Full Moon Spring Equinox

I  waited in anticipation for the full moon this past Wednesday. The day was also the first day of spring. Called the spring equinox, the moon is closest to the earth and the spawning bass will begin their migration to the shallows to renew the cycle of life. This is the only time of year when 80 percent of the fishermen and 80 percent of the bass are in the same area.

The weather was sunny which warmed up the shallow water and invited the bass back to their local spawning ground. I launched my kayak around two in the afternoon hoping the water would be warming as the day wore on. I paddled my way to the shallow water full of reeds and thick cover. It was tempting to fish the areas on my way, but I knew my target was where I caught them a year ago on a certain flat. All the elements seemed to be coming together for a successful trip. Even the winds were light. The only negative effect the weather produced was that a weak front had moved through over night so the wind was out of the north and the barometric pressure was rising. Sometimes this slows the bite down and make the bass more lethargic. Last weekend on the Sundown Valley Ranch the same scenario didn’t seem to effect the bite at all. On the paddle toward my destination I noticed that there was not as much green vegetation as there was last year. I assumed that was due to the cooler temperatures we had this spring.

Earlier this month, I had heard of a eleven and ten pounder caught. They were probably pre spawn bass full of eggs located in deeper water. My plan for today was to throw a topwater ribbit frog and to follow missed strikes with a weightless craw worm. As soon as I reached my destination, I noticed swirling fish in shallow water. My heart raced with anticipation of a bucket mouth inhaling my topwater frog as it passed over head. First cast with the frog and and a large swirl knocked the frog out of the way without a connection. This scenario began to repeat itself as I worked my way through the endless reeds along the flats. I picked up the craw worm to slow down the presentation and tempt the finicky bass with very few takers. Thinking back I should have put on a scum frog and let it sit motionless over their head until they could not stand it.

I did manage to coax some three and four pounders to inhale my frog, but the larger fish were very spooked and unwilling to eat. This is usually the case with spawning fish. They sometimes refuse to commit to a bait unless you repeatedly put it in front of them and cause a reaction bite. I have seen a fisherman fishing two beds with large fish on them for several hours before he caught the males protecting the nest and tied them up to his kayak and then caught the larger females who moved back on the nests.

As the sun began to get close to the horizon, I began my paddle back to the launch. On my way I fished the outer edges of the thick cover with the frog. As I neared an isolated patch of reeds, I cast my frog to its edge and began to reel. The frog legs began to gurgle as they made their way back to me. After several cranks of the reel a huge explosion occurred and my frog disappeared  on a speed run toward the cover. With fifty pound braid and a stiff rod, I put the brakes on the monster, and he began to get real angry. As the green monster began to surface and violently shake his head, I realized this was not a large mouth bass. I had connected with a nine pound bow fin – a prehistoric looking speed demon made of pure muscle and a mouth full of short sharp projectiles. Luckily he got the hook placed perfectly in his mouth so he was not able to cut the line. After a few swift runs and some thrashing attempts to escape, he reluctantly landed in my net. This is one ugly fish as you will see in the video, but the fight was quite enjoyable.

I released the flat headed fish and continued my paddle back to the launch. As I neared the launch, I saw several small logs the wind and current had pushed together. This is a favorite target for many bass fishermen.  I cast my frog past the log jam and began a retrieve across the logs. As you will see on the video, a bass attempted to hit the frog twice as I drug it across the logs. When the frog cleared the log jam, the fish continued to follow the frog and inhaled it a few feet past the cover. Anticipating the strike and watching the waking fish lunge toward the gurgling offering is one of my favorite ways to catch fish. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience to let the fish take the bait and not try to set the hook too early. You almost have to close your eyes and wait for the rod to load up with the weight of the fish before you set the hook. After the hook set, he expressed his displeasure with a head shaking dance on the surface of the glassy water.

I talked to several people as I arrived at the launch and everyone agreed that the fish were not that cooperative this day. That is what makes fishing so challenging sometimes. You think you know that the weather and solar charts are all lined up for an excellent trip only to be surprised by the slow bite. It is amazing how God set up the moon, tides, wind and frontal systems which all effect the wildlife behavior and routines. Just like the different circumstances we experience in our pursuit of fish, God shows us some challenging circumstances in our personal lives. We may be cruising right along enjoying life, and out of the blue we are hit with some difficult circumstances. Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and putting your faith in him makes facing adversity much easier. Romans 5:3-5 says “³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Whether you are struggling with catching fish or dealing with a real life struggle, you can always choose JOY knowing that God has plans for you to prosper and and he will never give you more than you can handle. As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate the special times he gives me in his amazing outdoor world and to never take those moments for granted. It is his gift to me and I will always cherish each moment.

Thanks for reading my blog and enjoy the video.

God bless you,

Tim Lumpkin