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We wake the next morning and find ourselves looking out across overcast and windy conditions.
Although it will challenge our kayak and presentation skills, I'll take a day like this in a fishery with water this clear and notoriously light sensitive quarry.
One look at Garrett, I can tell he's ready to dance with a big Devil's smallie!
Garrett shows us he has his gameface on by doing a admirable job of cpr'ing the first respectable shortjaw on our mission and his new personal best smallmouth. For now.
We continue to work the run as we pick up fish here and there.
View of the rock formation directly above our campsite.
Everything is seemingly covered in thorns of some sort. Not just the cactus!
The wind is building as the day progresses and the sun rises higher in the sky. We alter our presentation slightly to get some relief from the battering winds. Rick paddles to another location several hundred yards down river of Garrett and I.
My decision to stay with Garrett and work with him on his presentation would suddenly prove to pay big dividends for us.
No sooner had Garrett's offer been retrieved and then paused in the identified strike zone, when out of the river depths came charging a riverine warrior unleashing it's piscatoral punishment with sniper like accuracy. All that was left of that moment was a trash can lid size swirl of disturbed jade green water, our wide eyed faces and Garrett's rod bucking hard uder the strain of a very determined and yet identified fish on the other end.
Garrett does a fine job of keeping the fish buttoned up and before long, we get a look at our opponent as she breaks water for the first of several aerial displays of gill rattling, bronze flashing madness.
The only words I could muster were "HUGE SMALLMOUTH!!!"
I instruct Garrett to work the fish onto a limestone flat as to facilitate me making a quick jaw grab on the next pass. Smallies are Houdini like in their hook tossing skills, IME.
That being said, I'd much rather take a shot landing one green than letting it air out a hook.
Garrett executes his end of the gameplan cleanly that allows me to make a jaw grab on what now looks to be a toadheamoth smallmouth bass well over 20 inches in length.
Nice fish Garrett!
By now, Rick has noticed all the commotion and paddled over to see whats up. At this point, Garrett and I are just putting a tape on the fish to determine a overall length measurement.
The current Texas Jr. Angler Catch & Release State Record smallmouth is 20.3 inches set back in August of 2008 from the San Marcos River. At 21.5 inches, I can safely guarantee Garrett wil claim a new pending Texas Sate Record smallmouth in the under 17 catch and release category.
This is welcome news to my guests and Rick is quick to bestow a congratulatory handshake to his son Garrett on a potential record breaking catch.
Following a healthy release of Garrett's record breaking smallmouth, we take time to reflect on the accomplishment. Basking in the satisfaction of having won a battle, but still craving more war.
With two full days left in our trip, I greatly anticipate what could be in store for my clients as we continue our riverine smallmouth assault.
The clouds eventually burn off and we know have full sun overhead for what appears the remainder of the day. We change up our pattern accordingly and begin to see immediate results.
Here is Rick with his first solid shortjaw of the trip for a cpr session. This fish would also represent a personal best smallmouth for Rick. So far.
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