Gangly

I arrived back early from my trip to Lake Fork last night and had about 1 hour before sunset so I decided to fish dusk for the first time in a LONG time. I didn't have any of my lures with me except for a peanut butter and jelly poison tail jig with a single zoom super chunk trailer, and a Yellow Magic popper that I purchased because I had great luck with it on the lake. So i rig up two of the rods and head out to the lake. By the time I arrived to my spot, I had maybe 45 minutes until complete darkness which left me about 30 minutes to fish. I cast out the popper and had one swirl but a bunch of followers. I could see the followers and they looked nice, so I kept up with the popper for a few more casts with different retrieves, but couldn't get any takers. Time to try something different, so I picked up my jig rod and made a cast. I strip line from the reel to make sure that it falls vertically and I begin to watch my line, nothing happens. I start to drag the jig across the bottom with slow pulls and the occasional hop. As I bring the jig closer to the bank and as the water gets shallower, I can feel when the jig enters the weed line. I can feel the weight of the weeds wrapped around the jig so I give the rod a sharp snap of the wrist to pop the jig out, and when I do a bass SLAMS it. I set the hook and reel her in and she is a beauty. Because I just came from the lake, I didn't have any of my gear with me so I have no measurements or photos. However, I can say with certainty that the first fish of the night was close to being my biggest of the year. I don't think it was my biggest, but I believe it was very close. I release her back, straighten up the trailer, then cast back out. I get to the point where the jig enters the weed line and sure enough the jig gets caught up in the weeds again. Another sharp snap of the wrist has the jig ripping out of the weeds just in time to get slammed by another bass....I think I'm figuring out the pattern here, hehe. 5 casts and 5 bass later, I realize its getting late, but I wanted to see if I could still get a hit on the popper so I throw out it out 3-4 more times and get nothing. Pick up the jig rod, throw it out and first cast BAM, another bass right in the middle of the weeds. Obviously, the fish were hitting the jig well, and didn't want top water (or at least a popper) last night, and I lucked into having the right lure at the right time, which made for a wonderful close to a great day of fishing. I am definitely going to have to check into another night of fishing at dusk and see what I can make of it, but next time it will be with a scale and camera as well!

Guys, the fishing is great right now, and if you haven't had a chance to get out in this fall weather, you need to make time to do so. It's simply beautiful outside, the fish are turning on again, and the weather couldn't be more satisfying.

Get out and fish!

Phil from Maine

My fishing is done for the year as it is now hunting season.. I am glad you have had some great luck out fishing however.. Congrats..

Gangly

Thanks Phil,
I will be going out again tonight, and will take a friend and camera with me this time. Hopefully we will catch some more, but watch us go o'fer since i had so much luck last time.

Gangly

We went out for about an hour and a half yesterday evening and my friend Rob and I managed to catch 8 fish total, with and additional 2 coming off while in the air doing acrobatics. Rob pulled in the largest of the evening, 2.54 lbs, on a ZOOM Ol' Monster in Junebug. I started out with the jig that was slaying them the other night, and I couldnt get a bite to save my life so I switched over to a new bait by ZOOM called the Swimming Fluke which is your basic ZOOM Fluke, but with a paddle tail added. Color of choice was Smokin Shad. I would cast the fluke out on a weighted EWG hook, then let the lure dance/flutter to the bottom on slack line. Most of the fish I caught were hitting the fluke on the slow decent and I would just feel weight when I reeled up the slack to start my retrieve. It was a fun night, the following pick is of the best bass of the evening caught by Rob on a ZOOM Ol Monster in Junebug at the opening to a small channel.

Chuck7

Nice thread..[ -; ...I don't do much fluking..but when they nail it..it is a real fun way yo fish..I generally clamp on a small split shot...cast her out and twitch it through structure..I like it because it's faster to use than the rubber worm..cover more area quicker..