Mary Lou Lake

Another 1 from recent past and my PB 12.8lbs. To say this catch was a surprise would be an understatement. I was fishing a place that had recently become accessible. This was my 3rd trip there the previous 2 trips I caught a bunch of fish 20+ but nothing over 3lbs. About 1.5 hours into the trip the skunk was still on my back or in my Yak. I only had about 30 min left to fish. I wasn't gonna be happy leaving skunked. So I grabbed a light setup I had with me that had 8lb test on it and I tied on a soft stick bait weightless. There's a pencil reed grass point that comes off the bank 20 yards that I paddled to and cast to the peak of the point. 1st cast there and dink dink 1, 2, 3 set the hook and instantly I knew it wasn't a dink. Then she tried to jump but couldn't get more than a 1/3 of herself out of the water. Now I realize how big a fish I had and how under matched equipment wise. I knew I had to try and stay calm and that I was gonna have to play this fish carefully. I lucked out that she went towards the open water and not back into the grass and that I wasn't anchored.

That evening I had fished over and hour without a bite in an attempt to not get skunked I switched to skunk buster a weightless senko on my light spinning outfit with 8lb Fluoro. I change location to a weed point that extends 50' of the bank. 1st cast a little tick tick line starts to move to my right set the hook expecting a dink and she instantly came up and shook her head and I @#$% please stay on. She came up 2 more times I actually managed to get my phone out towards the end and get one on video.