Childhood Fishing Ponds Revisited

Hi Fishing Friends

I made a trip back to my hometown this last May 2014. My sis Lois had some business to take care of there, and asked me to ride along. So we loaded our gear, and 'hit the road'.

We get to Fulton, she gets her business dealt with, and off we go, to my old favorite clay pit. When we get there, we grab our rods and tackle, walk about an eighth of a mile thru the brush and scrub and approach the water. This pit is a pale blue/green, and about 40 feet deep.

I scan the water along the edge, looking for bass, and all I see are perch. For the first half hour or so, we catch a few bluegill and shellcrackers. Finally Lois hangs into a decent bass, and lands a 2 LBer, good enough to keep so she puts it on a stringer.

By then it's time for me to move, so I work my way on around the shore to 'the spot'. It's pretty overgrown since hardly anyone fishes this hole anymore.  Fighting, thorns, briars, and thick brush, I finally clear a place well enough to fish at.

Now you may ask, is it worth it?

Well my first few casts weren't. That third cast though - wham! That bass hit hard, then it took off running for cover. I lowered my rod tip, reeled some line in, and horsed him away from the brush. Oh man, I love it when a big ole bass starts 'tail dancing', shaking his head the whole time. Sorry bud not getting away this time, I reeled him into shore to my waiting hand. As I lifted him from the water, I could tell he was nice 5 pounder, sweet!!

First one for me on the stringer, and I'm not a bit disappointed in my ole fishing hole.  The next few casts I catch some perch and smaller bass, from about one to three pounds, add a couple more to my keepers, and man am I having a blast.

#2 H&W Claypit This is also where I learned how to swim.<(;HF+<

I work my way around the bank a bit, to a slightly less overgrown place, then make a few more casts. The darn perch keep hitting my jig. I make a long cast, quickly a perch gets
hooked. As I'm reeling in, A BIG bass attacks the perch I hooked. Oh baby, Fish On!!

This bass dives deep, I can't even turn him, no control at all. And then, SNAP!!! Grumbling as I reel in my line to retie a new jig on, oh well, plenty more bass in this pit. Pretty disappointing though, I didn't even get to see that one, it had to be a monster bass.

Still all in all, no disappointment in the fishing trip, I had just as much fun here, as when I was a boy, to me that's what counts.

We kept 8 nice bass that day, between 2 & 5 lbs, I sure do 'love them pits'. I'll be back next spring to catch that huge bass, we have a score to settle. :-)

Well folks thanks for visiting. It's the beginning of March now, in about a month, I'm heading back to that old pit, look out monster here I come!! (((-: j