When it comes to fishing, expect a good catch when you least expect it

Here’s a fishing story from more than 20 years ago that shows when you least expect it, expect it.

It was midsummer and I was headed far up the San Joaquin River on Millerton Lake with my son David (about 12 then) because the water level was so low.

We went as far as we could before beaching the boat and walking the narrow passage. I had brought my pole and one of my favorite striper lures. The area didn’t look good, but I figured why not do some casting. It was midday and the sun was bright and honestly I was just casting to fill the time as David explored the sand beach about 400 yards up river from the boat.

I was blind casting into the current when I felt my line jump as the lure got about halfway back to me. I felt nothing for about 2 seconds, then a very powerful tug took off downstream at warp speed. Soon, the mystery grew when I saw my lure completely out of the water.

I had something big on, but it was about 40 feet away. Had I hooked onto a log that the current was taking downstream? I knew that stuff caught in a strong current could feel just like a fish and move all over the place.

Running downstream as fast as I could over rocks and boulders, I finally caught up to my floating lure. That’s when I saw the bird’s nest of line around the rear hook of my lure attached to a heavy fishing line stretching out downstream for at least 25 feet. I knew then I had a big fish hooked to the other end of this tangled broken line.

Still running downstream, I was trying to figure out how to get this fish in since when I reel up the lure will block the rest of the extra line.

I went another 100 yards downstream pacing the current and the fish. Downstream, I saw the only place that could work — a steep sand cove and a small, deeper, calm backwater.

I worked the fish into the backwater and finally got it up far enough to see it was a big striper — about 25 pounds. It was not happy and tried to take off again but I kept it in the calm cove.

I slid down an 8-foot sand slope to the water and tried getting the fish closer, but it headed deeper. I was holding the 30 feet of line with no net and standing on a steep, sandy bank. Then I pulled one of the most boneheaded moves, grabbing the line and trying to slowly pull in the fish. I got it right up to the shore, it saw me and it exploded. The line singed my hands as it took off.

Thankfully, the line wasn’t wrapped around my hand.

David found me a good stick, and I began wrapping the line around it, bringing the striper in. I got it close to shore, let it sit, then I saw my chance to lip the tired fish.

David helped hold the fish still as I opened its mouth and removed the hook buried in its upper mouth. I walked it in the shallows, released it and then we watched it slowly swim back into the depths.

I bet that fish had come up to look at my lure and the bird’s nest had gotten tangled on my lure. It happens.

You don’t know what crazy things may happen when your lure is in the water, but…Never give up!

Roger George: rogergeorge8@protonmail.com, Rogergeorgeguideservice on Facebook and @StriperWars.