PERRY COUNTY — March has finally arrived, and my first 2024 Ohio bass cooperated just prior to February and that groundhog disappearing for another year. A three day trip in mid-February with Rich Carter to Dunnellon, Florida opened my fishing for this year, but the first Buckeye bass I landed was caught much closer to home. In fact, it was caught at my home.
Located at the northern end of my property lies my little farm pond. The pond is only slightly bigger than the farming I do, which is no farming at all. I have a pop bottle boat, a Pond Prowler, permanently docked at the pond where I never have to wait in line to launch. On weekends when boat ramps in Ohio are packed with everything from high performance bass boats to low performance boat launchers, I make the hike to the pond and enjoy the water all to myself.
Bluegills and bass call my pond home. I feed the bluegills a commercial fish food and the bass receive a hearty dose of fathead minnows that I purchase from Fender’s Fish Hatchery in Baltic, Ohio. Fender’scomes to Somerset, Ohio, on Thursday April 25th with a truckload of fish pre-ordered by pond owners in thearea. For more info on this opportunity, contact the Perry SWCD at 212 S. Main Street in New Lexington, OH. The order deadline is April 17th.
On one of those remarkably warm end of February days, I decided to give the bass in my pond another chance to do battle. They had declined to do so despite several decent days in January and February. One ofmy early casts resulted in a snagged lure, so I launched the Pond Prowler to rescue it. Once on the water I decided to continue fishing from my small boat.
It was not quite a solo mission. The boat’s resident mouse peeked from its small hole in the boat’s hull, but quickly returned to his living room rather than chance an unscheduled swim. The only lure I had was a small jig and pig with a green pumpkin skirt laced with a few strands of red and a green pumpkin Super chunk Jr.trailer made by Strike King.
Accepted bass fishing practice says to fish the northwest shore of a lake early in the season because that’s where the sun warms the water for a longer time. When I shot a hole in that theory, I headed for thecattails at the shallow south end of the pond. Here’s another wise old fishing practice: always check your reel’s drag before casting.
Of course, I failed to check the drag on my new reel. And that failure guaranteed the bite that took place. When I set the hook, I detected a bass was hooked, but line was going the wrong direction. It looked like the bass was doing the reeling.
A quick adjustment learned from years of making this same mistake quickly corrected the situation. Theresult was my first Ohio bass caught in 2024. My bait dropped from the jaw of the 13 inch largemouth bass just as I hoisted him aboard the Prowler. It was not on par with the monster bass the TV guys catch on a regular basis, but that bass did his best to remind me that better fishing days are near.
Before you venture forth on the water, make a checklist of items you should have with you. These days I make a written list, and then make another copy because I’m bound to lose the original. First, make sure your fishing license has been renewed. Boats have required safety equipment that are not actual fishing tools. Lifejackets should be tear-free. Distress flag and whistle, a floating throwable device, and a fire extinguisher are required equipment. Flares are required on many bodies of water like rivers and the Great Lakes. Make sure they have not exceeded their shelf life. Here’s a biggie… make sure your boat batteries are fully charged!
The one item that has caught me short when it comes to an inspection is my boat’s registration form. I have watertight containers for all the paperwork I need to be legal on the water.
As the days March on, my bass boat will soon be deployed for another season. Whether it’s a short drive to Burr Oak Lake or the long run to Lake Erie, my angling will transition from “Bill Dance TV season” to time on the water.
Be safe out there and I’ll see you on the water.