"The Little Pond", Eldred, NY Fishing Report

Memorial Day Monster

Just like last year, I had the chance to spend Memorial Day weekend with the in-laws on their hunting-club preserve in the Eldred, NY area. We always have a great time there, getting away from the city for some R&R and fishing on a couple small ponds in the middle of nowhere. Last year, I ended up having an awesome afternoon on the bigger of the two ponds, landing three very nice bass in the 19-21 inch range. Not having seen anything like that since, I had modest hopes for size but there's always healthy fish there.

On Saturday we took their boat out on Toronto Reservoir. While the fishing was sort of rough, I did manage my first Walleye, a nice smallmouth, and my first rock bass as well. Nothing spectacular, but it was great to zoom around the reservoir for a bit.

Sunday I set the alarm for 5.30am with the intention of fishing the small pond before the sun made things tough. Alas, when the alarm went off I failed badly at getting up, and didn't make it out on the pond until around 9.30. The sun was beating down and there was a rough wind running the length of the pond. I fished my way around the pond, hitting lily pad edges with a spinnerbait and stumps and holes in the pads with a brush hog. Other than a bunch of pickerel, it was pretty unproductive. I eventually started throwing a black buzzbait, and soon after got my first bass, a dink right around 12 inches. I threw the buzzbait the rest of the day and got one more bass, a healthy 3 pounds even. A pretty slow day, but a nice fish to cap it.

I was intent on making up for my early morning failure by setting the alarm again for Memorial Day. The alarm goes off, and I try hard to talk myself out of getting up. I finally manage todrag myself out of bed and hit the pond around 7am. The pond is dead calm, with fog rising off the water as the sun is coming up. I've got the topwater trifecta tied on: A popper, a spook, and the black buzzbait.

I start fishing my way from the ramp and head towards the side of the pond that's still in the shade. I get a couple pickerel and sunfish blowing up on the popper, and the spook goes untouched. After about 45 minutes I start mixing in the buzzbait, without too much going on. As I work my way down the pond, I throw the buzzbait up into the lanes between pads. I have one hit that doesn't connect, but at least something liked it! I buzz the area one more time with no results, and throw it back along the outside edge of the same pads. This time there's a splash and some weight on the other end. I set the hook firmly, having lost too many fish recently on half-hearted hooksets. As I start to work the fish, I am looking to see where the boat is positioned by the pads. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the line come up and turn to catch a glimpse of a bass leaping clear out of the water as I lower the rod a bit. I don't get a good look, but it looks like a solid fish and it lands with a nice splash.

The battle continues on as I work the fish towards the boat while keeping it away from the pads. I'm spooled with 14 pound fluoro, and while the pads are pretty skimpy, I don't need to add a lump of them to the fight. I'm now pretty sure it's a solid fish as it's staying well down and shaking its head, all while working my gear over. My fingers are mentally crossed for it to stay hooked, as this could be the best of the year.

After a minute and change, I've finally worked it close to the boat. I still haven't seen it again since that first glimpse, but it's almost time to bring it up. Well, at least it would be if I was the only one making decisions. The bass gets close to the boat and goes nuts. As I try to ease it up, it takes off like a demon, peeling a good 20 yards of line off like the drag was butter. I get it turned away from the pads and work it back to the boat, only to have a repeat performance with another drag-peeling run.

As I get it back near the boat one more time, it feels like it's finally worn down and I ease it towards the surface. As a last ditch effort, she tries to go under the boat but I get her stopped and she comes up right next to the boat and out of sight. I notice the line wrapping around the fishfinder and half-panic. Before disaster strikes, I yank the fishfinder out of the water and lean over to grab the fish. She's on her side by the boat, exhausted, and she is huge! I grab her and bring her in, with only a small protest head shake. My mauled buzzbait is lodged firmly in her cavernous mouth, and I decide to get her weighed and photographed before working on getting it lose. With shaky hands, I get her weighed and the scale finally settles down at 7 lbs, 5 oz! Around 24 inches, and with a fat belly that looks like she hasn't spawned yet. A personal best by 3 lbs!!!

I get the picture taken, wishing someone else was in the boat with me. After struggling with getting the buzzbait out, I end up holding her with her gills in the water while I get it loose. As she livens up and swims off with an angry tail-wave, the adrenaline comes rushing in and I just sit there for a few minutes, shaking. What took around 3 minutes from strike to release now feels like an eternity as I relive the fight. I send a shaky-handed text message to my wife with the picture and something along the lines of "holy f#^$ing s***! 7lbs 5 oz!" and then just sit there some more.

After gathering myself, I fished for another hour before heading home for breakfast. I didn't get another fish but I have a feeling it would have felt meaningless anyways. It was amazing through and through, definitely a fish of a lifetime.

I can't wait for Memorial Day to come around again!

• Added By: michaelk on 06/01/10 05:24 PM
• Location: "The Little Pond", Eldred, NY
• Report Date: 5/31/2010
• # of Hotspots: 1
• # of Photos: 3
• # of Fish Caught: 3
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