Adventures of Johnny United: Success = One Boated + Two Takedowns

I had another wonderful opportunity to drift through the American River with the PRO and the American today. As usual, I could not make it out until around 10 AM. I met up with PRO and the American at Rossmoor Bar. The two were all ready and waiting for me. Thanks fellas.

The game plan for the day was to drift from Upper Sunrise Park down to Rossmoor Bar. The American was first up rowing. He took the boat upstream to where we hooked two small steelies on the opening day. We started out with the PRO drifting roe behind a diver; I drifted a night crawler behind a diver; and, the American using the Green Pirate #30 Hot Shot. There were already two boats upstream from us. Also, there was a boat illegally using a gas motor in this section of the river making all kinds of racket. Needless to say, the American was irritated. After a short time, he said: "There's only small fish here. Let's go on to the next hole."

Past the Fair Oaks Bridge and towards Sunrise Blvd. we drifted: this was the real first hole. We all switched to plugs and let the American do his magic. The first drift resulted in no strikes. So the American rowed back upstream and had us switched back to roe and nightcrawler. Near the end of the drift, I didn't even know what happened. Before I knew it, the PRO was stealthily boating a beautiful 14-inch hatchery trout!!! Way to go, my brother. The amazing thing was that the American called it. He said we would land something in that hole. It was 11:25 AM.

We would work hard the rest of the day throwing everything we knew at the steelies, but no takers.... That was until we came near the end of our pick up point by the Sacramento Waldorf School. The boat was anchored and the PRO and I were drifting roe and crawler. The American once again called it! He said we would hit something at this location. Lo and behold, of all things, he used my favorite banana/red Z-Ray to boot. On his second cast, he hooked into a big steelie! The drag was screaming. Back and forth the fish tried to escape. It finally, went under the boat from the right of the bow to the left side. It headed towards a known snag to the left of the boat. It wrapped itself around a bunch of braided lines and boat ties and manage to live another day! I got to see the size of it at least. It was a beauty that got a taste of the Z!

Finally, at the final run of the day, while the PRO was at the helm rowing, I had one hard takedown with the Green Pirate... and the steelie laughed.

"Not today, JU!" It spitted the plug right back at me :-(

Thank you, Lord, for a great time with my brothers.