New!
SPECIAL OFFER!

Our Club has a spring BASS tournament every year @ Ohio Power. Located just east of Zanesville and South of Cumberland, Ohio on State Rt 83. This area is also known as AEP RECREATIONAL LAND. With 100'(s) hundreds of ponds to fish and 1000's of acres to hike, it is a great place for our club to hold bass fishing tournaments. Everyone has a "secret pond" where they can go to during the tournament and "reserve ponds" if secret ponds are not producing. Or, New ponds you find during the day / week that we all usually camp there. There is more than enough ponds to explore for a life time!!! Im sure if you had an obsession, you may be able to find them all / hike to them..ANYWAY.... This is a story about a secret weapon I discovered for getting those stubborn male bass Guarding / pre~spawn beds.... Ah yes... the secret ponds... well I have a few I call my own. Largemouth Bass Galore. and a couple of possible fish ohio size bass in each of them.

While fishing our 2008 Spring Tournament, I was fishing Alone ( partner didn't make it to the Tournament ), I went to a Pond That I had scouted the day before the tournament. I had a few visuals of largemouth bass and a lunker just starting to hang around the shallows and beginning of tail swish for clearing an area for spawning. You have to remember, @ Ohio Power, the fish are soooo alert to there surroundings.. this pond is normally very quiet. Low, low Pressure on this pond. You must be very "sneaky" to catch a fish here!...anyway...

During the tournament, I threw everything I had in the tackle box @ this fish... he wasn't budging!
I actually came right up beside the bass after a while, he didn't care, he wasn't moving. I continued to harass this fish for a while. Im sure it was a good half hour to an hour!!!! ... NOTHING was working. Nope, wouldn't move bait or lures or anything off the bed, wouldn't leave the bed so....

I decided to throw a one piece floater ( small ). A small finger bass decided that lure looked good and struck the lure.
I reeled the little bass in, he was about 6, maybe 7 inches long. I decided what the heck? And I through the lure and the finger bass back into the pond about 15 feet from the lunker and wouldn't you know it? That bass DARTED RIGHT OVER and WITHOUT HESITATION, ate that finger bass!

I was so excited, that as I brought him to the shore line, I was pulling top hard and he got away!!!!
He went right back to his "spot". Well, there I was in disbelief. And no fish from my secret pond. Well, I still had the 6-7 inch finger bass hooked on my rapala lure! So, I thru it back in about 15 feet or so away from that lunker and IMMEDIATELY, HE DASHED OUT AND MUNCHED THAT FINGER BASS DOWN, AGAIN!!!!!

My thoughts in retrospect~ The lunker bass must have thought the finger bass would possibly try to take over or eat what was to be on the bed (eggs) The Lunker would have no part of that...

I was so impressed with the result that this year, I have started on a mold that looks like the rig I used ( lure + finger bass) and this proto type will hopefully make it to my fishing tackle back pack in time for our 2009 spring tournament!!!

HERE IT IS!!!~~~~ The Secret weapon I have been working on! I will send pics and maybe a video of The Mold Process as I go Along. ~ The Urban Fisherman