Think bed fishing is easy ???

[Fish Chris]

I've found a few monsters in the last couple trips.... but no luck putting them in the boat :-(

Tues. I found two bass on beds about 50 ft apart (couldn't quite fish both from the same spot, so I kind of bounced back and forth about once an hour) that were about 11 and 13 lbs. Ended up fishing for these fish for about 4 hours.... then the wind came up, and it was all over :-(

So yesterday (Thurs) I decided to go to my home Lk. Berryessa and throw swimbaits all day. I was so sure this was all I was going to do, that I didn't even take a lighter rod.... Only two swimbait rods. So I pull up to my very first spot, reach for my swimbait rod, look down below the boat..... and Holy $&% ! I see a for sure double digit fish just kind of meandering around. I watch her for a bit and she circles back around to a little depression (a bed) with a little male waiting. It was kind of lame using my swimbait rod for sightfishing, but I had to improvise.

I had probably fished for her for about an hour, when one time, on my retrieve, she followed my lure up towards the boat.... And Oh my God ! Turns out that water was deeper, and this fish was MUCH larger than I was thinking before ! I'd guess at least 15 lbs !

To make a long story short, I ended fishing for this one fish (never even pulled up the anchor) for 8 1/2 hours ! The closest I got was to get her to take a little nip at the tail of a 10 inch power worm.

BTW, the little male beside her looked really tiny. My guess would have been 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. Then, at one point, I accidentally hooked him. Tried to get him to shake off, but he was determined to come see me. When I pulled him out, I couldn't believe he was a solid 3 lb'er ! Then I let him go and he swims right back down beside the big girl, where he instantly looked 1 lb again !

Anyway, after a full 8 hour shift of pulling my hair out, the breeze comes up, and it was all over :-(

Now, I know there will be people who say, "I won't do this because its just not fun" and I hear what they are saying, as admittedly, getting into a 6, or 8, or 10 hour one on one match, can be pretty  miserable for me too..... But I promise you guys, holding a 15 lb bass by the jaw is just SOOO much fun, it makes it worth all the effort when it finally happens.

Then, there is the part that always gets me; The guys that think sight fishing is SO easy. You just flip a lure in there... She gets mad, picks it up, and POW ! You drag her in the boat :-)

Yea'.... Come to Cali and try that with a 15 lb'er. I've yet to find an easy one.

Maybe today :-)

Peace,

Fish

[senile1]

Yeah, and now we know why she's 15 lbs.  If I see a fish that big on a bed, or any DD in my part of the country for that matter, I'm with you.  I'll be fishing for her until the cows come home.  

[ring fry]

senile 1, if you see one of those around here, call me and I'll come up to help you!! ;D

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Me too ..... ;D

Biggest fish I have caught in-state was 8-3 and it took me two days to catch her.  I spotted her about an hour before sundown one night.  I fished for her blindly for about an hour after dark.  Came back the next morning at sun-up and didn't catch her until about noon :  I couldn't sleep that night.  I thought for sure was going to finish her business and leave.

[Catt]

That's why it's called fishing & not catching  

[Gotta Love It]

Chris... I guess I will have to take your word on holding a 15 lb. fish by the jaw!  Since I haven't been able to do that yet  :'(!  Off to the lake... maybe tonight will be my first DD of the year!

[Nick]

Although I regard myself as a purist, I'd be inclined to use live bait, if legal, to catch her! Arond here a 7 lber. is a real good one!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

agreed.  IMO, many folks who claim they would never sit on a fish for 4 hrs, myself included, are not talking about the fish of a lifetime for most, like that one.  I hold to my claim that I wouldn't do it but there are exceptions,of course.

If I had the chance to go learn fish behavior for 8 hrs with the likes of Fishchris, or Randall, I would gladly target 1 hawg for the day.

You know where she is now FC, good luck, can't wait for the pic.

[Guest avid]

Who says it easy?

I guess there are guys who can cast a white tube to a bed and land a lunker, but in all my years of fishing I have never caught a bedding fish that I was trying to catch.

I don't know if I would have the mental toughness to stay on one fish for 8 hours, but I admire you for your perserverence.

It's why your on magazine covers.

[.ghoti.]

Wow, that's a long time. You've got what my grand-dad called, "stick-to-it-iveness". Gots to admire your persistance.

Cheers,

GK