Jon P Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Three years later and a lot of time on the water and I finally broke my old PB mark of 6.46, upgrading two one-hundredths of a pound to 6.50. Still leaving me the pounds of the new state mark. By no means a complete smashing of the old mark but it feels good! Left work about three PM on Friday to drive up to a lake a buddy and I had been dissecting on the weekends. A 60’ deep high mountain pond with a public boat ramp and absolutely ridiculous trout stockings. Just about every cast got following schools of hatchery trout and little wolf packs of 2-3 bass. There was a specific cove with a private dock and some giant fallen ponderosa pines where my buddy claimed to have seen a larger (est. 6-8 lb) pair of fish cruising. Made a few casts around the dock and pines and only drew up massive schools of pounders. Motored out from that spot to a main lake point with a tiny little lay down sticking off it. Stood up, made a half assed cast to see if there was anything in the area and THIS fish came up from deeper water and came up fast to the bait. Tried to get a reaction from her with some quick real pops but she became disinterested, swimming back down and out of sight. Made a wide circle up the bank, upwind of the point. Started drifting back to where the fish was and made a long bomb cast back up the bank, slowly retrieving as I started to drift back from where the fish previously showed itself. As I was creeping it in I could see the bait enter into visible range about fifteen feet behind the boat, the bass tight behind it. Shot the bait out to the right, and the fish followed tight on it. Gave it another pop and both the bait and the fish were out of view behind the canoe. Swam it back to where I could see it, the fish was angling to eat it head first. I gave it one more pop and the fish nailed it headfirst! Reefed into the hook set and my drag wasn’t set at all. Barely hooked it well enough for the bait to stay stuck as the fish muscled down to the timber underneath the canoe. Quickly adjusted the drag and started cranking the fish up through the brush, barely managing to come through the thinner branches to the surface. Once at the surface I went for the net, and couldn’t get it out. The fish was wallowing on the surface trying to shake the bait and I barely managed to get the net under it. For a few seconds the fish was only on one treble and the back treble was in the net, keeping the fish just barely out of the opening. Floundered with it a few seconds and finally twisted the net around freeing the bait and bagging the fish! Got her all measured up and photographed and she swam off fine. That was the only fish I caught all day but it makes the year! talking to a woman fishing for bass on the public dock and apparently because there’s natural hot springs in the area, bass here spawn early. According to her she was bed fishing in mid April. Which is insane considering our fish don’t usually spawn til late May early June. The reason I make note of this is that it’s entirely possible this fish weighed 6.5 lbs in the post spawn. The water was definitely more than warm enough for it. This lake also has an insane enough volume of food, structure, and impenetrable cover that it could be hiding many larger fish. Definitely putting it up on the board for state record quality water. IMG_5520.MOV ThatKidInNY, SVT THUNDER, SoCalBassBum and 19 others 21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT THUNDER Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Congrats man! Great narrative also. Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbass Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Thats a great fish and congratulations Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalBassBum Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Congrats on the solid fish! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachThomas Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Awesome fish! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG_Fishes Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Dude hell yes! The story behind it and knowing all the work that you put into it makes it so much better. Now to get that 7+ before the next 3 years are up! Jon P and DrewManFishing 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthefisherman Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Great fish, Jonathan! Congrats! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkmeatballs Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Well done! Thats a good one! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
253caster Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Stoked for you bro! You put that bait to work with the quickness! Well done! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustBassinAround916 Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Girthy! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim137a Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Congrats with the Montana handicap that’s 9.5 pounds. ‘’you’re zeroing in on that state record. !!!! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yev14 Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Great fish congrats! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stkbass Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Congrats!! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattGbaz Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 11in hiros a beast Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollinVo Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 He'll yeah man, that's dope! Jon P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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