Fishing buddy Mike L. and I launched the old Bass Tracker onto Phillips Lake about 8:00 AM to look for some bass. Fishing was tough. We had fished hard for quite a while and were approaching a shallow area with little or no structure. I suggested we move to another area but Mike was fooling around with his fly rod and requested more time. I made a few casts into that featureless, shallow water with a floating Rapala and surprise -- a nice bass about 3 to 4 pounds pounded it. I could clearly see the fish doing the underwater ballet with another fish about the same size following it. I was so sure that this fish was mine I eased up a bit to just enjoy the moment. The rascal spit the hook and sent my lure back to me. Mike was quick to point out that the fish didn't count because it hadn't been landed. He was right. We moved and fished quite a while before I hooked a 6 inch lunker on a crankbait. Anyway, we continued to fish hard and we both caught fish. I finally put a couple of 17 1/2 inchers in the boat. One weighed 3-0 and the other was slightly chunkier at 3-2. It was a beautiful, warm, windless day on the water and we were the only boat on the lake. We fished most of the shoreline and quit about 1:30. All the fish were caught on floating Rapalas but we also fished other lures like jigs, worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Mike even tried a fly rod. Mike took a quick photo of the 3 pounders.

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