Herrick Lake and Bass Thumb?

March 29, 2011

I wanted to go ice fishing this winter, however there was only a one or two week window with 4 inch ice here in Illinois this winter. It was VERY mild. So my first opportunity to get out was the last Thursday in March. The weather has been wierd this spring, for a week or two it was 80's and sunny then it got down to the 40's and 50's for a few weeks. That means the fish did not know what was going on. On this day the wind was from the North East (wind out of the north a good fisherman does not sent forth, wind out of the east the fish bite the least) so it was a double down on bad news. Unpredictable weather and a bad wind combo I knew the fish would be deep. SO I tossed out there everything I could get as far as I could get it. NOTHING.

SO the sun was dipping low and I did not know what to do. The wind had slowed considerably and I said to myself 'top water'. SO out came my Zara Spook greenish minnow looking lure and on hopped the bass. My phone was in the car so no picture. It didnt really matter the fish was nothing to look at, a skinny 1 year old that weighted maybe .75 of a pound. But the key was I had done something that does not often happen, I didnt get blanked while going fishing alone. Apparently I've learned enough over the last two years that I can now fish some in adverse conditions figure out where the fish are (DEEEP) and catch me one. I was thrilled not with the fish but with the process in which I caught the fish! I did get my thumb knicked up a bit and my bass thumb has started for the year.