Could It Have Been a Coincidence?

That's a question Ron is asking as a result of what happened during his morning sojourn to Back Bay. He ended up landing 17 bass and one white perch. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about that fact until you consider that he logged exactly the same numbers on another trip to Back Bay just a week ago.

On that earlier occasion, he caught everything on Senkos. This morning's successful lure, on the other hand, was a Whopper Plopper. He also was in a different creek last time, but the differences end there.

Ron acknowledged that, while most of the fish this morning were small, he did manage to boat a 1-0, 1-7, 1-9, and 1-11 (pictured above right). The lone white perch, in his own words, was "an aggressive little fella," considering his small size.

And what fishing trip this time of year would be complete without at least one or two sightings of those venomous creatures that slither across the water's surface? Such was Ron's luck, starting with a welcoming critter at the mouth of the creek he fished, along with several more further along the way. You don't have to look very hard to see the creature in the lower lefthand corner of this photo, which also shows one of Ron's kayaking friends, who caught 14 bass this morning on--you guessed it--a Whopper Plopper.

Incidentally, for anyone interested, I was in Ocean's East today and noticed that they have a few more of the smaller versions of this hot bait hanging on the pegs. If you want any, my suggestion is not to hesitate, 'cause all the retailers seem to be singing the same tune: "They fly out the door as fast as we receive a new order."

And last but not least, speaking of those cottonmouths that seem to be appearing in abundance now, I include a comment Ron made in his morning email: "There's nothing like untangling a line fouled around hooks or a fish, while worrying about what lurks in the nearby grass you keep drifting ever closer to." I'm sure I don't need to tell you to be extra vigilant.