It Was a 3 - 2 - 1 Kind of Day

I boated 3 bass, lost 2 more en route to the boat, and was asleep at the helm when 1 more hit just moments before I quit today.

For a while this morning, I had begun thinking I might really have to work just to keep from recording a skunk. I had thrown an assortment of topwater lures and crankbaits without having any takers in West Neck. Finally, I pulled up the trolling motor and headed for Albright's.

I quickly ran through the same arsenal there with the same dismal results. Accordingly, I picked up the rod on which I had rigged a swim Fluke and only had made a handful of casts with it before I got one of those tell-tale ticks in the line as I was winding ever so slowly. That tick was followed by pressure on the line, followed by movement first left, then right, and finally a hard charge away from me. I immediately set the hook and felt the fish--a good 'un. When I got him turned, he came up alongside the boat at a distance, taking drag as he passed. I had worked him back about 5 or 6 feet from the boat when I felt another hard head shake, and my line just went limp. The Fluke had pulled out of the wire keeper and had balled up on the hook, preventing a solid hookset.

Only a few moments later, I had another nice fish hit a new Fluke but with the same results--again because the bait had come loose from the keeper. I kept working the same area for a spell, with no further takers, so I headed back to West Neck, intent on staying with the Fluke.

On my first cast to a stump, the line went taut the moment the Fluke hit the water, and my effort to take a turn on the reel resulted in a fish jerking back, which prompted me to set the hook. This time, the keeper held, and my reward was the 1-12 bass pictured above. Out of curiosity, I picked up my chatterbait, and on only the third cast with it to the same stump, I boated a 12-incher.

Before I quit today, I added a 1-2 bass to my total of three keepers. It, likewise, fell for the chatterbait.

While still in West Neck this morning, I had a brief discussion with my friend, Jerry, and his fishing buddy, Eddie, who were out trying to develop a game plan for the old-timers' bass rodeo scheduled for Senior Citizen's Day, which is Aug. 21. At the time, Eddie had boated their only fish of the day--this 1-pounder--just 45 minutes after launching.

They were bound for Pocaty upon leaving me, and I never ran across them again. There was an email waiting for me from Jerry when I got home, though. It seems that one fish was their total catch for the day. This was Jerry's first skunk of the season.

They packed it in at 9:30, with hopes that the bite on Aug. 21 will be a lot better than it was today.

My friend, Jimmy, also spent some time on the water today. A discussion with him this afternoon revealed that he had boated a mixed bag today, including two small bass, some crappie, and other assorted fish.

The final report I have here is from fellow-blogger, Charlie, who spent yesterday in the Albright's Creek Oxbow. "Got a 3-5 on the first cast," he said. His day was complete with great topwater action the first hour. He also did well with the SS Minnow and craw, finishing up with 12 bass total. Most were dinks but he did catch three other keepers besides the 3-5. They included a 1-2, 1-7, and 2-2. For the complete story on Charlie's day, including the usual video, check out his blog at http://vbfishguide.blogspot.com/.