Chuck7

Well..they are bedding. I got 13 in the boat. I lost one tiny one and 2 decent ones in thick brush. My biggest was 3 pounds 19 inches.
I was using 7" June Bug Gambler worms. I was doodling and flipping.
C7

m.t.hands

sounds like a great day on "the pond"

Chuck7

Except for the size.. my 2nd best day ever. I did no hard hook set ups at all.You would think I was fishing for specks. I use a 6 1/2 foot medium action. When the fish takes the worm I set the hook side ways just a tad bit harder than for specks. I was getting tired around 1:30 PM and lost 2 nice ones out of laziness. The first....

I gently dropped the 6" Junebug into a dark shady spot on an island. I was sitting instead of standing. Tired. As I started to pull the worm up to move it I felt the fish. So there.I knew if I would putit in the hole again he would bite.
I should of stood up but sat instead. As I lowered the Texas style junebug worm in the shady holemy line went sideways. I set the hook and felt the weight of the fish. Then my hook got stuck in a branch. If I was standing I could of just pulled him straight up.

2nd miss. 1:45 hot as all get out. I had started at 6:30 AM and I am tired. I tossed my junebug over a log. I wait for the worm to touch the bottom. It did. Slack is in the line. Then....the slack starts tightening up .Too lazy to stand ..I sit and set the hook. OH MY GOODNESS. the line starts ripping through limbs, my rod tip is slamming into the branches and mama got away this time. CRAP!

Moral of the story...when you are tired ..go home.
I was fishing at Saddle Creek
Also saw the biggest gator in the wild ever. At least 14' Huge.
Saddle Creek is an old phosphate mine. It would easily take one week to fish it all.Lot of water and structure.