What started as a fairly slow night session turned into one of the most memorable bass I have caught on ultralight gear. I headed down to my local dock around 9pm planning to do a bit of experimenting with different LRF lures and hopefully find a few bass along the way. It was one of those sessions where nothing really felt guaranteed, but conditions looked good enough to give it a proper go.
The Plan for the Session
I started the evening fishing Isome on a jig head with a size 8 hook. Normally this would be a solid confidence bait for me, especially during slower sessions, but on this occasion it just was not producing anything. At around 10pm I spotted a big bow wave moving through the water. I assumed it was probably a bass, although you never really know for certain in the dark. Seeing that definitely gave me confidence that fish were around, so I kept switching things up and trying to work out what they actually wanted.
After the Isome failed to get any interest, I switched over to grass minnows. I was determined to catch on them, but sadly I could not buy a bite. Not even a small tap. At that point I decided to go back to an old reliable lure that had caught fish for me countless times before, Vermz. Sometimes when nothing else seems to be working, confidence baits are hard to ignore.
The Hook Up
Verms
I started off fishing really close to the wall, slowly working the lure through the area and expecting something to eventually hit it. Nothing happened. After a while I decided to switch tactics and cast further out, slowly retrieving the lure across the bottom instead. After a few casts at around 11pm I finally felt a small tug. At first it did not feel like much, but I gently lifted into the fish and immediately realised something had a bit more weight behind it than expected.
Then suddenly line started screaming off my little reel.
At this point I started wondering if I had hooked into something far bigger than I expected. On ultralight gear you quickly realise you cannot force things, especially when a decent fish decides to run. For a moment I honestly thought there was a chance I might get spooled, so I carefully tightened the drag a little just to slow things down. Thankfully everything settled and although the fish was still taking line, it was no longer peeling off at full speed.
The rod handled the fish surprisingly well and my budget Shimano reel just kept doing its job. At that stage it became less about rushing and more about staying patient. With ultralight fishing you have to let the gear work and avoid doing anything stupid. Eventually the fish started to tire and I slowly began gaining line back.
Chaos Near the Net
At around 30 yards out the fish surfaced and started jumping around, which was the moment I realised this was actually a proper bass. Even then I tried not to get ahead of myself because fish have a habit of throwing hooks right when you think the battle is won. I stayed calm, kept steady pressure on the line, and gradually got the fish moving closer.
When I finally got a proper glimpse of it near the end of the fight, I realised this was easily one of the better bass I had hooked on ultralight gear.
I grabbed the net, climbed carefully down the slope off the pontoon, and tried to keep the line tight the whole time. I nearly landed the fish, but it had one last burst of energy and made another run for it. After a little more back and forth I finally managed to get it back under control and safely into the landing net.
Ultralight Bass
After such a slow session, seeing a bass of this size safely in the net completely changed the night. Catching a fish like this on ultralight gear makes every run feel bigger, every head shake feel more dramatic, and every mistake feel far more costly.
It turned what could have been a forgettable evening into one of those sessions I still remember years later.
Final Thoughts
Sessions like this are exactly why I enjoy ultralight fishing so much. Most nights are made up of experimenting, trying different lures, and hoping things come together. Sometimes they do not.
Then every now and again something unexpected turns up and reminds you just how much fun light gear can be. A slow night suddenly becomes memorable, and a fish you never expected ends up being the one you remember most.
