Reaping the Rewards

In a recent post I talked extensively about commitment and how sticking to your game plan will eventually pay off. You may come up empty handed day after day but if you keep going your turn will come. I’m not saying you won’t catch fish along the way, and depending on what your particular goal is you may reach is sooner than later.
Its important to understand that across the country goals vary. You may be looking for your first swimbait fish, a 4 lber, an 8 lber, or for the Texans in the crowd, a Share-a-Lunker. Or maybe you’re just looking to catch more fish, these are all great goals and are all achievable in time. Whatever your goal is, creating a game plan and following through is the only way to achieve it.
Yes, you can hire guides, use live bait, or try to glean something from the “dock talk”, these things can speed up the learning curve but in the end nothing replaces time on the water.
On a recent trip I was rewarded with a beautiful 11.5 lb bass. The fish was great, but the conditions were anything but. Most anglers had already given up and headed for the ramp but we decided to hold out and fish a little longer. I was armed with a sweatshirt and flip flops, not the sort of gear one should be wearing during a harsh spring storm in the mountains. Logic said to pack up and head for the protection of the truck but my goals mandated that I continue to fish.
Through the shakes, shivers, and yeah, a little bit of whining, something magical happened. The bite turned on. Out of seemingly no where two fish bit back to back. We went from no fish, to two fish for over 17 lbs

The moral of the story is to keep going. Remember to respect your surroundings and know your limits but if at all possible stick to your plan. The big fish are there and when the time is right, they bite. If you wrap it up and head for the ramp you’ll never know what could have been.

My 17 lber... the untold story

Every successful angler sets goals to help stay on track but somewhere out there in the distance, even farther than the tangible is the intangible. The intangible consists of things too far fetched to even be called goals, they are left in the realm of dreams. One of my dreams was to someday log on to bassmaster and see a picture of me holding a giant bass. Thanks to Dan O'Sullivan I got to see one of my dreams come to fruition. Thank you DanO for doing a great write up and telling the untold story of my biggest bass. A lot of people know that I caught her but even some of my close friends didn't know the details of the catch. I'd like to think I've come a long way from then but then again, maybe not. Afterall, I've hooked a lot of big bass with a rod and reel but none as big as her. DanO wrote it best when he titled the article "Help From Above." There is no doubt in my mind I was meant to catch that fish. I did everything wrong! From the single size 1 treble to the light line, to the light action rod, I couldn't have made poorer decisions but it just goes to show you that when its your time, there is no stopping the inevitable. All I can say is while I did everything wrong, I still managed to be in the right place at the right time, during the right feeding window. Bassmaster.com Article Check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And yes, I assure you the story is true.

Glimpse at a 42 lb limit

Some days you launch the boat and the world just feels right. You can sense that something epic is coming. The clouds are just right, there is a ripple on the water, and the water temperature seems perfect for big fish.
On this particular day I had that feeling. That is, until 3 hours had gone by and we didn’t have a fish in the boat! 3 big bites down, no fish! It was starting to look like a disaster until my partner got one to the net.

Isn’t it amazing how one fish can turn a whole day around? It seemed like all was lost until a single fish connected and made it to the net. Then it was game on! I apologize for the dark pictures but we caught fish so consistently we didn’t bother to take their picture until it was dark and the bite had stopped.

Here is a quick video giving a glimpse into a livewell full of largemouth! These fish were caught on a variety of lures. At this point I’m not even sure what fish ate what baits. Fish were caught on a homemade 7″ boot tail swimbait, 6″ injected lunker punker, super spook, Snagproof frog, and Yamamoto Senko.

The fish were actually incredibly simple to catch. They had moved up in very shallow water along a reed and chunk rock bank. We spent most of the day casting parallel to shore and working the baits in 2 to 10 feet of water.

11.5 lbs tops a 42 lb limit!

For those of you that aren’t aware Kirk isn’t just a business partner. He is an up and coming stick and when he speaks be sure to take notes!
– Matt Allen

As the motor shut down and the prop wash faded behind the boat the excitement began to set in. It was one of those days where the weather, the tides, and the moon all seemed to be lining up together.

As I dropped the trolling motor and motored toward one of my favorite banks I turned to Kirk and told him it was time to throw swimbaits.
5 casts later I fell the tell-tale “thud” of a big fish, I rear back on the rod but after a split second the rod unloads… I reeled up to find nothing but two huge scales stuck to hooks on my bait.
I worked the bank meticulously for the next hour and had 3 other huge bites. None of the bites connected for one reason or another. It was starting to feel like “one of those” days and I’m not talking about the kind of day you look forward to!
As I made a return pass through the familiar water I heard a yell from the back of the boat quickly followed by an explosion of water and slime right at my feet! I turned in time to see Kirk rearing back on his Dobyns swimbait rod and an 11.5 lb delta bass tail walking down the side of the boat!
Yes, I said TAIL WALKING! I’ve never seen such a big fish get all the way out of the water and stay there for an extended period of time!
After a quick fight and a quick net job the fish was in the livewell. We each took turns cursing ourselves for not taking the time to hook up the video camera in advance but at least you get to enjoy the release video!

We had no idea what was coming as the afternoon wore on! When it was all said and done we had a 42 lb limit anchored by Kirk’s 11.5 lber. Truly an amazing afternoon to be on the delta!

As much as we love sharing footage of these big bass this isn’t all we are about at tactical bassin. If you have topic ideas, questions, or concerns please take a moment to click the “Post Suggestions” tab at the top of this page and let us know what’s on your mind. We look forward to YOUR input as we continue to grow the site!