Folsom Lake - First Largemouth

Long story - you've been warned:

My birthday is next month and my father asked what I want. Well, Tackle Warehouse has their Kistler TS rods on sale for $132, normally $199. So he tells me to order one and he will just send me a check. The rod came in this week and he told me to "test it out" to make sure it's what I wanted. I didn't want to, but you have to listen to your parents, don't you. Oh, I also bought a new Quantum Kinetic PTi spinning reel for it and loaded it up with 4# Pline fluro. Total spot remover finesse setup. Looking forward to breaking it in.

So I'm set and the princess (my 5-year old) and I hit Folsom Lake in the OC Malibu Two XL and actually made it on the water by 9:00. Marked some fish at my two favorite points but nada after an hour. So we head across the lake (which these days is not much more than a good tee shot) and I see a nice sloping bank with isolated big rocks. Toss the drop shot with a 4" Morning Dawn Roboworm and I get a snag. Yank on the snag. Snag yanks back. Snag starting to get down right snotty! See the fish. Panic. Loosen drag, and panic more. Princess is shouting "ITS BIG DADDY REALLY BIG!!!!!

After a couple of minutes I get her to the yak and stick my hand in grab her lower jaw. Was ballpark 26" and 6 or 7 pounds? Took a couple of bad pictures as I suck at taking pictures and I wanted her back in the water quick since I couldn't lay the wood to her with a light finesse drop shot setup. Held her in the water for about 30 seconds and she took off strong. Wanted a cigarette.

Fished a little more haphazardly for another 20 minutes, missing two small fish and headed out for bagels and coffee.

rob
jrsyboy

Good gawd, what a PIG!  Nice work Rob.

BTW, your daughter is a doll.  I can't wait until I can take mine out, she is only 18 months.

Michael

strong work! and way to make your first bucketmouth one to remember.

Hell of a first dude.  Be careful or you will soon be buying loads of tackle to support your largemouth habbit!

Wow! Nice bass. Ones like that are hard to find on Folsom. Good job.

Al

Nice fish. Great father-daughter outing. I am sure she will remember that for years to come. Looks like it couldn't have been a better day.

Very nice LMB.  I suppose you will be keeping the rod??   

Wow! Nice bass. Ones like that are hard to find on Folsom. Good job.
Al

FISH are hard to find at Folsom, period!
Nice job on showing me that not just fish, but QUALITY fish, do exist in that lake.

I think your pics are great.. The last one with your daughter in the background is remarkable....Andy

Great story , Princess is beautiful and the bass was realy a biggie ! Good for you on the C&R ! Enjoy the Princess while you can , once they discover boys ( advanced stages ) , fishing with Dad may become secondary - hopefully NOT !

6 easy!

Thanks for all the compliments. Especially from the largemouth kings like Hobieblue and Hydrospider. I spent most of the summer getting dialed in on fishing deep structure for spots and smallie's. Had no idea that Folsom could produce a fish like this as this was the first largemouth I caught there fishing it for the last two years hard. If anyone wants the info, e-mail me and I'll tell you where and what. The funny thing was there was a bass boat fishing about 500 yards west of these rocks and never even bothered trying there. When I left, I paddled over the area and there was a school of baitfish holding there so I think the bass were beneath it picking off stragglers.

As for the princess, I'm truly blessed. She loves coming with me and doesn't complain about getting bored. She'll even fish for a while. Likes watching the lures in the water. I've heard about those "boys" things. Hope they are bullet proof as I was raised in an Italian neighborhood in New Jersey. I'm going to have to show them my shovel and map of the Sierras.......

Here's the setup. I was expecting some 1-2lb spots, maybe a 1lb smallie but definately not this. Oh, I'm DEFINATELY keeping the rod!!!!!!

Again, thanks all and tight lines.

rob
jrsyboy