First Big Largemouth of 2010

islandbass · 07-01-10, 04:29 AM

First Big Largemouth of 2010

I decided to “hit up” my “home lake” on the way home at about 6:50 p.m. this evening and fortunately for me, there weren’t that many swimmers on the dock. The crankbait produced for me yesterday evening (caught a nice 2 lb. bass at about 9:20 pm) and so I went with it again since the conditions were the same and the time frame relatively close.

About ten minutes later I felt a light hit and instinctively went through the mechanics of the hook set. Immediately after that, my first thought was dear Lord; this is a really good one. The second thought was this battle is taking place on a dock amid wooden pilings and I only have 8# monofilament.

The next thoughts that came to mind were that I had to be patient, maintain pressure and tension on the line and play this lovely fish out.

I definitely got into the right mode, focusing on the task at hand and remained in the zone. Even with all of my attention given to battle, there was still some room for a silent prayer in the back of your mind, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me lose this one. Puh – lease!!!!!” She dove down under the dock multiple times, and tugging and pulling in different directions. I matched each of her points with an equal counterpoint and let my rod and reel do the work what they were designed to do.

Eventually, the battled ended and I was able to lip her relatively safely.

I hadn’t noticed that people had gathered around staring at the fish until I looked up. A fellow bass angler was gracious enough to take some photos and strangely, other people broke out their phones and took shots.

I went into my own version of what I call “Iaconelli’ing” it, embarrassing myself in front of the onlookers shouting things like, “Yeah!! That’s what it’s all about!! Yeah!! Praise the Lord!! Can I get an amen?” (hee hee) It is just too tough to contain this kind of elation.

I released her after I removed the crankbait and to my relief, she didn’t need reviving. She vigorously swam away.

She leaves to hopefully battle another day, and I leave grateful for the encounter with a heart still beating rapidly and hands still shaking with excitement as I walk back to my car.

I did not weigh her because I don’t have a scale and truthfully, I could care less how much she really weighed. The battle rides high on my list while fish weight is left off.

Conditions
Partly Cloudy about 70 degrees

Gear
7’ 2-piece Med Powered, Fast Action Cabelas Mag-Touch casting Rod
Shimano Curado 101D reel loaded with 8# Red Spiderwire Mono
Cotton Cordell crankbait – Don’t recall name but it was brown on top with a yellow bottom.

gottafish · 07-01-10, 06:44 AM

Nice one IB!!!! Great report!!

TN_Bassin · 07-01-10, 07:06 AM

Man that's a toad momma right there.

nofearengineer · 07-01-10, 07:27 AM

Holy Schnikies, Alex!!!

That is a colossal bass, even more so when you consider your Pacific Northwest locale.

I'm gonna do out loud what everyone is doing in their head, and make a guess as to her weight. Gotta be 6 lbs. if she's an ounce.

Bob Smith · 07-01-10, 07:33 AM

Nice pig! Alex. Gotta go with NF on this one, an easy 6 pounds!

walkeraviator · 07-01-10, 08:53 AM

Nice fish... I love how you are straight from work in slacks and a white dress shirt all tucked in holding this football on a dock... priceless..

MississippiBoy · 07-01-10, 09:22 AM

And in case anybody forgot, he was using 8# line. That's quite an accomplishment, IB, even more so because she had all the pilings to tie up in and around. On a boat is one thing, where you can follow all the way around and underneath, but man....what a catch. Good job, man.

jjjbluray · 07-01-10, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkeraviator

Nice fish... I love how you are straight from work in slacks and a white dress shirt all tucked in holding this football on a dock... priceless..

Fish whenever you can! I love it! lol

WaffleJaw · 07-01-10, 09:31 AM

Man Alex congrats on that one...Great pictures too!!....Im impressed with your ability to calm your thoughts while fighting a that pig.
Great fish!!

Bassboss · 07-01-10, 09:46 AM

Wow!! Really nice bass IB, conservatively estimated, six and a half pounds EASY! May even be pushing seven and a half, eight pounds.

Congrats IB, was that a PB?

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

Man Alex congrats on that one...Great pictures too!!....Im impressed with your ability to calm your thoughts while fighting a that pig.
Great fish!!

lol didn't someone in star wars say something like that lol!

Bender · 07-01-10, 10:34 AM

That's a giant! What a great fish to catch especially just heading out to get a few casts in after work.

geezer1 · 07-01-10, 11:04 AM

Wow, islandbass. Beautiful Bass, & what a great account of your thought process during & after the fight. Felt like I was right there with you experiencing it! I think it's especially great that you let her go "to battle another day". You're the man!!!

