My First 5lber in Iowa

[J. M. Richardson]

Went out to my favorite local fishing hole (not much to chose from here in Iowa while I am at school) and spent some time on the water. Started off throwing spinnerbaits, swim jigs and shallow cranks with no luck. Switched over to a tube (t-rigged weightless) and slowed down quite a bit. Caught a couple of dinks before the fun happend.

I casted from shore diagonal to a small point where the rocks stuck out a bit further. Felt that tell tale tap and pull and set the hook hard...but then nothing happened. For a bit I though I hooked into a log so I ran over to try and get a better angle to loosen the lure from the backside. As the line went slack I felt another tug on my pole...Wait a minute this is a fish. I turned my drag back a bit (i was fishing medium action spinning gear for the tube) and felt some more tugging...I knew this was going to be a big one. I managed to wind the piggy in and landed my first 5+ lber in Iowa (my PB is a 6.5 I caught up in WI). The girl I was fishing with couldn't believe the size of the thing and snapped a picture of me with the fish (I will add to the post once I get it).

Felt good to finally pull something of size in Iowa and over the course of the year I have greatly boosted my confidence in tubes, they have now become one of my go to lures.

Good times on a beautiful fall day here!

[Grey Wolf]

Congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[roadwarrior]

Congratulations!

;D ;D

[pitchin fool]

Them bass love tubes.  They get bigger in Iowa...Trust me.

[J. M. Richardson]

She did take a picture, I am waiting to get it from her so I can post it on here.

I hope starting to catch bigger fish means I am getting to be a better fisherman!

[J. M. Richardson]

Finally got a hold of the pictures. Doesn't look that big in the pic where I am holding it, but I stand 6'3 at 265lbs (got to keep everything in relation). It measured about 19 long and 15 in girth.

[ShaneK1990]

Things like a football lol. Nice catch!

[Iowa Matt]

On my favorite lake! Looks like the main point on the west side of the north pit. Thats a good spot......there is a very large, shallow shelf there that fish in a feeding mood often use. Try a 5" hollow body swimbait there sometime..........

This one was caught a few yards from where you are on a Roboworm.

Nice to see someone else on this board that fishes in the same places.

Matt

p.s. Go 'Clones! (B.S. 2003, M.S. 2007 from ISU)

[Tin]

Finally got a hold of the pictures. Doesn't look that big in the pic where I am holding it, but I stand 6'3 at 265lbs (got to keep everything in relation). It measured about 19 long and 15 in girth.

Yes, because it's about 3 pounds.

[J. M. Richardson]

On my favorite lake! Looks like the main point on the west side of the north pit. Thats a good spot......there is a very large, shallow shelf there that fish in a feeding mood often use. Try a 5" hollow body swimbait there sometime..........

This one was caught a few yards from where you are on a Roboworm.]

Nice to see someone else on this board that fishes in the same places.

Matt

p.s. Go 'Clones! (B.S. 2003, M.S. 2007 from ISU)

Good call, that's exactly where I nailed her. There is also a nice brush pile to the south of that that holds bass usually if you can manage not to get caught (something I haven't quite figured out from shore yet).

[J. M. Richardson]

Finally got a hold of the pictures. Doesn't look that big in the pic where I am holding it, but I stand 6'3 at 265lbs (got to keep everything in relation). It measured about 19 long and 15 in girth.

Yes, because it's about 3 pounds.

I've caught plenty of three pounders and this one was quite a bit bigger than that.

[figure8racer]

First of all nice fish. Im from Indianola Iowa just south of Des Moines, what lake are you fishing? If you dont want to give up your hot spot i understand but my local lake is junk so always looking for new spots to hit.

[J Francho]

No way its a 5+. Calculator gives you a max of 4.51 lbs., and that's probably closer to the truth. True, it has a big belly, but it doesn't have the shoulders to be a five. This fish was 4 lbs. 9 oz. probably about the same size as yours:

Nice fish man, but its time you got an accurate scale. If its 19 X 15, then you got a four-and-a-half.

[J. M. Richardson]

Yeah, I definitely need to invest in a scale at some point here. I know it was over three though.

[Grey Wolf]

Did you have a scale ? That is a chunky bass but not over 5 lbs maybe 4 or a little over. Sorry.

[J. M. Richardson]

First of all nice fish. Im from Indianola Iowa just south of Des Moines, what lake are you fishing? If you dont want to give up your hot spot i understand but my local lake is junk so always looking for new spots to hit.

I fish usually at Ada Hayden in Ames. Not to many good places to fish around central Iowa here.