Summer-long Skunk at UC Pond ends with new PB

[logs22]

I live a short walk to a well known pond/park in Union County and have spent the past 4-5 months getting skunked by this place time and time again. I kept going back (i) because it was so close and (ii) catching a decent (or any LMB) in that lake had become somewhat of an obsession. Since May I probably fished there on 30 or more occassions, usually just for a half hour or so while I walked my dog or pushed my son around in the stroller. During all that time not only did I only catch one TINY dink, but that dink was my only bite. Suffice to say by September my frustration with this place had reached epic proportions. What made it worse was that I knew from other people on this board that there were in fact some bass to be had in this lake, I just couldn't seem to catch them.

Anyway, Sat. night after I put my son to bed I decided to try my luck at some night fishing at my nemesis/lake. I don't have much experience fishing at night so I didn't expect much but it was a nice night and the wife was already asleep so what the hell.

After a few casts I am preparing myself for another skunk, when I feel some weight on my line. It felt more like a snag than a fish, and to be honest it wasn't until I got the mystery object within 10 yards of shore and I saw a surface thrash in the dark that I realized it was a really big fish. I managed to get it ashore and to my surprise, found myself with a nice fat 18 3/4" LMB - a new PB for me. To say I was excited would be an understatement, not just because I just caught a new PB, but because I caught it in the place that has been driving me insane with frustration all summer.

Anyway, I know most of the guys on here wouldn't think twice about a 18-19" bass but it was pretty awesome for me. Lesson learned - persistance pays off.