I took Matt's(and others) advice and sought out a lake where it's known to hold bigger Bass. Dodge County's PFA 100+ acre Lake is managed for big Bass in fact, several(many?) double-digit Bass have been caught there over the years. I have fished there before and caught a few 5's and one 6 lber but that was a few years ago.


I got there about 10:30 AM and I was the only Basser there. It has 3 concrete ramps and a parking lot that will hold about 50 trucks and boat trailers but I had it all to myself. It was cloudy including some dark rain clouds, warm--high 80s,, no wind, and the water looked like green pea soup.

I tried a couple of the shallow water coves with no bites. Then I headed back up to the timber-area where trees and stumps stand in 14-16' of water in the middle of the lake. A road bed in 12' of water crosses the lake at one end of this area.

I started casting a 'virgin' Matt's Baby Bass(slicked up with Megastrike) that I had just bought and received. It hung up on a few stumps as I reeled it back steadily at between 8 and 10' of water. I missed 2 or 3 strikes and then realized what I was doing wrong. I was sitting instead of standing and I couldn't get a good hookset that way.

I felt a light 'flick' of the BB and did a good reelset at about 12:30 PM. She kept me occupied for a minute or two as I played her back. She was tagged(see it in the pics) in her side by the DNR and she weighed 7 lbs, 12 ozs and was 24" long.

I left around 2:30 with no more Bass caught but that one was enough.

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132122&anum=3208

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132123&anum=3208

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132124&anum=3208

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132126&anum=3208

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132127&anum=3208

http://www.f150online.com/galleries/pictureview.cfm?pnum=132128&anum=3208

Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice

Verry nice Dan,
you seem to be catching a lot of nice bass lately. I think your 10lber will come soon

www.mattlures.com

Nice bass Dan, you have that little swimbait down it seems. Looking forward to seeing how you do when you target Ft. whatever it is. Its all about fishing the right location, assuming you want trophies. You aint so bad for a southern boy after all (couldnt help it).

Awright U; I didn't come here to be made sport of.....'wink, wink'!

Matt: 2005 has been my best Bassin' year so far and I've got 4 1/2 months to go. It started with my new PB, an 8/11 I caught in Feb. with a spinnerbait from the bank of a farm pond in South GA. And then I got my first Matt's swimbait(a Bluegill) and I got my confidence 'up' with the landing of my first swimbait-Bass a few months ago. That first one(even though it was only a 3/13) got me to getting 'serious' about swimbait fishing and the possibility of catching a true, Trophy Bass. And then I got even more enthused when I caught my first big, wooden lure(7" Slammer) Bass a week ago.

FYI: Link on some big Dodge County PFA big Bass:

http://www.outdoorcentral.com/mc/pr/03/HD/0218_GA.asp

Some Ft. Stewart big Bass:

http://www.stewart.army.mil/dpw/fish/CATCH.htm

Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice

Man, what are you waiting for? You need to be fishing Ft. Stewart. I doubt many people are throwing swimbaits there, you could have a gold mine all to yourself. Apparently you would have a good shot at getting a teener at Ft. Stewart.

How far of a drive would it be for you? If its under 4 hours it aint nothin, you would be there in no time. And now is a great time to be throwing those woodedn baits at night, those fish wouldnt know what hit them (assuming you can fish at night at FS).

Hell, I might get on a plane and go to the place. Its fits all the criteria for perfect trophy fishery.

I know, I know. It's about 3+ hours away. I called the post this AM and got some info. No night Bassin' though. I think I'm going down Tues. afternoon, get on the fort for some info, check-in, etc., and spend that night at a motel nearby.

Then I can fish Big Metz, Pond #26 on Wed.. Full moon that Fri too so that can't hurt.

Thank's for the enthusiasm. It's catchin'!!!

Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice

Dan,

I have been following your accounts of fishing Mattlures baby bass swimbaits. Congratulations on the fish you have been catching. Your success with them has convinced me to order some of them. (Tackle Warehouse has them now.)

I live and fish in Texas, which is admittedly much different than where you fish. However, back when I night fished a lot, I found that the very first light of day was frequently even better for big bass than the night time.

I am curious to know if you have tried Mattlures baby bass baits early in the morning.

Anyway, continued good fishing.

Howard Moore

Howard M.

Ya gotta include a Hudd in your arsenal at FS. Obviously there are toads in those lakes, and I think you would totally ambush them with the Hudd, they wouldnt know what hit them. I bet the Kokanee color (looks like a big hickory shad) or the Hitch color (looks like a golden shiner to me) would work wonders. And I know darn right well no other people are throwing Hudds in those lakes. Its scary to think what you could do in those lakes with the Hudd, provided you put your time in on the lakes.

Howard: Thank's for the reply. As to Texas, anywhere there's Bass, there will be some size of baby Bass there too. The 5" BB should be close to this spring's spawn in size. IMO, this make's the BB a "natural" as some bodies of water won't have crawdads, lizards, shad(none where I fish), frogs, etc. but all Bass-waters will have some smaller bass in them.

No, I'm lazy so I don't ever get an early morning start. I know I'm missing some opportuities at bigger Bass but I'm too old(66 last month) to change my ways----unless it's a new bait:P . And thank's for the head's-up on TW. I hadn't checked them for a day or two until your post. Btw, I noticed TW doesn't offer the "3 for $29.95" deal though.

Urban: I couldn't get a Huddleston in time for next week but you may be on to something there:-) . I can't tell from TW's description whether or not they can be ordered now......and do you know how much they weigh? I'm wondering if my 7.5' Extra Heavy Helium will handle them.

Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice

Dan,

The Huddlestons weigh 5 ounces, according to huddlestondeluxe.com. I do not believe that the website differentiates between rofs 0, 5, 12, or 16. The rof 0 should be the lightest. Due to internal weights, rof 5 should be the next heaviest, rof 12 the next heaviest, and rof 16 the heaviest.

Ebay currently has a number of these baits for sale, with some "buy it now" for $39.99.

Hope this helps.

Howard M.

Thank's Howard. I just bought the "0" ROF Huddleston Trout. I distrust ebay but the seller had great responses. Hope these GA Bass like 'Trout'.

Btw, I caught another tagged(DNR) Bass today at that samw PFA; a 5 lb even--23"er on the BB. It was a totally different catch in that after a cast and starting to reel it back, I felt it hit a stump(realize that about 9 out of 10 casts here today were resulting in a hung-up bait in fact, I had to break off the one I caught the 7 lber on) so I started motoring over to the 'stump' to get the bait off of it and then the line started moving to my left:-) . I rared back and then landed the 5 lber. No 'fancy' reelsetting this time as she had the first third of the bait down her throat with the hook catching on the rear-most gill. Got her free with no blood spilt and set her free after the pics.

Dan

"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Deo Vindice