The private hole gave me a whipping this morning. Right off the bat before I left the landing area I saw some fish on the depthfinder. I dropped a worm down and one picked it up with a slight tap. When I set the hook I felt the fish but there was no hookup. A few minutes later the same thing, bit and spit, and no more after that. One of the highlights of the day was when I heard a bunch of turkeys come off the roost and start their morning conversation. Nothing from a topwater to a worm in 20 feet of water worked, not even a nip. At one place I heard what sounded like a small bass hitting by the bank. I heard it again, saw ripples, and trolled over to the spot where I made a couple of casts.  Then it happened again but it was no fish, it was a pecan that a squirrel high in the tree had dropped . It sounded just like a small bass hitting on top. Finally as I was feeling something with a worm and it pulled on the bait like they do when they spit it out. Thinking I had been busted I just let it sit and slowly the line started to move off. When I set the hook the drag started to squeal as the large fish headed for open water. I thought a good fish would make a slow day worthwhile.  As it came by the boat you could see a large bass looking shape but it was deep enough so it was only a shape. As the fight continued the fish came up and it was a tremendous “grinner”. The good thing was that just as I was trying to figure out how I was going to get it into the boat, the hook came out. Grinners don’t even start to fight until they get into the boat. Eight pound class grinner. I saw a lot of fish on the depthfinder but none must have been bass. Most were about 7 1/2 feet deep. I may just go up there with a cane pole and crickets next time.