So, I have this lake near my home. It’s called Lake Nippinickett also known as “The Nip”. Apparently, it’s also drenched in ghostly folklore. As I pulled up this morning, the lake’s creepy reputation made sense. With cold November air in a freeze frame, fog lingered over the surface of the water. It is dead silent as I load gear onto my Big Game II. There’s nobody around. It seems and the waterline is also too low for any boats. Perfect for paddlers looking for a trophy largemouth bass.

I know for a fact that tournaments here have recorded bass in the 8-9lb range with the occasional sighting of a double-digit lunker. The lake itself has only an average depth of about three feet, maxing out at about six feet . It’s also very tea-stained water from tannic acid. So where do we start?

Sun’s not up yet , topwater is the way to go. However, I know I need to cover water fast. It’s a three hundred-fifty four acre lake. I have to be able to adapt to conditions and locations. It’s November , so a buzzbait probably will be too fast. I need something that is just a bit slower, but can still make a lot of commotion…ah! A waker bait! It’s perfect for right now. I can throw it and drag it back somewhat quick, but it rattles and wobbles like a crankbait on the surface, creating a large wake.

I know bass like to stick close to the warmer rocks and wait for breakfast. So let’s see… I noticed a large boulder coming out of the water about fifty feet from my kayak. I stand up on my Big Game to get a little more distance. Since the water is so shallow here the fish tend to be a little easier to scare. I release the waker – splashing 15 feet behind the rock, perfect placement. I decided to let it sit a second before waking it back in. I take a quick snapshot of the island nearby – rumored to be sacred ground of a Native American burial site.

I put my camera down and begin bringing the waker back in. The waker is about ten feet from the rock. Slowly rattling and bringing those v-shaped ripples closer and closer… nothing. I am still bringing the bait back now, looking around …there’s another rock about twenty – WHOA! My rod gives, I look back at my line. There’s a remnant of a large splash in the water. My line is racing by the bow of my kayak. The water is low so the fish can’t dive, it has to RUN! It’s pulling the kayak, and I have to let it take some line. It turns and runs toward the kayak. I am racing to get the line in fast enough. Gosh, it’s running under the kayak now!

“Come on, come on!” I lean back and let the backbone of the rod put some real hard force against the bass. I turn it out of the cover it was running for. I feel the fish is tiring now. I see my gorgeous, beaten opponent flash green and black on the surface as I reach down. I pull the fish out of the water with great enthusiasm. The fish gives one last defiant shake. I fall back onto the seat and smile. What a gorgeous fish. This kayak came standard with a fish ruler. Perfect! The fish is 21 inches long. Estimate weight: 5.07 pounds – good size by New England standards. This made my day. And, I wasn’t even paying attention!

The sun is rising higher in the sky, and the topwater bite is slowing. While I was bringing in the waker I noticed a slight breeze kick in across the trees. Here in Southeastern Massachusetts  the afternoon winds usually kick in from the southwest. But today, the wind was coming straight out of the west. A storm is coming.

The slight breeze is turning into constant wind. The ripples on the water are now slowly turning into a chop. Topwater isn’t going to work now, but the bite should get really good if I can pick the right bait. I decided to switch to a spinnerbait – 1\2 ounce, something that will run deep. Color? White…white and chartreuse accent color. I want a natural color with a little flair. As I paddled southward, I cleared the island – wow, it’s much windier than I thought.  I have to think about getting back to the dock…but I have to fish a submerged rock piling first!

After a long 100-meter paddle into the brisk headwind, I finally got to the piling. It is a crescent shaped outcropping of rocks, with small brush sprouting from the shallowest point. I stand up, throw my anchor and began fan casting across the point. The spinnerbait was slowly bumping the rocks below, which can be a bit nerve racking. I can’t tell if it’s a strike from a fish, or just the bait knocking against the boulders. Wait, I set the hook. Nothing. This wind is really getting inten-WHOA! The rod gives way and the wind gusts at the same time. The kayak is now beginning to drift, the anchor isn’t strong enough, but the fish is still on the line!

I put some extra pressure on the fish, pulling the rod back. The fish comes out of the water between the trough of two small waves. The kayak is now really moving backwards in the wind as I am battling the fish. Suddenly the kayak chunks to a stand-still, throwing me backwards into my seat. The anchor must have gotten caught between two boulders. Fish still on the line, I pull the emerald green bass from the rocky waters. It’s no trophy, maybe about three to four pounds. But considering I’m laughing in the middle of this windstorm, I’d say it’s worth it.

I pulled the anchor up, spun the kayak around and surfed the kayak back to the dock. A couple runners are jogging by and giving me a weird look. “Did you go fishing?” “Yup, totally worth it!”