Jrob78 · 07-01-10, 11:06 AM

Congratulations man!! Beautiful fish!

carolina-rig-01 · 07-01-10, 11:12 AM

Awesome fish IB, she is just beautiful. I would say that she is crowding 7lbs if not more, but you know how hard it is to judge weight in pictures. Like Sippi said, on 8lb line from a dock, that is just an awesome job.

CONGRATS!!!

WatterBoy · 07-01-10, 01:03 PM

Hey IB, great fish! Thanks, too, for sharing the details behind the catch -- always fun to read your stories that recount the action.

bassinbob · 07-01-10, 03:39 PM

Man what a beautiful fish. Great job on the catch.

BigBassin144 · 07-01-10, 04:39 PM

What a great fish IB, way to go on getting her in and releasing her!

BB

WTL · 07-01-10, 04:46 PM

Thats is an awesome bass. Beautifully healthy fish and its just gonna get bigger.

bamabassman · 07-01-10, 05:28 PM

islandbass...............................i am REALLY starting to hate you man. BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! one of these days maybe i can get me a nice hawgmollie like dat. absolutly BEAUTIFUL! that smile on yer face tells the story pal.
yes i am getting jelous of some folks, but please don't be stopping the posting of the pics. i live THROUGH ya'lls pics.

Cavs1123 · 07-01-10, 06:03 PM

Thats a giant!

catch2288 · 07-02-10, 02:26 AM

Beautylicious for sure.....congrats bro.

brushhog · 07-02-10, 08:02 AM

Wow, IB that is a tremendous fish, must have been an adrenaline dumping heart pumper. Congratulations!

Jrok · 07-02-10, 10:43 AM

Impressive. Nice catch and congrats on releasing it for someone else to catch.

basshunter21 · 07-02-10, 09:22 PM

Nice fish......gotta love fishing in the white polo too! haha

GregK9 · 07-03-10, 11:22 AM

congrats!! that's a beauty!!

07-01-10, 04:29 AM	#1
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	First Big Largemouth of 2010 First Big Largemouth of 2010 I decided to “hit up” my “home lake” on the way home at about 6:50 p.m. this evening and fortunately for me, there weren’t that many swimmers on the dock. The crankbait produced for me yesterday evening (caught a nice 2 lb. bass at about 9:20 pm) and so I went with it again since the conditions were the same and the time frame relatively close. About ten minutes later I felt a light hit and instinctively went through the mechanics of the hook set. Immediately after that, my first thought was dear Lord; this is a really good one. The second thought was this battle is taking place on a dock amid wooden pilings and I only have 8# monofilament. The next thoughts that came to mind were that I had to be patient, maintain pressure and tension on the line and play this lovely fish out. I definitely got into the right mode, focusing on the task at hand and remained in the zone. Even with all of my attention given to battle, there was still some room for a silent prayer in the back of your mind, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me lose this one. Puh – lease!!!!!” She dove down under the dock multiple times, and tugging and pulling in different directions. I matched each of her points with an equal counterpoint and let my rod and reel do the work what they were designed to do. Eventually, the battled ended and I was able to lip her relatively safely. I hadn’t noticed that people had gathered around staring at the fish until I looked up. A fellow bass angler was gracious enough to take some photos and strangely, other people broke out their phones and took shots. I went into my own version of what I call “Iaconelli’ing” it, embarrassing myself in front of the onlookers shouting things like, “Yeah!! That’s what it’s all about!! Yeah!! Praise the Lord!! Can I get an amen?” (hee hee) It is just too tough to contain this kind of elation. I released her after I removed the crankbait and to my relief, she didn’t need reviving. She vigorously swam away. She leaves to hopefully battle another day, and I leave grateful for the encounter with a heart still beating rapidly and hands still shaking with excitement as I walk back to my car. I did not weigh her because I don’t have a scale and truthfully, I could care less how much she really weighed. The battle rides high on my list while fish weight is left off. Conditions Partly Cloudy about 70 degrees Gear 7’ 2-piece Med Powered, Fast Action Cabelas Mag-Touch casting Rod Shimano Curado 101D reel loaded with 8# Red Spiderwire Mono Cotton Cordell crankbait – Don’t recall name but it was brown on top with a yellow bottom. __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

07-01-10, 07:06 AM	#3
TN_Bassin BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bon Aqua,TN Posts: 1,013	Man that's a toad momma right there. __________________ Other anglers are tough, but the fish are the real competition.

