Vail Lake with Art

[Largemouth_Mitch]

My friend Ross and I headed out with guide Art Hill to fish Vail. Met up with Ross at 4am and we pulled up to Art's house at 5:15 and launched right at opening. We headed out and found a few fish pushing some shad around the banks. Ross tied on a popper and Art alternated between a Deps Buzzjet and a spinnerbait while I threw a 5" jointed swimbait/crankbait. 5 minutes or so with no action and then I hooked and lost two fish in a row on consecutive casts because of the crappy hooks I was too lazy to change out. 3 casts later I boated a cookie cutter on the baby bass pattern.

1st fish picture on the cookie cutter
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4221.jpg

Same fish as above
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4222.jpg

5 minutes later I catch another one that is pretty much the same size. Meanwhile Ross picks up the drop shot rod and some robo worms and starts hammering some fish as we complete our first circle of the Island. I toss out the baby bass pattern on a little shelf off the bank that drops to about 3 feet of water quickly and let it sink and then give it a rod pop and 3 reel turns later I get slammed. I set the hook and I immediately know it's a solid 5+ lb bass. 10 seconds later I realize it's dogging me and not coming up and I feel a body roll and know that I have a catfish on unfortunately. Definitely a bummer as it wasn't the intended species. A few minutes later I brought the Channel Kitty into the net and on the boat and it had engulfed the baby bass bait pretty good.

Getting the Hooks out of the net
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4223.jpg

Art unhooking the catfish
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4224.jpg

Quick shot of the bait being used out of focus
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4225.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4226.jpg

Not exactly what I was hoping for when the bait got slammed, but still a fun fight
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4227.jpg


As the morning wore off the bite seemed to really switch to plastics as Ross and Art started doing some serious damage on the clone bass with the dropshotted Robos, Bass Snax and AA Worms. Then as the wind picked up we started to get them on spinnerbaits, swimming jigs, Texas rigged lizards and Texas rigged worms. We probably ended up with 50-60 fish and called it a day around 2. We didn't get much for size today, but had a great time and a lot of laughs. Saw some of the guys throwing shad did very well so that bite is on as always.

Art and a blade fish
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4229.jpg

Ross and a blade fish
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4230.jpg

Double blade dinks
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4231.jpg

Ross d-shot fish
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e252/Largemouth_Mitch/CIMG4232.jpg

Thanks for a great day on the water Art as always!

[tacklejunkie]

Nice pics Mitch. Sweet kitty! :LOL:
Good work out there guys.

[Fishbreath]

Looks like fun day. Congratulations. Vail Lake catfish are legendary. Don't think of them as a disappointment, think of them as a bonus. It is all part of the package.

[ART HILL]

Looks like fun day. Congratulations. Vail Lake catfish are legendary. Don't think of them as a disappointment, think of them as a bonus. It is all part of the package.


We got on some big cats today. Larry got to enjoy the show as one big cat was caught by a 12 year old on board. His 9 year old brother did some serious damage as well.

[Ted]

Good job!
Art is a great guy and very knowledgeable.

The catfish at Vail seem to fight harder than any other place I have caught them.
Last Saturday I was spinnerbait fishing parallel and just off of the shore when I got a ferocious slam in about 2 feet of water. Then it did the big fish drag pull and headed straight for deeper water. It felt like a bass most of the fight but it was a big kitty. Fun for sure and a bit surprising on a spinnerbait. I have caught them on cranks but that was the first on a blade for me.

[cappo]

Nice bassin. I didnt know Chuck Norris fished.

[ART HILL]

Nice bassin. I didnt know Chuck Norris fished.


:ROFL:

He also looks like Tom Selleck without his beard. Hence the nickname, "bass magnum".

One thing that was not mentioned by Mitch, who posted this report, is that the crankbaits, and swimbaits we used that day are his own design. It was a first time use for those lures. They swim awesome, and do catch fish. The first order to arrive did have some crappy hooks, but we proved they do work. Nice job Mitch, you have some winning baits there my friend.

[Largemouth_Mitch]

Fishbreath- Good point on the kitty not being a disappointment.

Ted- Your spinnerbait Kitty slam sounds identical to what happened to me. Definitely caught me off guard and was a fun fight even if the species was unintentional.

Cappo- Classic Chuck Norris call.


Nice pics Mitch. Sweet kitty! :LOL:
Good work out there guys.

Thanks TJ.

[tacklejunkie]

:ROFL:

He also looks like Tom Selleck without his beard. Hence the nickname, "bass magnum".

One thing that was not mentioned by Mitch, who posted this report, is that the crankbaits, and swimbaits we used that day are his own design. It was a first time use for those lures. They swim awesome, and do catch fish. The first order to arrive did have some crappy hooks, but we proved they do work. Nice job Mitch, you have some winning baits there my friend.

I didn't think I had seen that bait anywhere around even with all the custom stuff going on locally. Nice bait Mitch! Fill us in on the details! Looks spiffy!

[Nessie Hunter]

Very good stuff Mitch, Thanks Mitch, Art & Ross...
Looks like the Hollywood Set fishing.. :ROFL:
Freakin Ross, Tom Sellek?? More like Mickey Mouse.. :Rolls Eyes:
Hey Ross, Hats off to your son and glad he had a safe return from "over there"!!

That bait does look like a bass killer Mitch.. Any Sites or places to look at them???
Heard the Bass Snax gang have some "Super Worms" in the making, any truth to that???


.

[Largemouth_Mitch]

Hey TJ-

It's a 5 inch jointed swimbait that's best on the straight retrieve or with a jerk n go type retrieve.



That bait does look like a bass killer Mitch.. Any Sites or places to look at them???
Heard the Bass Snax gang have some "Super Worms" in the making, any truth to that???


.

Thanks Frank. There isn't anywhere to check those baits out at yet as they are just in the finishing stages as prototypes. As far as the Bass Snax worms you are correct. Their first creation in their pro tour select line 9.25" worms are pretty awesome. There was a 13lber caught locally shaking one of them recently at Casitas.

Cinnamon Black Vein (Close)
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278184937_o.jpg

Full Shot
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278186550_o.jpg

Dark Chocolate Blue Window (Close)
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278184958_o.jpg

Full Shot
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278184980_o.jpg

Jet Black With Neon Purple Vein (Close)
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278184994_o.jpg

Full Shot
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278185014_o.jpg

Oxblood Purple Vein Red Flake (Close)
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278185045_o.jpg

Full Shot
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/7/9/0/8/1/6/webimg/278185066_o.jpg