One of my favorite fish I landed last year was a bonus catch on more ways than one.
I had spent the morning wading a small river, catching Bartrams bass, and had managed qualifying Bartrams catches for the Georgia Bass Slam. That had been my day’s objective, so the mission had been accomplished, but I decided to make a quick stop at a boardwalk at the edge of a nearby lake to see if I could catch a few bluegills or other panfish for photos.
I toted an light spinning outfit spooled with 4-pound-test line and rigged with tandem 1/64-ounce jigs and a box with a few spare jigs in my pocket.
The water there stays ultra clear, so you can see the cover and fish that are nearby. I’d spotted a few bluegill, but fewer than normal for that spot, and all were acting tentative.
One jumbo shellcracker had given my top jig a hard look and then fled to deep, shaded brush. I was jiggling my rig and watching carefully, hoping to coax the sunfish back, when a much larger fish — a largemouth bass — emerged from beneath the boardwalk, opened its big trap, and engulfed my tiny jig.
With a snap of my wrist, the fight was on, and I could tell I was way under-equipped. At first it was a battle just keeping the fish from surging into the brush. Even after I gained some measure of control, I knew there was zero chance I could lift the fish from the water with my light line. Eventually I was able to coax the bass close enough so I could lay flat on the boardwalk and reach to the water to grab the bass and land it.
After a few selfies I released the big bass and headed home without putting my jigs back in the water. With my morning mission accomplished and a big bonus bass added, it seemed like a fitting time to call it a successful fishing day.
Fishing on Foot 