We all know that as teen agers we have no fear,or really it's more like just plain stupidity.I would often wade a large lake known as Newman's Lake here in Gainesville Florida.I would always start out just off highway 26,not to far from where the public boat ramp is at this present day.Completely surrounded by huge old Cypress trees with their knots sticking up everywhere.Just to wade through these trees and stumps was a major ordeal, but that never hindered me because I knew what I was here for.Ah yes thats right that lunker Large Mouth Bass.

As I remember it was late March or early April and the Bass were spawning.As I was just here to sport fish I never kept anything just catch and release.But if I ever got that trophy Bass I would keep it to be weighed at the local sports shop here called The Tackle Box.They would hold monthly contest for the largest bass caught in that given month,given out some very nice prizes to the winner.If you have ever waded in these circumstances then you know that its very tricky.Dodging this way stepping up over that falling tree branch,blazing in trail like Captain James T Kirk on Star Trek.Go were no man has gone before.And believe me no man had ever been here because most folk's wouldn't wade Newman's Lake.

I was using my bait caste with 20 lbs test because of the heavy bush and structure.Moving slowly and casting an old Mann's Jelly Worm with a weedless hook.I was casting an eight inch black with a red tip tail,casting it out and then retrieve it back very slowly,dragging it so you almost know what the bottom of the lake looks like.Felling every little bump every little nag,every time it would fall into a deeper hole.So slow that I would estimate retrieval rate at about 5 foot every 15 seconds or 20.This technique had helped me land many,many bass over the years up to this time my largest Large Mouth was fourteen pounds eight ounces and no that did not even win the contest of that month WOW.

Wading through the Cypress trees you do need to be careful kinda like not stepping,but dragging your feet more than walking.There were only two other people I knew of that would wade this lake in such a way.Most were afraid of the numerous snakes and gators that dwell here.One was my older brother and a very close friend to both of us,as of this day neither was with me but had chosen to go fish the East Coast for the weekend.I was probably wading in waist deep water and about forty to fifty foot from the shore line.Casting out

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: The big one that got away?
We want to hear your view. Write now!