New rig and more...

3.3Lbs

Down the hatch!

15oz

Just 1oz short!

He swallowed the jig!!!

First bass on a shakyhead fluke!

I've been looking for a worming/ soft plastics rig for over a month, and now, thanks to Carla I have one. I was my B-Day present from her, but she let me pick it out. I got a Pflueger Criterion baitcaster, and a medium heavy 6' Berkley Cherrywood rod. I really like this combo. It's very sensitive, and very accurate.

I actually got a different rod yesterday, and tried it out, but I didn't care for it, so I returned it and picked out the Cherrywood today. It was a Tournament Pro rod. The house band at Academt Sports. On that one I pulled in a 3.3Lb bass on a shakyhead worm. Not bad, and it handled it very well. I just didn't like the length of the handle, and one of the eyes was slightly off center, though this did not seem to effect my casting. Also, it was a 6'6" rod, and that was just a bit long for my taste. The Cherrywood is a 6' rod, and I like that better. It's only four inches longer than my ugly stik. It also seems to be stiffer and more sensitive than the Tourney Pro.

Today I bought in three bass with the Cherrywood, though I tossed the first one back before snapping a picture. I regret that. You can see the bass above.

An interesting session.

Buzzers rule!

Hooked in the head :(

First fish on the shakyhead!

Bad nest.

Jay met me on the lake today to do some fishin'. It was pretty slow going, and despite several good strikes and hooking up with a fish on a shakyhead worm, he didn't manage to land anything. He did get one out of the water, but it came unbuttoned.

I, on the other hand, landed two bass. I hooked into and landed a third, but the darn thing got off the hook and flopped his way back into the water before I could get a hand on him. It was a pretty big fish; maybe two pounds. Yeah, not huge, but when you consider that eight of my last nine fish were under a pound, two pounds would be a big upgrade.

The first fish came the Wal-Mart special buzzer with swimbait attached. I actually hooked him once and he got off. I threw the lure back over the same spot and reeled a bit slower and bam, he hit it again! this time I hooked him good. Too good. Other than gut hooking this was the most gruesome snag I have ever personally done myself. It may have been the worst I have ever seen. Somehow I gaffed him right through the bone on top of his head, and out through the eye. Unfortunately the eye came out. I have caught enough one eyed fish to know they can survive it, but with the trauma to his face I am worried he may not have made it, though he swam away very fast and strong, leaping from the water when he first hit it. I wish him the best. I feel terrible.

The second fish came from a technique that Jay turned me on to the other day. It was a shakyhead worm. I have considered this lure before, but never tried it. I actually have mixed feelings about it. It seems to me that the strike/hookup ratio is quite low. I have lost every fish except one that I have hooked with this method. Including the big one tonight. I don't plan to give up though. It is a fun way to fish, if not a little slow.

Not too shabby.

3oz

13oz

4oz

I took my second and third bass on buzzbaits today. The first one came on a Strike King buzzer with a tri-blade, and white skirt. It's the very same lure that jay let me use to catch my first buzzbait bass. The second fish was caught on a $1.00 "Wal-Mart Special", that I modified and added a Redfish Magic swimbait to. I got that fish on the first cast.

I got the last fish on a Blaze crankbait in chartreuse and blue.

All three were dinks, but seeing as how I have struck out recently, I'll take what I can get. I am still surprised how violently they hit those buzzbaits. The 13 ounce fish had me convinced it was better than two pounds before I got a good look at it. All in all it was a pretty good day on the lake.