Memories, my top 5 giant bass

[txchaser]

@WRB Tom - thanks for writing these up. Just sat here hitting refresh waiting for the next one, and tried to be there with you on the water.

 

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Making these notes for myself, all of these big fish had some similarities. I think at least 2 of 3 of:
1) crappy weather 2)  bit before the jig moved 3) lookit that pile of weekdays for big fish. 

 

 

3 hours ago, WRB said:

very windy but Monday light rain

3 hours ago, WRB said:

very long cast watching feeling the line and nothing when taking up slack to move the jig.

 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Wednesday January 27th 1988 is another light rainy day

 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Turn the reel once after taking up slack the jig doesn’t move.

 

1 hour ago, WRB said:

March 6th 1991 is a Wednesday

 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

The light wind is out of the NE with a drizzle.

 

 

59 minutes ago, WRB said:

is stormy rain and windy

 

59 minutes ago, WRB said:

let the jig sink when slammed before hitting bottom.

 

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

Take up the slack and turn the reel handle a half turn and shake it. The line jumps slack,

 

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

no wind overcast with light showers. A little wind would be nice and it will come later.

 

[Catt]

[BrianMDTX]

I’m glad I saw this thread from Go vs seeing it days later and playing catch-up. @WRB, you have truly experienced some bass of a lifetime for sure. And you have a darned good memory, too! 
 

100’ of line taken by a LMB. That’s unreal! 

[LrgmouthShad]

Tom thank you for sharing these stories with us. 

 

Your knowledge of bass fishing and your accomplishments amazed me when I first browsed bassresource and continue to amaze me. We’re lucky to have you, and on top of that, you’re a great fellow to talk with. Thank you! 

[roadwarrior]

Please recommend a hair jig.

[Mobasser]

Great thread here Tom. Thanks for posting this.

[WRB]

1 hour ago, PressuredFishing said:

The real question is was this on your pink and black jig color+pork? Been playing around with it like you rsccomended and it's not bad, except for getting teased

Pink? Purple, Brown/red-brown and Black.

Tom

When you read one thing comes to mind...luck!

We plan and plan and somehow luck intervenes and end up at the right place and time managing to put the lure in front of the right bass.

Spent lots of 15 hour day catching a cold and nothing else.

Then you make a cast that makes good memories.

Thought I would share this while I still can.

Tom

[Catt]

@WRB Gives us the story behind that picture.

 

Memories we all dream of ?

 

[whitwolf]

Outstanding! 

 

This is history and a glimpse into what goes  into catching a once in a lifetime Bass. 

 

I, like @A-Jay, have copied this. This is another Sterling example of why this is the best Bass fishing site on the Internet!

 

Thanks Tom!

[WRB]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

18 lb 11 oz (18.6 lb )Casitas, 1981 

Black-purlple-reddish brown 7/16 oz hair jig with L4 purple Pedigo pork trailer. 12 lb Big Game mono, Lamiglas 6’10” jig rod and 4500C reel. My guess the depth was about 17’ deep steep sloping structure with some brush.

Josh Alwine’s book Lunker Lore has a sketch I made of the saddle area.

Tom

 

[WRB]

3 hours ago, txchaser said:

@WRB Tom - thanks for writing these up. Just sat here hitting refresh waiting for the next one, and tried to be there with you on the water.

 

----------------

Making these notes for myself, all of these big fish had some similarities. I think at least 2 of 3 of:
1) crappy weather 2)  bit before the jig moved 3) lookit that pile of weekdays for big fish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You right all mid week, low light overcast or rainy weather pre spawn bass. The water temps were near 58 degrees or below 60 degrees. Crawdads become active leaving their clay/mud/rock burrows about that temp in our lakes....good time to fish jigs.

Weekdays ( mental heath days off work) means lower fishing traffic, bad weather also helps. I was putting odds in my favor. Also factor in I was mobile not anchored or using live crawdads. During that time period I was advocating not to allow the use of live bait during January to April, definitely self  handicapped myself.

I had Robin at Super Pork make me up a 100   L4 type pork trailers in natural color so I could dye them, 4” x 3/4 split tail trailer nobody had. 

