November Bass

Just when most folks think it is time to put away the fishing gear…it isn’t. Truth is that over the years I have enjoyed some of my very best days of fly fishing in the month of November, even up and into December if the weather cooperates. Not only is the fishing usually good but the cool days make for some awesome fishing weather; usually the fishing comes with hardly anyone else around…yet another reason to give our 11^th month a try for some big bass, bluegill, crappie, etc….

November 14 of this year was opening day of deer season and one more good reason to stay out of the fields and edges of woods for a few hours. Frank Terkhorn met me at the McDonald’s in Linton at 7:30am for breakfast whereby we talked strategy. I had fished a new little lake/pond (depending on how you gauge a body of water) the Saturday before. In a bit over two hours I had landed just over 50 bass, five of which were over 15 inches. We decided that once again we would fish this first pond and then move about 100 yards west and try another lake of almost identical size…one that I hadn’t ever seen or been on top of yet.

We pulled beside the lake as the sun was just creeping up over the horizon behind us. The air was a crisp 25 degrees, the fog was now drifting upwards off of the water and with the oak trees that surrounded the lake, let’s just say it was an awesome sight and one that got my juices flowing to be out on the water, fly rod in hand. By the time we both got all our gear together the surrounding area became alive…with gun shots. Not one here and there…but multiples. The hills as they say, were alive with the sound of deer hunting. I looked at Frank and he back at me as we shoved off, both giving the other a good luck nod. I hoped that being in the middle of a 7 acre pond would mean we were safe?
I started the day off with my 8-weight rod and a large surface popper that looked like a shad…one that would be dying. I hadn’t gone far and connected with my first bass. Frank switched over to a popper as well and his first cast was gold as he caught a nice chunky 12 incher. It was pretty evident to me that the fish weren’t feeding or looking up in the water column as I caught a few on top but nothing like it had been the week before. I made the switch over to a tan streamer/baitfish pattern that had been good for a few weeks and it wasn’t long until it was game on.

The water in the little gem of a pond was so clear that I could see my fly and when it disappeared I would give a strong and quick strip set with my left hand…then haul in bass, one after the other. The shots continued to ring out around us. Some came in multiples and it had me wondering if this would indeed go on all day?

By the time Frank and I crossed (he goes one way on the lake due to being left-handed and I go the other) we had both caught a nice passel of bass, we decided we would fish back to the take out point and then hop over, about 100 yards, to the ‘sister’ lake. This would be a new lake for me and I quickly found out that this meant about a 50 yard portage through some scruffy oaks; knowing that we had a float tube on our back and didn’t look like a deer made me feel much more secure.

The second lake was as good, maybe a bit better that our first lake. Both Frank and I caught bass at a pretty alarming rate. It wasn’t just the catching but the incredible beauty all around us that made this such a special morning. By 9:30am the ‘gun-range’ had slowed and almost came completely to a stop as Frank and I once again passed by each other on our traversing of the outside of the lake. We took a minute to compare notes and just enjoy the setting and our friendship.
Frank noted that I was about to pass by a point that jutted out into the lake, he had caught a bunch of bass at that point; I made my first cast and just like my prognosticator had warned…I hooked and landed a nice bass. The next cast was a surprise as I set the hook on what I thought was a bass, a nice bass, it fought hard and stayed down, it even bulldogged me a bit. As I stripped and got the fish closer to the surface I could see that it wasn’t a bass, but a very nice crappie. You can see the picture above today’s column.

By 11am we were once again back at our trucks. Frank was going to continue fishing at yet another local lake and I would be moving a few miles away to take my dogs on a walk for quail. Notice I said, walk as I didn’t find any birds but did get some good exercise in for our upcoming trip to Nebraska. What a wonderful day we had had. Plenty of bass, great weather and good friendship…sounds like a few things to be thankful for. Southern Indiana is a great place for a sportsmen. Days like this are like gold for me and only secure my feelings of Enjoying the Great Outdoors.

• If you’d like to see a video of my fly fishing endeavor for November Bass, then click here.