Lake Nockamixon is alive and well !
One of the most exhilarating moments while fishing is when a big bass explodes on your top water lure. It can sure get your attention quick when it happens only ten feet away from your boat. If your in a kayak, like I was this morning, it can really get exciting.
The "Nock" was calm when I arrived just before day break. The air was cool and steam from the warmer water was rising as I launched "Big Red'. Just a few paddle strokes from shore I could see lots of fish activity on the surface. I had already prepared one of my three rods for just this situation by tying on a "Spit'nImage" the night before. I think it may have been my fifth or sixth cast and the lure was flopping along just perfect. The strike was violent and I knew this was a nice fish. Pointing my rod tip toward the water I reared back and set the hook hard.
Fishing from a kayak is a bit different than in a normal boat. It is hard to get any leverage on the hook set and it must be done with that in mind. Setting the hook twice is a habit for me. Fighting a big fish is also a bit different. Being unable to move around from your forward facing sitting position puts you at a bit of a disadvantage. The fish can get in back of you pretty quick and holding your rod over your head and to the rear is not the preferred method of doing battle with a sizeable fish.
After about two minutes this bass was ready for the lifting up and picture taking process. Again being in a kayak does make this part easy because the water is just a few inches from the top of the boat. I quickly snapped a few pictures, removed the hooks and released him unharmed.
The morning chill had me wearing jeans, flannel shirt and a hooded sweatshirt but by about 8 O'clock the sun was warming things up pretty good. The prime time for top water lures had past and I switched to a six inch rubber worm rigged "Wacky" style. Tossing it to the deep side of a weed bed brought results pretty quick. The worm had no sooner hit the water and I detected the tell tale sign of a pick up. A slight jump in the slack line was the signal to tighten up and again set the hook hard. That first moment when you feel the weight of the fish is, I think, the best part of fishing. A good tug of war finally brought this one to the side for lip-landing. Again a quick picture and released for others to enjoy.
Now with the morning hours dwindling away I let the wind push me back toward the dock while enjoying a cup of hot coffee. The usually stingy NOCK had rewarded me with two nice bass, each about three pounds. I pulled out at 10 O'clock, probably missing the best time of the day, and headed home.
We were there for the leaping bass this summer. Rent a boat with an electric trolling motor to get around, much easier. Me, I really like to go out for half a day on the "special" pontoon boat. What's special is the tarp that provides shade.