So this past week I finally got to do a good bit of fishing. For the last couple months, my wife’s car had been down and she’d been driving my truck to work while I car pooled with a coworker. This meant that going fishing after work, or even on my lunch break wasn’t really possible.
Well we bit the bullet and got her a new car – so I FINALLY have my truck back and can once again resume my almost daily fishing addiction.
Most days I go to the Coal River on my lunch break and fish for an hour or so. And I did that nearly everyday this week- with lackluster results. Reeled in a couple sunfish and a tiny (6-7″) largemouth bass. But nothing spectacular.
However, I’ve decided that there’s entirely too many lakes/waters around here that I *haven’t* fished. So, this week I made it my mission to start checking them out and I started with Anderson Lake, located in Wine Cellar Park in Dunbar. I’d been told of this lake by a coworker and decided to check it out.
I went there Monday and Wednesday evenings and first thoughts – not a bad little place. Well maintained, though there’s a little more litter lying around that I like to see. I’d encourage folks, if you go there, take a sack and pick up some trash while you’re there.
That aside, I like the lake. I believe it’s only about 7 acres and is maintained by the city of Dunbar. I’m told by several folks that the lake hold “good sized bass,” but I’m yet to see one. Both days I tried every lure in my tackle box and got skunked each time. Jigs, Chatterbaits, Rooster tails, poppers, jitterbugs, top water spinners, swimbaits – nothing was hitting.
I did have a bobber line in both days and had some luck with that though. On Monday I scrounged some worms from under a log and got a couple okay sized sunfish. On Wednesday though, I bummed some nightcrawlers from another guy and had much better luck. After trying *literally* every lure in my box, I tossed out the nighcrawler and got a sunfish on the first cast. Next came a hefty bluegill. I didn’t get a pick, but this was a chunky boy and easily the size of my hand – and I have big hands. If I’d been in the mood, I’d have kept him.
But the highlight of the evening was the Blue Catfish pictured above. Throughout the whole evening, I could see something chasing bait fish near some structure in the water. I assumed it was a bass and tossed in that area, thinking maybe the bass would bite, or if nothing else I could hook one of the bluegill getting chased.
The hook was in the water less than 30 seconds before the bobber went down and I was quick to react, and set the hook almost instantly. My drag was set pretty low and once the hook set, it took off, pulling line. I tightened the drag and began a pull and reel retrieve to try and keep from twisting the line too much.
I knew pretty quick it was no bluegill. It turned out to be this fella.
Not the biggest guy ever by any means. But he put up a fun fight. I didn’t have a tape or scale, but I’d guess somewhere in the 20-25″ range and probably 3-5lbs. Oh, and apparently at Anderson, you MUST toss these guys back. Keeping them is prohibited and can incur a $250.00 fine, so back he went – though I’d like to have kept him; he’d have made for a few tasty fillets.
Anderson overall, I will be going back. I need to spend more time there and maybe bring a few more rods.
