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Lake Hatchineha Haines City Fla.

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 4:49 am
by edprocoat
I fished Lake Hatchineha today, its one the the Kissimmee chain of lakes. I got a late start, hitting the lake about 10:30 am , I also tried golden shiners. Because we got a late start I decided we would get a dozen of these expensive little buggars for the three of us thinking four apiece would be plenty that late. REALLY DUM move.

At about 11:45 we had the baits out on a bobber and they started swimming for their lives pulling the bobbers around wildly. I hooked a nice one , looked about 5 lbs when it cleared the water, but you know they all seem to look that size when they get away. My cousin took a wicked hit and was pulling his bait back in as it started floating, when I looked down and seen what looked like a 10 lb bass following it in towards the boat, I said loo-ooh-wow which was some kind of ancient bass admiring dialect, just as he opened his mouth and sucked the damaged shiner in his big mouth.

Joe seen his bobber sink and the bass jumped, now looking like a 15 lb bass and just spit the hook out into the air keeping the shiner. Within the next 30 minutes we fed the bass all our shiners, now bassless and baitless we decided to go artificial. Of all the hits and misses no-one caught a bass !

I was getting ready to call it a day when I hooked up a new Yozuri rattling minnow diver, pink head and white pearly sides, when pulling in my second cast a bite almost pulled my pole out of my arms, when I got this thing in it was a northern pike, I guess they introduced them down here to see if they would spread. This was a good fight, I boated him and measured him at 29 1/2 inches long. I was about to weigh him on this mechanical scale I have when he flopped around and drove his tooth through my finger
tip.

Now not only was he bleeding but I was pumping blood, I got ahold of him again and just tossed him back before he ate any more of my skin. Now I am hoping there aint no such thing as fish rabies, as this thing was doing everything but foaming at the mouth. I truly hope that thing gets indigestion from the experience.

Ed

Lake Hatchineha Haines City Fla.

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 5:51 am
by edprocoat
I fished lake Hatchineha again yesterday. We got twenty shiners for the three of us. I caught a 4 3/4 bass 22 inches long. My friend bill caught a 2 1/2 lb bass and a 5 1/4 lb bass, my son Ed caught a bass just over 6 lbs. We also hooked and landed 7 bowfin they call them mudfish here. These are monster size game fighting fish. the smallest being 4 1/2 lbs the largest 12 lbs. These things have a row of teeth, a fin that runs the entire length of its back and a bad attitude. All in all a blast.

Ed

Lake Hatchineha Haines City Fla.

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 8:37 pm
by johnnie crain outdoors
Hey, had a few run-ins with northerns and bowfin here in the big river. Those bowfin are the meanest fish I've ever tangled with. Seems I only catch them on tournament day too!! They always bleed all over the boat and me too.

Lake Hatchineha Haines City Fla.

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 3:28 am
by edprocoat
Yes lol they are bleeders! Everytime I catch one you would think I have killed it, they seem tough too, I hooked one with a yozuri diver crankbait and it was deep in its mouth, I finally got it loose and it bled so bad I put it in the livewell as I thought it was going to die. About two hours later it ate a nice crappie in the livewell so I set it free.

You fish in tournaments, I would love to do that, just for the fun of trying with the guys who do it big time. Another dream I probably will never realize, but one I think about a lot. Good luck and I will watch for you in all tournaments I see or read about.

Ed