Pedigohornet

I came close the first time in 1969. Nine pounds 12 ounces and six pounds 10 ounces. Finally broke past the barrier with an 11 pound 8 ounce fish in August 1988. Broke the barrier again in February 23, 1989 with the 13 pound 12 ounce "Snow Fish." How did it feel? Relief. After the "Snow Fish," I became bored and basically quit fishing for a number of years until my wife got me into fly fishing. I still fish conventional tackle once in a while but mainly hunt big bass with the fly rod nowadays. I'm finally getting a system worked out and having some success this year with two bass over 6 pounds. Not too many folks have taken bass over 10 pounds with both conventional tackle and a fly rod. Now, I'm not getting too get obsessed with the idea but do fish in waters holding 10 pounders. It would be kinda' neat. For those who haven't? Keep chunking. Catching a really big bass is mostly luck, being in the right place at the right time.

Like many of you, I've caught channel cat at times on various lures. They get pretty aggressive during spawning time and can be caught along riprap and other spawning areas with crank baits. Earlier this year I fished one of the kinfolk's ponds with a 7 wt fly rod and a Dragon Tail streamer. It was early in the morning, cloudy, foggy and cool. I'd already caught and released two largemouth over six pounds with my fly rod this year and looking forward at another chance for a good bass or two. As I walked down the hill to the pond, what looked like a bass, kept pushing up water around an old stump. It was in easy casting range and after a couple false casts, I shot the streamer past the stump and stripped it back by pretty fast. The water exploded and I was fast to a heavy fish that headed for deeper water. It didn't take long to realize it wasn't a bass and soon I had a three pound channel cat in hand. Maybe ten minutes later I approached a dock that generally held some bass and tossed the streamer past the deep end and allowed it to sink a few feet before stripping it back in. Something jolted it and the power of the fish had my shoulders aching before I had it to hand, another cat, this one pulling the Boga to 5.5 pounds. After releasing the fish I caught another three pounder. I struck out on bass but the three channel cats were worth more than the price of admission. I rank small channel cat, any size flathead and the smaller yellow bullhead, what we call "butter cats" as prime table fare.

Danged if I didn't catch another 6.25 pound largemouth on the fly rod on April 22nd. Same conditions as the first, ahead of a fast moving front. Only difference was I used a 7 wt this time and a different streamer. What are the odds on that? The first was a pre-spawn gal but the second was a spawned out gal, with a longer, sleeker profile. She really lit things up for awhile. She took all my slack fly line giving her best imitation of a bonefish, and I got her on the reel, letting her pull against the drag until I figured out how big she was. There are some big bass in this four acre pond and two Decembers ago I'd taken and released an 8.25 pound bass along with a 5.5 pounder. I really thought she was a bigger fish, but I'm sure not complaining. :) I caught this one on a popper yesterday. It's front dorsal fin looks like someone took a pair of scissors to it. I wonder what might have caused that.

"Do they hold a lot of water?" Most of the water flips out when you backcast but it still casts "like a wet washcloth." Learning the double haul to increase line speed helps. I much prefer using a 7wt, but had moved up to an 8wt to make it work. An articulated streamer, the "Game Changer," is really good on bigger bass, but is difficult to cast as well. Next time out I will be using it. Some cocky little guys will take it on occasionally. I alternate between a handful of streamers this time of the year and only fish one type on any trip; don't have time to be changing them during these periods.

"Mangums Dragon Tail" on top. A finished 6" streamer on bottom with #2 Gamakatsu B10S hook and some synthetic hackle. Same streamer that took the bass. The Dragon Tail can be used in a number of streamer applications. They can be found online and most fly shops. I did not tie this particular fly but picked it and another up at a fly shop on the way back from fishing in South Carolina three weeks ago. The only two left were pink. I wasn't purchasing it for its color anyway. It has an articulated motion coming through the water that is plumb sexy. A guide I've used a couple times drifting the Etowah River tied them and put me on them. I will be tying up a bunch next week. A friend has asked me to tie up some weighted and weedless, to be tossed with spinning gear. I believe this basic streamer can be adapted for use on spinning gear.

I was fidgeting in Church this past Sunday because it was cloudy and drizzling rain ahead of a front passage. The bride had given me free pass to fish after. From a lifetime of fishing ponds, both with conventional and more recently, the fly rod, I've found these conditions to be prime time for big bass. Not to say fishing ahead and during front passages is a sure thing, but the number of big fish I've taken during these conditions has me convinced of its potential. After Church I grabbed an 8 wt and headed to one of my favorite ponds with some Mangums Dragon Tail streamers. They are six inches in length and provide a large profile for bigger spring fish. I've found spring fish to take larger offerings than fall fish. Anyway, after about and hour of "chucking and ducking," a large wake behind the streamer exposed a bass tracking the fly and I immediately dead sticked it, waited a second or two and stripped the line back and immediately felt weight. The fish was fairly close and I was able to get two quick strip sets on her before she knew what was happening and gained control. I don't play bigger spring fish, but hustle them in quickly and release. She was no match for the 8 wt and 16# tippet and I had her to the bank before she knew what hit her. The Boga settled past the 6 and a quarter pound mark. A new personal best for me on the fly rod.

Hard to argue with anything here. The obvious, as noted, is....if there are sufficient big bass in the waters, it is much easier to catch them regular.....if not, it's near impossible to do so. I moved from Georgia to Louisiana in 1990. At that time the fish [13 pounds 12 ounces] in my Avatar was larger than the Louisiana State Record. Since, with the addition of Florida bass, opportunities have improved in Louisiana, but still far from Georgia. It was most difficult to lower my aspiration level and for all practical purpose, I got out of fishing because of it. Back in those days I expected to catch a bass of seven pounds most anytime out. My success didn't always meet my aspiration level but not because the big fish weren't present. But, I managed to catch quite a number of big bass and lost some heartbreakers along the way as well. I've found it's much easier to swallow less than expected results knowing the fish are present....kinda' like deer hunting....it's easier to pass small bucks when there are plenty of larger ones roaming the woods. I enjoyed the article.

