We hadn't been out on our favorite lake for 10 or 11 days so we decided it was time.  We knew MickeyT and other snookers were gonna be there so it seemed like a good time. we weren't reely fishing til around 6:00 but 6:30 -8:00 was like non-stop pop-ups! I  had three and Froggie had 1  in the boat and we had let three swim away by 7:40.  All this before we could pour a cup of coffee.  She each got another 1 by 8:20.  There was LONG lull in the action (8:20-8:50 LOL) and Froggie got her 3rd one. This thing fought like a hawg and took line out forever.  She finally gets it in sight and it is coming in backwards.  It was caught about 3 inches from the tail.    We are saying so long to Mickey and his wife an suddenly Froggie has another one!  Even with all the action we still need 3.  Then my rod pops I reel in a fattie...I reset it and before I can turn around it pops again!  My line starts stripping straight out like I'm snagged in the Delta.  I actually asked Froggie if the FF showed some structure...but of course it was a fish.  I'm thinking I have a big trout and battle this lunker for like 3 or 4 minutes...(or an hour!!!)  Finally I get it close and it is caught dead in the tail!  That's 2 fish brought in backwards in one morning....just when we see that video of kokanee doing a "tail slap" at a lure we catch 2 fish that way.
We released a few midgets from fairly shallow and had several ldrs and a couple of sdrs.  The osprey took 3 fish that floated after 2 sdrs and 1 release. 
The fish were deep,  65-85 feet otw, and they were hitting the usual... pink and purple murphy's bug, Murphy's lollipop bug, a couple of different apexs and I think one on a green hootchie.  Speed was 1.3-1.6 and the hits came all over the main lake.  They are getting bigger.  Most of them were 14" or bigger.
We were a little surprised by all of the boats at 5:30...first time I have waited in line at Melones this season. 
We talked to Double--hook-Up and some other people on the radio and a few at the dock.  Off the water loaded up to go home at 10:30.  Another day on my favorite like with my fishing partner...life is good!!
See you out there,
Tortuga

Froggie's got the pics

Sounds like another great day!  Congrats

Blessings

Good job Ben and Judy, those pictures of the tail hooked fish remind me of with VVBob at the Gorge this year when he had 1 get hooked the same way.

Good job guys!! That hookin em in the tail is cheatin though.

freon wrote on Jul 24^th, 2009 at 7:30pm:

I tail hooked one well over 4 pounds at the Gorge. Took out 150' of line as I saw the knot to my backing on the reel spool........Though I had one of those 6 pounders on, had Allen bring all the riggers up.

Very clever thread title Ben.

   Good reports and pic's, see what happens when you watch a video, I don't know if anyone noticed, but there are signs of the Koke's changing a bit. I caught a 14 1/2" male that had a little hook jaw, and a female that had a slight pink belly We all know what that means, better get out there in the next couple of weeks for the good silver ones, it's going to be an early season.
   Good talking to you guys on the radio, with all the action I tried calling you many times in the morning hours, probably good thing you didn't have it on the right channel, I might have had to tell you where the fish were Dennis and Dick didn't even turn theirs on and we used to be buddies

Mickey T. wrote on Jul 25^th, 2009 at 8:19am:

Aww common Micky, he's a true sportsman, he planned on giving the fish a fighting chance. go Ben GO. 

Mickey
That is my "hide it from the osprey" style.  I swear we had them buzzing our boat like buzzards!!.  I've lost 2 rigs (dodgers and lures) to osprey at melones in 2 years!!! And yep they're starting to get some little kypes on the males and there is definitely just a little pink already.
T