I have been struggling to pick up using a baitcasting rig so I am devoting the last third of each outing to working with it.  Went to a local lake today after work and spend an hour or so working a small fluke through the grass and pads along the shore with no success.   Then I put that rod away and went out on a small floating dock to practice casting away from anything I could snag on. After about 45m I was making some good progress roll casting when my phone buzzed.  Assuming it was my girlfriend wondering where I was, I paused my retrieve about 3 feet from the dock and went to check my phone.   As my rod tip went up I discovered this guy on the other end.

I didn't even feel the hit and he was just barely hooked in the inside of his mouth.  Caught him on a green chatterbait with a rage menace trailer.  Right as I got him back in the water another guy came up to see what I had caught.  He was amazed there were fish this big in here as he said that an extreme drawdown a few years ago really hurt the fishery.  He then told be that I had been (unknowingly) fishing a creak channel that ran through the lake.  I guess I need to work this area some more.  

Nice Bass ~

PB's are always a  Blast

Congrats

A-Jay

Congrats man! Fun when hard work pays off. 

I too have been working with my new baitcaster. I don't get hogs like that but I do continue getting new PB backlashes! 

 

Congrats!

Well done!

Keep at it, it'll become second nature in no time  

Nice catch, congrats on the new PB!

Congratulations!

 

Congrats!

Nice work dude!

nice catch man!  congrats on the new PB!

Thanks for the kind words guys.  I have had a good feeling about chatterbaits ever sense using the micro ones a bit in rivers but this is my first fish on a proper one.  However, I credit most of the catch to casting to the right spot, that guy's comment about the creek channel got me thinking.  When I got home I fired up google maps and looked at the lake, it was pretty clear where the stream ran before they dammed it.  I am going to start spending way more time researching the waters I fish and less time obsession over lures.  Well, after this one more TW order....

In any case, obviously I now have to go back there today after work and fish that channel at bit.  It is low 50s and raining but that is just a minor inconvenience.