Caught "Big Momma" Tonight

5.46lbs Mad (Bluegrass) 

7:15-9:45PM Inlet Bay South to Double Cane 

75-88℉, PC, 3-6mph SE

When I pulled out, I noticed a boat coming around West Point. The guy in the back had a bass jump and come off. I wondered to myself if there was a league on the lake tonight.  My plan was to hit a couple of the docks across and then go to South Inlet Bay. I had to clear the prop of rice. In the time it took to do that, a boat came flying into the bay. I headed off to hit the docks, except a boat already at the dock I wanted to hit. Yep, league night. So off to South Inlet I went. There was baitfish activity there, but I couldn't buy a bite. I was using the new Traxxis Trolling Motor, which is a weed magnet, frustrating. I've never had a 55lb thrust Minn Kota have trouble with anything except super thick rice. All different kinds of weeds bogged this thing down. I beat feet across the inlet area heading North. I stopped when I saw some activity in front of the inlet. I was now casting a light Mad Maxx frog into the wind and started running into overrun issues. I ended up having to pick out two backlashes and then had to cut off 25' of the line because my line got in a knot. I was not a happy camper a half hour in and no bites. I then ran into more trolling motor/weed issues as I got up by the North Inlet Pads. I started throwing the heavier Teckel Whacker. I did finally get a bite that didn't hook up on what I think was a 15-inch class bass as I got over by the reeds in the rice. Nothing going on in the reeds. I worked my way quickly out to the rice line and finally put a 16-incher in the boat in front of the starting spot about an hour into the trip. I then missed a couple smallish bass and got a pike. I caught a couple of small bass on Bluegrass Maxx. I made my way over to the solid rice line reed bed transition to the west of the starting spot. I threw a long cast with Mad Maxx to some open water between the reeds and the rice, and the big girl just smoked it. I saw it was a giant right away. I didn't get the greatest hookset, but it didn't matter. She engulfed it and got buried in the rice pretty quickly. I got her boat side, and I was like, look at the mouth on this thing. It's a giant with big shoulders. The good Platte/Sullivan genetics that some of the lakes fish possess. The only problem with her was that she was post-spawn and hadn't eaten in a while. With a full belly, this was 7lb fish. Such a beautiful fish. I weighed her (5.46lbs) and then went to get a measurement, but she had other ideas and started thrashing, which made me drop her. I was not happy about that. Fortunately, she didn't do much flopping around. I grabbed her and thought I better get her back in the water, forgetting to measure the fish. I'm guessing it was a little over 21" maybe 21.5". I worked the area hard and got a couple of small. I ended the night in the reeds, getting a couple of small culls to my best 6. Can't believe I only had one bite over 3lbs from this area. Usually, if I get one big girl in this area, I have a shot at several others.basses The fish also completely shut down by 9:15. There had to be more fish around.  I know it.

9 Bass 

3 Pike