Caught By
James George
9/25/2019 11:55:00 AM
9/25/2019 11:55:00 AM
Caught 5 2-3 lb bass in one hour between 9:30 and 10:30 September 24th on nightcrawlers and with an open-face reel and number 4 hooks.
Catch Details
| Largemouth Bass | ||
| Caesar Creek Lake | ||
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| Nightcrawler | ||
| Everyone |
Catch Conditions
| Mostly Clear/Mostly Sunny | ||
| 55°F | ||
| S at 6mph | ||
| Stable |
Comments
Catch Location
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I went fishing and caught five largemouth bass in one hour. That is the limit. Last night, I battered and fried fish for two. Fresh bass ...more is delicious, even tolerating my laps of skill in filleting them.
I don't have a fish scaler anymore and used a vegetable peeler instead. That substitute worked alright. Everyone knows that when you eat fish, you might encounter a bone.
While cleaning the fish, I threw the heads and bones into a pot with boiling water and Kosher salt to make a fish broth. I strained the bones and had a clear broth.
With a large quantity of fish on hand, I decided to make bouillabaisse inspired by a recipe from Julia Child. We have used the method for over forty years with various modifications based on seafood available.
Besides seafood, a central ingredient is fennel. I also use celery, onion, and bell pepper. Small potatoes are used, not pasta. Julia favors herbs de Provence. Chopped tomatoes are a necessity and fish broth.
I poached the bass in butter.
Julia serves the broth in a bowl and adds the seafood on top. That way, the seafood (fish in this case) stays intact and is exceptionally presentable.
The summer temperature lingers well into September in southern Ohio. Rain is sparse too. Waterways are stagnant, ...more and it isn't pleasant to endure oppressive heat. On September 25th, the morning temperature was 57 degrees with a slow climb in the forecast.
With cooler temperatures and the moon and tide chart indicating fish would bite at 09:31 am, I made a plan to be there one hour before.
The location is Caesar Creek Lake near the overlook in one of the park sites where there is a flushed toilet.
I waved off the amenities, and at 71 years, I carried my army camp stool, bait, tackle and fishing poles off the human-made gravel path and through the woods. The climb up and down ranged between the equivalent of a six-story building.
WIth the bushes and trees losing their leaves, it isn't too difficult to navigate down to the water's edge. Here I have been visiting for nearly forty years.
As with most of the places along this lake, it contains limestone rocks and lots of rotten stumps and tree limbs. The fish love it, though that is a continuing challenge to anglers.
The numerous obstacles are to my right. The dam's deepest water is to my left marked by buoys. I have chosen a spot where I can cast straight out into the deep water.
I have two poles, an open-face and a closed-face reel. I am fishing with 8 lb test monofilament. I used a bobber rig on the closed-face pole and am fishing on the bottom with the open-face.
Initially, I used number 4 snelled hooks. Fish were biting immediately. The trouble was, they were stealing the nightcrawlers and getting me snagged. I lost the rigs several times stuck. I saw small bluegills in the water and suspected them. Also, there are crawdads in the rocks that pull the bait into crevasses.
At about 9:45 am, I caught my first fish on the open-face from the bottom. It wasn't what I wanted, a healthy-looking 3 lb drum. Still, I always keep the first fish and put it on the stringer. Why?
I believe that a fish in the water attracts other fish to the location. I can't prove it, but it seems to work.
In a few minutes, the closed-face Zebco with the bobber rig took off while clicking as I had it set. I grabbed the pole and reeled fast to pull the fish from escaping toward the limbs in the water. I caught it, a 3 lb largemouth bass.
I switched to a smaller number 4 hook on the open-face. I used a small weight and as soon as it hit the top of the deep water, bam, another strike. I set the hook and caught another 2 lb bass.
I retired to one pole and continued with the open face. I caught the limit of five bass and 10 lb plus fish before 11:15 am.
Last night, we had a delicious fish fry. I made fish broth from the heads and bones and will make bouillabaisse tonight for dinner. (That's fish stew).