Another stellar day in the tube

[Scott V]

I have this little lake I go to that I have never been able to get to hit the fly. But you throw a little rubber worm and it is quality fish all day, and some monsters. Ed has gone out and seen how tough it can be for the fly and yet so easy for the rubber worm. Well the tides have changed and I had an awesome day on the water. My second cast of a popper got me my first fish of the day. Played with more on top water for another 30 minutes then switched to subsurface. And for a while it was nice fish after nice fish. Even a few at 18" and bigger. If i saw a bass and threw to it good I almost always got it. As I come around another dock I see a swirl next to the edge of the lake. I throw, it hits, I set the hook and it takes off. Has to be the biggest bass I ever caught, or so I thought. This fish starts pulling me around for about 10 minutes, I can get the line all the way into the rod with just the tippet hang out, but I can not budge it. Then I see a shadow, not just any shadow but a very big one. So I start kicking to the edge of the lake, there is no shore it is surrounded by houses and condos. I get to the shallow area about 2 feet deep and get out of my tube, the whole time one of the house owners is watching me and laughing away. I finally get a good look and it is a monster carp and it is hooked in the side of the mouth, the carp actually hit my little black wiggle tail type fly. I get it to me and it is about 3 feet long, I reach down to grab it by the tail, but the tail was too big to grab. I have no idea how to grab this thing to get my fly back or even try and get a picture. So after a couple more minutes it breaks off and swims away. My guess is 15 - 20 pounds easily, there are monster carp all over this lake, I saw one pushing 4 feet long. And to top it off it was on my 5 weight, what an awesome fish. In the last picture you can barley see its head, that was the only picture we got. As for how many bass, lets just say I stopped counting after 10.

What a day!!!!!! God bless America and Happy Memorial Day!!!!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/PsychoZ/Dans%20lake/IMGP2625.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/PsychoZ/Dans%20lake/IMGP2626.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/PsychoZ/Dans%20lake/IMGP2630.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/PsychoZ/Dans%20lake/IMGP2632.jpg

[Blueracer]

No way, you didn't employ the belly rub? Ancient carp trick that only works on those over 30 inches or have too big of a tail to grab onto. Give it a try next time ;) :D

Glad you had a fantastic day on the water. Way to get out there.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Scott.....another excellent post with cool photos.

Why go Shad fishing when we have all this great Bass & Panfish going on now?

[BillB]

Great pic's Scott. Those are some nice specimens! To bad you couldn't snap the "Bugle Mouth Bass"!

[jburge]

Wow, way to go Scott. Way cool post, pix and adventures.

John