freeline-96 - Flipbook - Page 233
JACK THOMPSON
p o int going for the 40 ft s an d p i t f i rs t , a s t h i s t ake s a ge s to
warm up, the fish are sti l l a c ti ng ve r y l et h a rg i c a n d h i t t i n g
t h is off the surface can b e a d e a dly a t ta c k, as p rove n i n t h e
p revious s eason.
Ta king it back to early Ap r i l wh en t he tre e s we re s ti l l b a re
a n d the temperatures were j u s t s ta r t i n g to in c re a s e a f te r we
h a d encountered a crazy w i n te r, I ha d b e en p l a n n i n g a fe w
s e ssions on the most amazi n g es t a te l ake s e t i n s i d e t h e d ep th s
o f the woods. This i s a p la c e I v i s i t m o s t s p ri n g s wh e n th e
b l uebells are most promi n en t . It ’ s a lways b e e n a n a b s o l u te
d ream of mine to get a pho to g ra p h wi t h a w i l d , u n c a u gh t c a rp
s u bmerged in the colo urfu l grow th s . M y ma te t h at j o i n e d m e
o n these missions last ye ar m a na g e d to ste a l t h e s po t l i gh t
w i th some incredible pho to s wh en h e ma n a g e d to c a tc h two
b e autiful old carp, one of wh i c h wa s p ro b a b ly t w i c e o u r ag e .
T h is really had me absolute ly b low n away an d wa s g oi n g to b e
my target for early sp ring th i s ye ar. I ’ve me n t i o n e d i n t h e p as t
j u st how spooky this plac e i s at n i gh t , hav i n g h a d s o m e ve ry
s ketchy moments and com i n g ex t re me ly c l o s e to b ei n g c a u gh t
o n more than one occasio n . T h i s i s so me th i n g I d i d n’ t wa n t
to happen again, and I wa s go i n g to t r y a n d s p e n d as l i t t l e
t i me as possible at the la ke d o i n g s h o r t s e s s i o n s in s te a d o f
overnighters. Prebaiting a n d s t al ki ng wa s g oi n g to b e my p l a n
o f attack.
I remember arriving on my f i rs t d e ce n t s e ss i o n o f sp ri n g wh e n
t h e temperatures were hi gh an d h a d i n cre a s e d d ra m at i c a l ly
over a sho rt period of time . I t wa s lo o ki n g p ri m e fo r t h e f i s h
to be awake and mooching i n t he u p p e r l aye rs . W h e n I p u s h e d
my way through the swa mp t ha t s u r ro u n d e d t h e s h a l l ows ,
I could see the most am azi n g s i gh t t h at eve ry ca r p a n gl e r
FR E ELINE 89
