a bit earlier. I thought I heard my bell and look up, I dont even see my bell, or my rod..... as I scan across the dock with my eyes for it, I hear my bell again and then my rod tip flings back up and throws my bell into the center of the water in the dock.

        I hurry over to grab it and tighten up my drag a little more (10 lb line) and this thing is not budging. He heads straight under the dock and I am laying there trying to reel him the right way so I don't get cut off by a boat, or some old debris( there was a ton of it in the water after the storm) and begin to try and guide him out from under the dock. A nice guy came over and helped me net this hearty hearty Amabow. I have caught bigger, but this thing fought harder than almost any other trout I have EVER caught. Only got two on the day, It was more of a girlfriend boyfriend day, but at least I got to fish a little bit. The bite is strong right now, and the boat launch really is not all that bad either, a lot higher than at the tournament.

The girls that I took fishing on the first date never went on a second date with me  Good catch there buddy.

Nice Bow!  Thanks for the report and pictures Driftwood916.

Nice square tail on that beast