Whoooo Hooooo !!!! :-)

[Fish Chris]

Yea' buddies ! What a day, what a day :-) Been a long time since I got one like this ! :-)

The day started with me having a really hard time getting moving. Long day yesterday, and the place I was contemplating for today (an old favorite) had become such a disgusting mud hole the last few years, that it was only fun "when you stuck a big one" otherwise, it was miserable.

Anyway, I finally drag myself to the lake at about 11 am, and as I get my first glimpse of the lake, I was like OMG ! It's clear ! Well, not like gin clear, but nice ! Like 3 to 8 feet, with a very cool, emerald green color ! Just like the old days !!! I hadn't even got on the lake yet, and I was already stoked ! :-) So, I'm on the water for about 10 minutes.... and there's a long fish, on a bed. First cast with a Basstrix, and she is completely fired up ! Only problem is, the little male is beating her to the punch. That happened about 3 casts in a row, so I decide to try a lure too big for the dink male... The Hud :-) First cast, I'm reeling it over the bed and the female comes up and just inhales it ! Fish on ! ....but she turns out to be long and skinny. Completely spawned out, and kind of beat up. Only about 7 lbs, so no photos.

After that, I started seeing lots of 5 to 7's on beds, but I was just so sure I would find a hog, that I didn't want to spin my wheels on smaller fish, so I kept on.

Finally, I'm cruising down a steep, deep shoreline, about 15 feet out, and "Holy #$@& ! I find one that look just HUGE ! I never touch the trolling motor, but instead, just keep heading right on down the shore. looking back to get a marker point on the shoreline..... Right off of that rock ;-)

I then make a really big circle, and beach the boat 40 feet before the spot I had seen her. I get out, and carry with me both rods... One with a Basstrix Gill, and one with a Hud. I slowly walk to my "rock" on the shoreline, then just stand still like a statue. Theres a barely visable light spot on the bottom... and there's a dinky male..... and slowly but surely, here comes a big, black shadow. After a few minutes, she dips in. So, I threw the Hud way out past her and started reeling. As it came past her, she spun around, and kicked towards it..... but she had so little space before the shoreline, that she stopped just shy, and went back down to her bed. But now she was looking irritated, and kind of spinning around, thinking, "Where the heck did that trout come from" ??? I make the second cast. This time, as my lure aproaches, I stop reeling and let it sink about 6 feet behind the nest. As soon as it hits bottom, I start a slow, bottom bumping retrieve. Just as it moves into the bed, big momma spins, tilts down, and WHACK ! Buddies, when I set the hook, she instantly came out of the water with her mouth looking like a coffee can, and I swear she looked 18 lbs ! ......and like 8 feet from my face ! Talk about a heart-in-the-throat moment ! She jumped twice, but couldn't really run with her mouth open {she had really inhaled the Hud} and I beached her within 20 seconds.

Right away I could see that she was totally spawned out. I know her belly looks semi-fat.... But that was just from sag. Her back was a bit thin too. But anyway, I shot over to the concession area to weigh her in front of a few witnesses. They offered to drag her up to there scale, to which I replied, "Thanks, but I happen to have a certified scale right here" :-)

She ended up going 14.40 lbs (scale bounced between 14.40 and 14.60). A hog to be sure, but geez I'd have loved to have caught her 2 or 3 weeks ago..... back when I was playing with the big Smallies.... but then I certainly don't regret that either. She really had a frame that could easily hold 17 lbs.

Anyway, been over 2 years since I caught one this big.

.......now, good luck trying to sleep, so I can get up at 4 am and go do it again...... and a different lake which I also have not been to in almost a year.....

Peace,

Fish

[Fish Man]

im at a louse for words right now  ...that thing could eat my PB for a snack  :-[

[Fish Man]

but she turns out to be long and skinny. Completely spawned out, and kind of beat up. Only about 7 lbs, so no photos.

After that, I started seeing lots of 5 to 7's on beds, but I was just so sure I would find a hog, that I didn't want to spin my wheels on smaller fish, so I kept on.

im srry but when i came back a read this i couldnt help but llaugh...those 5-7's would be considered monsterous where i live an a possible new PB...i guess one can only hope to move down south in his life haha good luck tomm

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Incredible man!!!!!!

Aren't you guys being effected by this crap weather that's effecting the rest of the country??

BTW - Love that last pic.  I always love those pics of the release.  Not only for what it means, but I just think it looks cool too.

[Murray]

dont shave until you get the 23

oh and NICE FISH

[T-rig]

I have never seen anyone catching so many great fish! You are the luckiest man to live in such a place! Congrats!

[burleytog]

Those fish are so big they almost look fake (not saying they're fake, just that they look almost fake).

I'd love to have the problem of skipping 5-7 pounders.   :'(

You never fail to impress Chris!  

[Vyron]

all i can say man is WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[roadwarrior]

:)

Beautiful bass, thanks again for the post.

Great story, great fish, great pics.

You da MAN!

[BOOYAH]

Very cool indeed!!

I would have probably never got to her cuz i would have enjoyed catching the 5 to 7 lbers as well.

WAY TO GO !!!!!

[Painter Dude]

GO CHRIS GO !!!!!!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

It was my email Fish,....I'm good luck!!   ;D

[The Unabasser]

great story Chris....wicked nice fish!!!

[deadeye32.]

Keep em coming Chris, what a great season for you  .  sure wish it wasnt rainying and snowing here in Indy  >

[cpvenom]

Man, that is awesome! I wass wonderin when you would come back with a monster report. We should call you Farmer Chris, because you're always holding hogs!

[electrikal]

Unbelievable!!! But seein' is believing. ;D Makes me ashamed to post our puny 5 to 7 lber's. Keep em comin Chris. At least I can dream.

[Fish Chris]

Thank you guys :-)

And to answer the question about our weather, as a matter of fact, today we are getting the first rain we have had in nearly a month... and 15 degrees cooler too.

After a trip like yesterday, I'd be tempted to "not go out today"......

But I keep remembering a day which was exactly like this one, and it happened on the place I'm planning for today; A month of great weather, the fish were finishing up with the spawn, and in came this 1 day rain in mid-April. And Bam ! The fish went on a crazy feed ! Back then, with the lure I was throwing, I missed so freaking many of them, including a 12 and a 13 plus (still remember that 13 looking at me as she shook off beside the boat and swam away). But at least I got 1 DD :-)

Plus, already got my old boat lined up to borrow from my buddy.... No gas motors at todays lake.

So, I'm grabbing the rain gear, and here we go ! Come on 15 ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

[fourbizz]

Great Fish Man!!!! Long time coming for ya!

I might be out there at today's lake a little later if I get rained out at work.

[.ghoti.]

WOW, between Chris, Randall and Fourbizzle, I'm stunned. Nothing even close to Chris's latest swims in my waters.

Awesome job.

Cheers,

GK

[RWHusker.]

Great fish, Great story!  I'm having almost as much fun reading "The Adventure's of Fish Chris" as fishing myself.

GO BIG RED

[Bassassasin12]

lol I love the adventures of fish chris! Awesome stuff fish, keep em coming!!!

[Jeff21]

i wish they got that big around here...you'll be lucky to catch 5 lbs and up

[BucketmouthAngler13]

Simply mind-blowing. Amazing stuff.

Question. How come most of the really big hawgs have so little green on them? I noticed that most of your big 'uns look silver instead of green. Is it just me?

[Guest avid]

Incredible.

Your some kind of programmed monster bass catching cyborg.

Terminator has nothing on you.

Incredible.

[k4phd]

All I can say is "Awesome". Very nice fish and thanks for sharing all of them with us.

Jim