Back To Bass Fishing

[FLUKE]

So despite having enjoyed many years as a competitive bass angler many circumstances forced me to stop almost exactly 15 years ago and for the last 11 years I have not had a boat so I have spent ONLY 8 days on Wriggleswade in the last 11 years. I then however got the opportunity to get a modest little boat again, with only 10hp it is no rocket ship and if 2 of us want to fish planing is not an option but it floats and can get me anywhere and I'm not scared to take on the worst of Blaines Bay in a Gale South West in it
It is kitted out with a Fish Finder, 54lb tiller electric motor on the front with a deck mounted foot switch and ext handle, front casting deck, navigation lights but NO Livewell yet which becomes significant as the story unfolds!! Primarily this is to be a salt and freshwater lure fishing boat that can get onto any waters no matter how big or small and even if there is no slipway with the help of my Trusty Triton 4x4 I can still launch.

 

[FLUKE]

So 2-3 October I headed to Wriggleswade for my first weekend there in 11 years and I arrived just after a massive cold front and struggled to put 7-8 fish a day on the boat with the biggest 1,37kg which is tough going compared to what I remembered but I had been told that the dam had got a little tougher.
Anyway 10 October the preceding weather had looked a lot better so I planned to go for the day despite some hectic wind forecast for the day.
The day started a bit slow but then I kicked it off with a beatiful 2,2kg fish which had me smiling from ear to ear. My PB may have been 4kg and my best day was a social day of 17 fish with the 5 heaviest weighing in at 15kg but that was way back in 1999/2000 so a 2,2kg made my day!! but......

 

[FLUKE]

As the day progressed the fishing was tough and although most bites were 750-950g fish the bites were slow.
Then I arrived a a bank of laydowns and started pitching my trusty Booyah spinnerbait into them.
I had just fished one laydown and as my eyes moved to the next I saw a Black Shadow, it looked like it was moving slowly and couldn't be a Carp because of the colour. Without hesitation I flicked the spinnerbait past and in front of the moving shadow and after a few turn felt the spinnerbait stop dead!! I set the hook and it was a solid hook set so I knew it was a better fish, it went down, swam past the front of the boat, then the line started coming towards the surface. I was still quite calm and collected until it jumped!! and as it's huge bucket mouth appeared followed by a barrel of a body my knees nearly collapsed. I instinctively thought, "here is a 5kg+ Dam record" and doubt just as quickly said, "it cant be".
The fish would not fit in my net so I lip landed it and as I lifted it in let out a yell of excitement.
Now!! No Livewell and a scale that only reads to 3kg, I put it on the scale but it bottomed out hard!
I have a 45ltr container I keep my Phone, dry clothes, tagging and first aid kit etc in. I grabbed it and turned it over dumping all my valuables on the deck!! I leaned over the side and scooped it full of water and put the fish in but it was corner to corner with tail bent and it's mouth jammed in the corner. I COULD NOT bring myself to make the 10-15min ride back to the campsite to find a scale with this beautiful fish like that.
I knew there was a nearby boat so I went over and they never had a scale either. So I took my tape out my ORI tagging kit and measured her at 63cm L and 45cm G, asked the guys on the other boat to take a pic and let her swim free thinking I probably just released the 2nd 4kg Bass of my life. I then carried on fishing taking several more average fish off that bank.
I packed up left and took the 1hr drive home smiling, well nearly ecstatic. As a drove back into Gonubie I stopped to say hi to a couple friends fishing for sharks and went onto Fishweights, typed in the numbers and got a weight, 5,27kg I cannot describe all the emotions but let me just say, I AM REALLY EXCITED

 

[DocPhil]

What a PIG!! Very well done!!

 

[EugeneC]

That's a dream fish indeed, congratulations and well done! I have tremendous respect for the fact that you released the fish rather than risk it for a weigh-in.

 

[DocPhil]

EugeneC wrote:

I have tremendous respect for the fact that you released the fish rather than risk it for a weigh-in.

x2. Exemplary conduct there. A true angler

 

[FLUKE]

Thanks, without fish there is no fishing so for me the fish always need to be put first.

 

[bassbug]

also the biggest catch is that you back on the water with the perfect spoonplugging boat, congrats bud

 

[Jakes 10]

Awesome catch Fluke!!! Well done. Strange that a 5kg bass can get your pumping the same as with a 150kg toothy. Ol'bucket mouth will always have a soft spot in our hearts....