Went out Friday morning at the front of a warm spell (35*), A friend Bryan and I set 2 Tip ups on a crib about 50 yards from the crib we were jigging. We got in the shack it was still early and chilly at 12*: set the camera up and wet some lines.
Bryan had the cam pointed at his line with a gill watching, My jig was down in the crib and I was jigging it rapidly fer about 15 secs then stopped. I wanted to turn the camera and look but I let him catch the gill. I waited about 5 secs and Wham, drag screams and dives straight to bottom.
Fight was on with no clue what it was, week before same spot it was 20lb+ Muskie that took 80 of my 110 yds and snap. After 3-4 mins of back and forth action he turned up the hole, Bryan grabbed him by the gill and pulled out.
both of us considering we were after rock bass and gills and it was my first hard water Smallie.
21" Small Mouth Bass 4.86lbs with a 16.5" girth It did not fit back down the 7" hole tail first
We got him tied up down the hole for later and look at the tip ups again
so we walk over there and the trap is bouncing in the hole. Knew what that meant.... Spooled, pull it out of the water about 10" and lines right at the knot. Grab ahold and feel a headshake as the line snaps right at my hand and shoots down the hole. There was a 9" shiner on there with 30 lbs test and neither of them stood a chance to whatever ate it. It still did not wipe the
off my face from the bass tho. Gotta love weather fronts.
