It's Good to be Back
It’s Good to be Back
June 2, 2018 Brian McMorris
After turning off the ignition, stepping out of the Expedition and closing the door, the familiar but forgotten sounds and smells of a favorite fishing hole flooded my senses. The complaining red-winged black birds and the moaning bull frogs were like an old friend you hadn’t seen in many years. The odor that only a shallow water pond can create, with its reeds and lily pads, moss, mud and murkiness, filled my nose. The freshness of an overcast sky and light rain mixed with the ponds’ perfume and I felt nothing but calm and confident. The perfect spring day for some largemouth bass.
Fisherman’s Retreat is a special place for me, and for my lifelong friend and fishing partner, Carl. We’ve been coming here since the mid 1980’s, years before we could even drive, thanks to my wonderful dad taking the time to drive us out there to enjoy some fishing. We were very lucky my parents decided to buy a membership there. My parents excepted that Carl and I had contracted a non-life threatening but eternally life changing sickness…bass fishing.
But as most of us know, as we get older life creates various paths, challenges and opportunities. Carl and I bass fished for many years together, both from shore and from a bass boat. Then we got older. Our careers started, other hobbies became priorities, marriages happened, kids…..blah blah blah.
Here I was, many years after those heavy fishing days of our youth, looking for something. An urge kind of boiling inside of me. Now, I’d fished on and off over the last 15-20 years, but it was only occasionally. Some of those trips were with Carl, many were not. Sometimes in the ocean, or maybe fly fishing some stream or river. Sometimes my family fished up around Mammoth or the June Lake Loop were my two daughters landed their first fish. Sometimes I fished Lake Perris or Lake Skinner. Occasionally, even at Fisherman’s Retreat. There were years I didn’t bass fish at all.
But I’ve been missing something. Carl and I had planned to come here this day, but he had to cancel. I came anyway. I figured part of me was still there, somewhere in the reeds or under a lily pad or two. I was longing to find that part again. Thursday, April 19th, 2018 seemed like a good day to look.
Remembering the good ol’ days, I pulled out a new, stiff, 7’3” Dobyns rod with a new 13Fishing Concept A reel with 55# braid, tied on a frog and preceded to the dike between the two “big lakes”. Apparently, frogs have become all the rage in bass fishing lately. Only 27, 28 years after Carl and I discovered how awesome they worked. We caught many bass on the old Snag Proof frog at “Retreat”, as we call it, many moons ago. I stubbornly fished this for almost 2 hours until almost 0900. Not one bite, hit or boil! I then wandered back to the truck wondering why I sucked so much a bass fishing.
(Gear used in this review)
Dobyns Rods 734C FH Champion Series Heavy Fast Casting Rod (BEST PRICE)
13 Fishing Concept A Reel (BEST PRICE)
I grabbed my approximately 25-year-old 6’ AllStar rod with a new 13Fishing Concept A reel full of 6# Trilene XL mono on it…left handed of course (no, I’m not left handed). I quickly tied on mine and Carl’s #1 go-to lure just about anywhere we go; the Rapala Original floating topwater jerkbait. #11. Gold (Carl prefers silver). I closed the trucks rear hatch and headed for the far side of the “big lake”.
Three or 4 minutes of walking passed. 2 or 3 minutes of casting passed. I was throwing the Rapala in approximately 1-3 feet of water, slowly jerking the lure in and around mostly sparse strands of young reed shoots that had just recently pierced the surface of the water. All over the surface, small rings expanded out from the impact of the light rain.Then I texted this photo to Carl at 0910.
At this time, I knew it was on! At 09:22 I sent this picture to Carl.
More pictures were sent to Carl at 09:27, 09:33, 09:52, 10:06, 10:12 and 10:27. Here is fish #9 at 10:27.
After this I decided to walk to the “lily pad” lake and promptly lost my awesome gold #11 Rapala on a stubborn lily pad stem…on the very 1st cast. I was bummed. Not all lures come from the factory the same. They are all a little different in the way they run. Certain ones just plain work. Others run a little off and an effort can be made to tune them. The one I just lost was a good one. It had just been broken in. It was covered in teeth scratches and already had a chip in the finish next to the center hook eye. Damn it!
About a half hour later, after tying on another gold #11 Rapala, I headed back to the area that had been so good to me. After only a few casts, at 11:45, I sent this picture of fish #10 to Carl.
That was quickly followed up at 11:54 with another nice fish, #11. A picture of which was of course sent to Carl.
Another fish, a dink, was caught at 1203 and then the last, #13, was landed at 12:28. I didn’t weigh any of them. I probably should have. It didn’t really matter. I had things I needed to do back at my real life so shortly after fish #13 I headed back to the truck. Frogs didn’t work at all. Ripping the Rapalas under water didn’t work either. The fish wanted the lures slowly twitched and all but one of the hits were under water while the lure slowly rose from the bottom of the jerk. A bulging swirl of water and a tug on the line giving way to a solid hook set.
What a great day bass fishing. What a great “welcome back” from the bass. Top water is my favorite technique for largemouth bass, as it probably is for 90% of all bass fisherman. To have such an epic last 1 ½ hours of fishing was just what I needed to get the old furnace lit. I’ve become invigorated again. Excited. It literally feels like a part of me has returned. Even though life is still busy, rushed and sometimes stressful, I am happy that I’ve been bit by the bass fishing bug again. I know it will last a long time and I look forward to sharing many more trips with my friend Carl. Even my wife wants to go. I can’t wait.
