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I had today off for paid holiday so I decided to hit Green Lake again and chase some Browns. I further the spoling of myself even further. This time I bought myself a Shimano Curado 51E as my finesse casting reel. I removed all the factory grease with a qtip and applied my Abu Garcia lube and worked my magic into the reel before using it. It reels smoother, faster, and the spool free spins significantly longer.

So I arrive at Green Lake and get to the water at 11:15. Having only used casting reels with magnetic brakes, I wasn't sure if the settings I had on my Curado's Variable Brake System so I decided to make a half strength cast and it flung out there a good ways. I had a 1/2 oz crankbait tied on. As I am reeling it, not even 5 seconds go by and I get a vicious strike! FISH ON! I had my drag settings fairly tight to begin with but the first 10 cranks gained me zero line as the fish was savagely head shaking. Once the initial head shaking stopped I was able to fight the fish in and land it on the dock. This all happaned so fast and it completely caught me off guard and I was just trying to get a feel for my new reel. She came in at 17" and 1 lb 4 oz.

Brand Spankin New Reel. First Cast. Fish Landed. Doesn't get any better :)

I make cast after cast and I'm absolutely loving this reel. It casts like a dream and can cast light lures far. I then tied on a smaller 1/4 oz crankbait and was surprised when I could cast it just as far as the 1/2 oz. I am casting in all directions and burning it in. After a little while I felt a small tick but figured that it might have been some weeds. I then felt another tick as I was burning it in and I started to wonder if it was a fish. I am still burning it in and about 15 feet out from the dock I see the fish. It was an ABSOLUTE TANK of a Brown! My guesstimation would be it EASILY WELL OVER 4 LBS! As soon as I see it I start to freak out and it darts after my lure, opens it's mouth to strike it, and then turns away at the very last second about 5 feet away from the dock. I can't help but wondering if I could have hooked that beast if I had slowed down a bit after the first couple of ticks. But oh well, can't win them all right? Green Lake has severely teased me countless times now with the visuals of massive browns chasing my lures.

I then switch up to my Daiwa Aird spinning combo and am tossing a 3/8 oz inline spinner around. After about 100+ casts I get an ABSOLUTE VICIOUS STRIKE! I was reeling in and all of a sudden there is an extremely hard bump and tug that moved both my arms from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock position! I set the hook and start reeling and I'm gaining absolutely zero line! My drag was even set fairly tight too! I immediately feel savage head shakes for about 5 seconds and then the fish just takes off running! It screamed out my drag for over 30 seconds straight and pulled significantly harder than the 8 lb chum that I caught at the wallace river. My adrenaline is raging because I hooked into an absolute monster of a fish! However, after that first initial run, there were a couple more head shakes, and then nothing. The fish spit the hooks. I don't recall the last time I ever felt such disappointment. What's even more disappointing was that I didn't even get to see the fish. I don't even know if there are browns big enough in Green Lake to do that. Was it possible that I hooked into a muskie? Most likely not so if it was indeed a Brown, it was a beast and a half.

I then move spots and begin firing off my crankbait again. I honestly don't know how as I didn't have a single backlash or even get close to backlashing once. But on one cast I get a disgusting backlash and my line snaps and I see my crankbait go flying along with about 20 feet of line. I immediately grabbed my spinning rod and started casting in the general direction. Luckily after about 10 casts I managed to snag my line and save my lure.

After about 30 minutes in that spot with no action, I hopped in my car and moved to the opposite side of the lake. I begin tossing my crankbait and spinner about 10 minutes at a time each. I switch back to my crankbait and after about 50 or so casts I get a savage strike! I set the hook and fish on! Immediately I see a BIG Brown on the end of my line shaking violently and I shout out YES! This grabs the attention of the people nearby who begin to semi crowd around behind me. I'm fighting the fish in and it's taking out some drag and just shaking super violently in between runs. I get it about 3 feet off of shore and as I am about to lift the fish out of the water, it shakes again and begins to twist in a barrel role motion and spits the hooks. Before I could even react a few people behind me let out sighs of disappointment on my behalf. The particular spot I was at was about 2 - 3 feet above water level so dragging the fish on shore wasn't an option.

At this point, I'm extremely frustrated and beyond disappointed. Every time that Green Lake has either shown me a big fish or allowed me to get hooked up with a big fish, I have lost it at shore. I got to get a good enough look at this fish up close before it shook off to know that it was bigger than the 2 lb 9 oz I caught earlier in the year. Could have easily been in the 3 lb range.

After that I just kept casting and working the bank. All of a sudden, it started to rain HEAVILY and a ton fo hail was coming down as well. Within 2 minutes, I was completely soaked. I debated going to my car to put on my Frogg Toggs but decided to just call it a day.

I hooked and landed a nice brown my very first cast with my new reel which was awesome! But the monster I hooked and never saw, and the big brown I hooked a lost and so disappointing that I don't even really care that I didn't get skunked. I would have rather gotten skunked and not seen a single fish than lose 2 big ones.

But that's fishing right? I'll probably go back tomorrow to seek some revenge! Tight Lines everyone!

Elijah.Loves.Fishin

12/30/2011 8:19:00 PM

oh man, typos galore haha :)

LiveAsYouWill

12/30/2011 9:03:00 PM

Good writing, our WAlakes 'Urban FisherBud'...! I was curious how you like the Shimano Curado 51 E and if you are using braided or mono. Never have been much into those bait-caster/horizontal spools after getting super-backlashed w/ the ProLine in 1998. Barge only came to our island once a month, so I have not liked them since other than salt-water stuff due to NOT having line. Good times you are having there. I will NOT be leaving the hills till flying away again, but curious what you use as your crankbait-pattern. Thx and happy times to ya!

afk

12/30/2011 9:55:00 PM

Seek revenge!!! I like it. Keep it up. Thanks again for all the reports you submit.

luisdabeast206

12/31/2011 4:38:00 PM

might have been big bass green lake has some..I have been fishing this lake for a while..

Elijah.Loves.Fishin

12/31/2011 6:49:00 PM

definitely 100% not a largemouth. largemouth don't fight like that and they sure as hell are not going to be anywhere near shallow water. especially chasing after fast moving lures.

kevinbe

12/31/2011 7:48:00 PM

Smallmouth? p4p one tough devil eyed bugger. Though browns fight well too. Great report. If you can get away with it, I say go back tomorrow and show that lake who's boss. Ha ha.

Elijah.Loves.Fishin

12/31/2011 11:29:00 PM

there are no smallmouth in green lake. i went back out today but the conditions were horrible. no wind, no rain, sunny skies = no brown trout actively cruising the shallows.

N E 1 FISSION

12/31/2011 11:51:00 PM

I also went out, about 1600, left about 1630, no hits, but just wanted to get out. Props to you on first cast C & R. have a great New Year,..

craig bates

1/2/2012 12:59:00 PM

Wow what a report! I have not fished Green Lake ever so I can't comment on the ferocity of the resident browns. I have enjoyed your reports on the lake. Just wondering as you have written about loosing several good size fish, perhaps the hooks your using are the problem. Singles penetrate deeper than triples and hold well. You fish there quite a bit, are the browns more aggressive when the weather is rougher? Great writing. Keep it coming.

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