When I was around 10 I caught my first fish ever, when i lived in Florida... a Mangrove Snapper,

July 2010, Lake El Salto, last afternoon of the trip, last day of the season for the lodge. We started the afternoon session catching fish here and there on a little bit of everything but no specific pattern. Then my buddy goes to a deep crankbait and catches a fish on 3 consecutive casts. I switched to the same and it was on! The school got fired up and we were catching fish on every cast. The small fish were 3 pounds and they ranged up to 7 pounds - average was 4-5 pounds. We are talking busted split rings, changing out hooks, and my buddy caught 2 fish on the same lure twice in a 15 minute time span, once with two other bass chasing the two he had on. We were counting fish and when hit 98 the guide started to count down to 100. I pulled 99 aboard just as my buddy stuck #100. She comes to the top and starts belly-rolling and our eyes bugged out. Fish number 100 goes 11 pounds even! We caught 103 fish in about an hour and fifteen minutes, 116 fish for the afternoon to go with 50 that morning. I remember we were both sitting there feverishly changing out split rings at one point and I looked at him and said, "You know this is it, right?". "What?", he said. "The best day, the best moment of fishing of our entire lives!" He smiled, nodded, and turned around to cast again. Epic day.

July 2010, Lake El Salto, last afternoon of the trip, last day of the season for the lodge. We started the afternoon session catching fish here and there on a little bit of everything but no specific pattern. Then my buddy goes to a deep crankbait and catches a fish on 3 consecutive casts. I switched to the same and it was on! The school got fired up and we were catching fish on every cast. The small fish were 3 pounds and they ranged up to 7 pounds - average was 4-5 pounds. We are talking busted split rings, changing out hooks, and my buddy caught 2 fish on the same lure twice in a 15 minute time span, once with two other bass chasing the two he had on. We were counting fish and when hit 98 the guide started to count down to 100. I pulled 99 aboard just as my buddy stuck #100. She comes to the top and starts belly-rolling and our eyes bugged out. Fish number 100 goes 11 pounds even! We caught 103 fish in about an hour and fifteen minutes, 116 fish for the afternoon to go with 50 that morning. I remember we were both sitting there feverishly changing out split rings at one point and I looked at him and said, "You know this is it, right?". "What?", he said. "The best day, the best moment of fishing of our entire lives!" He smiled, nodded, and turned around to cast again. Epic day.

 

Made me smile.

 

Bring & Share that Karma in March ~

 

 

A-Jay

The best part Andy - my buddy and I had a bet going back to two summers before - first one of us to catch a DD and the other guy had to go swimming! As soon as the bite faded right after his 11, I cannonballed off the boat with no warning and not a care in the world. The guide almost laughed himself to death once he knew I was safe and back in the boat. We sat there suspended in time for the next half hour, laughing and remembering the week, and the other trips we had enjoyed down there. Martin, our guide for all of our trips, is a real straight shooter and always serious. He let down and had a few beers with us in celebration of a perfect ending to the season. We fished the rest of the afternoon, but honestly, it was all anti-climatic after that. Nothing but afterglow.

Andy has felt the afterglow a few times. It is a very special feeling. Great story el Tigre.

July 2010, Lake El Salto, last afternoon of the trip, last day of the season for the lodge. We started the afternoon session catching fish here and there on a little bit of everything but no specific pattern. Then my buddy goes to a deep crankbait and catches a fish on 3 consecutive casts. I switched to the same and it was on! The school got fired up and we were catching fish on every cast. The small fish were 3 pounds and they ranged up to 7 pounds - average was 4-5 pounds. We are talking busted split rings, changing out hooks, and my buddy caught 2 fish on the same lure twice in a 15 minute time span, once with two other bass chasing the two he had on. We were counting fish and when hit 98 the guide started to count down to 100. I pulled 99 aboard just as my buddy stuck #100. She comes to the top and starts belly-rolling and our eyes bugged out. Fish number 100 goes 11 pounds even! We caught 103 fish in about an hour and fifteen minutes, 116 fish for the afternoon to go with 50 that morning. I remember we were both sitting there feverishly changing out split rings at one point and I looked at him and said, "You know this is it, right?". "What?", he said. "The best day, the best moment of fishing of our entire lives!" He smiled, nodded, and turned around to cast again. Epic day.

 

My wife does not know it, but that is going to be our Anniversary gift within the next 5 years. She love's to fish and so do I, so might as well go and make a dream trip out of it.

Pete - Anglers Inn will treat you like royalty. Your wife can even have a massage and manicure/pedicure. Lots of good food and anything you want to drink. And the guides work hard to help you catch fish. July is a great month with good numbers most of the time, and sometimes the topwater bite can be good too.

Best day fishing ? That is a tough call. There are two days that stick out in my mind. I guess I would measure my success by the weight of my 5 biggest bass. I fish for big fish. I have had days when you can catch sheer numbers of bass. I would rather catch fewer bass but bigger ones. I would say my best day of fishing was in 2012. It was early early spring. A cold windy day spitting snow with water temps in the low 40s. I was able to catch a few fish on a black jig. They were spitting up crawfish. I switched to a crawfish colored jig and crank bait. That did the trick. I caught 20 largemouth and 8 smallmouth. Of the 20 largemouth 19 were over 3 lbs and the one that wasn't was 2 lbs 15 oz. 2 over 7, 2 over 6, 1 over 5, 5 over 4, 9 over 3. 6 of the 8 smallmouth were over 3 lbs. Big smallmouth 3 lbs 15 oz. Big largemouth was 7 lbs 6 oz. The five biggest were 7-6, 7-1, 6-8, 6-3 and a 5-4 for a total of 32 lbs 6 oz.

 

6-8

 

5-4

 

7-1

 

7-6

 

6-3

 

 This past November I a great day that I would say is very close to as awesome as this day. It was Nov and had been very cold. A warm front came through that day and brought the temps up 20 degrees.  I only caught 5 largemouth and 1 smallmouth. Of the 3 bass one was 3 lbs 3 oz, another was a 7-6 lunker and the other was my personal best 9 lbs 1 oz.

 

7-6

 

9-1

 

All northern largemouth. All from Maine.