So i went to Calaveras lake Sunday night and Monday morning to catch some cats and reds like i normally have for years from the shore. Night started slow no bites for first 2 hours which is norm for Calaveras sometimes. Then i caught a 30' red on big crayfish and started to catch some nice blues. Then it happened and wish it never did On cut 8' inch shad my ten footer folds over and im thinking big blue. Well, until 40 pound braid started stripping, and stripping, and stripping with violent head shakes and I kmew this one was a beast. Within 25 seconds 100 yards was gone and it was still taken off until SLACK........ Hook came loose. Me and pops in law was heart broken rest of night. This sounds like some fake story but i have no reason to lie I've caught reds up to 42'inches from that lake and this thing fought twice as hard as any of them. Didnt sleep all day today. Ended up with 21 nice blue cats and a 30' red. Big shad plentiful at Calaveras right now also.

Alligator Gar?

Been through same thing while banking at calaveras ! That memory will always bother me ! My rod was slammed like crazy all the way to ground it managed to get away before i could get the rod.

Happened to me too a few years back. Banking with cut shad for. Cats when something hit. I set the hook and it immediately broke the first foot of rod off. A few seco ds later it broke the rod at the handle a d then the line ran out and snapped. I never even turned that critter nor slowed it down. To this day, i have no clue what it was.

Calaveras is an old, old lake and there is no reason whay it couldn't hold some real monsters.

A few years back I was fishing for cats on one of my holes and I've caught big blue catfish up to 25# there, and one day I hooked onto something that I could not turn or get it off the bottom.

I at first thought I was hung up until it started slowly swimming away and it never stopped and just steadily pulled off on my drag taking line.

There was nothing I could do but just hold on, and finally the line broke saving about half of my line from being ripped away.

It was probably a big cat, but how big?

Hope this wasnt Monday morning I was testing my new mini sub for diving out there and ended up with a bunch of line on the prop..I bought it at a Fed auction think it might have been used to run drugs. Sorry

I figured someone would come up with a logical explaination!

Here is me in the sub when I bought it..I have had this for years I got underwater lights on it. Not the 1st time I have snagged someones line..

[url=http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/cowboytongue/2dive2_54.jpg][/url]

Nice ride!

I like how you can stand up and fish and there is plenty of room for rod holders, ice chest and a milk crate.

Cant use a ice chest makes the darn thing float and the water melts the ice for my beer..

Sounds like a huge Red. That's what makes you wanna go back! Thanks for sharing.

I wish it had been that sub you are talking about that way i could finally get some sleep but this was definetly a fish. I will be back out there soon. Usually go 4 5 times a month.

Awesome! great story!

The "Calaveras 40 lb braid line-breaker"!

Choot it Lizabett...".

I can't wait!

LOL

i think it was a Tilapia...