Summer Topwater & A Pb

[Tartan34]

So, today was an interesting, frustrating, and magical fishing experience.  

The day was started at beautiful Turkey Lake in Orlando, at 645 AM.  It was a beautiful morning, the sun was starting to rise, and I was the only boat on the water.  As I was in a rented boat.....I only brought a small tackle box with a handful of rods.

 

It took me about 10 minutes to get to my spot, and watching fish explode on the surface through the calm surface was getting me pumped for the day to come.  Once I put a line in the water, I started landing fish....some small 1 pounders up to some nice 3 pounders.  Upon landing the biggest fish of the morning, as I was preparing to de-hook my new boatmate, the fish took a leap out of my hands and into the water.  No problem, I would just get him back out and finish the process I thought....until I look at my line and nothing.  No fish.  No lure.  Just a sense of sadness as I lost my favorite lure, a beautiful PopX, that I forgot to retie after my fourth fish of the day (a rule I have).  

 

No big deal, I went into my box and grabbed a brand new chug bug that I was given.....as my tourney partner has been killing them with it.  First cast, fish on....a really nice 18" fish.  Upon examining my lure after releasing the beauty, I noticed that the hook was broken.  One of the arms of the treble snapped right off.  

 

At this time, I was feeling worse about the fish than losing/damaging my lures....and I dug into my box again.  I saw a lure that I have hammered them on the lake months before......a 20 year old topwater popper that I discovered a few months ago....unused.  I tied it up but needed a change.  It was starting to get hot, and I was frustrated.

 

I decided to take a break from the topwater and started working the pads/grass.  With limited luck, I fished my jig, tossed my frog, spun my spinnerbait, and worked my plastics.....until I got the urge to get that popper wet again.  I started working my late morning line and started pulling up fish.  These fish were hammering this old lure once again!  Things really got crazy when all of a sudden I heard a vacuum like noise, my bait disappeared, and I felt a big fish on the other end of the line.  As I got the fish closer, I saw its mouth....and my heart started pounding.  It was a beast.  As I got it to the boat, there was another fish swimming along with it....just as big as this one.  

 

I got her into the boat, snapped a quick pick, and happily released the largest bass I have ever caught back into the water.  

 

Once I calmed down, I looked at my lure.....and the hooks were mangled....but I didn't care.....not one bit.   

 

It was a great day fishing! 

 

[00 mod]

Congrats on the pb. Get some good gama or owner hooks and replace them all. Wont have a problem like that anymore.

Jeff

Btw- how long is that fish? Hard to tell from pic on phone

[Tartan34]

Thanks!  Hooks are on order already!

 

The fish is 25".  I was too pumped to get good pics, but the memory will last.

 

Congrats on the pb. Get some good gama or owner hooks and replace them all. Wont have a problem like that anymore.

Jeff

Btw- how long is that fish? Hard to tell from pic on phone

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Awesome fish...congrats!

[roadwarrior]

Congratulations!

[Dwight Hottle]

Sweet pb. Congrats.

[tomustang]

Nice work!

[AK-Jax86]

Double digit club nice fish

[paul25]

nice fish congrats on your PB!!

[hookset on 3]

"Monster Bass! Son!" , as one of your more famous Florida fisherman is fond of saying.

[Bankbeater]

congrats on the new PB!

[Siebert Outdoors]

Very nice PB.  Congrats.

[jignfule]

Congrats on the pb