Record Bass Caught In This Small South Carolina Pond, And The Unique Way He Got To Shore

Finally at long last and after many failures, it happened. A record bass caught in this small South Carolina pond. And best of all, I was the one that caught him. I have snagged many bass his size but could never get him to shore.

I have loved to fish all my life. And lucky for me, I live on a large farm in Clover, South Carolina with a 25 acre farm pond. So naturally I hop in my zero turn mower and make my way down to the pond quite often. Ever since my farm neighbor Jeff taught me how to fish for bass, that is mainly what I go for. One of the reasons why I like catching bass is it's exciting. When a bass strikes, it bites hard and makes a run for it. It doesn't nibble at the bait, it bites. And then runs. The challenge is to get the fish to the boat before it heads underneath downed trees and limbs in the water.

I'm fairly new to bass fishing. And trust me, I have had many failures. I can bring in the smaller bass but the big ones have eluded me. They either get to those hidey holes before I can get him in or they are so large they snap my line. I have learned over the years, the right amount of drag, where to find them and what to use for bait.

Over the 4th of July holiday, a record bass was caught in this small South Carolina pond in York County. And here is the unique way I was finally successful. It was my last cast of the day as a storm was brewing. I cast and immediately a bass hits the bait and starts to run. I KNOW this is the biggest one I have ever snagged and I can tell immediately it's the biggest fish ever in this pond. It's what my neighbor Jeff and I call the "grandaddy". I was not going to let him snap that line if it was the last thing I did.

With that huge bass on the line and my motivation for actually bringing him in, I decided to jump in the pond. What I didn't factor in the equation was the mud I immediately jumped into. I was up to my hips in mud right away. My adrenaline is pumping and I immediately start to hand reel in that bass. Once I had that famous large mouth in my hand, I freed myself from the mud and swam to shore. I was so excited I was shaking.

I threw him back to swim another day. After the pictures and video were taken of course. If you don't put it on social media, did it really happen?;) To be honest, I am not sure how much this fish weighed but my tackle box is 12 inches long and this bass was a couple inches over that. Everyone at the farm agrees, no one has ever caught one like it before.

So, I call it a day and head back to the house in my zero turn lawn mower still giddy from my catch. I had sent my husband the pictures and expected him to meet me with glee and maybe a standing ovation. I got neither. His jaw drops when he see me and says get off and let me hose you down. Apparently I was covered in mud from head to tow and so was the lawn mower. Makes for a great story! And a fishing experience I will never forget.

Here is a little background on my experience fishing.  My dad took me pond fishing for the first time just about the same time I was able to hold a cane pole.  To say I was "hooked" right away is an understatement.  The funny thing is, my Dad didn't really like fishing but when he saw how much I loved it he took me time and time again. As a grown up, I started looking into fishing guides.  Here are my 3 favorite fishing guides on Lake Wylie.

I grew up with a dad that fostered my love of fishing and he took me as long as I did these things. Girl,he said, "you need to tie your own knots, bait your own hook, take off your own fish, know how to clean it and learn how to cook it." And I did.

After I got to college at Western Carolina University I found a great river to go trout fishing in and I quickly moved right across the street from that river.  Now here is the funny thing.  I married a guy that does not like to fish. How did that happen? Long story short, I started to look into fishing guides on Lake Wylie.  There are many of them and many good ones.  Admittedly I have not tried them all but I have found three that I would highly recommend. I have fished with these three guides multiple times and I have always had a blast.  And most importantly they put me on some fish. If you are looking to catch catfish on Lake Wylie, you will not go wrong with these amazing captains.

Justin has taken me and my morning show partner Tanner out fishing several times.  This man is passionate about catching catfish.  He knows where to find them!  We have always had a blast with Justin and he is a heck of a nice guy.  He loves teaching kids how to fish.  Make it a girls day on the lake or bring the family. He offers different levels of guide service and may even clean what you catch!  Check out Justin's Facebook page right here.

I have been fishing with Rodger more times than I can count.  We primarily fished on Lake Wylie but caught some big ones on Lake Wateree as well.  Rodger is another guy that knows where to find catfish and how to catch them.  My brother in law Jim and I really enjoyed fishing with Catfish On! Guide Service.

Captain Trent is an old college friend of mine.  He and I used to fish for trout on the Tuckaseegee River in Cullowhee, North Carolina so he is a personal friend.  Trent has always been passionate about fishing , lives on Lake Wylie and thought he would share his secret fishing spots with others.  He has a new guide service he calls Wylie Guide and my brother in law and I  went fishing with him in December.  It did not take long for him to find some nice ones for us and we had a blast.  He is a great guy, a knowledgeable angler and he will flat put you on some fish.  I can personally highly recommend Cpt. Trent for a great day catching catfish on Lake Wylie. Check out details right here

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