May 8, 2007

Fishing at Shabbona Lake State Park, Shabbona Illinois

19 Inches, Best of theDay.

After a long shift on Monday, I just couldn't get moving this morning. I got to the lake about 9:30 AM, and had to be off the lake by 2:30 PM.

Water temp was 68 degrees, visibility about 12-18 inches, weeds still thin.

Straight up to the NE Bay with the rattle baits, 6 feet of water out in front of the "weedbed" areas, super fast retrieve.

Second cast of the day, BANG

18 incher.

Picked up a few runts, then about 10 AM , I lost THE BIG BOY !!! Ouch....

Coming around the weedline, ripping the lure as fast as I could crank, SMACK, almost took the rod out of my hand. Set the hook, FISH DIDN'T BUDGE. Muskie !!!! I assume. Try to power him towards the boat, trying to turn him (works for muskie on bass gear 95% of the time) ??? Fish doesn't turn sideways..????... 2 seconds later, he's 100% airborne 30 feet from the boat.. MONGO-BASS.. Like a slow motion movie, my eyes are locked on this huge green mouth that you could stuff a cabbage in, as it shakes side to side, .... out of the corner of my eye I see my rattle-bait go flying off to the left, eyes still locked on the fish as he splashes down backwards in the lake, his gleaming white potbelly disappears into the green murk......... Agony.... with a side order of misery and woe.....

I wanted to puke. Probably the biggest bass I've ever hooked at Shabbona.......

I think I said something like "rats"....

Anyway, back to the results, a pair of 17 inchers and a nice 19 incher rounded out the morning. I experimented with several other baits and depths, but all decent fish were on really fast rattle baits in 5-6 feet of water.

  17"  17"

Good Luck Everybody !!!!

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