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I heard the strike before I saw it, but I knew immediately it was no ordinary bass.
Turning toward the commotion, I saw Ray Halter's line zipping swiftly through the aquatic weeds, clipping the greenery as neatly as a scythe. He turned the bass and it jumped in protest, revealing its bulging belly and the lure stuck inside its gaping mouth.
Ray and I were fishing a weedy reservoir last week to test whether the previous few days' rains had cooled the water and triggered the fishes' urge to turn up their appetites. It turns out they were hungry.
The lure Ray was using, however, was not exactly the kind that most anglers would tie on for a day of fishing shallow vegetation. He opted for a square-bill crankbait and casted it fearlessly into the grass growing in 3-4 feet of water.
Ray has forgotten more than a lot of today's anglers actually know. His experiences are vast and his understanding is deep. He is not afraid to try new techniques, but his fishing bank is loaded with tried-and-true tactics.
One of them was on display last week.
Many fishermen would select a lure more weedless than the plug sporting two treble hooks in such a lush stand of weeds. Ray calculated, however, that the bass that were feeding on baitfish in the weeds would not be shy about gobbling the crankbait.
His reasoning was sound. Few people throw treble-hook baits in snaggy grass, so the bass would not be conditioned to associate the crank with getting reeled to a boat.
"Sure, you'll occasionally snag some weeds, but it's not hard once you get the hang of it," Ray said. "Hold the rod tip high and reel just fast enough to give the lure the wobbling action that drives bass crazy."
He credits veteran angler Greg Mangus of Indiana with helping him understand the nuances of manipulating a snag-prone lure through vegetation. It's a tactic that proved to be effective on the clear-water natural lakes in northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
It also works great in Ohio.
He demonstrated the perfect retrieve and when the lure caught a wisp of the vegetation, he snapped the rod to shed the green. A big bass appeared out of nowhere and streaked up to get the plug in a splashy attack.
"It's almost like topwater fishing," Ray said.
Ray has been bass fishing competitively since the late 1970s and learned the value of tweaks that add an extra fish or two over the course of a tournament day. Doing things different and better than the other competitors can be the difference in earning a check or finishing as an also-ran.
He combined his fishing knowledge and experience with his solid business acumen and operated The Rodmakers Shoppe in Strongsville for many years before selling it to gain more time on his beloved Northeast Ohio waters.
Today he fishes a couple days every week and continues to earn victories in club and open tournaments. He and teammate Al Hustosky are three-time champions of the annual Muransky Companies Bass Classic benefitting the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley on Pine Lake.
He's also a champion at figuring out something just a wee bit different than the rest of us on the lake.
Jack Wollitz's book, "The Common Angler," explores the fun stuff that makes fishing a passion for so many people. He appreciates emails from readers. Send a note to jackbbaass@gmail.com.