Bass. Ummm yeah....

I've been doing a little casting practice lately at the pond and in the lake (Lake of the Pines) lately, waiting for the bass to really get warmed up. I wasn't even using flies until late last week. I'd had no interest from the fish at all on the fly rod to date, but a couple with the Senko on the Bassinator and Bassinator Jr.

That changed today - one fish to hand, two others got sore mouths. One of which was a toad - would have been a PB on the fly rod. Had it to almost to the leader, but it threw the hook on it's third semi-aerial head shake.

I was dragging the flies - the first one was a cone headed, Clouserish tube fly, the second was a rust colored semi-crawfish pattern from Michael Gracie, that we used for carp back in CO in 2012.

No pics unfortunately   And maybe that's the point. As I was reeling in the bigun, I was thinking - "Yep, I've got the iPhone for pics..."  Counting chickens gets me again.

Scott

Nice day to get out there... I was headed out tonight but now... Gonna go hit the sac... Late night yesterday taking it's toll

Bass is all I am fishing for right now.  Been killing it in local ponds, and it is only going to get better.  Can't wait for top water action to start up.  I spend as many evening as I can in my float tube playing with bass.  I usually throw big airhead streamers about 5 or 6 inches long.  Once the waters hit about 63, then it is game on.  The nonce it gets to about 66 or 67, top water action!!!!

Friday:





Again, crawling a craw/nymphlike pattern did the trick.  The water in LOP just seems too cold for the fish to get all excited over something moving quickly.

Neither of these babies is as nice as the one that got away. Who, by the way, wanted NOTHING to do with anything I tossed on Friday. Maybe tomorrow it's little pea sized brain will have forgotten about all that drama.

Thanks for the report and pictures Scott.

Neither of these babies is as nice as the one that got away.

Never heard that one before.

Used to fish LOP during the summer in high school, a buddies mom used to live there and would let us bring our yaks in. Place is full of pigs and doesn't seem to get a ton of pressure, wish I had fly gear then... Have also personally seen a BG close to 2lbs from there!!

Nice chunks on the fly too!!!

Way to get on the fish.  Folsom should be taking off soon, based on yesterdays fishing at least

Neither of these babies is as nice as the one that got away.

Never heard that one before.

Just because it's often used, doesn't mean it's not true

But seriously, the big one from Friday was probably 17.5", based on comparison with the rod handle, so a 3 lb fish give or take a few ounces.  I think TOTGA  may have been a 5 lb fish.  I WILL find out. he he he...

Here's an even crazier bit of the story. Seconds before I was about to cast to the second, bigger fish, a turtle popped its head out of the water right next to it. It then submerged, and for the next 5 minutes started to chase the fish around. Or maybe they were playing? It's not like there was blood in the water, or truly aggressive behavior (no nipping that I could see). The fish would swim out of sight, turtle right behind. And then swim back.  Hovering next to each other at times. I eventually cast the craw pattern  and started dragging. Saw the line jump and set the hook. When the fish went back in the water, turtle was gone.  But this was one of the most interesting "in the wild" inter-species interactions I've ever witnessed.

Oh, and for those that care - My camera was readied in right hand while the left hand held the fish in the water. Fish was gently laid next to rod, pic snapped, fish back in water, swimming away within seconds of releasing it.