NCangler

Originally Posted by dstorm_88

Having been seeing the bass starting to hit the shallows, I decided it was time to give it a go and really fish for bass. I am a relatively new angler (started last years trout season), and have never just fished for bass. Usually sunfish, trout, and cats.

Did a lot of reading tips, lures, and everything I could find leading up to actually fishing for them, since I really didn't feel like getting skunked.

Headed out to Powhatan with my gear, and went to a spot I've been meaning to fish as it looked promising, and it was.

Started with a zoom black trick worm (it usually works great for smallmouth below the dam), and had a few hits, but missed the hookset, or the bass spit it out before setting. Not sure of the hook size, it is from a small bass-kit from wal-mart.

Switched to a metallic black & red powerbait chiggercraw, and had a very large and strong hit. It took a sideways run taking lots of line with it, and then took a run straight for me where I regained a good bit of line, it was still 30-40 feet off when it did quite an aerial show of a few flips and wiggles, appearing to be in the 2+ ft range, and shaking the hook right off. That was the one and only (exciting) hit on the chigger craw, so I chose something other than the color black, and went with a zoom watermelon seed ribbon tail worm.

Immediately started getting hits on the ribbon tail, and landed the first bass, about 10-12" (I didn't measure any until the last one of the day).

Shortly after, caught the smallest of the day, maybe 8", but it put up a great fight.

A lot of casts later, and caught one about the size of the first, hanging around some dense vegetation.
- The picture of the bird is about where the 3rd was caught, but the bird had really been watching the fish intently, and was perfectly poised for a photo-op.
Between the 2nd and the 3rd bass, the beach opened and the swimmers came... loudly, and splashingly did they come, and being near the right of the beach, everything was spooked, and not even a nibble.

So, went to the other side of the lake to fish the downed trees where I had been seeing some massive bass lurking. Caught 2 more, the 2nd to last out in the open, on an accidental cast, accidentally cast there instead of where I -meant- for the worm to go.

Pulling it out of the water it had some tail missing, and what appeared to be slightly healed, but still a bit raw tooth marks on the fleshy part of the tail, and the bones near it looked to be broken or the tail slightly bent.
It was about 12" and I am really curious what is in Powhatan to try and eat a fish that large? A snapping turtle or pickerel maybe?

Finally, the last fish of the day, I was at one of the downed trees where there have been a lot of bass hitting sunfish and cruising by, hooked a 14" (the only one I actually measured) largemouth who really, really put up a fight. I saw a V shaped wake going between 2 branches, and cast ahead of where it looked to be going, and reeling in, felt the line go limp. Set the hook, and he took off towards the tree. Finally got him to the weeds, and had quite a fight to get it within reach. Managed to get it out of the water, to discover that it had completely swallowed the hook. I tried gently moving the hook around, but it just swallowed the hook deeper, so, I decided this one is a keeper, and being about 12:30 on the dot, time for lunch after a great morning of fishing.

That was a complete blast, and I believe I am going to be hooked on bass for some time.

I am pretty sure these are all largemouth, but, as said before I am relatively new to angling and am not 100% on my identification