# Good last second decision



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I was driving up the road Saturday morning, intending to fish the way upper reaches of a stream and test a new craw pattern I tied and my new glass 3wt. At the last second (literally), the urge to fish a lower run in the hopes of a bigger smallie took over and I got off the road. 

The new Moonlit 7'6" 3wt glass rod, loaded with an HD Craw










This is the Sculpin Helmet version, I have a new version now with a Cray Tail I like better










The morning started slow, really slow. No takes for the first two hours, but this was a heavily fished little area so I wasn't too down. I knew it would get better the farther I went. I got to a good outside bend area I always catch fish in only to find a huge tree had washed in against it, making it impossible for me to fish the undercut bank on foot. I moved on, having to walk through the worst 200 yard stretch of nettles known to man. I had pants on, but it was still stinging me through the pants. I made it to the next big bend and it was game on. The fish had to be spoon fed, though. I fished some deep rock, letting the craw get all the way down and slowly bouncing it along the bottom, almost dead-sticking it. Takes were subtle thumps.

The first fish took a brown/copper Bow River Bugger










After that it was all HD Craw. This was one of the prettier marked rock bass I have caught.










I caught several smaller bronzebacks along the rock, all in the 7-9" range. Then, another soft thump in deep water, I set the hook and the fish didn't move initially. Then it took off hard for the middle of the river. The little glass rod was buckled hard and I got the fish on the reel ASAP. I didn't see the fish until maybe 30 seconds in, and when I did, I was shocked to see a second smallie nearly as big trying to steal the fly from the hooked bass. Without my extending handle net, I am not sure I would have landed the fish from my rock perch. 17.5" in the Measure Net, solid bronze.










I released the fish after a couple of quick pics and immediately casted back out hoping the other fish was still juiced, but couldn't coax it into biting. Still a solid end to the morning. Moonlit glass and the new craw pattern were a good combo.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

Nice report. Those are all some really nice fish and a cool craw pattern.That certainly is one of the most beautiful Rock Bss I've ever seen. 
( I'm a Rockbass junky) Looks like a jumbo, Fish Ohio ??
Good luck and Good Fishing !


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

garhtr said:


> Nice report. Those are all some really nice fish and a cool craw pattern.That certainly is one of the most beautiful Rock Bss I've ever seen.
> ( I'm a Rockbass junky) Looks like a jumbo, Fish Ohio ??
> Good luck and Good Fishing !


Hmmm, good question...what is FO size for a rock bass? I've never really paid attention to the rock bass size for that.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

TheCream said:


> Hmmm, good question...*what is FO size for a rock bass?* I've never really paid attention to the rock bass size for that.


10" is a FO Rockie, and for me they are pretty tough to find. I enjoy Fishing for them, especially on topwater but they sure do love crawfish.
Good luck and Good Fishing


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

garhtr said:


> 10" is a FO Rockie, and for me they are pretty tough to find. I enjoy Fishing for them, especially on topwater but they sure do love crawfish.
> Good luck and Good Fishing


I didn't measure but I don't think that fish was 10". I'd guess 8-9" roughly. I don't catch that many rock bass but I do like 'em.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Awesome repot Cream! That is a real tasty craw pattern. 

So, u mentioned under cut banks. I find for me this is the hardest area of fish holding spots to fish. What is ur technique and approach?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

SMBHooker said:


> Awesome repot Cream! That is a real tasty craw pattern.
> 
> So, u mentioned under cut banks. I find for me this is the hardest area of fish holding spots to fish. What is ur technique and approach?


In this spot I referenced, it's an outside bend of the river that you can see is really undercut when the water cleans up. I almost always wade/walk this stretch, so I can carefully navigate the bank and cast as tight to it as possible. I rely on the current to help wash the fly as far under as possible, which I realize probably isn't that far. The fun part is when a solid fish tries to run back under and the rod buckles to a C shape trying to stop a fish from essentially running under your feet.

Two summers back, in a different stream that has a lot of virtually untapped spotted bass, I was fishing a similar undercut bank with a buddy. The water was gin clear, I could see my streamer washing up against the undercut and a big shadow crept out and inhaled it. All I saw for sure of the fish's size was when it jumped, shortly after the hook pulled and I lost it. My personal best spot for this stream is 15", and the fish I lost we are confident was 17" or so. Biggest spotted bass I have ever seen in Ohio. Undercuts aren't just for big brown trout, bass love them, too.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

TheCream said:


> My personal best spot for this stream is 15", and the fish I lost we are confident was 17" or so. Biggest spotted bass I have ever seen in Ohio. Undercuts aren't just for big brown trout, bass love them, too.


I agree, although I've not pulled many from undercuts I have spooked a large number of them from those spots when wading. I am always surprised at how good they are at concealing themselves in these locations. The ones I've spooked out walking the river are some of the biggest bass I've seen...never caught mind u. It's a fish holding spot, the undercuts, I've failed to discipline myself to study and learn.

This is a pic of a 19 inch smallmouth I released. It took straight to a shallow cut to recover from a good fight. Not sure anyone would notice it as close to the bank as it is. Masters of concealment. 

Awesome thread Cream.


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