Gut feeling pays off! With almost a 20lb bag!

[Bassboss]

5/30/10

Had a pretty decent day on the water, only caught 5, but the quality of fish was great!

Conditions:
Air temp - 81* - 83*
Water Depth 4' - 5'
Cover - Blue gill beds, brush, and coon tail.

Self Set limits:
No fish less than 13"
5 fish limit

Started the day fishing a homemade jig, more or less looking for anything "different" on the bottom, naming vegetation, hard bottom or brush. After thoroughly working the jig over about 200 feet of shore line, I find some coon tail on the head of my jig right around a spawning flat (bluegills)! Fished that with a jig some, with no bites. Had a gut feeling before I left to bring my 4" BBZ-1 slow sink. So I garbed it tossed it in my box. After 5 or so casts with it, a 3lber CRUSHES it on the end of a long cast! I originally thought it was it was gonna be a lot bigger they way it was fighting! So I backed up on my drag a little bit (40lb braid, with a 15lb yo-zouri FC leader). When I get her in, she's a fat post spawn female that was gorging on blue gills. 16" length, 14.5" girth - 3.6lbs - total fish 1.

I Start creeping up on the blue gill beds and see some brush sticking out of the water, and make another long cast. 5 feet to the deeper end of the beds. Another one clobbers it. I git er in, and another super fat bass, 18.6" length 17" girth, 5.7lber, total weight now equals 9.3lbs, total fish 2!

Now I'm starting th think I've found a pattern - Around cool tail in about 5 feet of water, round off the deeper ends of the blue gill beds.

Quite a bit later, another hammers it! First thing it goes for the brush, I tighten my drag and get her head up and away from the brush. She make a huge jump and gets 1 foot of air easy! When I get her she's totally engulfed the bait, and it's way in the back of her mouth! I measurer her 19" length, 18" girth, 6.3lbs, total weight now = 15.6lbs, total fish, 3!

Since it still seems like the bait is holding, I keep fishing the same spot, nail another an the Spro. Not sure if this one will make the cut, but it does at 14" length, 10.5 girth, weight, 2.0lbs, total weight = 17.6, total fish 4!

After a while with no fish, I move on, and plan no coming back later. When I get to the other side of the lake it's windy and the water is muddy, but there's coon tail. I put on a shallow diving crank with a loud rattle, and starting fishing. After 15 minutes, a dink grabs it, it does not make the minimum, and I toss her back.

I got back to the beds since I've been to the other spot for a while, I decide to keep the crankbait on. First cast there, one picks it up! Another 14 incher, 10" girth though. 1.9lbs. Total weight now 19.5lbs, 5!

Shortly after, my mom calls the cell and I gotta head home! All in all a very good day, I take off with a big grin on my face and some good memories! I've got 3 fish over 5lb so far this year, two over 6lbs, 95 fish total! I'm doing pretty good this year compared to last, also 6 mouths gone and almost 100 fish! I think I'll do better this year since last summer was a bust for me!

Sorry, no pics!