I got off of work early so I loaded up the Tracker and Charlie my yellow lab for a little quality fishing on Long. Launched out of 9 mile and slowly worked the bank just down river from the launch. I was throwing a tube and an unweighted Senko with only a few dinks hits so it was time to move. I started working an area I usually fish and although it was still slow I started catching a few smallies up to 2 lbs. Working the same area I was able to hook into a nice 5 lb. largemouth which I took a couple of pictures of and then quickly released. A little further down the lake I hooked a nice 3 lb. smallie on a top water lure. The lake was fairly calm due to a lack of water lice, ( jet skiers and wake boarders).

As the afternoon progressed I moved to another favorite area where I decided to try a Carolina rig along the channel edge, I had a couple of hits but no fish so I went back to what I know was working. I boated a few more smallies in the 1-2 lb. range and then switched to a topwater lure as the afternoon turned into evening. I had a few nice hits and caught a few more smallies and then a very large Pike decided he wanted to own my top water lure. One big splash and it was gone, I never even had a chance to set the hook; it is one of the risks I always take by not using a steel leader but this is the first time in 11 years I have been bitten off while fishing Long. It was after all a very large Pike. I caught another nice 2 lb. smallie before switching to a sexy frog that enticed the last fish of the evening, a nice 4 1/2 lb. largemouth.

All i all a great way to spend a warm summer day fishing with my buddy although his barking at every buoy is getting a little old, but he is a city dog from Seattle so I probably shouldn't hold it against him.

MS

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