By LOREN BROOKS
According to my cell phone, it was 11:24 am on Friday, December 22, 2017. The person calling me from the Overton Arm, Lake Mead, is Walter Blackburn.
Walt and two fishing buddies had some news about a big fish! I mean a big fish that was now in the boat. When you hook into a monster like this one, the story gets even better when he tells you “it’s in the boat”.
When I saw the size of the fish in a phone photo I had just received, I asked him, “Did you have a net big enough to get that fish on board?”
Walt responded that, thanks to Bud, they had a big net. With the help of Bud and Junior, this is one fish “that did not get away.”
Walt is telling me over the phone that it just happened – minutes ago. Walt said he had just landed a 31.8 pound striper that measured 44 inches in length and had a 26 inch girth. I could tell he was excited.
We all would be excited about this catch of a lifetime. A big striper!
Walt said they were trolling with crank bait in shallow water. He thought he might have hung up on the bottom. Then it moved like a bullet. He said it was a battle of a life time, up near marker #18.
With electronics at it’s best, I’m looking at a photo image of a Big Striper, (with a capital B) on my cell phone. Walt said the Striper struck his “hardware” and then took off, taking just about all of the line on his reel. He said he was down to the “backing” on the reel and he could see the spool running out of line, as the fish battled for an escape.
Walt said it took about 15 minutes to battle the fish to the boat. The striper finally turned as the line petered out. He was able to move the fish in a few yards at a time. The striper would run 30 to 40 feet at a burst, over and over before he showed himself at the side of the boat.
When the fishermen pulled into Fun & Sun Trailer Park, there was quite a gathering of friends in the park to congratulate Walt and take more photographs. The word of the catch spread fast around town.
I was talking to Dan-O and Mark, at Ace Hardware over the weekend about the catch. We also shared the story with the people at True Value and the manager at Lin’s Market.
The nice thing about these cell phone images, is the chance to show people about this fantastic fishing on the Overton Arm.
Take a look and maybe your turn is next for a big one in 2018.
For people who want to go fishing, this year’s license is good until March 1, 2018, so stay in touch.
Thanks Barbara for letting us know of your desire to go fishing. We will be in touch.
