Awesome story! Thanks so much for sharing it, and congrats!

Awesome fish!

Thanks for sharing your story. Hope I can fish out there some day!!!!

Justin,

Awesome story, and congrats on all of those fish. Since you don't have a boat, You can go out with me anytime if you will teach me how to slow down!

Gotta jar with CB on it dropping extra money in.

I feel like "Slaunch Donkey" should be censored hahahaa

Great fish!

Can't get my dumb pix to show but here's a link from our trip when we had five that went 56.5#....

[img]http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/kenaddington/media/IMG_5620_zpsjfh8iacv.jpg.html[/img}

Thats just messed up

Justin,

Thanks for posting. What a great read! To hear you tell it makes my short hairs stand up. I can almost imagine what it was like because you describe it so well.

I too was blessed by a trip to "The Bell" for my 40th birthday and it was nothing short of spectacular. The thing I liked most was that Mike cancelled on me three or four times because according to him, the conditions weren't perfect for a great day. He could have easily taken my buddy and I on any of those days yet he didn't and we both still have our PBs from there as a result. Yes it's expensive but lasting memories for sure.

Great thread and congrats on the spectacular day.

+1

Thanks. It was 10lbs 4oz I believe ,somewhere in that range. Stumbled upon a neighborhood pond in Fl while on vacation last year and she decided to choke down a small swimbait.

Great story. We attempted a similar project starting back in 1988. Pure floridas and tilapia in two of our largest lakes(tanks). The 90's were exciting. The largest was 14.4 and 2 over 13. But stocking a lake with native bass already present took a hit on our genetics. We still catch some 10's out of one of them and its a great fishery. Then we looked more at raising whitetails and lost my father to cancer and lost interest. Then one of the lakes turned over during the drought and everything died which I cried when I pulled up watching buzzards eat 10 lb bass but maybe it was a blessing. We fixed the well that caved in during the drought(to make sure we can handle the water levels) and put the proper baitfish in a year before stocking pure floridas. We will see but things are looking good so far. Also, put a few floridas in a small tank that went dry and my mother hand feeds them minnows every day. Looking good so far. Like feeding catfish. We will see.

You were on your way, CroakerSoaker. We all get derailed by life. Best of luck regenerating those fisheries. Having a well certainly removes one variable.

Good reads guys a bunch of great examples how private water fishing is not the same as high fence hunting.

Good reads guys a bunch of great examples how private water fishing is not the same as high fence hunting.