Top-water Largemouth Bass

 

This picture was taken on a midsummer’s day, late in the afternoon at Eagle Valley Reservoir. Not only does this picture display the location, but we can also see the angler, lure, and the fish caught; all important points that I would like to touch on. Yet there is way more to this picture than meets the eye. It’s these little behind-the-scene stories that I wish to shed some light on. You see, the picture shows my success, but not the journey it took to get there.

This outing started as a one-night camping trip to Eagle Valley. Much of the day was used to reach and explore the surrounding area. Before setting up camp, I had to venture down to the water for a reconnaissance mission, as fishermen always do. The water level was clearly low for this body of water. Here we found a fisherman disembarking from his boat with his daily catch in hand: several one-to-two-pound largemouth basses.

With my research into Eagle Valley, I was aware of largemouth in the waters, but this is not what the area is known for. Fish like crappie, tiger trout, and the annual stocking of rainbow trout is what brought me to this lake. We proceeded to search out a park ranger to try and get some local knowledge to help out. This pointed me to key areas where I wanted to try and catch some trout. Important to note here is that asking the wrong questions can easily send you to the wrong place.

After hours fishing the streams around the lake and only catching the odd crawfish, we made our way to the pier to try and catch some crappie. The wife managed to catch largemouth bass, and soon the pier was filled with eager fishermen. We then moved away from the pier to find a quiet spot. It was only as the sun was setting that I decided to try for some bass. This was the first fish I caught on a top-water lure and the only fish I caught that trip. It is my stubbornness in wanting to catch a trout on the fly in summer that almost made me miss the opportunity of catching what was right there on offer. An important reminder to me on that day was that it is good to challenge yourself, but don’t let it consume you.