Today I had the opportunity to fish some new water in the Belgrade Lakes, Maine. I was on the road by 3:00 AM and on the water before sunrise (5:00 AM). When kayak fishing, I have two rods rigged for shallow water and two rods rigged for deep water. I troll to my spots. When I get to my spots, I cast to both sides of the 10 foot water mark. 100% fishing. 😉
My first bite was at the begging of trip. The fish hit a 4″ Gary Yamamoto senko in shallow water (less than 3 feet). This fish was the meanest bass in under the dock. A new personal best for the smallest large mouth bass.
I continued to work deep and shallow water as I paddled towards an island that got further away the more I paddled. Nothing! So I started to make my way back to my first spot. I worked the dock where I got my first fish. Nothing!! So continued working the water column as I drifted. Nothing!!! I was about the insert my rods into my rod holders when I noticed some PVC pipes coming down from a cabin into the water. I made a long cast towards the PVC pipes with a blue/white 1/4 oz spinner bait with small silver Colorado blades and a white Gary Yamamoto grub that I bought at the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club 4th Annual Fishing Flea Market this past April. Fish on!
OMG! This fish put a parabolic bend in my St. Croix mojo bass rod. I fought the fish to the starboard side of my kayak. I leaned over, lip gripped the fish with my left hand, and pulled it out of the water. This fish is my new personal best for the largest large mouth bass: 4 lbs.
This trip was epic. I achieved, not one, but two personal bests. I will continue to fish shallow and deep water. But, I will also fish big and small presentations. Fish outside the tackle box. 😉
