Bass: 7 pound Largemouth
Lure: 6 inch black Senko worm
Rod: Spinning
Line: 6 lb Berkley Trilene Maxx
Kayak: 12 foot Manta Ray
There are some bass fishing situations that require a kayak. On June 4th, I ran into just such a situation.
While Paul and I were debating how to deal with a wind that was pushing us around, I pitched a 6 inch black Senko up into some REALLY heavy cover. The rod tip bent the second it hit the water. I had landed hooked a good fish.
Well, this particular lake is ringed by marshes, with heavy lily pad and gnarly twig cover (so much twig and roots that we actually believe the pike live in the woods here). Since I was foolishly using a light spinning rod with 6 pound Trilene, I was outmatched from the get go. The fish dove straight down, then doubled back into the brush. And then everything went still.
I paddled up towards shore, one handed, while trying to keep the rod tip high so I could keep as much pressure on the fish as possible. If in fact she was still there. There were several moments when I thought she had come off, but every once in a while there was a little tug that kept my hopes up.
Paul noticed what I had gotten myself into and paddled over. I was leaning over into the lilies, slowly unwrapping line that had been tangled up in there good. I was holding the line, and Paul was breaking twigs. That’s when I first saw the thick tail, and knew we had to get this fish in. And quickly, since she wasn’t really able to move.
At one point, Paul actually grabbed onto my Manta Ray, and was pulling me back out of the woods so we could get this all done. But as you can see, we were able to land her.
I’m positive that had we been in a bass boat or a canoe, I never would have caught this fish. The bass boat wouldn’t have been able to get in close enough, and a canoe would have dumped with all the leaning I had to do.
This is why I swear by kayak fishing. The ability to move freely, go anywhere, remain stable, and get to big fish is unsurpassed in any other iteration of our sport.
Related posts:
- Another failed bass fishing trip…
- Texas Bass for a Day
- First Kayak Fishing Trip
- Bass Season, Pike Overlap, and Things I didn’t Know
- A List of Things this Kayak Fisherman is Thankful for.
- Ice out at Mendon Ponds
- Boy + kayak + fishing pole + water = ?
- Bass and Pike on the Flyrod from a Kayak
- Black Creek: Bass on the Fly Rod
- Western New York Kayak Fishing Association
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Bravo, Bros! keep going like this, more good info again.
Bravo, Bros! keep going like this, more good info again.
That's a real nice bass! But it doesn't look like 7 pounds. Did you weigh it?
We went on measurement. It was 21 inches with the mouth open, and nice and heavy. Around here, that could put it almost towards 8 pounds. But, we didn't have a scale, so we're guessing best we can. Most folks tend to agree with it, but by no means is it an official measure.