Day 5 yakfishin 2010

So I wake up at 6am and the misses is heading for work, the kids have spent the night at a friends house and I have the whole day to myself. My first thought was I need to hit the water, but where do i go. I have been hearing all the dino reports so I figure what the heck (it's only a 3 hour drive) and I read somewhere that you cant be a serious AOTY competitor if you don't catch one. So I decide to head for the north bay. When I get to Dublin my gas light says it's hungry so I stop at the 76 station (my first job was at that same station) Boy has Dublin changed. As I pulled out a person comes along side me and starts honking, I roll down the window and he asks me what my NCKA name is (must have seen my colors) and introduces himself. Turns out Hamachijohn? lives in my old hood (nice to meet you). Another hour and I'm at the martinez Marina asking for info and buying the last 1/4 lb of grass shrimp they have. I takea look at all the frosting on the water and the kites flying and decide to head east and try to find flater water. Get to Rio Vista and the water is FAC so i take a side road and launch East of the bridge (niote to self - launch up current next time) and paddle to a hole I used to fish when the river was just a creek. I bait up with my trusty shrimp and beguin to have a nice conversation with a guy and his kid in a PB about 30 yds away when I see a TapTap. Knowing all the bait stealers in the area I swing for the fences but the line dont move ------ It's ON. She makes a strong run for the bridge so I release the anchor and follow in hot persute and we play follow the leader for about 15 min than she just sits there for a few. After another couple runs and she shows herself and she is a nice Dino. I laso her with my new snare and run a quick tape but she is a little too big (rough measure 77") I take a pic of her smile and off she goes th tell her friends about the one she let go.
Put a total of 320 miles and had a great day but I think I will probably try my luck at AOTY without a Dino in the mix ---- I'm Tired.
Here is a pic of her smile (sorry - wrong setting made blury pic)

Too bad she was too big better to catch something then nothing I'm bummed u have me beat on day otw by 1 let's see what I can do about that this next week I need it bad.

That is undoubtedly the luckiest thing I have ever heard of.

Welcome to the oversized club!    If someone grabs me by the mouth I don't thinK I'll be "smiling"    Thank you for the report and the blury pictures Eric 

OMG Eric, that is one hell of a story!    I've never even caught anything that big in my life!   Ya need post a hookup next time so somone can get a better picture of ya    Congrads man, thats is an AWESOME catch!  Too bad on the OS, but you *must* be proud 

  Awesome job, a fish of a lifetime for most and it is just a casual deal for you!

heck yeah way to go the way its been goin for me with those dang fish id be happy with a undersize to at least put my hand on one this year.

WTG Eric... with all the new fish to target... you can definitely do it without a dino. Way to put in the time and go for it though. Hell... you didn't go home empty handed... you caught a monster. It's just that it isn't worth any points. But, you can at least say you got one.

Freddie

Nice fish and report.  Not sure if I feel bad your fish wasn't smaller or not.  Good luck next trip.  Andy

Not bad for at all for your first attempt this year. Some of our guys had put
in numerous days already and had not even caught an undersize. WTG
Eric! Good luck on your next trip.

Jedmo

Nice!
Thanks for the report

Thx for the report and pics.  When I saw a yak on the roof rack in front of me, the first thing I did was look for an NCKA sticker- which you had.  I can't believe a yak on a car gets me that excited... 
Anyway, nice to bump into you, Yakhopper!  When you mentioned your name, I was thinking, "Doesn't he live in Fresno?  What the hell is he doing in Dublin?"  If I weren't going to church with the kids, I would have loved to join ya.  See you OTW!

HamachiJohn

Excellent report Eric. I like your style bro. That was one of the coolest things I've read all year.

Cool report - WTG!   

Yakhopper: You are one 'loose screw' with some kinda monster skill. I'll get to see that mojo in action @ GS4 (also CL) dave...