What a great weekend down at Gaston...exept no camera!!!

Got down there Saturday morning and started fishing right when we got there. We got a ton of rain there, but the water level was normal, and clear. We didn't catch but 1 Saturday. I caught him on a white and purple backed crankbait at the mouth of a cove in about 12 feet. The fish were really swiping at everything so we missed quite a few. My uncle, and his friend were also fishing at the same time as us and they caught 6 each, all on plastics but 1 up shallow.

Sunday however was a bit different. We fished shakey heads in the morning at my brother caught 3, and I caught 2. All off of docks in about 10 feet of water. No real size to them but atleast we were catching them. My brother got off the boat and I was fishing by myself for about an hour, caught one second cast after I dropped him off, and had another few bites, then it happend. I pulled up to a dock with a launch next to it, and was throwing my lipless crankbait. Nothing hit it on the first throw, so I threw again and it felt like I had a stick stuck on it so I was like WTH. So I keep reeling in this "stick" and realize my line is running 5x as fast as I'm reeling, and I was burnin this thing so then I was like hmmmm. Kept reeling and there it was. Fought him to the boat and netted him, it was a nice lookin fish. Turned out to be 5.74 pounds beating my last fish at 5.2. Took it back, showed my brother and little sister then released her. Beautiful beautiful fish, wish I could have gotten a picture!! My brothers cell was dead, my Dad's truck with the digital camera in it was in the shop and he was actually going to get it at the time I caught it. Talk about bad luck.

Thanks for reading

Matt Strykul

Nice fish while burning a rattle trap GOOD WORK i am not criss angel or anything but  i am guessing there was a camera in your boat  

Way to go Matt! I've been real impressed with the quality of bass that Gaston's been kicking out over the past few years.....its like the old days down there, 20 pound+ limits were common, a steady dose of 6# and 7# kickers.....GASTON ROCKS!

congrats Matt!!

I have been catching lots of bass recently on rattle trap like baits. The water is starting to get abit cloudy and the bass are hammering them. I am not getting any real big ones though....

Congratulations!

8-)

Hey guys, how far a drive from Richmond is Lake Gaston?  Looks like another hour or so.  What launches are the closest to the nearest 95 exit if we were to be taking that road down?  I'm thinking of hitting it maybe one day before the end of the fall.  Do any of the launch ramps close for the off season?  How much does it cost to launch?  Lastly, is there any shorefishing available?  I know you probably couldn't catch the big guys from shore if there is space, but it may be my only option depending on how cold the weather gets and how soon we may have to winterize the boat.

Holly Grove and Americamps are right off 95 just a few miles (Bracey exit). You should be able to use either one of them.....I believe the Holly Grove ramp was $5 early this spring, Americamps was a little more.....thats where alot of the bigger tournaments go from.

Not sure about shore fishing.....although I do see alot of people fishing around the bridges but I'd guess that most of the shoreline is private.

Thanks everyone Yeah pigsticker is right. I actually had my 35 MM camera up in the trailer and completely forgot about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  > > >. I've never been more angry with myself. I never take pictures of my fish with that camera though, so I think thats why I forgot, and not to mention I was so happy I wasn't thinkin straight.

PS! I can't believe i forgot to put this in there!!!!!!! I caught a double on my lipless crankbait, it was a Largemouth and a Pickeral! Has anyone had this happen before? I was like WOAH