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I hit the Columbia on Sunday and conditions were pretty ideal. There was wind and cloud cover and I knew that would have the big bass feeding. I started fishing the first point near the ramp and within a handful of casts I had a bass just stop my spinnerbait dead. I heaved back and it was on. That fish took off and was ripping drag like crazy. I worked it closer to the kayak and it made yet another mad dash and the hook just pulled out.
I was completely stunned. Usually when you have a fish on for that long with a single hook lure like a spinnerbait the hook does not just pull out.
I went back to fishing and picked up a couple of 1lb bass when lightning struck a second time. This was another huge bass. I started working it towards the kayak when it came out of the water with a head-shaking leap and tossed my spinnerbait about 20'. I had only been there for about a half hour and I had already lost two giants. I was just beside myself.
I kept fishing that point for a bit longer and land a couple more 1lbers when I realized lightning was not going to strike a third time. I started working my way downstream, still tossing the spinnerbait when I got to a long pier. I had tossed under the pier and was reeling my spinnerbait back. It was about 10' from the kayak when yet another giant smoked it. I held my breath when it came out of the water but it stayed pinned! I felt a huge sigh of relief when I finally slipped my net under that beast.
I turned and held it up to the camera when I realized my camera was not on. I had forgotten to start it. Doh! So my video starts with me holding up a 21" 3lb 13oz bass. I missed the entire fight and all my earlier failures. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Anyway, here she is:
The next few hours were filled with a mix of dinks and 2lbers. Mostly on the spinnerbait but I also caught some fish probing deep with a Ned rig and a drop shot. The bite was OK but not on fire and my mind just kept going back to the two giants I lost to start the day.
Around lunch time I was working my way around a grassy point that has a big rubble pile in the middle of it. I was still tossing the old spoinnerbait when I got smashed by another giant. This fish ripped some drag and made a huge jump and once again tossed my spinnerbait a country mile. I have to say that I was more than a little upset at that point. I was almost shaking with rage.
A short while later, I am fishing near some pilings and I hook another good fish and this one jumps and throws my spinnerbait as well. I was starting to feel really cursed. Now I am only describing the big bass that I lost but there were other normal sized bass that kept coming unpinned as well.
Now, once again I picked up a few bass here and there, some in the 2lb range, but nothing like the giants I kept losing. Finally, I had about given up on the day. The wind died down and the sun started coming out some. I decided I was going to fish most of the rest of the day with a new lure.
It was a 6th Sense Flow Glider. I actually bought the thing back in April when I got my tax refund but I had never tied it on. The day before I decided to look it up and a lot of folks were claiming that you had to take a Dremel tool and do the Ben Milliken modification (
).
I went ahead and did the surgery on that lure even though I had never thrown it. I have to say it swam like a dream on Sunday so that modification seems like a really good idea. I kept reading that it makes a 25 dollar bait glide like a several hundred dollar bait. I don't have any expensive glide baits but I love the Flow Glider with that modification.
Anyway, I started throwing it in crystal clear water in bright sunlight. It swims just under the surface. I did not think I had a chance of catching anything on it but I enjoyed watching it in the water. I stopped it about 3' from my kayak when yet another big bass just obliterated it. I set the hook and hung on. This battle did not last long as that fish quickly pulled off.
I was not as mad about that one since hooking with 3' of line out is often a recipe for disaster. I was psyched that I could get a giant like that to bite though in those conditions. I kept fishing that lure. Man, it is some work tossing a 1.6oz lure! A few times I had bass follow it in or swirl at it but not get the hook. I has building more and more confidence in that bait.
Eventually, I actually caught like a 10" bass on it which is a pretty disappointing first fish but it got the skunk off that lure.
I made it back to one of the spots where I had lost a big one earlier and tossed it out and started working it back in when a bass just blasted it. It was a decent fish, not a giant, but it put up a good fight. That was a 2lb 10oz bass. A short time later in that same area I hooked another decent fish and landed a 2lb 4oz bass.
I have to say that I now have a lot of confidence in that bait. I fished one more spot with that lure but it was getting late and I was getting tired so I decided to declare victory with that bait and head back to the ramp.
I did stop at one spot on the way back where I had success with a Ned rig earlier in the day just to see if it was still holding fish. I quickly picked up 2 bass and then continued on to the ramp.
