Mallet’s latest toad falls for Senko-type lure
Some days nothing goes right on the water — and that’s when most of us throw in the towel and head home. But perhaps we sholud just ignore all the problems and go fishing.
“The depth finder quit, and the trolling motor burned up — what’re you going to do?” Groves, Texas, angler Larry Mallet said of his trip to Toledo Bend on Sunday (March 4).
Well, instead of heading to the house, he and buddy Rick Sonnier decided they’d just drift some Housen Bay flats.
And that’s where Mallet caught his second 12-pound Toledo Bend lunker.
The pair of anglers had used their experience on the lake to put their boat in position with the outboard and just let the wind push them over a flat in about 6 to 7 feet of water.
“We were drift-fishing because the trolling motor had burned up,” Mallet said.
Mallet was throwing a Senko-type plastic lure when he felt weight at the other end of his line.
When he set the hook, experience with his first 12.3-pound Toledo Bend lunker caught several years ago clued him into the fact that a huge fish had sucked in his bait.
“Oh, yeah,” Mallet said with a laugh. “When they’re 12 pounds, you know they’re there. It’s like trying to pull an anchor in.”
The fish stayed deep and made Mallet work to get it into position alongside the boat.
And, par for the course on this trip, Sonnier had to lip the huge bass.
“We didn’t have a net,” Mallet chuckled.
The pair celebrated and headed to Fin & Feather Resort to weigh in the monster bass, where it pushed the scales to 12.12 pounds.
It was the 27th fish entered into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. The bass was released back into the lake, and Mallet will receive a free replica of the catch, which he said will hang next to the replica of his first 12-pounder.
Mallet said the catch proved he just needs one lure in his box.
“I’m going to throw away all my hard baits,” he said with a laugh. “This year taught me: (Senko-type lures are) the only thing I’ll throw.”
So what does an angler do after catching two 12-pounders? Well, this fisherman said he’d head back to the lake — but he has his sights set a little higher now.
“I’ve got enough 12-pounders,” Mallet said. “I’m looking for a 13-, 14-, 15-pounder.”