Tom

[jbsoonerfan]

Really awesome thread!!!! Tom has achieved things in the world of bass fishing that 99.9% of people will never do. Something to be proud of for sure!!!!!

[Hammer 4]

I Love reading these stories about your catching Giant bass, just motivates me even more to get multiple DD bass this year.

Re: Casitis  and Castiac, during the 80's I thought I was doing well at Lake Piru landing 5 to 8 lb bass almost regularly. I hate waiting in Loong lines, there were no lines at Piru, sometimes it was just me and occasionally Don Iovino. Maybe I should learned to be more patient, lol.

Thanks for making me smile.  

[Bass Junke]

Been reading the older forums for a few months, went back to 2007. Heard these stories a few times and saw that pic also. Those stories never get old. Thanks Tom you are awesome. 

[Choporoz]

18 hours ago, Catt said:

Maybe the Johnson Seahorse had something to do with it.....I will breakout my dad's old 6 this spring, I think...just to see

[WRB]

Thank all for the positive support, really appreciate it.

Just thought to tell my untold history behind the bass in my avatar.

It’s hard to comprehend what Bassin magazine’s million dollar   Circus caused for lake Castiac, you had to be there.

Castaic is a V shaped lake, 2 arms; fishing and ski arms. The dam is nearly a mile long and 300’ high rip rap faced and off limits to fishing. The lake is small, each arm about 1 1/2 miles, steep rocky banks with a few 1/2 mile long creek arms.

People came from several states with motor homes and boats to get in on the prize money.

Castaic opens 1/2 hour after sunrise, closes 1/2 hour before sunset. The lake is maxed out with 300 parking spaces.

The motor homes can park in a over look area, setting up spotting 200 power scopes to watch anglers and phone information to the boater. Catch a bass and boats show up.

This went on everyday for nearly 3 years at Castaic.

For these reasons I fished out of my 14’ Lund w/15 hp Evinrude with my older Lowrance paper graph and Hummimng Bird super 30 flasher. My Skeeter bass boat stayed home because you launch a bass boat and all eyes follow you.

Castias wasn’t as easy to snoop or as pressured, but about the same size lake with a big island separating the lake into 2 arms.

The big difference is Castias has camping areas to accommodate hundreds of anglers that can stay for months. The pressure was about equal for 3 years.

Tom

 

[PressuredFishing]

10 minutes ago, WRB said:

Thank all for the positive support, really appreciate it.

The thankyou belongs to you, you shoot straight to the point awnsers and are like a grandfather to me and many others I'm sure. 

[TnRiver46]

On 2/7/2022 at 1:01 PM, Choporoz said:

Maybe the Johnson Seahorse had something to do with it.....I will breakout my dad's old 6 this spring, I think...just to see

I bet it will run! We had a 1957 7.5 horse growing up, it’s still running on my buddy’s boat as far as I know. 

[12poundbass]

Great thread Tom! Your stories, knowledge, and insight are absolutely priceless! 
 

There are so many members here with a lifetime of great knowledge they don’t have to share but volunteer to pass it on to folks like myself, this is what makes this site so great! 
 

Thank you Tom and everyone else who share their stories and years of hard work with all of us! 

[Fishlegs]

Thank you for sharing your experiences @WRB. Any one of those fish is a catch of a lifetime and you got to experience it several times. The fact that you have such experience, and you are willing to share it in a humble way is one of the reasons your input is respected on this forum. Kudos to you.

[TnRiver46]

Like everyone else said, thanks so much for the stories! I’ve got to try some hair jig w/ pork trailer one of these days . 

[Crankin4Bass]

@WRB Thank you for sharing these stories! We've learned so much from you over the years.

[Catt]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:02 PM, Catt said:

 

For y'all's information that ain't me it's Tom @WRB!

 

My PB if 12.5# ain't nowhere near Tom's class of fish!

[Bird]

Love hearing stories of GIANT bass being caught and the details. Reminds of watching Doug Hannon as a child. 

 

On the other hand, I cringe at the immense popularity of these lakes back then. Can't imagine being glassed the whole time your fishing or being invaded after a big catch.

[roadwarrior]

Twin brothers from different mothers?