[PECo]

Since there weren't any dog field trials scheduled at Nod Brook WMA today, DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek), mep21 (aka Mark) and I arranged to meet there this morning. Derek got on the lower (i.e. north) pond at 6:30 am, Mark made it at 7:00 am and I finally got there at 7:30 am. It was cool and overcast today. Unfortunately, there was a north wind that rose during the morning from five to 10 miles per hour. The water temperature ranged from 64 and 69 degrees. Derek had sent me a text to let me know that he had landed a short largemouth bass on his second cast. I was late but, like Derek, I caught a fish within five minutes of getting on the water:



It was only a little 10 inch largemouth bass, but I was glad to get it. My expectation for the day had been that it would be hard to find fish because of last night's rain. And, yes, it picked up a wacky rigged five inch green pumpkin/red flake Senko. We worked our way to the north end of the pond. Mark began getting hits on a soft plastic Zoom Horny Toad frog in the weed beds on the north end of the pond and landed a decent largemouth bass:



And little while later, he landed a 17 inch, two pound, 11 inch largemouth bass:



I tried throwing a slightly dried up old soft plastic Yum frog, but it wouldn't swim right, so Mark gave me a Stanley Ribbit frog to throw instead. It took a while, but I finally landed my first ever largemouth bass on a frog:



Of course, it had to be blind in one eye for me to get it:



Derek was struggling against the wind in The Manatee (aka his inflatable kayak), so we decided to head to the upper (i.e., south) pond. The north shore of the upper pond was nicely sheltered from the wind. But Mark jinxed me into catching a couple of rock bass:



We headed clockwise around the pond. Mark landed a largemouth bass and a small chain pickerel on the east shore. In the shallows at the south end of the pond, I landed a six inch largemouth bass:



Shortly afterward, I landed a couple of 11 inchers. I had to head home for a while, so I headed off the water. By the time that I got back, Derek and Mark had worked their way all the up the west shore. I heard that Derek had finally landed a second largemouth bass while I was gone; a 15 inch, one pound, 11 ouncer, I think. I threw my wacky Senko underneath an overhanging shrub and landed a 14 inch largemouth bass. It looked chunky to me, so I weighed it just for kicks and it weighed one pound, seven ounces. Normally, the 14 inch bass that I see weigh closer to one pound. Derek had to take off, but Mark and I went in search of "Just One More" before we got off the water. I started throwing a drop shot 2-1/2 inch Gulp minnow and landed a black crappie and another six inch largemouth bass:




Mark finally gave up on landing his "Just One More" and got off the water. I followed him in and on what was going to be my last cast, I landed my third "Just One More"; a 13 inch largemouth bass.

The overcast, cool day was kind of refreshing after my last couple of full sun, hot days on the water. It felt like a late Fall day, today. However, I'm looking forward to getting some overcast, cool days that don't follow heavy rain and have less wind.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[Elixir]

Sounds awesome considering the chill and overcast nice fishies lol

[DirtyDawg10]

It wasn't a bad day but the bite was definitely slow from the rain. I landed my first bass (about 11") at 6:30am and my second one at about 1:00pm (15" 1lb 11oz). I think Mark got a picture of it. I had several other fish bite but not take the hook. Mostly smaller fish I suspect. I also had a couple of fish try to bite my lures after I took it out of the water. Go figure. It was a frustrating day for me, although Phil and Mark didn't end up doing too bad.

Phil had to leave for a bit so Mark and I ventured up the little brook in the South (upper) pond because the water level was a couple feet higher than usual. Here's a couple of pics up through the culvert and one of Mark fishing the small brook at the other side of the culvert. These areas are usually impassable even in a kayak.

[TurtleKiss]

CONGRATULATIONS PHIL!

The Ribbits work in open water too. The entire western shoreline is a great spot to try them. Cast as close to shore as possible, under the shrubs and trees, then retrieve like a buzzbait. The bass will come out from their shady areas to investigate. Stanley DoubleTake hooks will increase your hookup ratio and the frog will track nicely.
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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

[MarkO]

Great picture of you with the rockbass. That look says it all!

[mep21]

Here is a picture of one of the fish I pulled out of the South Pond, about 1.75 Pounds:




Sorry it took me till now Derek, but here is your fish of the day as well: