Back to Your Roots

Sometimes you have to go backwards in order to go forward.

I headed out to Lake Evans to get some "exercise" and to see if I could tag a couple more largemouth bass for the study. The day had turned out pretty nice - mid 60's and sunny with just a slight breeze.

I figured the water and the fish would start warming up pretty quick as the water level is down and it's time for the fish to move the the shallows to spawn.

I tried a new Bass Bug - a brown conehead streamer with rubber legs on the flyrod. I got one slight take but wasn't able to hook up. I don't think it was a bass but who knows?

The sunfish were popping the surface as there were some craneflys getting blown onto the lake.

I fished a red & white deer hair popper and even switched to a Royal Coachman to try to catch some sunfish but everything hitting the water was too small.

I switched to the BGW on the ultralight and made a circuit around the lake but nothing doing. I did notice a couple of big splashes near the shore and guessed that the bass were cruising around looking to ambush some baitfish in the shallows.

I finally got paranoid about getting skunked and reached deep into the past for some inspiration.

Mark this one's for you!

These green sunfish just needed a rubber worm and a smaller hook to make them (and me) happy. I caught several of these little guys and never get tired of that "tug" "tug" on the line.

I kep hearing the big splashes along the shoreline so I finally decided to do something different. I chucked the flyrod and the BGW and put on a gold floating Rapala minnow - "The Original"

I don't know how many fish I have caught over the years with this lure but I'm never without at least one or two in my tacklebox.

I tossed it out in the vicinity of the next big splash and was rewarded with a nice 13" bass.

I nicknamed him "Newt".

Tag ID 05 - AKA "Newt" was caught at 4:25PM. W=1.0lb, L=13"

I tried again in the same general area and just a few minutes later had a 15" 2-pounder on the scales.

This big girl is "Clara".

Tag ID 06 - AKA "Clara" was caught at 4:35PM. W=2.0lb, L=15"

This last photo shows the location I've been using for the tagging program. It is out of the way but readily visible and I think this is a much more durable location than on a fin.


It will be interesting to see when I catch my first tagged fish!