Reservation Number : 30163
Property Name : Shady Grove
Reservation Date : 10/23/2021 PM -
Total Fish/Sizes : 16
Lures Used : Swim Jig, Rage Bug, Rage Craw

I took my daughter (Keegan) and her boyfriend Trent out for a last minute PM trip to Shady Grove. Trent just returned from a 10 month deployment in Kuwait and looking for some R&R and no better remedy than the great outdoors. This was in fact his first time fishing “ever”.  I probably should have picked a place better suited for beginners but only after a couple misfires with the spinning reel he caught on fast and did great.  My daughters first trip using the bait caster exclusively and think she has officially commandeered one of my favorite setups. 

It was a pretty breezy afternoon but quite pleasant outside with intermittent cloud cover. Water was gin clear and we first walked around the lakes marked as easy just to check them out and get a lay of the land. Some of the banks still have a healthy weedline extending 25+ feet out into the water and made for some pretty long casts. Lily pads still pretty healthy and some sign and them dying back but plenty of cover for the fish. 
 

We methodically walked the shoreline and finally cracked the code; pitching & flipping soft plastics in open pockets did the trick.  We probably missed as many as we caught, and the last hour of daylight was by far the most productive. As the sun set, casting shadows all over the water, the bass moved closer to shore. Many hits were just a couple feet from shore and made for a surprising last minute battle. All the bass were really healthy, with the majority in the 2 to 3 pound range. Super dark bass with awesome color. 
 

A couple pics below…... my daughters big catch on a swim jig and Trent's first official fish. I played guide, coach and weed detangler for the afternoon and only fished for a couple minutes during a snack break.  In only a few casts, I caught a beauty while slow bouncing a Rage Bug. 
 

We got to meet the property owner Sam as he came out to check on the action, and a great guy. A really interesting person and truly enjoyed listing to the history of the family property and the origin of the lakes.   Really thankful for his hospitality and allowing us on his property. 
 

(Just a note, reservation was for three, not sure why it states two. No big deal, just want to make sure we were compliant.)