Bass at the edge of the season

[Bruce Litton]

May 2nd the trees were brown. The temp 82. I hollered up to my wife, "It's a big one!" then slammed the hook in, feeling as if I hooked a tree trunk as line popped. I checked the end of the line where the knot would be. Yeah. Half of that still there. Might have been the biggest largemouth I've ever caught, over 5.

Other pond corner: a two pounder and another nearly three. So not bad for a sunset dog walk with my wife, a little fishing along the way.

We returned on May 8th. Sky all too clear. Temp about 68. Florid greens. Bass must have ducked into the sudden presence of aquatic vegetation. Caught one on the Senko not even nine inches.

[Eskimo]

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It always seems fish we recall the most is the one we never landed.

I had a break-off Friday evening. The reel screamed as the line headed towards the shoreline at high speed and then "ping!" the line broke.

I caught a few decent fish after that, but I couldn't help but obsess on what the hell that could have been. I think I might have snagged a carp, but I'll never know for sure.


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[Bruce Litton]

Hooked a striper at end of jetty on a 16-inch live bunker. Felt like hooking a tractor-trailer that broke off. So....in retirement, hope to encounter similar.