My First Trophy Largemouth Bass
I was 10 years old when my father took my fishing for the first time after returning from Europe.
I remember everything in detail that day, especially the adrenaline rush I felt when setting the hook for the first time! In Delaware, most lakes and ponds are small, most being around 50 acres, with 100 acres or more being large.
A largemouth bass over 5 pounds is considered a true trophy, and the state record is just a shade over 10 pounds.
This particular day we were going to be fishing a pond in Maryland, near the Delaware border, that was about 80 acres.
It was early May, the mist was rising from the water, and the only thing that broke the morning silence was the loud croaking of bullfrogs.
We had our "NEW ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR" on the 12 foot John boat and we were the envy of all the bass fisherman, as nobody else had one.
It had a whopping 8 pounds of thrust and we ran it from a car battery as there were no marine batteries available at the time in our area.
We had our new tackle with us as well, that was the latest technology! ORVIS spinning reels with the "new" high speed retrieves of 3:8:1.
(much slower than any of today's slow cranking reels).
We were using the newest bait available that just hit the market.
A rubber worm with a hook rigged through it Texas Style, which we had read about in a magazine.
I caught about 15 bass that day all over 3 pounds, but the trophy that I was looking for eluded me.
For the next 5 years I spent all my free time chasing this trophy bass over 5 pounds, every chance I had after school and on weekends.
My father even scheduled his days off and vacation time to help me achieve my goal, but while I caught many 4 and 4 3/4 pound bass, I just couldn't get that magic 5 pounder! On August 13th, 1968, at 10:45 A.
M.
, the pursuit came to an end! I was fishing all day in 90 degree heat with little to show for it.
As we approached the ramp at Becks Ponds, in Newark, Delaware, I saw a raft of thick slop mixed up at the ramp where we were going to take the boat out and leave.
I said to my father, "Let me cast your frog just one time there".
I picked up his Fenwick rod, with the "Harrisons Bass Frog" attached, and made a cast.
It sat for about a minute, I gave it a twitch, and "Wham!".
a bass blew up on it like someone dropped a cinder block in the water! After a short fight I brought in my first trophy bass of 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and couldn't have been more excited.
The sense of achievement rivaled that of any sport I had participated in before and I was "hooked forever!" I have passed the sport along to my son in turn and he his, and I have caught bass all over the country since then that make the first one look like bait, (including one in Delaware that was 10.
16 pounds, from Noxontown lake, just ounces shy of the state record), but the excitement of that first trophy bass and the memory of that day will live forever.
I remember everything in detail that day, especially the adrenaline rush I felt when setting the hook for the first time! In Delaware, most lakes and ponds are small, most being around 50 acres, with 100 acres or more being large.
A largemouth bass over 5 pounds is considered a true trophy, and the state record is just a shade over 10 pounds.
This particular day we were going to be fishing a pond in Maryland, near the Delaware border, that was about 80 acres.
It was early May, the mist was rising from the water, and the only thing that broke the morning silence was the loud croaking of bullfrogs.
We had our "NEW ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR" on the 12 foot John boat and we were the envy of all the bass fisherman, as nobody else had one.
It had a whopping 8 pounds of thrust and we ran it from a car battery as there were no marine batteries available at the time in our area.
We had our new tackle with us as well, that was the latest technology! ORVIS spinning reels with the "new" high speed retrieves of 3:8:1.
(much slower than any of today's slow cranking reels).
We were using the newest bait available that just hit the market.
A rubber worm with a hook rigged through it Texas Style, which we had read about in a magazine.
I caught about 15 bass that day all over 3 pounds, but the trophy that I was looking for eluded me.
For the next 5 years I spent all my free time chasing this trophy bass over 5 pounds, every chance I had after school and on weekends.
My father even scheduled his days off and vacation time to help me achieve my goal, but while I caught many 4 and 4 3/4 pound bass, I just couldn't get that magic 5 pounder! On August 13th, 1968, at 10:45 A.
M.
, the pursuit came to an end! I was fishing all day in 90 degree heat with little to show for it.
As we approached the ramp at Becks Ponds, in Newark, Delaware, I saw a raft of thick slop mixed up at the ramp where we were going to take the boat out and leave.
I said to my father, "Let me cast your frog just one time there".
I picked up his Fenwick rod, with the "Harrisons Bass Frog" attached, and made a cast.
It sat for about a minute, I gave it a twitch, and "Wham!".
a bass blew up on it like someone dropped a cinder block in the water! After a short fight I brought in my first trophy bass of 5 pounds, 9 ounces, and couldn't have been more excited.
The sense of achievement rivaled that of any sport I had participated in before and I was "hooked forever!" I have passed the sport along to my son in turn and he his, and I have caught bass all over the country since then that make the first one look like bait, (including one in Delaware that was 10.
16 pounds, from Noxontown lake, just ounces shy of the state record), but the excitement of that first trophy bass and the memory of that day will live forever.
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