07-01-10, 07:27 AM	#4
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Holy Schnikies, Alex!!! That is a colossal bass, even more so when you consider your Pacific Northwest locale. I'm gonna do out loud what everyone is doing in their head, and make a guess as to her weight. Gotta be 6 lbs. if she's an ounce. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

07-01-10, 07:33 AM	#5
Bob Smith BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cartersville, Georgia Posts: 1,472	Nice pig! Alex. Gotta go with NF on this one, an easy 6 pounds! __________________ Bob Smith a.k.a. "Porko" (vintage Strike King variety!)

07-01-10, 09:22 AM	#7
MississippiBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ridgeland MS Posts: 3,923	And in case anybody forgot, he was using 8# line. That's quite an accomplishment, IB, even more so because she had all the pilings to tie up in and around. On a boat is one thing, where you can follow all the way around and underneath, but man....what a catch. Good job, man. __________________ I smell smoke, and I hear sirens. Do you think that's a problem?

07-01-10, 06:44 AM	#2
gottafish BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Burlington,Ky Posts: 57	Nice one IB!!!! Great report!!

07-01-10, 08:53 AM	#6
walkeraviator BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 1,119	Nice fish... I love how you are straight from work in slacks and a white dress shirt all tucked in holding this football on a dock... priceless..

07-01-10, 09:31 AM	#9
WaffleJaw BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dallas,TX (DFW) Posts: 2,212	Man Alex congrats on that one...Great pictures too!!....Im impressed with your ability to calm your thoughts while fighting a that pig. Great fish!! __________________ [nelsoncustomrods.com]

07-01-10, 10:34 AM	#11
Bender BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 2,414	That's a giant! What a great fish to catch especially just heading out to get a few casts in after work.

07-01-10, 11:04 AM	#12
geezer1 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Lakehills, Tx Posts: 185	Wow, islandbass. Beautiful Bass, & what a great account of your thought process during & after the fight. Felt like I was right there with you experiencing it! I think it's especially great that you let her go "to battle another day". You're the man!!!

07-01-10, 11:06 AM	#13
Jrob78 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,671	Congratulations man!! Beautiful fish!

07-01-10, 11:12 AM	#14
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	Awesome fish IB, she is just beautiful. I would say that she is crowding 7lbs if not more, but you know how hard it is to judge weight in pictures. Like Sippi said, on 8lb line from a dock, that is just an awesome job. CONGRATS!!! __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

07-01-10, 01:03 PM	#15
WatterBoy BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Owatonna, MN Posts: 2,280	Hey IB, great fish! Thanks, too, for sharing the details behind the catch -- always fun to read your stories that recount the action.

07-01-10, 03:39 PM	#16
bassinbob BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pitts. Pa. Posts: 3,801	Man what a beautiful fish. Great job on the catch. __________________ you can have my fishin rod when ya take it from my cold dead hands

07-01-10, 04:39 PM	#17
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	What a great fish IB, way to go on getting her in and releasing her! BB __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

07-01-10, 04:46 PM	#18
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Thats is an awesome bass. Beautifully healthy fish and its just gonna get bigger.

07-01-10, 05:28 PM	#19
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	islandbass...............................i am REALLY starting to hate you man. BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! one of these days maybe i can get me a nice hawgmollie like dat. absolutly BEAUTIFUL! that smile on yer face tells the story pal. yes i am getting jelous of some folks, but please don't be stopping the posting of the pics. i live THROUGH ya'lls pics. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

07-01-10, 06:03 PM	#20
Cavs1123 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 1,398	Thats a giant! __________________ Tom

07-02-10, 02:26 AM	#21
catch2288 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ironwood, MI Posts: 44	Beautylicious for sure.....congrats bro.

07-02-10, 08:02 AM	#22
brushhog BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Whitesboro, NY Posts: 1,222	Wow, IB that is a tremendous fish, must have been an adrenaline dumping heart pumper. Congratulations! __________________ 3/4 of the Earth's surface is water and 1/4 is land. Clearly god wants me to fish, not mow the lawn.

07-02-10, 10:43 AM	#23
Jrok BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Eau Claire WI Posts: 57	Impressive. Nice catch and congrats on releasing it for someone else to catch.

07-02-10, 09:22 PM	#24
basshunter21 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Erie, Pa Posts: 266	Nice fish......gotta love fishing in the white polo too! haha

07-03-10, 11:22 AM	#25
GregK9 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 57	congrats!! that's a beauty!!

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