Overall it would not seem to be a completely horrible day. I caught 27 bass, including that 21"er and my best 5 went 13lb 2oz, which is not great but no terrible. However, it could have been an amazing day. I think I might have broken my best 5 fish bag for weight and length if I could have kept those giants pinned. I would blame myself but I think the bass were just being jerks
I was completely stunned. Usually when you have a fish on for that long with a single hook lure like a spinnerbait the hook does not just pull out.
I went back to fishing and picked up a couple of 1lb bass when lightning struck a second time. This was another huge bass. I started working it towards the kayak when it came out of the water with a head-shaking leap and tossed my spinnerbait about 20'. I had only been there for about a half hour and I had already lost two giants. I was just beside myself.
I kept fishing that point for a bit longer and land a couple more 1lbers when I realized lightning was not going to strike a third time. I started working my way downstream, still tossing the spinnerbait when I got to a long pier. I had tossed under the pier and was reeling my spinnerbait back. It was about 10' from the kayak when yet another giant smoked it. I held my breath when it came out of the water but it stayed pinned! I felt a huge sigh of relief when I finally slipped my net under that beast.
I turned and held it up to the camera when I realized my camera was not on. I had forgotten to start it. Doh! So my video starts with me holding up a 21" 3lb 13oz bass. I missed the entire fight and all my earlier failures. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Anyway, here she is:
The next few hours were filled with a mix of dinks and 2lbers. Mostly on the spinnerbait but I also caught some fish probing deep with a Ned rig and a drop shot. The bite was OK but not on fire and my mind just kept going back to the two giants I lost to start the day.
Around lunch time I was working my way around a grassy point that has a big rubble pile in the middle of it. I was still tossing the old spoinnerbait when I got smashed by another giant. This fish ripped some drag and made a huge jump and once again tossed my spinnerbait a country mile. I have to say that I was more than a little upset at that point. I was almost shaking with rage.
A short while later, I am fishing near some pilings and I hook another good fish and this one jumps and throws my spinnerbait as well. I was starting to feel really cursed. Now I am only describing the big bass that I lost but there were other normal sized bass that kept coming unpinned as well.
Now, once again I picked up a few bass here and there, some in the 2lb range, but nothing like the giants I kept losing. Finally, I had about given up on the day. The wind died down and the sun started coming out some. I decided I was going to fish most of the rest of the day with a new lure.
It was a 6th Sense Flow Glider. I actually bought the thing back in April when I got my tax refund but I had never tied it on. The day before I decided to look it up and a lot of folks were claiming that you had to take a Dremel tool and do the Ben Milliken modification (
I went ahead and did the surgery on that lure even though I had never thrown it. I have to say it swam like a dream on Sunday so that modification seems like a really good idea. I kept reading that it makes a 25 dollar bait glide like a several hundred dollar bait. I don't have any expensive glide baits but I love the Flow Glider with that modification.
Anyway, I started throwing it in crystal clear water in bright sunlight. It swims just under the surface. I did not think I had a chance of catching anything on it but I enjoyed watching it in the water. I stopped it about 3' from my kayak when yet another big bass just obliterated it. I set the hook and hung on. This battle did not last long as that fish quickly pulled off.
I was not as mad about that one since hooking with 3' of line out is often a recipe for disaster. I was psyched that I could get a giant like that to bite though in those conditions. I kept fishing that lure. Man, it is some work tossing a 1.6oz lure! A few times I had bass follow it in or swirl at it but not get the hook. I has building more and more confidence in that bait.
Eventually, I actually caught like a 10" bass on it which is a pretty disappointing first fish but it got the skunk off that lure.
I made it back to one of the spots where I had lost a big one earlier and tossed it out and started working it back in when a bass just blasted it. It was a decent fish, not a giant, but it put up a good fight. That was a 2lb 10oz bass. A short time later in that same area I hooked another decent fish and landed a 2lb 4oz bass.
I have to say that I now have a lot of confidence in that bait. I fished one more spot with that lure but it was getting late and I was getting tired so I decided to declare victory with that bait and head back to the ramp.
I did stop at one spot on the way back where I had success with a Ned rig earlier in the day just to see if it was still holding fish. I quickly picked up 2 bass and then continued on to the ramp.
Overall it would not seem to be a completely horrible day. I caught 27 bass, including that 21"er and my best 5 went 13lb 2oz, which is not great but no terrible. However, it could have been an amazing day. I think I might have broken my best 5 fish bag for weight and length if I could have kept those giants pinned. I would blame myself but I think the bass were just being jerks
