This morning was weird. My son and I went out to bank fish a local river. The air temp was 48 and water about 3 miles upstream was 44 from one river and 52 from the other that converge and make the one we were fishing. I had been tossing a 3" Spark Shad, jig and Ned rig for almost an hour and a half before he got there. We went down to a spot that screams wintering pool and started tossing the same offerings. He immediately hooks up on a 3" Mayor and, a short time later, again on the Mayor. That fish was a 19" 3lb 2oz meanmouth that choked his bait. By this time, I've donated about 6 Ned rigs to the river and just figure I will toss the jig for awhile. I get a strong strike and break off on the hookset. I tie on another jig and get several more short strikes, none sticking. After this dies off, I pick up the Ned rig and get bit pretty quickly, breaking the first one off after about 10 seconds. It felt like a good fish too, dang. I retie and fire another cast to this area and this one sticks. It was the strongest winter fish I've ever hooked and ended up being a 20" meanmouth weighing 5lb 8oz. To say the morning was eye-opening is an understatement. 

 

I also attached a picture of my son's big fish at the very bottom. 

Those are beautiful bass!

Nice fish! Way to stick with it.

30 minutes ago, Fishlegs said:

Nice fish! Way to stick with it.

It was my son's doing. After the 2nd break off, I was about ready to call it. 

Nice! 

Those fish are just beautiful, glad you stuck it out and was rewarded for it.

Nice fish for you both. I didn’t read anything about your son breaking off, what line were you using? What about your son? Nonetheless congratulations on what sounds like an amazing trip..

Awesome report and beautiful fish!

4 hours ago, F14A-B said:

Nice fish for you both. I didn’t read anything about your son breaking off, what line were you using? What about your son? Nonetheless congratulations on what sounds like an amazing trip..

On mine, it was light braid to a 7lb fluoro leader on the Ned and 30lb braid to 15lb fluoro on the jig. I've since gone to a 10lb braid to 7lb on the spinning rod and straight 15lb fluoro on the jig rod. 

50 minutes ago, Drew03cmc said:

On mine, it was light braid to a 7lb fluoro leader on the Ned and 30lb braid to 15lb fluoro on the jig. I've since gone to a 10lb braid to 7lb on the spinning rod and straight 15lb fluoro on the jig rod. 

10-4 I have yet found a line that will hold up on rocks in rivers or rip rap in reservoirs.. I’ve had some heartbreak jig fish in rip rap from line breaks. In fact I don’t fish jigs in them much now. 

Nice ones