Tough summer finally ends

Bender · 09-05-10, 12:59 PM

I moved down here to Mississippi at the beginning of the summer and I haven't really figured out the bass. It's been very slow compared to what I was used to from living in Michigan and New York where we never saw water temps in the 90s. Combine that with the fact that there are no natural lakes around me and that's all I've fished before and it made for a tough time learning what to do.

With that said every time I head to the lake I still have high hopes for a great day. This holiday weekend I have to travel for work so I decided to take off Friday afternoon and fish that evening and Saturday somewhere within 3-4 hours. I've always dreamed of fishing Pickwick for huge smallies so that's where I went, 4 hours north on US45.

Before I arrived I talked to a guy that said fishing around "the island" had been good. After looking at a map I figured he meant State Line Island so that is where I planned to go. I got there at 4:30 P.M. on Friday and launched to find 30MPH winds and 2'+ waves on the lake. I only ran about 3/4 mile and gave up and ducked into a cove. In there I found some small bass and caught my only smallmouth of the trip, an 8"er. By 6 the lake had calmed down enough to run easily so I headed out. A couple miles up on the Alabama shore there were great looking mats so I pulled in slowly to find bass busting the surface. Now I'm excited and start throwing a Super Spook, popper, and trap at them while chasing the school around. I headed out at 7:30 but it was tough leaving the fish. I hoped they would still be there in the morning. Here's the biggest from that evening, around 4#:

The State Park hours were listed as 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. so I arrived at 6:10 Saturday morning to find a nearly full parking lot. It was only 52 degrees and all I brought was shorts so it was pretty chilly. I got launched and headed out into the fog:

I went back to see of those fish were there but I didn't see any surface activity and caught nothing on topwater. After an hour I switched to sub-surface baits and started moving a little deeper. After another hour and half of trying all kinds of things I get a hit while dragging a tube. I set the hook and it is big! The fish just dives and bulldogs me. I was only using 8# mono on a medium spinning rod so it was quite a fight. Finally got him to the boat and landed:

She measured 23 1/4" x 16 3/4". After that one it took me a while to calm down. I retied the same tube and then hooked into 2 more in the same spot that both came off. I put on a new tube head and successfully caught a few more. After fishing that whole area for a couple more hours the bite slowed so I decided to move down the shore. I caught several more bass but nothing like that big one.

At 3 P.M. I stopped fishing and went to the ramp. By 4 I was headed home and met the wife for dinner at 8 back in Enterprise. What a short, but great trip.

Bassboss · 09-05-10, 04:16 PM

Looks like an awesome few trips bender!

You can add that one to the contest if you want, too, I think you'll take 1st with that one too!

Tavery5 · 09-05-10, 05:33 PM

Nice Fish, sounds like you had a great time.

Jrob78 · 09-05-10, 08:31 PM

Glad you finally had some luck with southern bass. The southern heat on the other hand, you never really do get used to that. Nice fish!

nofearengineer · 09-05-10, 09:27 PM

Chris...I really think you need to consult your local fisheries biologist. I think you have just discovered a new species...a Greenfin Tuna.

God that fish is FAT! Look at the shadow. It is so fat, its mouth is off of the ground. What a chunker!

inshore dave · 09-05-10, 09:29 PM

Great report!!

Cavs1123 · 09-05-10, 10:13 PM

Nice toad!!!!

keithdog · 09-05-10, 11:14 PM

Wow, what a pig! Great pics, Congrats

james86 · 09-06-10, 12:36 AM

Very nice fish.

Bender · 09-06-10, 12:47 AM

Thanks guys, I'm 95% sure that's the biggest fish I ever caught. The only other one was in my little plastic boat and I didn't have any way to measure it. What a thrill to finally feel what bass biting again is, I almost forgot. I'm headed to Canada and Michigan over the next few weeks so hopefully I can get some fishing in while I'm up north.

bamabassman · 09-07-10, 03:19 PM

all i can say chris is............................SON!!!!

also sorry about your rods man. airline baggage people suck sometimes. hope you get em replaced sooner rather than later.

MIbasser · 09-07-10, 03:24 PM

Great job Bender!! Let me know when you're in town.

