PaperGod, Nickajack, Largemouth, 02/18/2012, Hickorynut123 -- PICS --

[PaperGod]

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Big'Un & I couldn't fish the CFF Tourney today due to the season opener for the Dade County Baseball Team, but we hit the lake after the 100th inning ended, and we were glad we did !!</p>

We launched the old sardine can at Marion County Park a little after 1:30PM. The air temp was 63 degrees and the windless water surface registered 51 under overcast skies. We jumped up on plane just outside the no-wake buoys and steamed around the rest area heading for the islands on the south side of the I-24 bridge. We pulled up to the east side of the island and dropped the trolling motor in 17 FOW. Big'Un started chunking an A-Rig loaded with his specially modified swimbaits while I reached for a G. Loomis GLX SJR-783 with a Megabass Vision 110 in the Ito TN Shad pattern dangling from 10 lb original Stren.</p>

We worked the river side of the island over for about 15 minutes with nothing but a desperado slick to show for effort, so we started around the island staying a little more than a cast from the bank as we circled it. As we approached the south side of the island, Big'Un got us on the scoreboard with the A-Rig. The fish was a short striker with a bad attitude, but the big guy wrestled her into the boat in with little drama.</p>

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Big'Un gets us on the scoreboard !!</font></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left">That first barely legal bigmouth didn't holg the big fish title for long as PG and the Vision 110 struck just a few minutes later.</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">PG ups the ante with a 3.9 pound toad !!</font></p><p align="left">We were charged up after two keepers in a few minutes, and the water around the west side of the island was LOADED with threadfin shad, but that would be the last fish the island would yield. We kept casting and working our way around the island for another 40 minutes or so without a kiss, then we fired up the big motor and headed down river to fish a red clay point about 1/4 mile up river from the Shellmound Recreation Area. Almost as soon as we had pulled up on that point. Big'Un was brawling with a beauty that fell for an Aurora Blue Lucky Craft Staysee 100.</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Big'Un with another nice keeper...</font></p><p align="left">On his very next cast with the deep diving, suspending, Staysee, the man know as "Large & In Charge" was doing battle with another good bass. This one had some shoulders and the big guy needed a net assist to get her in the boat. There was a new sheriff in town as we hung the big girl from the Rapala scale and it topped the 4 pound mark!!!</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Big'Un scales the fish-of-the-day @ 4.2 lbs !!</font></p>
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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Nicked a gill, but the F.O.D. swam away none the worse for wear...</font></p>


This was shaping up to be a very nice day on the water as both of us were getting quality and quantity. It was my turn to stick another pig and Biggie's turn to mind the net next...</p>

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">These are the days that keep you coming back !!</font></p><p align="left">The point was still producing and Big'Un notice a boil in the water behind him. He tossed the Staysee towards the boil, reeled it down and ::thump::, there was another on the line!!</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">You gotta love jerkbait weather !!</font></p><p align="left">We continued down the bank and I switched to a Perch colored Size 7 Rapala Tail Dancer and popped another bucket mouth...</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Another hawg fooled by PG's unparalleled angling skills !!</font></p><p align="left">I switched back to the Vision 110 and about a hundred yards up the bank, another nice one sucked it in...</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center">

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">If you don't have a Megabass Vision 110, get one. NOW !!</font></p>


We were having a blast and actually lost count of how many keepers we bagged. We turned around and started fishing our way back towards the point and Big'Un stung what turned out to be our last legal bass of this fine trip.</p>

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<p align="center"><font size="4" face="Arial Rounded MT Bold">Big'Un hoists our last keeper of the afternoon closing out a sweet trip.</font></p>
We decided to leave them biting at the clay point and head back to the entrance to Marion County Park before darkness settled in. About 1/2 way back to MCP, the boat lurched to a stop in open water. Looks like something ugly happened to the transmission on the big blue Evinrude emoBang


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We had to limp back home on electrical power, but even that lame ending didn't really sour the day for us.</p>

In all, our best three would have been in the high 11's with a 5 fish sack weighing in somewhere around 17 lbs. I'll be happy to sign up for that every time out. Win, lose, or draw.</p>

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See you on the water...
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[Mike Hernandez]

Thanks for the report, pics, and entertainment. emoThumbsup

Sorry to hear about the motor problems, but hope it isn't anything too expensive to resolve. BTW - - what were those coordinates? lol.

 

[PaperGod]

You know, I never record the GPS coordinates, but I wouldn't mind doing that. I do these reports to hopefully help everyone catch more and better bass. I figure that's the best way to grow the sport we all love and make it better and stronger.

I'd also like to think that it's more about the guy sitting on the spot and his techniques, tactics, and skills rather than the spot itself - but maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

Anyway, if more guys want GPS coordinates, I'll try and remember to hit the waypoint button and provide them.

 

[Mike Hernandez]

I used to fish Nick more than Chick and have been trying to visualize the spots you're talking about. And I totally agree about the spot vs the person fishing. I've fished spots that some friends have put me on and come up with goose eggs more often than not. I still have a lot to learn but am definitely enjoying it.

 

[PaperGod]

I'll pick up my GPS game to help eliminate the guesswork. I've also had a few questions about the baits we're chunkin'. This is what worked yesterday...
<div align="center">
<table border="1" width="800" id="table1">
<tr>
<td>
<p align="center">

</td>
<td>
<p align="center">

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="center">Megabass Vision 110</td>
<td>
<p align="center">Rebel Fastrac</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="center">

</td>
<td>
<p align="center">

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p align="center">Lucky Craft Pointer 78</td>
<td>
<p align="center">Lucky Craft Staysee 90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p align="center">

</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p align="center">Xcalibur Xt3 Twitch'n Minnow</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>

 

[bent rod]

Always fun to read your reports, hope the motor is minor.

 

[Mike Hernandez]

SWEET!! You should do very well at the next CFF tx at Nick. Appreciate the info!

 

[jjoey312]

Very informative report & definitely affirms that I need to hone in my jerk bait skills... I've been caught up in chunking the baits that sound like bricks hitting the water..lol!! When I read what you wrote about losing count of keepers I realized fishing the Riverpark was the wrong decision sat. I had to work for keepers there (& I can easily remember how many I caught).. I'm going to send you a pm about your engine problems, might be able to help.

 

[Nauticman]

Great report and pics, cigar and all!