Some stories and pics please…

I’ll tell the story of my domestic PB from my favorite lake up in the mountains. 
 

It was early fall of 2017. I launched my boat in the cold, foggy, mountain air at sunrise. The lake was empty, the only sounds heard were the steady “ploplop” of my trolling motor, the cry of a loon, and the gunshot from a distant hunter. 
 

Besides a couple pickerel, nothing was happening as I made my way through a few of my favorite spots. Eventually I came to a point that looks pretty textbook as far as bass habitat. A steep, >45° bank that dropps to 20’, Lily pads against the shore, and a couple floating docks in the vicinity. I picked up my spinning rod and flung the wacky rigged senko just on the edge of the lily pads and let it sink down the steep bank. It didn’t take long for my line to jump and start steadily streaming off my reel. I reeled up the slack and set the hook into something I immediately knew was large. The fish peeled drag at first and pretty quickly got itself wrapped up in the rope of one of the floating docks. In a moment that I don’t exactly remember how went down, I was able to free the line off the floating docks and gain control of the fish only for it to bulldog and bury into the pondweed under my boat. Applying steady pressure, eventually I was able to lift it free, and into the cradle of my waiting net. 
 

One look at the fish told me it was certainly my new domestic PB. It measured over 23”, and flashed 6lb 8oz  on the scale before settling and locking in at 6lb 3oz. It had the frame of a fish that could easily go over 7lb. It was a bit on the lean side, but still healthy and heavy. With a belly full of perch or eggs, though, I can only imagine. 

After releasing the fish, I needed a couple minutes to collect myself. When I resumed fishing, I continued catching them on a jig in the shoreline timber. Was a good day of fishing. 
 

Wishing you well on your surgeries and recovery!