salmotrutta
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2010
- Messages
- 1,747
The fish Gods were smiling upon me today!
Came fairly well prepared with 2 rods, one rigged for lures and one for live bait (worms). Although most of my fish came on worms, I think having both options readily available was a big confidence boost.
Caught countless bass. Most on worms (worms rule!!). Some on a jitterbug and silver Johnson weedless spoon.
After catching tonnes of largies and smallies, most under 2lbs, I got my pb smallie. I saw it swimming around, and although each "splash" of my offering would get its attention, and it would charge towards my worm or lure, it wasn't biting (I'm sure many have experienced this tantalizing dance with bass).
Patience, patience, patience. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Whoever said doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result is insane, was insanely wrong...!
The bass positioned itself next to a log, and I floated a full crawler towards it. Looked like this time it may have took it. I waited a couple of seconds and started reeling in, fish on!! The battle was heart pounding, and I had no idea how big this thing actually was until I got it in the net and lifted it up. 7 freakin' pounds. 23". A true beast.
Pics don't do it justice, it was a mammoth!
My next fish, caught shortly afterwards on the other side of the culvert I was fishing, is my pb largie weighing in at 5lbs!
Got it to smash my jitterbug by employing the stop and go technique but lost it almost immediately as it jumped and spat the trebles. Switched to my trusty crawler set up, and after a few casts, I saw it take the worm and I set the hook. After a good fight, I managed to net it and lift it up. Thank God for my extendable net, otherwise I would not have been able to land these heavy fish today.
It was a beautiful fish, with no signs of wear from spawning, and sported some hefty shoulders.
Later in the day while fishing the body of water attached to these culverts, I got into a nice smallie on a very long cast. I ended up losing it, but not before gaining some ground and nearly bringing it in. IMO, hooking a 2 to 4 lb smallie on a super long cast is one of, if not the best things that can happen to a fisherman, in terms of a fun fight.
Landing my big ones today was heart pounding, and big fish always make for great stories, sharing, bragging, envy, etc etc. But the best fight a bass can put up is the leap after leap from a distance, as your reeling it in at lightening speed from afar. My first ever smallie was such a battle, in the Conestogo River, I had to reel it in from nearly the other side of the river through rapids, at night to boot. That's bass fishing at its best. That's not to say sneaking up on them, or catching them close up, isn't fun too, because it certainly is.
My live bait rod today was equipped with 6lb Berkley Trilene monofilament line - needless to say I tightened the drag considerably while battling the big smallie, and maintained the same very tight drag for the next fish. For my lure rod, I tried braided line for the first time today, opting to go with 20lb (6lb diameter) invisi braid. No complaints, and with more use I will be able to tell whether it's worth using.
Today was a success due to worms, and taking the time to thoroughly fish the promising spots that most people overlook.
Came fairly well prepared with 2 rods, one rigged for lures and one for live bait (worms). Although most of my fish came on worms, I think having both options readily available was a big confidence boost.
Caught countless bass. Most on worms (worms rule!!). Some on a jitterbug and silver Johnson weedless spoon.
After catching tonnes of largies and smallies, most under 2lbs, I got my pb smallie. I saw it swimming around, and although each "splash" of my offering would get its attention, and it would charge towards my worm or lure, it wasn't biting (I'm sure many have experienced this tantalizing dance with bass).
Patience, patience, patience. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Whoever said doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result is insane, was insanely wrong...!
The bass positioned itself next to a log, and I floated a full crawler towards it. Looked like this time it may have took it. I waited a couple of seconds and started reeling in, fish on!! The battle was heart pounding, and I had no idea how big this thing actually was until I got it in the net and lifted it up. 7 freakin' pounds. 23". A true beast.
Pics don't do it justice, it was a mammoth!
My next fish, caught shortly afterwards on the other side of the culvert I was fishing, is my pb largie weighing in at 5lbs!
Got it to smash my jitterbug by employing the stop and go technique but lost it almost immediately as it jumped and spat the trebles. Switched to my trusty crawler set up, and after a few casts, I saw it take the worm and I set the hook. After a good fight, I managed to net it and lift it up. Thank God for my extendable net, otherwise I would not have been able to land these heavy fish today.
It was a beautiful fish, with no signs of wear from spawning, and sported some hefty shoulders.
Later in the day while fishing the body of water attached to these culverts, I got into a nice smallie on a very long cast. I ended up losing it, but not before gaining some ground and nearly bringing it in. IMO, hooking a 2 to 4 lb smallie on a super long cast is one of, if not the best things that can happen to a fisherman, in terms of a fun fight.
Landing my big ones today was heart pounding, and big fish always make for great stories, sharing, bragging, envy, etc etc. But the best fight a bass can put up is the leap after leap from a distance, as your reeling it in at lightening speed from afar. My first ever smallie was such a battle, in the Conestogo River, I had to reel it in from nearly the other side of the river through rapids, at night to boot. That's bass fishing at its best. That's not to say sneaking up on them, or catching them close up, isn't fun too, because it certainly is.
My live bait rod today was equipped with 6lb Berkley Trilene monofilament line - needless to say I tightened the drag considerably while battling the big smallie, and maintained the same very tight drag for the next fish. For my lure rod, I tried braided line for the first time today, opting to go with 20lb (6lb diameter) invisi braid. No complaints, and with more use I will be able to tell whether it's worth using.
Today was a success due to worms, and taking the time to thoroughly fish the promising spots that most people overlook.
