Ended up not having to umpire any ball games today, so spent the whole day fishing.
First half of the day at Badin in the K-Craft bass boat. By lunch there were too many boats to be enjoyable. 41 perch and sunfish on a Beatle Spin, but the only bass action was one that hit a sunfish that was on the hook.
Came home and mowed the yard at the cabin, and decided that if the thunder storms were going to hold off I'd take the FB Angler 144 out to the brother in law's pond and try the fly rod out of it. A #12 Yellow spider was catching several blue gills, and I had a bait rig ready on a bait cast reel to see if the bass would take them like they did on the Grandsons & Cane Poles post. I left it trolling out the stern, while I continued to fly-fish.
I was playing a decent, hand sized blue gill off the port side, when sudennly the kayak began going backwards! I looked around and the bait cast rod was doubling over. I rushed the blue gill aboard and droped the fly rod in my lap along with the paddle. I grabed the bait caster, and had a pretty intense couple of minutes with a nice bass. No jumping, just a couple deep runs, once spining the kayak about 270 degrees. On my second attempt I managed to get him in the net, barely. The net is about 16" across, and the bass was much longer than that, at least 20", maybe more.
I got him netted and to the side of the kayak, and the blue gill was flopping around at my feet. I pinned the net with my elbow, and managed to unhook and release the blue gill. Then I untangled and stowed the fly rod and paddle and turned my attention to the bass. The bait rig I had made was two trebil hooks about 5 or 6 inches apart. The bass had one in the mouth, and one on the outside of the gill. I got the bass unhooked but managed to foul both trebile hooks in my new (bought yesterday) net. I began trying to hold the bass (in the net) in the water and unfoul the hooks. Everytime I'd get one lose and start on the second the bass would flop and I'd be back to both hooks fouled. Finally he made a big flop and came half way out of the net, and before I could recover he was gone! No photos, no chance to measure or weigh! (I'd estimate that it was at least 3, maybe 4 pounds.)
Leasons learned today: (1) If the hooks get fouled in the net, drop the net and hold on to the bass. I have a leash on the net and the rods, and they aren't going any where. (2) Got to figure out a better way to take photos in the kayak.
I hooked another fish that was giving me a pretty good ride, but he got in some weeds and pulled the hook out. I landed a bass that was between 14 & 15 inches, and by then a thunder storm was beging to threaten, so I packed it in.
Probably caught 60 fish today. Had a great time.
First half of the day at Badin in the K-Craft bass boat. By lunch there were too many boats to be enjoyable. 41 perch and sunfish on a Beatle Spin, but the only bass action was one that hit a sunfish that was on the hook.
Came home and mowed the yard at the cabin, and decided that if the thunder storms were going to hold off I'd take the FB Angler 144 out to the brother in law's pond and try the fly rod out of it. A #12 Yellow spider was catching several blue gills, and I had a bait rig ready on a bait cast reel to see if the bass would take them like they did on the Grandsons & Cane Poles post. I left it trolling out the stern, while I continued to fly-fish.
I was playing a decent, hand sized blue gill off the port side, when sudennly the kayak began going backwards! I looked around and the bait cast rod was doubling over. I rushed the blue gill aboard and droped the fly rod in my lap along with the paddle. I grabed the bait caster, and had a pretty intense couple of minutes with a nice bass. No jumping, just a couple deep runs, once spining the kayak about 270 degrees. On my second attempt I managed to get him in the net, barely. The net is about 16" across, and the bass was much longer than that, at least 20", maybe more.
I got him netted and to the side of the kayak, and the blue gill was flopping around at my feet. I pinned the net with my elbow, and managed to unhook and release the blue gill. Then I untangled and stowed the fly rod and paddle and turned my attention to the bass. The bait rig I had made was two trebil hooks about 5 or 6 inches apart. The bass had one in the mouth, and one on the outside of the gill. I got the bass unhooked but managed to foul both trebile hooks in my new (bought yesterday) net. I began trying to hold the bass (in the net) in the water and unfoul the hooks. Everytime I'd get one lose and start on the second the bass would flop and I'd be back to both hooks fouled. Finally he made a big flop and came half way out of the net, and before I could recover he was gone! No photos, no chance to measure or weigh! (I'd estimate that it was at least 3, maybe 4 pounds.)
Leasons learned today: (1) If the hooks get fouled in the net, drop the net and hold on to the bass. I have a leash on the net and the rods, and they aren't going any where. (2) Got to figure out a better way to take photos in the kayak.
I hooked another fish that was giving me a pretty good ride, but he got in some weeds and pulled the hook out. I landed a bass that was between 14 & 15 inches, and by then a thunder storm was beging to threaten, so I packed it in.
Probably caught 60 fish today. Had a great time.