Big Bass caught before Todays type tournaments.

[Son]

Began bass fishing with my Dad many years ago, Mid 1950's best I can remember. Bass fishing today is nothing like we fished before all the big tournaments. A large outboard was 15 Hp, boats were wood, and sculling was the method for getting around. Before electric trolling motors. Our favorite lures before plastics were pork rind frogs on Johnsons silver minnow spoons. Jitterbugs, large and small, top water Daltons, frog spot was a favorite. Orland Shiner top water lure. Pork rind eels in a small jar of salt brine. Rusted lots of stuff with those old leaking bottles. Then plastics showed up. We bought our first pack on the way to fish in the Ocala National forest. Bass ate them up so bad we were melting pieces to stick them back together. Finally wore em slam out and had to go back to that tackle store to buy more. We were using an aluminum boat won in one of the first bass tournaments in Florida we ever knew about. Folks who know Ocala forest, or Marion co Fl, probably know of Sellers Lake. There's some big bass there, and they love top water, and plastics. We never used live bait. Just about quit bass fishing when tournaments became the thing. Panfish and catfish are what I had rather fish for now. Good to eat, and less work.
At a Christmas party back in the 80's. A bass tournament fisherman was introduced to me to talk fishing. Everyone in the area knew I fished and wrote outdoor articles for the local news. He began with talking about his largest bass, it was an 8 1/2 pounder. Then asked me what my largest was. When I said 15#, 6 oz, he turned and walked away like I was the biggest liar in Ga. I got a kick out that, and still do. Fact is, my three largest bass over ten pounds are the 15, 6, and 13 1/2 and a 12 1/2. Have caught many in what I would call the lunker class, 8 to 10 pounds. In most small prairies and lakes, it seems 9 3/4 is where most old bass top out at. Could have something to do with the amount of water per fish in those waters. Best day bass fishing, was wading a gator hole in Ocala Forest, caught 27 bass just as fast as they could be reeled in, the largest weighed 9 3/4 pounds. Two fellows with me caught one small bass. Thinking they were scared to wade out as deep as I was because of the big gator we had seen. Wade fishing for bass and top water lures were my favorite, still are. We just don't have good wading prairies or lakes here in SW Ga. My Dad was better at bass fishing than I will ever be. Old school, and he believed in jigger pole fishing at night as well. He called it Skin Bobbing.

 

[Son]

In south central Florida, largemouth bass were often referred to as Black Bass. Only tournament I've ever been in except for a six month tournament our working center had at GTE in Tampa back in the 70. I won it every month, six times. The tournament was cancelled, probably because of me. The largest bass each month won the month. My smallest winning bass weighed a little over 7 pounds. I learned at a young age.

 

[Ray357]

Began bass fishing with my Dad many years ago, Mid 1950's best I can remember. Bass fishing today is nothing like we fished before all the big tournaments. A large outboard was 15 Hp, boats were wood, and sculling was the method for getting around. Before electric trolling motors. Our favorite lures before plastics were pork rind frogs on Johnsons silver minnow spoons. Jitterbugs, large and small, top water Daltons, frog spot was a favorite. Orland Shiner top water lure. Pork rind eels in a small jar of salt brine. Rusted lots of stuff with those old leaking bottles. Then plastics showed up. We bought our first pack on the way to fish in the Ocala National forest. Bass ate them up so bad we were melting pieces to stick them back together. Finally wore em slam out and had to go back to that tackle store to buy more. We were using an aluminum boat won in one of the first bass tournaments in Florida we ever knew about. Folks who know Ocala forest, or Marion co Fl, probably know of Sellers Lake. There's some big bass there, and they love top water, and plastics. We never used live bait. Just about quit bass fishing when tournaments became the thing. Panfish and catfish are what I had rather fish for now. Good to eat, and less work.
At a Christmas party back in the 80's. A bass tournament fisherman was introduced to me to talk fishing. Everyone in the area knew I fished and wrote outdoor articles for the local news. He began with talking about his largest bass, it was an 8 1/2 pounder. Then asked me what my largest was. When I said 15#, 6 oz, he turned and walked away like I was the biggest liar in Ga. I got a kick out that, and still do. Fact is, my three largest bass over ten pounds are the 15, 6, and 13 1/2 and a 12 1/2. Have caught many in what I would call the lunker class, 8 to 10 pounds. In most small prairies and lakes, it seems 9 3/4 is where most old bass top out at. Could have something to do with the amount of water per fish in those waters. Best day bass fishing, was wading a gator hole in Ocala Forest, caught 27 bass just as fast as they could be reeled in, the largest weighed 9 3/4 pounds. Two fellows with me caught one small bass. Thinking they were scared to wade out as deep as I was because of the big gator we had seen. Wade fishing for bass and top water lures were my favorite, still are. We just don't have good wading prairies or lakes here in SW Ga. My Dad was better at bass fishing than I will ever be. Old school, and he believed in jigger pole fishing at night as well. He called it Skin Bobbing.

Ah now, you know you can't catch a bass without a $75,000 boat. Can't catch a big un without a $100k boat.

 

[Son]

If one watches much tv bass fishing, they're sure to think they don't stand a chance unless they have sponsors, expensive tackle, boat, truck etc. patches sewed all over their clothes etc., but let me tell them. That's not so.
All my years, have had a tackle box full of lures, must be for looks because I go to just two or three old favorites every time.
I joke with friends when fishing. Telling them, "These bass have seen every lure sold in Walmart and Bass Pro, so we need to throw something different. Repala is a good one.

 

[Son]

When living in South Florida, Bass fishing was my second love, hunting was first. Being a taxidermist since the 1950's, I mounted the 7 largest bass caught, and gave them away when I moved out of Florida. Now wish I had kept the largest three. Because I've lost the album that had the photo's of all but a couple of those fish. First moved to Beulah Al, where hybrid fishing, spotted bass and catfishing took most of my fishing time. Mounted many of those large hybrids. Left Al in 85, moved to SW Ga, haven't mounted a fish since. Still do my own deer heads.

 

[Son]

Old 1954 Orlando Clipper won in the Rudy Schaffer contest. Still have it.

If that boat could talk.

 

[Fletch_W]

Best part is your name really is Son.

 

[bvi]

Looks like fishing was way better back then. You can fish Lanier all year long and not catch anything over 4lb.

 

[615groundpounder]

Looks like fishing was way better back then. You can fish Lanier all year long and not catch anything over 4lb.

You're doing it wrong.

 

[Son]

One thing for sure, we didn't have the competition of todays fishing. And we often fished small lakes and prairies that had no roads to them. Just turned the hubs and went through the woods until we found places to fish that had no fishing pressure.
Yes, my name is Son. And, there's a Son Jr, and Son III. Something to do with my lineage. Mother was Irish and Cherokee. As the story goes, the name Son was used in the family long before I was born in 1942.