Bass Closer Report

[Rich]

Headed out to a local reservoir for the last day of bass season in Southern Ontario. If it were a normal day off I wouldn't have attempted going out today.. but it was the last day of bass season, so I had to give it a go.

 

Gave The Urban Fisherman a shout hoping he'd be able to join us, unfortunately he was too bogged with work to fish with us.. however he was more than kind enough to lend us a battery for our motor for the day (mine works but battery life is limited) and even came down to help us load the boat from the rocky bank. Which was quite the challenge.

 

Anywho, Sugarpacket and I got on the water exactly the same time as the wonderful freezing rain/snow mix started, which made things amazingly comfortable. Shortly after making a comment about how the wind wasn't too bad, it proceeded to pick right up and blow those pellets of frozen water right into our faces. We fished some deep drop offs that produced in past late fall excursions. Keeping hands on the rods in those climates was hell for us. After pounding one previously productive point with submerged timber in about 16 feet of water, my spoon stopped dropping. I set hook into the one and only bass of the closer, which was unfortunately about a generous 8 inches long.

 

 

Soon after we drifted along the drop a little deeper and I broke off my jigging spoon on a brushpile. I decided to change things up with a white flippin' jig (hot bait in past fall trips). I began swimming it over a drop from 16 - 20 feet (okay working on mental GPS cuz my fishfinder was pooched today) and SMACK. This one felt a little better, bit of a fight to it anyway... and up came - one heck of a perch!

 

 

 

Well, I've never seen such a thing as a lone perch so I decided to keep it in hopes we'd get a few more off this spot. Nope, nadda.. flippin jig, spoon, grub, it didn't matter. No more perch to be found. Tried a few other perch spots (basically trying to get out of the wind) and nothing wanted to hit. We did see plenty of trout scooting on the surface out there.. of course trout are out of season so why not strut their stuff in our faces?

 

We gave it all we could but the soaking wet/freezing pants we were wearing kept telling us to go home. And we didn't want to be driving if conditions got any worse on the roads. So we packed it up, defeated, with a beaten perch laying in the bottom of the boat for our efforts. Headed back to Ryan's place to drop off the battery, showed him the perch (which was 13 + inches by the way Ryan!) and went for the long haul home. Well it shouldn't have been a long haul, but we took a detour that led us in a huge 40 minute circle before finally getting back on the road home. lol

 

Thanks for the help & the battery Ryan, too bad you couldn't have come out with us.. though in my opinion, you were better off where you were! lol At least you got to see some big fish where you were, haha

 

Next time we'll make sure to bring our boy over so he can play with your girl!

 

Well bass is done. I was hoping to get one decent one before the season ended, but oh well we gave it a good effort. Bye bass, we'll see ya next June! (insert Sarah Mclaughlin's "I will remember you" here)

 

At least my fillet hand was satisfied once again.

 

Edited December 1, 2008 by Rich

[The Urban Fisherman]

Right on brother - wish I could have made it out with you guys. We can always hit the tribs until ice-up.....and just for the record, those photos DO NOT do that perch justice - it was a genuine pig! Biggest I've ever seen that's for sure...

 

Thanks for poppin' by.

Ryan

[Leecher]

Great report and pics Rich

 

WHOA.... That's a big perch... congratulation

Kudos to both of you for braving the elements

Leechman

[limeyangler]

Holy #@$%

 

That is a big perch.

 

10/10 for toughin it out in the freezing conditions.

[richyb]

so why is the cap on the beer ?

[Headhunter]

Nice size Perch BBR! A little wormy, but nice size!

HH

[Rich]

There was no worms in that perch.. some sea lice around the gills that's about it..