The Skipjack Chronicles

Friday evening 11/2. Caught my first ever skipjack herring, approx.1-1/2lbs. in tail-waters. Acrobat. Buddy called it a Tennessee tarpon. I'd never heard the term, but fitting description, Damn fish carried on like it was on TV. And here I thought that they were just bait. And scales. I didn't know a skipjack had scales. Course I've only ever seen a 4-incher up close, hard to tell when they're that tight. But yep scales, just like a tarpon. Hmmmm.

My neighbor, chairman of the local chapter of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals) is squeamish of the sliminess and the sure stinkiness of said slime. "Ooh, don't touch it!" he grunted. And yeah, it did stink. But it made up for the slime and the funk with the fight. That tuna shaped tail is like a two-stroke. Bang, and it's on. Really fun. I'm gonna' try and target them, any suggestions? Hmmmm?

Tennessee state record is 4lbs. 3oz. at Watts Barr Lake in 2015. Hmmmm.

Check this from Realistic Fisherman.