My dear sweet Momma, with FISH!

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Comment by Mike Stacy on March 17, 2011 at 8:34pm

Bach in, after fishing well into the night. The bream must be moving onto the beds in the shallows, because the bite was NOTHING like last night. A few good ones, and several perfect smaller BAIT fish! I put one out, in the dark, under a big foam float... with Mom fishing beside me. Here she is, to tell you about the couple minutes after I yelled for her to GET THE NET!

    It was so big! I've never seen a fish jump and splash like that in fresh water! Mike yelled to get the net, and I thought he was talking to the fish! I got it and he pulled the fish by the dock and I tried to scoop it up, but there was fish on either side of the net! It was HUGE, and it was splashing me! I tried to get it in the net, but it was too big! It came off the hook right in front of me, and Mike just laughed... I was so afraid I'd done it wrong, and lost the fish, but my son hugged me and cheered... I've NEVER seen a fish that big in fresh water! I've been to Hawaii, and watched my brother catch tuna and marlin on his boat, but I never even suspected there was a fish like that in our little lake. My fisherman son says her name is Mrs. Piggy, and that he'll catch her again some day. I was so excited! i felt bad about it getting away, but my boy says she'll be back. I've never had so much fun!

   And there it is, from the woman who raised a fisherman... I remember every Christmas tackle box, and every vacation where she made sure we stayed near the water... Thanks Mom! And Mrs Piggy is sulking in deep cover, with a sore lip, but she's an old friend and we'll meet again. She's the fish in my profile picture, which mom rushed down to the lake to take last trip. I'll catch her again, and release her again... 12.75 lbs last fall, and she's been eating well! Very few small bream in this lake... nothing but BRUISER BREAM! Wardaddies, every one.

    Tonight i watched the surface in the moonlight, and saw what had to be a 3+ pounder take minnows on the surface. I threw plastic jigs and small plugs, but no takers. It's time to try crickets on the surface under the full moon, and i'm betting mom will be there, loving it!

    I'll put her on one of the bass tomorrow. She'll be in Florida Sportsmans next issue, even if we don't get her a record bream... which I am NOT giving up on!

    Time for a fish fry. We have a TUB of fillets from yesterdays stringer! 

Comment by Mike Stacy on March 17, 2011 at 3:32pm

Just spent a couple hours throwing jigs and soaking bread, caught one small one. Put him under a float, and one of the big bass took him in under 5 minutes... I let the bass swim 20 feet, and the clicker on my reel [Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 7000 W/15 lb Berkely Big game line] sounded like a scene from jaws... I watched my big foam float swim off into the depth... the bass was so big it couldn't feel a resistance so small... I set the reel, drove the hook home, and sent the bait airborn! The hook had buried its point back in the bait, and there was no point exposed to peirce the basses mouth! DOH!!! I've re-rigged with a second, small and strong, baitholder hook... the main bass hook will ride free and exposed now. I'm pretty sure that was the bass I named "Cthulu"... I've sent her airborn, but never gotten her to shore. She's above 15 lb. I'm going back for the sunset hour, when the bream are FIERCE... and I'm dropping another frisky one in front of her... Bringing my camera and scale! NO B.S. !!! I'll post a monster this week! And watch her swim away...

Comment by Mike Stacy on March 17, 2011 at 9:14am

SERIOUSLY! Can anyone find the womans state record weight to beat in FL? Any IGFA members out there who can access the records page? My google searches are going NOWHERE. No-one at the tackle store can help. I need to know the WOMANS FL record bream! It's replacement may be sitting in moms fridge!

Comment by Walt Foreman on March 16, 2011 at 7:51pm

Hawgs!