09-05-10, 12:59 PM	#1
Bender BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 2,414	Tough summer finally ends I moved down here to Mississippi at the beginning of the summer and I haven't really figured out the bass. It's been very slow compared to what I was used to from living in Michigan and New York where we never saw water temps in the 90s. Combine that with the fact that there are no natural lakes around me and that's all I've fished before and it made for a tough time learning what to do. With that said every time I head to the lake I still have high hopes for a great day. This holiday weekend I have to travel for work so I decided to take off Friday afternoon and fish that evening and Saturday somewhere within 3-4 hours. I've always dreamed of fishing Pickwick for huge smallies so that's where I went, 4 hours north on US45. Before I arrived I talked to a guy that said fishing around "the island" had been good. After looking at a map I figured he meant State Line Island so that is where I planned to go. I got there at 4:30 P.M. on Friday and launched to find 30MPH winds and 2'+ waves on the lake. I only ran about 3/4 mile and gave up and ducked into a cove. In there I found some small bass and caught my only smallmouth of the trip, an 8"er. By 6 the lake had calmed down enough to run easily so I headed out. A couple miles up on the Alabama shore there were great looking mats so I pulled in slowly to find bass busting the surface. Now I'm excited and start throwing a Super Spook, popper, and trap at them while chasing the school around. I headed out at 7:30 but it was tough leaving the fish. I hoped they would still be there in the morning. Here's the biggest from that evening, around 4#: The State Park hours were listed as 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. so I arrived at 6:10 Saturday morning to find a nearly full parking lot. It was only 52 degrees and all I brought was shorts so it was pretty chilly. I got launched and headed out into the fog: I went back to see of those fish were there but I didn't see any surface activity and caught nothing on topwater. After an hour I switched to sub-surface baits and started moving a little deeper. After another hour and half of trying all kinds of things I get a hit while dragging a tube. I set the hook and it is big! The fish just dives and bulldogs me. I was only using 8# mono on a medium spinning rod so it was quite a fight. Finally got him to the boat and landed: She measured 23 1/4" x 16 3/4". After that one it took me a while to calm down. I retied the same tube and then hooked into 2 more in the same spot that both came off. I put on a new tube head and successfully caught a few more. After fishing that whole area for a couple more hours the bite slowed so I decided to move down the shore. I caught several more bass but nothing like that big one. At 3 P.M. I stopped fishing and went to the ramp. By 4 I was headed home and met the wife for dinner at 8 back in Enterprise. What a short, but great trip.

09-05-10, 04:16 PM	#2
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	Looks like an awesome few trips bender! You can add that one to the contest if you want, too, I think you'll take 1st with that one too! __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

09-05-10, 08:31 PM	#4
Jrob78 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,671	Glad you finally had some luck with southern bass. The southern heat on the other hand, you never really do get used to that. Nice fish! __________________ There are 3 kinds of people in the world…those who can count and those who can’t. HRN4L

09-05-10, 09:27 PM	#5
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Chris...I really think you need to consult your local fisheries biologist. I think you have just discovered a new species...a Greenfin Tuna. God that fish is FAT! Look at the shadow. It is so fat, its mouth is off of the ground. What a chunker! __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

09-05-10, 10:13 PM	#7
Cavs1123 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 1,398	Nice toad!!!! __________________ Tom

09-05-10, 05:33 PM	#3
Tavery5 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,427	Nice Fish, sounds like you had a great time.

09-05-10, 09:29 PM	#6
inshore dave BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: South East Florida Posts: 7	Great report!!

09-05-10, 11:14 PM	#8
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Wow, what a pig! Great pics, Congrats

09-06-10, 12:36 AM	#9
james86 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 183	Very nice fish.

09-06-10, 12:47 AM	#10
Bender BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 2,414	Thanks guys, I'm 95% sure that's the biggest fish I ever caught. The only other one was in my little plastic boat and I didn't have any way to measure it. What a thrill to finally feel what bass biting again is, I almost forgot. I'm headed to Canada and Michigan over the next few weeks so hopefully I can get some fishing in while I'm up north.

09-07-10, 03:19 PM	#11
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	all i can say chris is............................SON!!!! also sorry about your rods man. airline baggage people suck sometimes. hope you get em replaced sooner rather than later. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

09-07-10, 03:24 PM	#12
MIbasser BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 1,447	Great job Bender!! Let me know when you're in town.

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