Living in SW PA sucks during the winter since all the lakes freeze over.  

This past week has seen daytime highs in the 50's to 60's thus melting the ice on the smaller lakes, stained to muddy water lakes, and the shallows of all the rest.

Today I had a chance to fish for several hours and hit a small pond I pass by frequently while working.

I rigged up a drop shot rig with a case plastics "Jack's worm" in watermelonseed but instead of a drop shot weight, I used a 1/4 oz black with a white stripe bucktail jig.  

On the second cast I finally did it, I caught my fisrt LM bass of 2008!!!

And she bit the bucktail.  

She was a beaut too.  I didn't have a scale or a camera, but as a rough guess I'd say she was around 3 pounds, + or -.

Hopefully this first LM is just the beginning of a great year to come.

THAT'S GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!