It isn't a rock bass, not enough spines on the anal fin. It hasn't the typical black spot at the base of the dorsal fin of a green sunfish. It's hard to see on dark colored specimens but on this one, it should stand out like a stop sign. Looks like the only one left is the old warmouth.

It isn't a rock bass, not enough spines on the anal fin. It hasn't the typical black spot at the base of the dorsal fin of a green sunfish. It's hard to see on dark colored specimens but on this one, it should stand out like a stop sign. Looks like the only one left is the old warmouth.

It isn't a rock bass, not enough spines on the anal fin. It hasn't the typical black spot at the base of the dorsal fin of a green sunfish. It's hard to see on dark colored specimens but on this one, it should stand out like a stop sign. Looks like the only one left is the old warmouth.

Bass flies can be expensive, but they are much easier to tie than trout flies....they bigger. If you mess with a fly rod long, learning to tie your own should be considered. Bass Pro, Cabela's, Orvis and others carry an assortment. As noted above, soft plastics can be fished on the long rod quite effectively. The baitfish patterns developed for salt water work well on bass too. Bunny strip patterns like the one above are one of my favorites. You can catch decent fish on smaller flies but you will catch more, larger bass using flies approaching the size of those used with conventional tackle. You can handle bass on most any size fly rod, but you cannot toss all size flies on one rod. So, in my opinion, if you are limited to one fly rod for bass, error on the larger size. You can toss small flies on a 7-wt but you will endanger the back of your head and the rod if you attempt to toss a weighted 6 inch bunny strip with a 2-wt. Bass aren't leader shy so a light tippet isn't necessary. Six or seven feet of 10-12 pound test mono works well for a leader on a 7-wt. A 7-wt is plenty rod to handle big fish and bulky flies yet it won't over power a 3 or 4 pounder like the one I'm holding.

Bass flies can be expensive, but they are much easier to tie than trout flies....they bigger. If you mess with a fly rod long, learning to tie your own should be considered. Bass Pro, Cabela's, Orvis and others carry an assortment. As noted above, soft plastics can be fished on the long rod quite effectively. The baitfish patterns developed for salt water work well on bass too. Bunny strip patterns like the one above are one of my favorites. You can catch decent fish on smaller flies but you will catch more, larger bass using flies approaching the size of those used with conventional tackle. You can handle bass on most any size fly rod, but you cannot toss all size flies on one rod. So, in my opinion, if you are limited to one fly rod for bass, error on the larger size. You can toss small flies on a 7-wt but you will endanger the back of your head and the rod if you attempt to toss a weighted 6 inch bunny strip with a 2-wt. Bass aren't leader shy so a light tippet isn't necessary. Six or seven feet of 10-12 pound test mono works well for a leader on a 7-wt. A 7-wt is plenty rod to handle big fish and bulky flies yet it won't over power a 3 or 4 pounder like the one I'm holding.

Bass flies can be expensive, but they are much easier to tie than trout flies....they bigger. If you mess with a fly rod long, learning to tie your own should be considered. Bass Pro, Cabela's, Orvis and others carry an assortment. As noted above, soft plastics can be fished on the long rod quite effectively. The baitfish patterns developed for salt water work well on bass too. Bunny strip patterns like the one above are one of my favorites. You can catch decent fish on smaller flies but you will catch more, larger bass using flies approaching the size of those used with conventional tackle. You can handle bass on most any size fly rod, but you cannot toss all size flies on one rod. So, in my opinion, if you are limited to one fly rod for bass, error on the larger size. You can toss small flies on a 7-wt but you will endanger the back of your head and the rod if you attempt to toss a weighted 6 inch bunny strip with a 2-wt. Bass aren't leader shy so a light tippet isn't necessary. Six or seven feet of 10-12 pound test mono works well for a leader on a 7-wt. A 7-wt is plenty rod to handle big fish and bulky flies yet it won't over power a 3 or 4 pounder like the one I'm holding.

I don't know the why, but a falling barometer and shallow water ponds and lakes seem made for each other. Most of my large bass [over 9 pounds] were taken ahead of or during the passing of a cold front, which is typically associated with falling pressure. My most memorable bass was taken in 1989 during the passage of a serious front. The temperature dropped about 40 degrees and bottomed at 25 degrees with 6 inches of snow on the ground. We quite fishing when it became impossible to keep the eyes on the rods clear of ice. This bass' official weight was 13 pounds 12 ounces. I'm of the old school that tend to go fishing when I can, but the arrival of a front still picks me up a notch or two. On the other hand, my next largest bass of 11 pounds 8 ounces hit during a period of stable pressure. But, I still believe a falling pressure increases the odds of catching larger bass.

I don't know the why, but a falling barometer and shallow water ponds and lakes seem made for each other. Most of my large bass [over 9 pounds] were taken ahead of or during the passing of a cold front, which is typically associated with falling pressure. My most memorable bass was taken in 1989 during the passage of a serious front. The temperature dropped about 40 degrees and bottomed at 25 degrees with 6 inches of snow on the ground. We quite fishing when it became impossible to keep the eyes on the rods clear of ice. This bass' official weight was 13 pounds 12 ounces. I'm of the old school that tend to go fishing when I can, but the arrival of a front still picks me up a notch or two. On the other hand, my next largest bass of 11 pounds 8 ounces hit during a period of stable pressure. But, I still believe a falling pressure increases the odds of catching larger bass.