Herr’s lunker part of special day that resulted in a 34-plus pound, five-fish stringer
It was all treats and no tricks for George Herr and his fishing buddy in what turned out to be a magical Halloween trip on Toledo Bend — and the only thing really scary was the hefty weight of their best five-fish stringer.
Despite a fresh north wind whipping the water last Friday, the duo decided to forge ahead with their fishing plans — a decision that resulted in a series of big bass encounters that most anglers only dream about.
“I had found these fish last week,” Herr said. “I didn’t know they were this size, but they were good fish.”
So when they arrived in the Six Mile Creek area that morning, Herr started working a Lucky Strike Sammy topwater bait. He was casting the lure on a 7-foot, medium-heavy Fenwick rod with an Abu Revo STX reel.
“Bob told me I was going to catch nothing on that since the wind was blowing so much,” Herr said. “Right after Bob said that, the smallest fish of the day was taken — a 4-pounder.”
Bass were in the area actively chasing schools of bream, so the anglers worked the topwaters where they could see the bream running and jumping.
“Bob caught an 8.11-pounder, and 5 minutes later I had one weighing 6.12 pounds,” Herr said.
At about 8:20, Herr’s topwater vanished with a slight slurp. He set the hook and reeled in the big girl without much of a hassle.
“It came right to the boat,” he said. “There was no fight, no jump and no pulling drag.”
The angler weighed the bass on his scale, and it read 10.8 pounds. So they placed the fish in the livewell and continued on.
“We quit after the very next fish was caught – a 5.25-pounder,” Herr said. “Our best five fish that morning weighed 34.4 pounds. So we headed out of there at about 8:45.”
Upon arrival at Toledo Town and Tackle, Herr’s big bass was placed on a certified scale, where it weighed-in officially at 10.92 pounds. He found out then the big bass actually had been tagged and released previously in the Clear Creek area.
According to Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program coordinator Dinah Medine, Herr’s bass was initially caught by Carroll Lang last March, with a springtime weight of 11.41 pounds.
Since the bass was again tagged and released back into Toledo Bend waters, Herr will receive a free replica of the fish from the the Toledo Bend Lake Association.
Herr’s bass is No. 13 for the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program for the 2014-15 season, which wraps up next May.
