Lavishing Lunker Largemouth Bass Fishing Extravaganza

by Marc D
(Freshwater Canyon)

It was a perfectly nice warm day with clear blue bird skies. It was late spring and it seemed that the largemouth bass were transitioning out of their spawning seasons – some bass were still on their spawning beds while the rest had already spawned and moved out to deeper water.

So, I decided to take a break from my normal every day daily activities and headed out for a little bit of freshwater fishing action. I took a quick drive about two miles down the road to a slough just off part of the main river system.

I only planned on fishing for largemouth bass from the bank. So I had my 7 foot medium action Shakespeare Ugly Stik fishing rod, matched with a Shakespeare spinning reel, and a Texas rigged curly tail Berkley Power Worm. Just in case I got snagged or broke off, I made sure that I had with me a few extra worms, hooks, bullet weights, my Rapala fisherman pliers and of course my fishing license.

I began fishing along the rip rap at various key areas that I think would hold bass. I moved along the banks casting towards all types of cover those bass love to hang out at. Besides looking for spawning largemouths sitting on their beds, I cast around wood piles, overhanging trees, tully bushes, extended points, farm water pipes and pumps.

After about a half an hour I had made my way down near the dead end of the levy. I stood up on a large boulder and began making a few casts. As I usually do, I was looking around for other areas to make my next casts as I reeled in.

I made my last cast before I was going to move on. I started to reel in then my rod tip bent over. At first I though I was snagged in the rocks submerged under the water. I swiftly jerked the rod in a hook setting motion and I see my line moving out from my left side towards the right.

It was pulling hard and I wasn't sure what it was. I wondered if it could be a big carp, a catfish or a striped bass. It swam out straight ahead of me and then it jumped... OMG! It was a big fat largemouth bass. Oh yeah! Fish on baby!

There was just one problem...

As I was fighting to get the fish in I was trying to figure out exactly how I was going to get down to the water so that I could land the beast. Like I said, I was standing on top of a large boulder. And the embankment was pretty much a straight 6 foot drop off, consisting of rocks and boulders.

I got the largemouth bass in to the shoreline and decided to take a chance. I hoisted the big girl about three to four feet out of the water and had a nice grin on my face. Then she gave a good shake and snapped my line. She dropped straight back down into the water.

But, the fish was sitting there momentarily stunned, surrounded by some rocks under the water. I thought, "screw it", and jumped right down in there. But as soon as I touched her she swam away through the rocks and was gone.

What a huge fish. It looked to be about 7 or 8 pounds. It was the biggest largemouth bass that I had ever caught up until that point. Does it still count if I didn't get to hold it? By golly, I sure wish I could have been able to take some pictures of the fish.

I hope you enjoyed this largemouth bass fish story - one of my many freshwater fishing stories. This one just happens to be about the elusive lunker largemouth bass that lavished in the realms of getting away. O_o