We were trolling over some of the road beds at Chatfield. I was using a Berkley Firestick when my clicker started screaming. At first I thought it was a snag, but I was able to gain line on it. It didn't run, just pulled. From the many carp I have caught, I never had one that never ran, at least a little. After a while what ever it was changed directs slowly and went in front of the boat. We had it close enough to the boat to get a net, but it made one last effort and swam under the boat and came off. It was either a really big carp (dark brownish), or a relative of the lochness monster. If I was alone on the boat, I probably would of cried, or possibly dove in after it. I tried to convince myself it was a log so I wouldn't be quite a bummed.
The one that got away
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Based on your description of how the fish fought, it was a giant Eyeball. The way the flesh is around their mouths, they come unbuttoned rather easily and losing a fish at the boat is common. Walleye generally feel like wet socks or just weight when fighting them. Bigger fish you can generally feel some head shakes. Keeps ya commin' back!!
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Weird....
I have NEVER had a CARP NOT run.....
A big cat will burrow towards the bottom...
A Walleye... well...... You'll feel some "head shake"
By the way, I lost @ a 5 lb'er at the net yesterday due to My own stupidity...
I was using a pretty solid Okuma Trolling reel and it took quite a bit a line. I guess I have to just keep going back until I find it again. I created an underwater mount for my go pro, so I will at least be able to see what gets away next time.
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I would lean toward catfish too. It seemed like the fish just hunkered down, like a catfish. They can be brown in color too. What makes me think that it could be almost anything is that bigger specimens of many species tend to just hunker down. My biggest carp was out of a canal in Nebraska. The beast didn't move much and I could barely move it on 12 lb line.
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Ralpert, what kind of boat were you in? I just got back from there myself, very little fishing today since we just went down to make sure my new trolling motor worked fine and get the kicker motor fired up.
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I saw some Guys runnin around with what looked like a New Evinrude E Tec...
They musta been breaking in the motor cause They went around the lake about 6-7 times...
Fishing was fair today... and Mon and Weds..
They musta been "off duty" Tues. and Thurs. cause it was a struggle to boat anything. ???
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I hate to say it, that i've had a few VERY big carp (20+ lbs), that are literally just dead weights to haul in. So, could have been a relative of CarpZilla, also could have been a real big catfish. Me, I would have dove in after it - or, if others were with me, sent them into the water, on my behalf whilst I prepared some coffee to drown the misery having lost a beast !
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