Early Morning Topwater Nice Bass

This morning went as planned for the past three weeks. At present, I'm tired and trying to get this blog post out before midnight. I met Oliver Shapiro at Saffin Pond, 5:30 a.m. this morning, temperature about 68, clear skies overhead dimly lit. We heard a lot of water moving into the pond, rains during the past three weeks have left behind them near-record amounts, and I hoped that despite the flow, the pond would not be muddied. This proved to be the case. The water level is up about half a foot, nothing but the typical tea-water tannic stain is there. At the end of my time at the pond (Oliver stayed on while I had to go to work), we noticed the stream flowing in was clear like trout water.

Originally we planned, though, on Mount Hope Pond. It was just fortuitous, as yesterday's post relates, that I found it stained by a milky muddiness and ruled it out. I learned about Mount Hope Pond in the first place by reading Oliver's book, Fishing New Jersey: A Guide for Freshwater Anglers, but I suggested we go there because it seemed the logical choice among our options.

I hadn't thought of Saffin, though. Matt and I fished Mount Hope at the end of May, and I wanted to get back there.

We started with Rebel Pop-R's this morning and I caught a 12-inch largemouth pretty quickly. Further down as the pond flows very slowly, something slurped at the plug, not taking it, then came back and slurped again when I set and no hook point grabbed. I could tell it was a good bass; maybe three pounds, I thought. I pitched the plug back--this fish had come up just yards in front of where I stood--chugged that plug a couple of times, and the fish slurped it into its maw. So now it's two consecutive Saffin Pond outings and two 18-inch largemouths. I caught the first when fishing with my son there in June.

The sun poked over trees and Oliver wanted to go fish the other side in shade. I told him I would catch up to him, because I never fish Saffin without trying my favorite steep banks. Light penetrated the surface at a sharp angle, the water underneath was at least six feet deep where I pitched the worm a couple of feet beyond overhanging brush, where that tannic stain absorbed a lot of the light. Any bass situated near bottom wouldn't be terribly affected by early sunlight. Besides, I catch plenty in the middle of bright summer afternoons on the weightless worms. Line began moving directly away from the branches and I let it tighten, then set the hook. I felt heavy resistance for a moment and then the fish was free.

You can always let a bass take a worm a long time and then reel it in, but I would shun anyone who would do that, because it's not sporting to ensure catches by letting bass take hooks to their gullets. (Anyone who would do that might clean out his wallet buying worm hooks, too.)

I fished very thoroughly, finally caught an 11-incher, then joined Oliver in the rather cool shade beyond. He had lost a two- or three-pounder and caught two small bass.

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