Flint River Shoal Bass
Sprewell Bluff State Park
17 OCT 04
I have to admit that I heard lots of great things about the Flint River in Georgia. Unfortunately, up until today all those rumors of great big and hungry Shoal Bass had proved less than verifiable. After three previous trips sans guide and what I would call a real fish, I wasn't feeling the love. All that changed on 17 October 2004. No, I didn't catch a bucket load or a limit, but I did catch my biggest Georgia bass (shoal, large mouth or smallie). Actually, I caught my biggest two Flint River Shoal Bass on this memorable day.
Of course I arrived as the gate opened at 0730 and had the luxury of being the sole fisher on this well known river until I left around 0930. Really surprising since it was beautiful cool partly cloudy fall day. Anyway, I was ready to fish so I busted out my 7 wt and a handful of black gold bead head woolly boogers, and took to the water.
Since I was wearing extremely light weight waders with no liners, I kept to the shallows along the bank and started to cast into the deeper runs on the down stream side of rocks and riffles. Success was achieved in short order. Yes! I had a nice little (12 inch) Shoal Bass on the line.
Like I said, I had been to the Flint River a few times and hadn't caught anything worthwhile - small, small bass and sunfish. The first bass this day eclipsed all previous attempts. The day was already a success and I wasn't through.
After a few more casts and a couple nibbles, and one sunfish, I began to strip in my line and thought I would give it a few more casts before I called it quits. At first I thought I'd hooked on to a log or boulder, but when the boulder began to move I thought "oh boy" this thing is going to be huge.
It was - at least to me - quite the fish - football size fish with a couple of extra inches for the tail. Conservatively, I put it at about 4.25 lbs, but since I had no witnesses and the camera was in the boy's soccer kit bag, I can only hope I get a chance to go back and get his brother.