Well it's been an awesome morning and at times a ROFL type of day. Usually my morning fishing is done when I've been up all night. I have a crazy sleep pattern that changes and today was the fist day I'd be awake long enough to go sunrise fishing. I was debating going or not because I was getting tired but reading this forum at night always gets in the mood to go. So I left at 4am this morning, returned a movie to blockbuster and ate at Steak N Shake. After that I made my way to my favorite pick up and go pond at the Crab Orchard wildlife refuge. Some of you may have read my previous outing at this pond when I lost a big one in the slop. Well the slop and grass is only thicker but this time I came prepared with a new 7ft MH ROD!!!!

I started out at a spot I had hit on a previous return trip. I had torn them up on a Storm Chugger at that spot with LONG casts on a Zebco 33. Now of course I eventually lost that lure that day with such light tackle, but four fish in the 3lb range was worth it. So today I started out at that spot with newly purchased chuggers and I just couldn't get the distance needed for that spot. So I made my way down to the spot where I had lost what would have been a PB in the thick vegetation on spinning tackle earlier this year. So I start making a couple casts and nothing and by this time I wondering what is going on here. I'm asking this because I'm seeing all types of action on the top of the water. I even tried a few casts with a Rage shad on my other baitcaster still nothing!!

Well about this time even though it's only been about 45mins I'm thinking about going home. I'm tired and when there on at this pond they are just ON and if they are off you won't catch a thing. What told me to stay was the fact I saw allot of action on top and I needed to catch at least one fish to help my pride ;D. So I made another cast and I sped up the retrieve and boom! I've fished top water enough now (I LOVE TOPWATER!) that my instinct after a strike is now not to yank right away but to lower the rod tip reel up the slack and I say to myself "Be a big one". Then I set the hook hard!! I was impressed right away with the rod and the power it gave me to get the fish up on top of the slop. It was a good 2lb fish and it was just enough to get my juices flowing. I quickly reeled in another a couple casts later and I'm saying to myself all right I've found what they like now.

Well it was the third fish that the ;D started. He hit and I had him on and I'm pulling and starting to reel him in like a mad man when my reel came off my rod. It happened violently and I landed right on my kisser , but I was still in full mission mode! I looked at my hands and saw the rod in my left and the reel in my right. After a quick "WTH happened" to myself moment I immediately put the reel back in it's seat and tightened it back up. I jumped back up and hauled him threw the muck for the wildest fish I'd caught in a while. I started LOL at the situation because it was my fault for playing with the screw part of the rod as a nervous twitch. I had been just slightly moving it back and forth with my finger and it didn't even occur to me that my reel was lose because I was so transfixed with working my lure perfectly. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized I must be related to Bill Dance after this blooper ;D.

Well after I composed myself and checked my knot and line for any bad spots I started up again. I worked my way back to the exact spot I had lost what I considered the biggest Bass I had ever hooked. I made a cast and started working my retrieve when I saw and heard just the slightest movement and tiny noise where my bait was. My Chugger disappeared and my fist thought was a little one must have hit the bottom row of hooks on the tail and ran with it like a Blugill. The Chuggers bottom sits in a very vertical fashion and I've had this happen before. So I lower my rod tip expecting to completely yank the fish into the air possibly, but right before I do this I thought to myself "Well really big ones just suck it in so it could be big.". So I yank HARD and the dang rod almost came out of my hands! I then start channeling Shaw Grigsby and all I can think and say is "PIG,..PIG.., it's a PIGY!, it's a PIGY!!,PIGY!!!,PIGY!!!!". I pulled on that sucker and reeled my high speed baitcaster as fast as I could so I would get him up and on top of the slop and keep him there! I landed him and was just over joyed. Even some pretty tough thumb cuts from his teeth couldn't dampen my mood. He measured 21 or so inches and tipped the scales at 5lbs. Now what drove me nuts was for the second time this year when I had a 21incher (I caught one earlier this year but not as fat.) my camera batteries went dead! I had used a timer and taken photos with the other fish. What drove me nuts was I put in what I thought was fully charged batteries only to be left with taking photos with my crappy cell phone again!! Now I've got to unblock TEXT and PIC messaging from our account to get the photos on my PC LOL.

BTW I know this isn't a huge fish to many on here but I've just recently picked up hunting for bass again. I grew up a Bluegill fishing and only threw the occasional lure for bass. I always considered myself to be a good fisherman but I never went after BASS the way I am this year. I don't even know if I went fishing last year to be honest. Now a day doesn't go bye that I'm not checking the weather and thinking about going out. Today was satisfying because my fishing partner landed a very good bass early this year. Then we took my dad out for fathers day and he lands a 24inch pigy! Then today I landed my goal bass at 5lbs or over and I can't wait to start working on a DD one!!!!

Pretty funny story there bud. I've had moments like that (reel falling off) and usually end up catching a real nice one that day. Guess God has a way of evening things out huh?  

Good story, congrats on the new PB.

Lol I don't care who you are, any bass over 5lb will get your blood flowing.

Great story, congratulations!

8-)

Funny story. Thanks for sharing.

You know, we check the knot, the line, balance the reel to the bait and double check the drag but checking to make sure the reel is secure can and does slip our minds.

I check to make sure the reel is tight as a matter of just fishing.  I usually check it a few times during each trip.

Now I can understand why it is important to check the reel setting.

And congrats on your PB.  Isn't it great to land a hog????  

Congrats! Don't know who you been talking to, 5lb sure get the adrenalin going for me ...

                             As Ever,

                              skillet