Really Fun Evening

[Koz]

All spring long, there's one lagoon that I try to bank fish and more often than not I get in between 2 and 20 casts before a big, 10 foot gator comes right up to the bank and gets aggressive with my baits when I try to fish. But earlier in the week I went out there and there was no gator in site. I managed to land a few 3 pounders and a 4 pounder. I went out again the next night and got about 20 bites - unfortunately they were fire ants.

 

This area is a fairly steeped banked point that rounds to a cove with a little bit of vegetation on the left side, open water in the center, and along the right hand side are trees and shrubs that overhang the water. It's got a little bit of everything for our area. When I fish I normally prefer my baitcasters and braided line, but tonight I also brought along some spinning gear armed with some 10 or 12 pound flouro and a weighted, Texas rigged Senko.

 

Within the first dozen casts I landed 2 dinks (under 2 pounds) and figuring it was a dink day decided not to waste my Senkos and put on a Yum Dinger. Within a few casts it got hammered big time. For the first time in a while I had hooked a bass that put up a really big fight. At one point it made a run towards me and towards the shore and I caught a glimpse. It was big. In that brief second I saw it I don't know if it was 5, 6, or 7 pounds but considering my PB is just under seven pounds I was exited. And then the fished turned back out to deep water and the line went slack. Either I had tied a bad knot or the line broke, I'm not sure. The end of the line wasn't curled, so the knot may knot have slipped. But whether it was the knot or my not adjusting the drag it was my fault. Needless to say I was bummed. But not for long.

 

I noticed their were schools of small baitfish all over the lagoon. You could see the v-shaped or circular wakes moving at various points in the water, and if you cast in the wake it would break up, then re-form a few seconds later. I picked up my trusty baitcaster and tied on a big Pop-R and the big fun began.The bass just crushed the Pop-R. I caught two 5 pounders, one 4 pounders, 2 three pounders, and 2 more under two pounds. Then the Pop-R bite stopped and I tied on my trusty buzzbait and another four pounder hammered it just as it reached shore. It surprised me and it was loud enough that when it hit it inches from the bank and turned I thought it might have been the gator.

 

The bite stopped for a bit and I had no luck on a jig or a Whopper Plopper, so I went back to the Pop-R. I caught a few more under 2 pounds and as I was getting ready to leave another 5 pounder crushed it.

 

That all happened in just two hours fishing the same spot on the bank.I've never had a session like that fishing just one spot, especially in such a short period of time. It was a really, really fun evening even after missing out on a big one early on.

 

 

[A-Jay]

Sounds like an awesome trip

Congrats

btw - hope that gator doesn't come back either.

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

Sounds like an awesome spot, congrats on a memorable evening.  Instead of adjusting drag during a fight like I used to, I either reel backwards (spinning) or push the button (baitcasting) nowadays. A few times I couldn’t loosen the drag quickly enough and they dove under the boat and broke off so I try not to fiddle with drag during a fight if I can avoid it 

[Koz]

8 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Sounds like an awesome trip

Congrats

btw - hope that gator doesn't come back either.

A-Jay

 

My best guess is that the gator is a females and right now is somewhere off in the woods guarding her nest of eggs.

[BassNJake]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Sounds like an awesome spot, congrats on a memorable evening.  Instead of adjusting drag during a fight like I used to, I either reel backwards (spinning) or push the button (baitcasting) nowadays. A few times I couldn’t loosen the drag quickly enough and they dove under the boat and broke off so I try not to fiddle with drag during a fight if I can avoid it 

Back reeling is a lost art that has helped me land a quite a few fish I would have lost otherwise.

[Koz]

BTW, I know that for boat guys my haul last night was no big deal. But for us bank beaters days like that are a ton of fun.

 

Unfortunately, the heat index today is going to top out at 104 and it will still be over 100 when I finish work. I don't think I'll be heading out this evening.

[Hower08]

You think multiple 5s in one day from a boat are common . While it does happen and I've done it with largemouth and smallmouth it is far from common 

[Koz]

1 hour ago, Hower08 said:

You think multiple 5s in one day from a boat are common . While it does happen and I've done it with largemouth and smallmouth it is far from common 

 

Well, more common than from the bank. Especially for all of the tournament guys here on Bass Resource.