Quick Trips Pay Off

One of my most impromptu trips of the year turned out to be the most profitable of them all. I decided to drop my Kilroy off a rough bridge embankment and paddle up and shallow creek known for monster spotted bass. The access is beyond awful, but it typically coughs up some of the biggest spotted bass you will see in my area.

I paddled up and fished all of the most prime spots with some scattered success. I found an area chock full of small minnows and hungry schooling bass gorging on them. Schooling bass are usually cookie cutter fish who provide action, but little excitement. After beating up the water with my craw flies and shad streamers, I pulled out my Bull Shad swimbait and fished back through the water I had just paddled up. I honestly didn’t expect to catch much and I made quite the racket paddling up the small creek.

Much to my surprise, my best spotted bass of the year crushed a 5” Bull Shad and put on a fierce battle. The fish shook the front hook and was barely hanging by a barb when I got her into the net. This chunky beast had tons of character and shoulders a linebacker would be proud of!