Getting Footloose with a Bunch of Small Bass

As I left West Neck Creek this morning and turned south, I figured it was going to be another spinnerbait day, but that wasn't the case at all. One by one, I went through the three models I had tied on to no avail. I then tried to tempt the fish with a Bagley's Bang-o-Lure, but they weren't buying that either.

It wasn't until I picked up one of the two rods with a Bandit Footloose tied on that things started happening. By the time I quit at 3 o'clock and headed back to the marina, I had boated 16 fish, including 14 bass, 1 pickerel, and 1 yellow perch. My best three bass of the day were a 1-3, 1-7 (pictured here) and a 1-0. Most of the others fell in the 12-to-14-ounce range.

Everything went for the two Bandit Footloose, and all the fish came from the same small, shallow spot down south. Besides the fish I boated, I easily missed a dozen more that hit a bit quicker than I could react.

All in all, it was a relaxing, fun day that I wouldn't trade for anything in this world. I've always just enjoyed that tug on the line, whether it be a 2-incher or a 2-pounder.  Don't get me wrong--I enjoy setting the hook on a big fish as much as the next guy, but when I'm out like I was today, the size honestly doesn't matter.