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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Quest for the 10-pounder continues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have to admit it. There was a selfish reason for getting some time on the water with fishing guide Randall Kirkpatrick.
That it’s spring, and our thoughts turn to big largemouth bass, was a fitting setup for a morning trip to Lake Varner near Covington. Varner is your best chance on a public lake to catch a double digit-pound bass in metro Atlanta, and Kirkpatrick’s track record of boating dozens of lunkers there is proof of that.
Personally, I held out hope that my lifelong quest to catch a 10-pound largemouth bass might be fulfilled, but I knew that would be tough in a short trip that was more about Varner and Kirkpatrick’s expertise there than about my quest. A strong cold front had just passed through the day before and that didn’t help.
Still, a guy can hope.
Varner is a big-bass lake, and one of the reasons Kirkpatrick’s Fish Atlanta Guide Service (www.fishatl.com) is well-booked throughout the spring and early summer. While I’ve never caught one 10-pounder, he’s not sure how many he’s caught.
“I counted 80-something photos, but that was before I started carrying a camera, so I’m guessing over 100,” Kirkpatrick said. “Most of them have come out of Varner.”
Kirkpatrick’s biggest Varner bass was 15-12, but he weighed one over 16 pounds on a hand scale for a client, but it wasn’t a certified catch.
“We’re in a slump right now,” Kirkpatrick joked during a March 25 morning trip to Varnerk. “We’re only getting 8s and 9s.”
Kirkpatrick says while it’s harder to catch the big fish in Varner, which gets a lot of fishing pressure for an electric motor-only, the fish are still there.
Proof can be seen every week on the Bass Fishing Home Page, a Web site that includes fishing reports from all over the nation. Kirkpatrick’s reports often include pictures of big catches for him and his clients.
The key has been time on the lake. He found that Varner’s biggest fish are often suspended over deep water near drop-offs adjacent to spawning areas and flats. He said the big fish spend most of their time suspended, and will use the structure change to chase and trap baitfish.
Hard swimbaits are his go-to bait for big fish. The baits look realistic in the water and can be fished slowly, an important element in fishing the break lines of drop-offs.
While my quest for the 10-pounder continues, I will have more confidence the next time I visit Varner, and be assured that my gear will include swimbaits.
What’s your big fish lure?
