The Hobie Bass Open tournament was over, but the fishing wasn’t. I stayed on at Kentucky Lake to see if I could find a big southern bass. I met up with the Hobie team and Kayak Angler contributor Chris Funk further down the river where you can catch largemouth and smallmouth bass. Let’s just say I’m a sucker for smallmouth.
Funk had two fly rods in his truck and like a giddy fool, I had to throw it after he handed one to me. Within sight of the launch I caught a 10 inch largemouth bass on a topwater popper and I knew one of two things: it was either going to be insane fishing, or that was my only fish for the day.
There was a lot of peddling around in Hobie’s Mirage Pro Angler 12, standing up and casting and looking for fish, but not a whole lot of catching. There were plenty of fish rolling on the popper, slurping it and following it to keep me on my toes, (literally, that boat is crazy stable). Some bass were even slamming the fly, I’d give them a hard strip-set, right between the eyes, I’d feel their weight, and by fishing logic alone (which can never be explained), they’d somehow be off before I could start bring them in.
After that first fish in the morning on fly, I couldn’t buy a fish. We hit every type of water we could, get follows all day, but then they’d turn at the last second. That was of course until Funk nailed a big one; his only fish for the day in fact. “I thought it was a dink when I saw him come up,” he said, ” because I just saw a little big of the head come out of the water.”
As soon as Funk set that hook, the 19 inch bass was flipping clea out of the air. I had my camera out of the dry bag and up to take photos before that fish was back in the water from that jump and even before Funk could yell, “Oh, it’s a pig!” Funk said if he was only going to catch one fish, he didn’t mind it being that one.
Shortly after he caught that bass, we rounded the point and saw Morgan Promnitz holding a big bass, about the same size. He said, “If today was a tournament day, I’d already have a bag of 57 inches with three fish. Easy.” I let him rub that in my fishless wounds for a bit, I didn’t mind…this time.
Ben Duchesney always says, “If I can only catch one fish, but it’s on fly, I’d still be happy all day.” (He admits it’s not a very clever saying). He hopes he won’t be needing to say it after tomorrow. Stay tuned for the last entry from his trip down to Kentucky Lake, KY. Click here to read the full recap of the Hobie Bass Open.
For more information about Hobie Fishing, or their Mirage Pro Angler 12, check out their website, hobiefishing.com.
