This morning at 6:30 I arrived at the boat landing. It took about 20 minutes for me to load my equipment and launch the boat. The Garhole was down about 18 inches from the last time I fished there. A DT-10 was the first thing I tried because, as you have read, my cranking reel shot out a few trips ago and now I have a Shimano SLX 70 mgl that I wanted to try. The reel really shined. Would cast a mile and was not too hard to crank. New reel or not, there were no takers. Today I decided to go a different direction than the normal one. Trying not to get stuck in a rut. A worm and a DT-6 were also tied on. I visited some good places with no bites but finally I made a bad cast with the worm and reeling it fast to get back to the boat it came across a sunken top and a bass came up and hit it on top. Luckily I kept my wits about me and waited a count before I set the hook and caught it. I managed to catch a few more but things were going slowly. Fishing with a worm off of a steep bank, all of a sudden there was a commotion and bubbles came up like something big was on the bottom and got scared and left in a hurry. I noticed my line was moving and was nervous not knowing what denizen might have the worm, suspecting a large turtle or catfish. It ended up being a 4 3/4 pound bass that had black spots all over it almost like camouflage.

A very pleasant surprise. Continuing on my different track going clockwise around the hole I came upon a place that used to be a hot spot but the last couple of years has been terrible. I still could not pass it without giving it a try. Lo and behold, my new reel hauled in a 3 3/4 on a DT-10. I was hoping for more there but no. Things were still going slow and I was becoming worried because some good places were empty, at least of any fish I could catch. A worm thrown up next to a down tree got a thump and the line started to move. On hookset a big fish powered off and pulled drag. When the big bass came up I really got excited until long into the fight the fish shook and the hook came loose. My first guess was between 6 and 7 pounds but you can’t put a guess on the scales. I was sick. Losing a fish doesn’t usually bother me but this time I got low. I kept thinking of the one Butler hooked twice and decided I was going to soon try that place again. I did try again a little later but it was to no avail. As the clouds were gathering, I caught a couple more around the bank but there was no concentration. In desperation, I returned to one of the good places where I caught nothing earlier this morning and it was looking like a repeat. I thought I felt a sprinkle of rain so I was in a hurry. Just a couple more casts. Something just stopped the DT-6, pulled drag and refused to come up. I was thinking big catfish but when it showed it was a good bass. Now the problem was getting it in the boat. The landing net rotted this spring when the water took the boat, I had forgotten the little red plastic vice grip type fish landing tool and the DT-6 was sideways in the fish’s mouth. After about 5 tries I finally slipped my fingers under the fish’s gills and lifted it into the boat. FOD 6-0. Could not get another to bite but, rejuvenated, I decided to go to the place where I caught the one on the DT-10 hoping it is coming back. It was good for two, another 4 3/4 and a 3 3/4. Maybe if the water falls a little more it will really be good. Ended up with 14 in all . Biggest 5 weighed 22 1/4 pounds and if I had caught the big one that got away……….. You know the joke about if a frog had wings.