Two bass on one cast




The FishingWire reports Pflugerville, Texas, bass angler Donnie O'Neal set the hook Sunday, April 28, on what he thought would be a bass weighing 13-pound-plus largemouth bass that he could donate to the Texas ShareLunker Program. What he landed weighed more than 19 pounds, but it wasn't a single fish. It was two big fish. O'Neal's double-catch consisted of one bass weighing 7.8 and a second weighing 11.8 pounds. "I let out the biggest holler," he said. "I'd never caught a double-digit bass, and I'd been searching a long, long time for one." He'd told a friend he was just going to fish for giants. He caught a 2.5-pound bass on his first cast, and landed additional bass in the 3- to 4-pound range. About 10:15 a.m. he felt a strike and set the hook, but came up empty. Quickly he casted again to the same spot and let the lure sink to the bottom. He pumped it once and began a slow, steady retrieve. After 8 to 10 turns of the reel handle the rod loaded up and he told his partner to grab the net. "After a few seconds something just didn't seem right," he said. "The fish made surges like a striper, but they were short bursts, and it stayed down." O'Neal kept the rod low and slowly worked the fish up to the surface. "As the fish came up I noticed that it looked like the letter 'L' facing downward, then it became apparent that it was not a striper, and not just one fish, but two bass, and they were huge!" O'Neal is a tournament angler fishing the FLW EverStart Series among other trails, and he has plenty of experience with castable umbrella rigs. He said he's tried more than two-dozen different rigs and brands since the technique hit the mainstream, but now fishes the Flash Mob Jr. exclusively. He took sixth place in the EverStart event on Lake Texoma April 18-20 by fishing the FMJ. O'Neal said he uses the FMJ over other brands because it's the perfect size, with the right size willow leaf blades and wire. The blades create flash and vibration while adding more swimming action to the baits. He likes 3 ½- to 4-inch Money Minnows, Mud Minnows or other soft-plastic swimbaits, and uses shorter baits on the outer arms with a longer one in the center. "The month of April was a true blessing to me, with a 6th Place finish at the FLW and my first double-digit largemouth and a new personal best," he said. "Now to find a taxidermist to get a replica made." He said that since he started fishing the FMJ he's caught doubles four times. Both bass were released healthy back into Lake Austin.




Tell us what you think!

Lake Sam Rayburn Real Estate with Rayburn Realty

Lake Sam Rayburn Email Updates


 

Visit our Lake Sam Rayburn Sponsors!

Lake Sam Rayburn on Social Media

 
       

Lake Sam Rayburn Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Sam Rayburn Weather Forecast

Wednesday

Decreasing Clouds

Hi: 80

Wednesday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 65

Thursday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 84

Thursday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 70

Friday

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 83

Friday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 72

Saturday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 85

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 72


Lake Sam Rayburn Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 4/24: 161.18 (-3.22)



Lake Sam Rayburn

Fishing Report from TPWD (Apr. 24)

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 3.49 feet below pool. Navigate with caution to avoid sandbars and stumps. Bass are on points and drains in shallow water spawning, and some are in a post spawn biting crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Some topwater along the grass edges. Crappie are fair in the shallows near stumps and fair on the brush piles. Some crappie are spawning near cypress trees, wade anglers can target these. White bass are schooling on main lake points but not surfacing yet. Catch some with jigs, minnows, crankbaits and jigging spoons. Catfish are slowly moving back to the points. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Shad spawn is in full swing. Bass are good keying on hard clay points, grass edges and flooded timber with swim jigs, chatterbaits, topwater spooks or pop-r’s. Offshore bite is 10-20 feet on hard spots and flats, points and creek channel swings using crankbaits, Carolina rigs, shaky heads and dropshots. Crappie have finished spawning in 12-20 feet of water on brush piles and standing timber. Report by Captain Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Fishing.

More Fishing Reports