[Michael]

After doing some bluegill cleaning at the funeral home pond, I headed over to Twin Brooks Park hoping for an evening topwater bite now that we had our first 80+ degree day.

I hit 3 different ponds and 3 lures I stuck with were #1 Mepps Dressed Aglia, brown trout FLR-6, and yellow perch XRP-7.

One pond produced a dinky bass and 6" yellow on the Mepps.

Later once it was getting closer to 8pm I hit the usual topwater evening areas. The retrieve I did with the XRP-7 was a slow walk the dog. Action of the lure with that retrieve is quiet spitting, popping, and chugging with a loud rattle.

One cast produced a 10" crappie.

Later when I made my last stop I see a nice swirl heading towards the lure and then set the hook. I felt lots of pulling so loosened the drag. Finally get it in and landed a chunky 23" 3 pound 6 ounce gator pickerel.


If the pickerel was another inch or 2 longer with how fat it was, that would have been a new personal best. Current personal best is 3 pounds 8 ounces.