Walt & I were planning on taking the boat out today, but due to the rain forecast, we pushed it off. So, I took my UL rod down to the Oxbow to try for some crappie from shore. Not much happening until around 8:00 am. Made a cast with the tiny jig. Felt the familiar "tick" and set the hook. All of a sudden it started getting really heavy and the "fish" started taking line off the drag! Definitely NOT a crappie.
Fought the fish for a few minutes with SHSS bent almost double, figuring I hooked a big carp and that it was going to strip out all my 2 lb. test line and spool me. No way I could prevent it. However, I continued to fight the fish as best I could, holding my finger on the line spool, to assist the drag, as it surged out and started plowing through a weedbed. I figured, that's it.....here's where it breaks off. I kept a steady hold on the fish and it actually got itself out of the weeds. How I still had it on was amazing to me.
Finally I was able to start steering the head towards my shoreline. I climbed down the side of the bank in hopes of at least seeing the fish. It came up and I was amazed to see that I had a huge largemouth bass on......maybe 6 to 8 pounds? The behemoth rose with only it's head out of the water (it was too big to jump), opened it's mouth and - believe it or not - out pops my crappie with my jig still in it's mouth! The bass just sunk back down into the depths. I unhooked my crappie and tossed it back, although it was pretty bad shape by that time. It was 9".
I know they grow pretty big in these waters (state record is 15 lbs, believe it or not!). I've also "heard" of people down south having this similar experience. Just never heard of anyone around our neck of the woods having it happen to them. Then it started to rain so I quit after catching about a 1/2 doz. more crappie from that spot. Sure do wish I had a vidcam today! That'd be something for the books! LOL!
