River Bass on a Buzzbait

Went out Saturday morning to my favorite section of the Haw. Landed 4 bass. Each one caught on a Sexy Shad Buzzbait. One of the fish pulled me off the rock I was leaning against. I nearly fell in. Summer wet wading is fun. Top water buzzbait action is hands down the best. Thanks Dean.


A little perspective on how we fish the rivers.

First trip with my custom Weavercraft rod.

I had just picked up my new custom rod from Eddie at Weavercraft Fishing. I couldn't resist taking it out for a trial run.

I went down to a favorite spot on the Haw River. It was hot out there. The water was hot and the rocks were scorching. It felt like a sauna. On my third cast I missed a small male bowfin. He went airborne almost immediately. With an incredible display of power he hurled himself from the water and almost as if he was gliding on his tail he flung the lure from his toothy jaws.

I hiked up around the river jumping from rock to rock and across small roaring waterfalls. As soon as I made it to the middle, I cast below a small riffle. Instantly I hooked in to a monster. The strike brought my lure to a dead stop and then with incredible force the fin headed downstream. I pulled myself together and prepared for a fight. Almost as soon as I began to set my hook on this freshwater river predator, I felt the line slacken. Disheartened, I analyzed my gear and tried to make sense of the situation. The heat was getting to me and I was about to pack my gear and head back to land. A small breeze kicked in and brought with it a much needed cloud cover. I tweaked my drag slightly and set out to prove myself and my new gear.

It wasn't long before I found myself once again in the midst of a battle. My lure was struck violently as it came between two large, jagged boulders in the river. The fish headed down stream. I prepped myself and set the hook as hard as I could manage. It felt like a good hook-set. I eased out my drag and let the fish tire itself. As I brought her up onto my rocky perch, she flung my lure and slid into a closed off pool in the granite field.

I couldn't leave her in there. She would surely have died from the heat. After a half dozen attempts I was able to gently grab her from under a rock. I brought her back to the current and when she felt revived I watched as she gently swam away to the depths. It felt great to know she was ok.

The new rod is incredible. Great distance and enough backbone for muscle tearing hook-setting power. It looks high class. I'm very picky about my fishing rods and Eddie did an outstanding job with it.

2010 Highlights - 5/28/2010

A nice pond bass. I caught a dozen or so that day from this pond.

2010 Highlights - 5/9/2010

I didn't take a lot of photos during 2010, but I had a stellar year. It seemed like the river bass I caught averaged between 3-5 pounds.

2010 Highlights - 3/14/2010

7.0 lb. Largemouth Bass caught by Mike S fishing on Sunday March 14, 2010 at 11:05 near Apex in Wake County, North Carolina (NC), United States North America using a AlluringBaits.com Shimmering Shad a Worm

11/16/2009 FOTY

My personal best. She was massive. My hands were shaking, I couldn't breathe. I tried to get my fish grabber on her while she was in the water but her mouth was too big. I've lost so many bowfin in that hole. I think I lost this same fish a few weeks ago. What a beauty.

It was an incredible fight. I was listening to some music...zoned out and when she hit I thought I had hooked a beaver or something. I got all caught up in my headphone cord. I know I looked like an idiot.

Once I saw how big she was I couldn't breathe till I got as far away from the water with her as I could. What a blast.

10/27/2009

Went for a 6 hour hike with Joe and Ian. Caught 13 in total today.

9/12/2009

Had a great day wet wading the river. I caught 10 Bass and 2 Bream. I lost a beast bass too. Broke off my 10 pound test. Thanks to Ric and Joe for going. This was a great pic.

9/6/2009

Oh man. I went out this morning with Henry and Joe. We were scoring some ~2 lbs bass. Henry and Joe both pull in 3+ pounders. I hiked a little further up the river and perched on a jagged rock upstream. A few minutes later, I thought I hooked a rock till it started pulling to the side. lol. I hooked this fish a long way out and it made for a heck of good battle. Lots of air and yelling. We worked to get to the fish but it paid off. It was a really treacherous landscape. Slick, jagged rocks. I ended the morning with 3 bass.

Here's a quote from a really good friend:
"
Mike,
I heard you holler and I turned when that monster made its first bull run. Its open mouth looked like a whirlpool had formed in the main channel - the difference being that this whirlpool was shaking and pulling. So long as I live, I will never forget that image of the bass exploding out of the calm pool. It was an awesome sight, and I had the perfect view with the sun at my back.
Don;t worry about the pics. I'll send my photos of the fish. They are awesome.
H "

9/5/2009

This wasn't the biggest of the day but the best looking pic. Decided to go solo today and went to a hole I have always gotten skunked at in the past.