As I turned left onto San Timoteo Canyon Rd. out of Fisherman’s Retreat, I had a big grin across my face. It was good to be back.
-Brian McMorris
June 2, 2018 Brian McMorris
Fisherman’s Retreat is a special place for me, and for my lifelong friend and fishing partner, Carl. We’ve been coming here since the mid 1980’s, years before we could even drive, thanks to my wonderful dad taking the time to drive us out there to enjoy some fishing. We were very lucky my parents decided to buy a membership there. My parents excepted that Carl and I had contracted a non-life threatening but eternally life changing sickness…bass fishing.
 |
| Thank you Mom and Dad for supporting my bass addiction. Thanks Dad for the countless fishing trips. I miss you. R.I.P |
But as most of us know, as we get older life creates various paths, challenges and opportunities. Carl and I bass fished for many years together, both from shore and from a bass boat. Then we got older. Our careers started, other hobbies became priorities, marriages happened, kids…..blah blah blah.
Here I was, many years after those heavy fishing days of our youth, looking for something. An urge kind of boiling inside of me. Now, I’d fished on and off over the last 15-20 years, but it was only occasionally. Some of those trips were with Carl, many were not. Sometimes in the ocean, or maybe fly fishing some stream or river. Sometimes my family fished up around Mammoth or the June Lake Loop were my two daughters landed their first fish. Sometimes I fished Lake Perris or Lake Skinner. Occasionally, even at Fisherman’s Retreat. There were years I didn’t bass fish at all.
But I’ve been missing something. Carl and I had planned to come here this day, but he had to cancel. I came anyway. I figured part of me was still there, somewhere in the reeds or under a lily pad or two. I was longing to find that part again. Thursday, April 19th, 2018 seemed like a good day to look.
Remembering the good ol’ days, I pulled out a new, stiff, 7’3” Dobyns rod with a new 13Fishing Concept A reel with 55# braid, tied on a frog and preceded to the dike between the two “big lakes”. Apparently, frogs have become all the rage in bass fishing lately. Only 27, 28 years after Carl and I discovered how awesome they worked. We caught many bass on the old Snag Proof frog at “Retreat”, as we call it, many moons ago. I stubbornly fished this for almost 2 hours until almost 0900. Not one bite, hit or boil! I then wandered back to the truck wondering why I sucked so much a bass fishing.
(Gear used in this review)
Dobyns Rods 734C FH Champion Series Heavy Fast Casting Rod (BEST PRICE)
13 Fishing Concept A Reel (BEST PRICE)
I grabbed my approximately 25-year-old 6’ AllStar rod with a new 13Fishing Concept A reel full of 6# Trilene XL mono on it…left handed of course (no, I’m not left handed). I quickly tied on mine and Carl’s #1 go-to lure just about anywhere we go; the Rapala Original floating topwater jerkbait. #11. Gold (Carl prefers silver). I closed the trucks rear hatch and headed for the far side of the “big lake”.
Three or 4 minutes of walking passed. 2 or 3 minutes of casting passed. I was throwing the Rapala in approximately 1-3 feet of water, slowly jerking the lure in and around mostly sparse strands of young reed shoots that had just recently pierced the surface of the water. All over the surface, small rings expanded out from the impact of the light rain.Then I texted this photo to Carl at 0910.
 |
| This was actually my 2nd landed fish, caught on the very next cast after the 1st fish. The 1st was the biggest of the day but no picture was taken because the fish shook just as I lipped him with my left hand and the treble hook flew out of his mouth and right into my right thumb. Due to a flashback of a similar incident at the same lake, I panicked and dropped the fish back in the water to attend to my thumb. Luckily the barb did not pierce the skin this time. |
At this time, I knew it was on! At 09:22 I sent this picture to Carl.
 |
| Another fiesty fish caught on a slow jerked #11. The light rain continued. The bite continued. |
More pictures were sent to Carl at 09:27, 09:33, 09:52, 10:06, 10:12 and 10:27. Here is fish #9 at 10:27.
 |
| Yet another Rapala fish during a brief pause in the rain. This one was a great fighter, pulling drag as he fought to stay submerged. One of the nicer fish of the day. |
About a half hour later, after tying on another gold #11 Rapala, I headed back to the area that had been so good to me. After only a few casts, at 11:45, I sent this picture of fish #10 to Carl.
Another fish, a dink, was caught at 1203 and then the last, #13, was landed at 12:28. I didn’t weigh any of them. I probably should have. It didn’t really matter. I had things I needed to do back at my real life so shortly after fish #13 I headed back to the truck. Frogs didn’t work at all. Ripping the Rapalas under water didn’t work either. The fish wanted the lures slowly twitched and all but one of the hits were under water while the lure slowly rose from the bottom of the jerk. A bulging swirl of water and a tug on the line giving way to a solid hook set.
What a great day bass fishing. What a great “welcome back” from the bass. Top water is my favorite technique for largemouth bass, as it probably is for 90% of all bass fisherman. To have such an epic last 1 ½ hours of fishing was just what I needed to get the old furnace lit. I’ve become invigorated again. Excited. It literally feels like a part of me has returned. Even though life is still busy, rushed and sometimes stressful, I am happy that I’ve been bit by the bass fishing bug again. I know it will last a long time and I look forward to sharing many more trips with my friend Carl. Even my wife wants to go. I can’t wait.
As I turned left onto San Timoteo Canyon Rd. out of Fisherman’s Retreat, I had a big grin across my face. It was good to be back.
-Brian McMorris
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