COLUMN: In a matter of minutes

I'm not sure about the sentiments of other local anglers, but I have certainly experienced more successful springs during the previous years. It's not that I have failed to catch fish, but things are noticeably different this year.

It was not uncommon to boat a limit within an hour or so and spend the remainder of the day culling during recent spring seasons. But the numbers have not been coming as easily during thus far in 2020.

I feel fortunate in the sense that I am still bringing home the allotted number of bass on a consistent basis, but I am certainly having to work hard to achieve the number of largemouths meeting the requirements determined by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. In fact, it sometimes takes the better part of a day to catch six measurable bass, some of which barely exceed the 13-inch limit.

I suppose my ability to think like a bass, or lack thereof, and a poor choice of techniques has a lot to do with my inconsistent success thus far this year, but I am also convinced that the weather has played a significant role in their unwillingness to bite.

A cold front came rolling in just as the spawn began and brought with it unseasonably cold temperatures and rain, both of which were responsible for dropping the water temperature drastically, literally overnight. And the wind? Let's not even go there.

OK, enough of the excuses. It's simply been one of those springs, for me, that has lent to frustration and disappointment.

I have, however, continued to fish on a regular basis in spite of the conditions and my lack of knowhow. Of course, with persistence comes occasional success, and I suppose I'll continue to roll out of bed before the chickens and go through the motions as long as I can experience the taste of success on occasion.

It just so happens that I experienced one of the productive outings just a few days ago. It began as a slow day. In fact, I only had two fish in the live well at mid-morning.

I had been fighting a stiff north wind, and it seemed that practically every stretch of water where I usually fished during this time of the year was far too rough to cover with any efficiency. It wasn't that I was against fishing in the wind, but these conditions were far too severe for me.

Well, I eventually opted to abort my intentions of fishing my favorite spots and resorted to finding pockets and stretches of shoreline that were somewhat protected from the wind.

Nearing my first of such destinations I coasted to a stop just before reaching a huge stand of partially submerged timber, dropped my trolling motor in the water and began easing in the direction of the calm. Casting a jerkbait in the direction of the cover, I managed to tie into a solid four-pounder upon my first cast.

My hopes increased exponentially upon boating the beautiful largemouth -- with a little luck, this was not a fluke. And if all went as hoped, more action lurked in my immediate future.

Reaching calm water, I chose to retire the jerkbait for a while and try my hand at casting a soft plastic. Well, my choice was obviously a good one as I managed to boat three more largemouths within a matter of minutes.

And here I was. I had been fishing for several hours with hardly any success. And within a matter of minutes, I had coaxed four largemouths, all of which fell within the three to four pound range.

The next hour or so proved exciting, to say the least. It seemed like a hungry bass lurked within casting range of practically everywhere I chose to cast. It was pretty much a given, run your lure within a few feet of submerged cover and a bass would respond.

Well, the bite eventually slowed, and I eventually opted to call it a day. I was more than satisfied while loading my boat on the trailer. And although I was aware that more of those less than productive days lurked ahead, there will also be those small windows of time that make it all worthwhile lurking in the future as well. That in mind, I was eager to return to my all-time favorite outdoor activity in the days to come.

Sports on 05/31/2020

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