Swinging for the Fences

On Thursday May 16, I loaded up my Ride 135 and headed off to a small neighborhood lake.  The day prior I was shore fishing and had lots of luck with a spro frog, and Thursday would be no different.  I launched the kayak and began fishing mats right next to the launch.  First cast I hook up, nothing big, but starting the day with a 14in bass would set the tone right!
I worked the entire bank fishing every mat I came across with my frog.  Almost every spot I pulled up to I pulled off a half dozen 12-15in bass, and although they were nothing huge, I had fun with the topwater bite.  There are very few places where I can fish for three hours and have over a hundred fish blow up on a frog!  I then had a fish "slurp" my frog.  I reeled down and swung for the fences.  It was on, I had a giant fish, for this lake, on the end of my line.  She jumped twice and my heart was racing.  A little less than a year ago I landed my PB which was over 8lbs; today I found myself with a new PB on the end of my line.  I managed to keep her down for the rest of the fight and got her yakside and was trying to be fancy and get fishgrips into her mouth (I should've just grabbed a fistful of fish) when she decided to make another run.  Deep into the weeds she went and got a split second of slack line; that was it.  I lost my new PB.  My best guesses put the fish between 23-25in and FAT!
After getting tired standing in the yak frogging, I decided to switch techniques.  I started throwing pieces of senko from 2-4in that I had used the week before smallmouth fishing on the new.  Although they were not full length, the fish did not care one bit.  I had four leftover senko pieces and managed to pull out 15-20 bass on a wacky rig.  It was a great way to use the torn senkos (They cost too much to not get every penny out of them!)
After running out of senkos I switched back to my frog and continued to have amazing luck.  Cast after cast was producing fish; I missed a lot of fish while attempting to set the hook, but that's how topwater goes.  Towards the end of the day I had something sneakily take my frog; there was no blowup or "slurp."  Instead, my frog just disappeared.  I reeled down and felt something entirely different than anything I had caught.  It seemed to squirm around more than fight.  I got it yakside and was surprised to see a 30in eel slithering around with a spro frog dangling from its toothed mouth!
I had a great time and managed to catch well over 100bass 10-15in, a slab crappie, and an ugly eel.  I can't wait to get back out there and chase my PB that got away.  All frogging was done with a St. Croix MH Mojo and Abu Garcia Revo S with 30lb braid.  The wack rigging was done on a St. Croix M Triumph and Shimano Sedona with 20lb braid and 8lb Flurocarbon leader.

Ready to Launch

Average

Perfect Hookset!