Reader Report: Two Late-Season PB Largemouth Bass
It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I had just traveled home from school. My tackle for the trip? A box with three baits, some leader, and two rods—one spinning combo and an ancient 10-year-old baitcaster. With limited gear, I prepped the boat and rigged the rods for my brother and I. The next morning greeted us with classic Massachusetts late-season conditions: cold, windy, and overcast—perfect for chasing big bass. After bundling up, we hooked up the boat and hit the ramp around 1:30 PM, timing our start to when the water temperature might warm the fish into feeding mode.
At the first spot, I handed my brother a rod and began scoping for fish. Within minutes, I spotted one hugging the bottom. I called out the cast direction and distance, and my brother nailed it—his bait landed perfectly. Watching through the scope, I guided him to slow his retrieve. Suddenly, his rod tip bent, and I yelled, “Set the hook!” What followed was a thrilling fight that ended with a chunky 4-pounder in the boat. We knew it was going to be a good day.
Our second spot was loaded with hungry bass. My brother pulled in three more fish, all in the 4-pound range. Then I took over the rod, landing five bass, including a 4.2-pounder, all within 30 minutes. The bite was fast and furious until pickerel began invading the spot. Each pickerel meant checking the line for nicks or frays, but we pressed on.
By mid-afternoon, we debated heading to a waypoint we call “Bigs.” Historically, this spot had only delivered big fish, and with the conditions lining up, we decided to roll the dice. As the wind began to calm, I bomb-casted my bait over a promising school. Letting it sink to just above their position, I began a slow retrieve. Suddenly, my line tightened, and I cranked hard to set the hook. At first, I thought it might be a large pickerel, but the relentless drag runs told a different story.
My brother grabbed the net as I carefully fought the fish. It took two major runs before I got it boat-side, revealing its massive shoulders. The tension was high, but we managed to net it. The fish was a true giant—clearly over 6 pounds, shattering my previous personal best (PB). Shaking with excitement, I didn’t even want to cast again.
Just when we thought the day couldn’t get better, my brother hooked into another big fish. Initially, he thought it was a pickerel, but as the fish broke the surface, we realized it was a bass. After an intense fight, we netted his PB as well.
We wrapped up the day with our dad meeting us at the ramp to admire our catches. Our two biggest bass weighed in at 7.98 lbs and 4.87 lbs, anchoring a 5-fish limit of 24.56 lbs—a personal record for this lake. In just 2.5 hours, we both smashed our PBs and experienced one of the most memorable fishing days of our lives.
Patterns and Conditions
The key was focusing on offshore spots with grass lines and steep drop-offs holding baitfish. The water temperature ranged from 42 to 44°F, with light winds of 4–7 mph and air temps around 39°F. Fishing in 10 to 20 feet of water, we used slow retrieves to trigger bites.
This day reminded me that even with minimal gear and limited time, the right conditions and a bit of luck can lead to incredible success.
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Source: https://onthewater.com/reader-report-two-late-season-pb-largemouth-bass
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