I got a rooster tail hung on a rock so I went wading out to get it. I decided to take my spare rod along. All of a sudden I saw this bass dart by. I threw my texas rig in front of him and held my breath. Boom. That started off a killing spree. My heart was racing. I was wading through these awesome hidden channels and finding little holes full of 2 & 3 pound bass. I lost a nice pickerel 5 feet from my greedy little hands. All together it was around 20 fish. Most of the bass were 2-3 pounds and all river fish. They put up the best fight.

8/17/2009

Caught this Redfin Pickerel today. Biggest one I've ever seen. She was full of eggs and really fat. Came in a little over 1lb on my scale. Never seen a pickerel come out of this hole.

6/27/2009

We road-tripped up to the Dan River for smallmouth. I caught 4 or 5 sunfish and one smallie (no pic though). I wasn't having much luck with top water so I switched to a nymph and immediately picked-up this notty-head. I haven't caught one of these in 15 years or more. My cousin and I used to slay these things in the creeks further over in the mountains. I'm glad to see they're still some left.

5/17/2009

Here's a Roanoke Bass. These things sure fight well. I caught them all on my ultra-light. I'll be back with my fly-rod though. Eno River.

5/9/2009

My first Redfin Pickerel. Brought my ultralight today. I was dead set on getting a pickerel out of here. By no means close to the quality my friend John Wright keeps producing but I'm grinning.

4/19/2009

Get this, I'm wading a heavily vegetated area of the swamp. Bugs were eating me alive. I see a fin stick his head up for air so I ease over that way. After about 10 mins he came by me at a good pace. I lost track of him after that. Then, all of a sudden, he jumps up and bites my leg! Scared the hell out of me. I started yelling. I didn't know what just happened. I look down and he's still there. He didn't just bite my waders and run off. He was trying to pick a fight!

I put my Senko in the water and he hit it instantly. He got away that time. A moment later I look and he's flanking me. He's looking straight at me with his mouth wide open and gills stuck out. I dropped my Senko on him again and this time I landed him.

Soon after I see a black mass moving through the water. It was a wad of baby bowfin. lol, now I get it. I read the males protect the nest but never thought a 3.5 lbs fish would attack a 200lbs 6ft person!

I placed him back on the bed. I'll retire that spot for the year and hopefully next year I'll have a sweet bowfin honey hole. Joe and I found at least 4 nests with bowfin lurking by acting just like this guy. What an awesome fish.

4/8/2009

Caught 9 white bass this evening along with a few other fish. Great action. I couldn't get any Bowfin to take but had a lot of fun catching these. Had to hide in the woods along the creek from Joe so he couldn't fish thief me. Was lucky enough to get a few fish before he came over to sabotage my efforts.

3/22/2009

Well I was disappointed.I thought I had a small fish. Funny thing is when I first got him up to my boat he looked like a 2 headed turtle. Given that it is a nuclear power plant lake, lol, you never know. Just barely nicked his foot with my Senko. Weird man.

3/10/2009

HenryV and I with a pair a fins. Henry caught a beast just then. Number 5 for the day for me. I finished up with
10 fins that day. Also caught several carp, white bass and LMB.

3/9/2009

What an incredible day. Literally hundreds of Bowfin swarming in one area. Dozens lined the bank. I foul hooked several. You couldn't help it they were so thick. I finally got these two fin to go for something legit. What a nice way to end the evening. Thanks Joe for helping me out.

3/7/09

We dragged our kayaks over a mile to fish in a swamp lol. This is all I got to show for it. Caught on a Senko.

3/8/2009

My first Pickerel! Took off to the creek early this morning with my friends. Was about to leave and headed over by Joe to ask him a question. He turned around to do something and I casted there in his spot. I really didn't intend to fish thief him this time but looks like it happened again. :) Thanks Joe and Henry.

2/12/2009

Trying out a new bait and caught this little guy. Thanks goes to Joe A for the professional photography skills (and for allowing me to fish thief him).

4lbs
Bush Hog

2/10/2009

Caught this fin just as the Sun was going down in a beaver pond. Thanks to Joe A for the net and landing skills.

7 lb. 28.5"

spinnerbait

Upcoming

I haven't updated this blog in awhile. I'm going to post a few more of the 2009 pics and a best of 2010. Have some great fish to post and hopefully a lot more to share from this year.