Thread: Another trip, another memory made, 5-1

I got done a bit early at work and headed out to one of my favorite waters to see what was bitin'. Launched about 4:15 with the air temp at 73 and water temps at about 65, under partly cloudy skies with a light breeze from the SW. Based on my 1st 2 trips I decided to go right to the shallows and that proved to be a good call. My first 10 casts resulted in 7 good bluegills.




I'd work down that shoreline scoring the single crappie of the night and a perch or 2.



I made a cast beyond a weed bed that was still well below the surface and had a good take from what turned out to be a pickerel of about 10". I was working him up to the surface to get across that bunch of weeds when 2 big torpedo wakes headed at him real fast. I kept bringing him along near the surface and 2 big bass hesitated just a second and then the right hand one just smashed that little pickerel and it was game on! I had them both for a while and then there was a big swirl and a splash and I only had one fish.....but it was the big bass! He gave me a heck of a fight on my 4 lb. test line but I ended up winning and scooped him into the net!





Big fish, little lure.....that's a 1/32 oz. roadrunner head with a Southern Pro Stinger tail. What's really interesting is that the hook wasn't in real well but the eye of the roadrunner had some mouth tissue stuck in it too and the 2 spots was enough to keep him pinned on long enough to net him. I was able to weigh it with my little DeLiar spring scale and it read about 4 1/2 lbs., which makes it the second largest freshwater fish I've ever landed. I wasn't able to get a length or a real good picture as I wanted to get him back in the water. My PB also came from this pond about 5-6 years ago, weighing 5lbs 2 oz on my partners digital scale.

I let the event sink in for a few minutes and then continued along the shoreline landing more bluegills and the odd perch as I moved along. Many of the 'gills tonight would be 8-9" on the measuring board, along with some much smaller ones.
About 6:30 after a calm spell, the wind picked up significantly and it was now coming from the ESE and would put an end to the nice conditions I'd been enjoying. I'd catch a few more small bass and a few more 'gills and called it a night about 7:10. A total of 35 fish were landed and all were released for another time.