Monster bass was caught on a spinnerbait April 2 in the Indian Mounds
Chris Berzas for Louisiana Sportsman
http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=7994
If you’re Daniel Schexnayder, what’s even better than catching a Toledo Bend 10.95-pounder last December?
Following it up this month with a monster bass almost 2 pounds heavier that is currently the largest fish entered so far in the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program for the 2014-15 season that ends in mid-May.
After leaving work in the afternoon last week and driving to Toledo Bend, the 52-year-old Iowa angler launched at Buckeye Landing and headed over to the Indian Mounds. He had two rods set up, one with a worm and the other with a ½-ounce Stanley Wedge spinnerbait tied on.
He caught a keeper at his first spot, and then went 30 minutes without a bite.
At the next location, Schexnayder started fishing with the spinnerbait, which the big fish inhaled on his third cast.
“She made a couple of zigzag runs and started toward the boat,” he said. “She didn’t jump once.”
The big fish made three more runs pulling drag while Schexnayder worked the trolling motor so didn’t dig in the shallows.
“I had to turn off the trolling motor at one point so she didn’t run into it,” he said.
The fish finally tired and surfaced, and he was able to reach down and lip her into the boat.
“She was long but not bulky,” he said. “I put her in the livewell and she calmed down.
“I was only able to get two readings on my scale since the wind was blowing. One had her at 11.14 pounds, the other weighing 12.2 pounds.”
Schexnayder made a call to Buckeye Landing to reach either Bruce or Cindy Salter to let them know he was coming in with another big one.
“Cindy was actually more excited than I was,” he said. “They met me at my boat when I arrived, and they told me exactly how to support the bass by the belly so as not to hurt her.”
The bass officially weighed 12.81 pounds on Buckeye’s scale, and it is currently the largest bass entered into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program that ends the middle of May.
It is officially lunker No. 67, and Schexnayder will now receive two free replicas next month courtesy of the Toledo Bend Lake Association since both his fish were double-digit bass that were tagged and released back into Toledo Bend waters.