New Maine Largemouth PB

[ctbrahan]

Yesterday I went out in the evening to target bass on a soft bodied bluegill swimbait and caught some nice ones close to 3.75ish. I made the decision to wake up today at 4:00 to make the 1 hour bike ride over to my spot so I could hit it at sunrise. When arrived to the lakeside I found a beautiful sunrise greeting me with a slight wind on the lake. I rigged my rod and looked through my tackle box trying to decide what lure to throw. One lure stood out to me in particular. A KO gancraft jointed claw 230 that I airbrushed in a color I call candy trout earlier this spring. I had never had luck on glides over 7 inches before back in NH. But something felt right and I decided to tie the 9 inch glide on. I took a small first cast and checked the action and the floating rate on the glide. I figured that it would do and casted it out and got a backlash because my reel's brakes were set for a bait half the weight. I managed to pull the backlash out quickly and started to reel in the bait. Not half a turn of the handle later I feel a hard hit on the glide and give a hard hookset. The fish dug hard but I winched the fish in with the trusty cardiff and flipped it onto the bank. I looked at the fish in disbelief. The fish was 3 pounds 5 ounces (about 18 inches long) and managed to eat a 9 inch glide that I painted. I knew that bass often attack baits to big to eat but this surprised me. Overjoyed with excitement I took some crappy photos and let her go. I couldn't believe how hard that fish hit the bait for not even being that big. I then checked my drag, adjusted my brakes and made a repeat cast a little farther away from the previous fish catch. I made sure to give the bait long pauses and sure enough, not 10 feet later I got the thump I was looking for. I set the hook and new that this fish was a different caliber than the rest of the fish I've caught in the past week. As much as I wanted to slowly fight her I knew that I needed to get the fish in fast. My expride xh was loaded up fully as I fought the fish to the bank. As she got closer I saw the mouth open on the fish and new that the last 5 feet of bringing her in was going to be a make it or break it situation. I decided it would be best to land her by grabbing her gaping mouth with my hand. I looked at the fish with excitement and knew that this was my first 4+ on a glidebait and my biggest bass I landed in Maine. I put her on my fish leash to let her breath (rapala fish grips with paddle leash attached and tied to a tree). I then weighed her at 4 pounds 9 ounces. I was super exited and shaking all over. While I've caught many fours, fives, a couple of 6's, and even a 7 on conventional tackle in NH. None got me more exited than this fish on my own bait. I took again crappy photos (Its a theme here if you can't tell) and let her swim away. I ended up landing one more 2 pound 5 ounce bass on the 9 inch glide, a 2-13 on a bluegill swimbait, a 3 even on a river 2 sea s waver 168, and lost a 15+ pound pike on the s-waver (I admit it would've been nice to catch two swimbait pb's in one day. Last year I lost 5 bass over 5 pounds on swimbaits in NH (biggest on a swimbait last year was four), I quickly lost confidence in swimbaits and almost gave it up. I decided though to give everything one last chance this year and bought a dedicated swimbait reel and put it on my expride (broke a zodias frogging last year, shimano customer service upgraded the rod for me at no cost). I learned from my mistakes last year (underpowered rod, only using straight braid, cheap hooks, bad hooksets, not keeping pressure on fish) and after three great days of swimbait fishing this year, I know that my swimbait stick is coming with me on every bass trip this year. Thanks to those who read this far and those who have answered my swimbait questions in the past couple years.

First two photos are the 3-5, Second two are of the 4-9 PB, Last is of the baits I've been using (5 inch senko for reference)

[ctbrahan]

Photos 2-3 are of PB 

Photos 1-4 are of the first fish of the day

[Mossyback Angler]

Congratulations on the P.B., nice write up to go with it.

[ctbrahan]

Thanks

[CG_Fishes]

Great fish, good work. If you ever wanna get better pictures while fishing solo, I recommend setting your phone on a tree or backpack and using the self timer. I fish solo 90% of the time and it works great 

[bassbass]

Hard work pays off. Congratulations

[ctbrahan]

9 hours ago, CG_Fishes said:

Great fish, good work. If you ever wanna get better pictures while fishing solo, I recommend setting your phone on a tree or backpack and using the self timer. I fish solo 90% of the time and it works great 

That is a good Idea, I'll have to try that.

[BPayne]

That is killer bro!  Congrats!  Which Expride you throwing your swimmies on?

[danthefisherman]

Beautiful fish, congratulations!

[ctbrahan]

On 4/18/2022 at 2:10 PM, BPayne said:

That is killer bro!  Congrats!  Which Expride you throwing your swimmies on?

7'6" XH Fast. It was a warranty replacement for a zodias model that I broke frogging last year. Great action to it and can handle flipping fives.

[scurdy]

Love it. Things have a way of working themselves out..

[Unclefish4life]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:37 AM, CG_Fishes said:

Great fish, good work. If you ever wanna get better pictures while fishing solo, I recommend setting your phone on a tree or backpack and using the self timer. I fish solo 90% of the time and it works great 

Damn, this whole time, yearrrrrs and I've never thought of that - thanks man! And OP, awesome story and nice fish man, pretty cool on a bait you painted yourself. 

[bassturds]

On 4/17/2022 at 9:37 AM, CG_Fishes said:

Great fish, good work. If you ever wanna get better pictures while fishing solo, I recommend setting your phone on a tree or backpack and using the self timer. I fish solo 90% of the time and it works great 

That’s what I do as well!

[bassturds]

Awesome fish. Congrats 

[MillerDaPikeKiller]

Good ones!