Fishing Memories - Part 4

Feathers and hide remind me of some unusual catches, too. At Lake Eufaula a road bridge crosses near the ramp at Lake Point State Park, where we had a March club tournament several years ago. I was casting a Rat-L-Trap under the bridge, working the riprap with it. Pigeons were flying around, roosting and nesting there.

I made one long cast and with perfect timing a pigeon flew off the bridge pilings and hit my line in mid cast. That bird folded like it had been hit with a load of #6 shot when the line tangled its wings. We went over and rescued it from the water and it flew off like nothing had happened when the line was removed - after we decided not to roast it for supper!

That was the first time I ever fished at Eufaula, and it was quite an experience. I also saw my first wild alligator on that trip. We were fishing into a small cut and a big gator, probably close to 10 feet long, was sunning on the bank. We discussed how ugly it was and how dangerous it looked, even though we knew it would not bother us in the boat. As we fished past it, the critter slid off the bank behind us and swam to the middle of the cut. It was ominous seeing that head in the water a few feet back, turing and folowing our every move!

Even more scary was when it disappeared. Within seconds after the head sank silently under the water, my partner and I agreed to fish somewhere else. Although the cut was only about five feet deep, we left it on plane and were running wide open when we passed the spot were the gator was last seen.

At the Top Six at Eufaula last year my partner and were working down a grassy bank toward a cut called the Watermelon Hole. A boat ran up and stopped right in front of us, but before I could cuss him out he explained they just wanted to see 'Big Momma!" He explained he was a guide and liked to bring his clients to see the huge gator that lived here. As we eased into the cut it was amazing to see a monstor gator sunning on the bank. The guide said they estimated her to be 16 feet long, but what surprised me was how wide she was - looked about three feet across!

I backed the boat toward here while taking pictures. My partner Alan said I could probably get a better picture if I went in with the front of the boat, but I told him I felt much safer with him closer to her - maybe I could get away while she munched on him.

I have to admit, the next morning I had chills as I went down to my boat in the dark to get ready to go to the blastoff. By myself, the flashlight didn't light up much at all of the water the boat was sitting in. When I had to get at the very back of the boat to unhook the battery chargers, my rear end was hanging over the water. I kept thinking of how quiet the gators we had seen could move in the water, and how big Big Momma looked. I unhooked those batteries in record time! Don't think I want to do any night fishing there!.

Another Alabama bird brings back memories, too. Larry Stubbs and I were fishing a club tournament at Lake Martin, working down a rocky point near the weigh-in spot. As we passed a bush a wild turkey flew up and started across the lake. About a mile wide at that point, we watched as the bird got lower and lower. Half way across, we saw a splash and cranked up. When we got there the turkey was swimming along. I rescued it and almost got scratched and pecked up, I don't think the bird appreciated the help. And the tournament director would not let me weigh it in!

Had any unusual catches? Any interesting trips lately? Tell me about it. If so, you can also post information about it for others on my message board - you must register to post but can read the board as a guest. Also, if you have thoughts you want to share about this topic, let me know about it at fishing.guide@about.com. for a "Fishtale"