The10Man
Well-known member
Over the holidays I worked on my 14 ft Landau some and finally cut into the front casting deck to gain access to storage underneath that was previously unused (not sure why the previous owner built the deck without access). I then moved the battery under the deck and rewired the trolling motor and fish finder.
After making the small modifications I wanted to get out on the water to try and catch some fish. So Friday morning I went fishing on a local lake. I didn't really look at the weather the night before and when I got to the ramp I realized how cold it was and with shorts and just a long sleeve shirt I was freezing in the 42 degree temperature. Fortunately I found some long socks in the Jeep before I pushed off the dock which helped a bit, but I was still cold.
I only fished for a couple of hours because it was getting pretty miserable being cold and I had to be back to the house by 8:30 am.
After not getting a single bite all morning I decided to go to a spot I went last time on the lake where I got a solid bite (but didn't hook up). I was fishing there for about five minutes and then noticed something long across the cove swimming on top of the water. I wasn't sure what it was and decided to troll over and check it out. I've never seen any gators on the lake and last time on the water there was an otter playing in between me and a paddleboarder. After I casted out to to the side of my boat I aimed the tolling motor in the direction across the cove. As I was fiddling with the troller and was looking away I got a big hit on my line. Without looking I instinctively jerked the rod back and set the hook.
All the sudden line started peeling out of the reel and I realized I had a pretty good fish on. I had to tighten the drag down several times while fighting it. As I was getting the fish closer to the boat I realized how big the bass was as it was rolling and trying to go under the boat. After fighting it for a few minutes I was fortunately able to land him and snap some photos. This was definitely the biggest bass I'd caught. Some might not think that it is HUGE but it is huge by my standards. I'm not the best fisherman in the world and don't always catch much or big fish, but I love fishing and being on the water.
I fished the same area and nearby spots for another 15 minutes without any other bites. By this time the sun was out and it was starting to warm up, but I was content with my fish and needed to get back to the house so I motored over to the ramp.
I shared the photos with some friends and they were impressed and asked me how much it weighed and how long it was. I've never had a scale or a tape measure on the boat as I usually don't catch quality fish. Hopefully that will change the more I use the boat and spend time fishing. My next modification will be adding a measuring two to the boat and buying a scale.
After making the small modifications I wanted to get out on the water to try and catch some fish. So Friday morning I went fishing on a local lake. I didn't really look at the weather the night before and when I got to the ramp I realized how cold it was and with shorts and just a long sleeve shirt I was freezing in the 42 degree temperature. Fortunately I found some long socks in the Jeep before I pushed off the dock which helped a bit, but I was still cold.
I only fished for a couple of hours because it was getting pretty miserable being cold and I had to be back to the house by 8:30 am.
After not getting a single bite all morning I decided to go to a spot I went last time on the lake where I got a solid bite (but didn't hook up). I was fishing there for about five minutes and then noticed something long across the cove swimming on top of the water. I wasn't sure what it was and decided to troll over and check it out. I've never seen any gators on the lake and last time on the water there was an otter playing in between me and a paddleboarder. After I casted out to to the side of my boat I aimed the tolling motor in the direction across the cove. As I was fiddling with the troller and was looking away I got a big hit on my line. Without looking I instinctively jerked the rod back and set the hook.
All the sudden line started peeling out of the reel and I realized I had a pretty good fish on. I had to tighten the drag down several times while fighting it. As I was getting the fish closer to the boat I realized how big the bass was as it was rolling and trying to go under the boat. After fighting it for a few minutes I was fortunately able to land him and snap some photos. This was definitely the biggest bass I'd caught. Some might not think that it is HUGE but it is huge by my standards. I'm not the best fisherman in the world and don't always catch much or big fish, but I love fishing and being on the water.
I fished the same area and nearby spots for another 15 minutes without any other bites. By this time the sun was out and it was starting to warm up, but I was content with my fish and needed to get back to the house so I motored over to the ramp.
I shared the photos with some friends and they were impressed and asked me how much it weighed and how long it was. I've never had a scale or a tape measure on the boat as I usually don't catch quality fish. Hopefully that will change the more I use the boat and spend time fishing. My next modification will be adding a measuring two to the boat and buying a scale.
