Reservation Number : 19656
Property Name : Indian Cave: La Roca Range
Reservation Date : 10/27/2018 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : 34; 25 culls; 9 returned; 5.22 lbs
Lures Used : little keeper trash fish; 4.3 keitech; seiko

I fished Indian Cave La Roca Range on Saturday, 10/27.  My 27 year old guest canceled at the last minute, after doing 27 year old things on Friday night, so I fished solo.  This lake is incredible. I caught 34 total with 25 culls and 9 returned.  Biggest was 5.22 lbs, with others at 3.8 lbs and 2.92 lbs.  This lake has everything, including standing timber with retained branches below surface with access to plenty of deep water.  Major creek channel, minor creek channels and an old road or trail of some sort that intersects the major creek channel. Steep rock drop-offs everywhere.  Just amazing bass habitat, which is quite a place to behold, but which also means that the bass have the upper-hand.  I fished hard for 11 hours.  Caught one cull at the dock before getting in the boat, then another adjacent to the dock.  Wasted some time trying top water, then moved to the North part of the main lake.  I spent about 2 hours working that area without a bite.  I moved across the main lake to the southern shore and caught 6, then headed to the major creek channel.  The whole lake is incredible, but the back part of the lake is amazing.  Scenic and beautiful with steep rock adjacent to the water and tree leaves turning color.  The challenging parts are deciding where to fish, because everything looks like it should hold fish.  My casting/pitching/flipping skills are barely average but this lake will humble anyone.  The best looking places require you to cast or pitch through a forest of tree branches in very narrow windows or lanes, comparable to casting in a forest.  For timber near open water, the fish held tight to the branches. I swam lures near trees numerous times with no takers, only to throw a senko in the branches and get an immediate hit.  The pontoon boat is fantastic and though it is remarkably easy to maneuver, but even a jon boat would have a hard time getting into some of those trees, many with thorns.  I spent the vast majority of the day in the back part of the lake.  The 16 inch cull requirement on this lake is necessary, but adds an interesting dimension.  I don't think twice about culling a 13.5 inch fish, but a 15+ inch bass is quite a bit bigger.  I caught two bass that were each 15.75 inches.  One was a skinny 2 lbs with a deformed tail that went in my cull cooler without a second thought.  The other was a very fat 2.33 lbs with a sunfish tail sticking out of its throat.  I rounded up on the length on that one and returned it to the lake.  I have added pictures of each to show the differences.  At around 6:00pm, I headed back to the dock area.  I went over by the spillway part of the dam, where there is some dying grass, and caught six more.  As light was fading, I pulled the boat to the dock, threw a senko next to the fish feeder, and caught the 5.22 lb bass.  I released her at the same spot and she swam back under the dock, ready for the next PWF member to catch her.