Hit the Mighty RW around 0900ish, launching at Seaton's Grove. Great expectations as we head down river enjoying the eagles, and wildlife. Hit the uppermost pens first. The work on the Pens had changed their shape and structure from the last trip, so current was different, and location was changed for our previous fishing spots. There was slight current when we first started then it became slack water as the day progressed. As always no current equals to difficult fishing for us on RW. Cindy and I fished above the pens, beside the pens, Below the pens, and still could not get a hit. There were boats anchored, boats trolling, and shore fishermen, and no one was seeing any action. As we were fishing around the lower end, and the inside edge of the upper most pens, there was this Nice boat with 3 Dudes casting like crazy. Music playing (thanks guys for the normal volume), when all of a sudden we hear some whooping n hollerin. We look over and see this big dude braced at the back of the boat while a fishing partner gets the net ready. Man that rod had a bend in it. The battle lasted for several minutes, when the rod pops straight, and of all the crying, I never heard such, and all from this dude that could have been a lumberjack. You know how it is, the one that gets away. LOL Anyway we are getting down close to the boat, and as conversation, we asked, Whatcha using. Well we could see a pink something hangin on the end of his line, but I didn't want to mention it as pink just didn't seem right for such a "Manly" man. Anyway the answer was "A pink Jig", and one of them was using a black jig, So I chatted a bit and it turns out they were WLer's also. Mothug was his name and pink was his jig LOL.Anyway while we were talking, As I was wishing them luck, Cindy was busy re-rigging one of her rods with a white and pink jig (unknown to me at the time) in 1/16 oz size. As we drifted down past the pens, she casts out below the pens and I hear, "I GOT HiM". When I look around, the poor yellow ultra-lite rod is doing the bends with it's tip kissin the water. as I move the boat around to keep the fish on her side of the boat, and away from the prop. I ask from the front of the boat, IS it a keeper. She replies, if you can get it in the net it is. So I take the hint it may be a good one, and she would be perturbed if I were to accidently knock it off with the net, so I get the net ready. I could have taken my time because she wasn't causing the fish any concerns at this time. The rod was bent double and straight down. A few runs out to the side, and under the boat, but it refused to come up. Granted Cindy was using 4# P-Line and wasn't in a position to really reef on it, but this guy was reluctant. So I moved the boat forward creating an angled pull on him, and she started to gain some ground. When we saw the fish it was definitly a keeper. It swam by the boat a couple of times, looked us over then went back down. After a truly good battle, it swam toward the boat, and got close enough for me to get the net in front of it, and it swam into the net. The poor thing looked relieved that the fight was over. LOL. I know Cindy was. A beautiful fish with a Full tail (hence the good fight) Any way it weighed in at 11# and 4 oz. We weigh our fish on a Berkly digital that has so far been fairly accurate, so I'm comfortable it was a correct weight. After some backslapping (and in this case some huggin and smoochin), I look over to mothug and crew to do some braggin, but there they were with the net in the water. They had a fish on at the same time. So no rubbing it in, and we keep we continue to fish. We fished both upper pens, shoreline across from the pens, and below the upper pens, all to no avail. I only had two hits the entire day without even sticking a fish, and Cindy didn't get another bite either. We tossed jigs in plastic and in maribou, spoons, rooster tails, husky jerks, flies, Man if I'd had a big ole nightcrawler, I would have drifted it too. It sure was a kitchen sink fishery today. We left the water sundownish, and called it a great day on the water. Great to meet members of WL on the water, and get to put faces with the names. Good luck out there everyone and stay safe.

---