Got to Wiser today about noon and while the water was a tad 'browner' than usual, it wasn't bloomed out and nobody was there so I decided to launch.

Made a quick pass up the Guide on the east side tossing a swim jig and a 1/2 oz weighted Strike King Rage Craw. Nothing happened so I ducked under the Guide and tried the west side. I spooked a couple small fish on my way through, then in the SE corner I had the wake of wakes come up behind my frog but it held up. I threw a Senko and flipped the Rage in there but that was that. I continued with the frog for about 50 yards but nothing was moving. The grass that chokes this lake doesn't grow up under the pads so I decided to start flipping pads.

Third flip and THUNK, set the hook and game on! The bad news was I was in my Jon Boat and therefore only brought multi-use rods...meaning my flipping stick with the big back bone and 50 lb braid was at home, so here I was hooked into a 5 lb-er in knee high pads and doing everything I could to get her clear! She finally came out and I was able to grab her and get a pic. Second cast after that and tap tap, set the hook and another good one, this time I couldn't keep leverage and it got off...felt a good 3? I continued this for the rest of the south side of the lake, hooking another pounder that came to the boat through the air cause the big fish had me jacked up, I dang near caught him. I got down to the east end and it was so blocked with weeds I just decided to head back towards the Guide and flip the first set of pads where the big one followed my frog.

On the way back I see a small stick poking out of the water so I swung close enough and tossed the Senko in the for the heck of it. When I picked up the slack I almost chuckled that I felt a fish, one stick in the middle of nothing and there's a bass on it I thought to myself :)

Then I set the hook and the fish was coming towards me. Then the fish turned back and my pole doubled over enough that I knew it was a chunk! Up and down and around, in and out of the weeds and then a grab of her face and she came aboard! Had to be 6 lbs but I forgot my scale in the big boat so just an educated guess...In the pic you can see the stick behind the fish.

I fished the east side of the Guide next and found it to be far more navigable. Half way down on the north side I caught a 2 under an overhanging tree. Nothing else until directly across the lake from that I had one bust at my bait as I was hung up on some grass by a fence post. I got it loose and on the third flip back in there and as I was just about to lift it out of the water when SPLASH! Dang thing grabbed it right at the surface and then ran crazy all over the place! This fish was 4 lbs roughly and fought like a 6 lb smallie! Even when I lifted it out of the water it kept fighting while I was trying to get it's picture. Even jumped when I released it! That's the kind of enthusiasm we need to keep in the gene pool!

My stomach won the battle at this point and I fished my way back to the launch and headed for grub about 3:30.