It was 7:00 am, February 6, when the trio launched Ball's 20 foot Cobra bass boat and made a ten minute run to Middle River. "Barrack said we'd be slow rolling Terminator spinnerbaits in a four or five mile stretch of river all day and when I say slow rolling, I mean sloooow," explained Bright. "He said the quality fish are now in mid range areas between their deep winter haunts and shallow spawning areas."

The day got off to a slow start until Barrack hit the first fish of the day just after 9:00 am. "We were rounding a bend along a rip rap bank and Bobby was slow rolling his bait on the outside edge of the weedline in 6 to 8 feet of water," said Bright. "That fish absolutely smashed his bait as he crawled it along the bottom. It was over 7 pounds and Bobby didn't seem at all surprised... like he was expecting a fish of that size."

According to Bright, it was a half hour before Barrack hit another big fish, this one just over five pounds while working a similar bank with the same Terminator spinnerbait.

"He was using a 1/2 ounce T1 model with a chartreuse and white skirt and a #5 gold willow leaf blade," said Bright. "We went another hour without a bite, then Bobby nailed a 3-1/2 pounder that inhaled his spinnerbait only inches from the bank. This was the only fish we landed in shallow water the entire day. The rest came from deep water on the outside edge of weedlines or bare ledges."

After a two hour lull, Barrack decided to switch things up and tied on a similar spinnerbait, but this one had a few strands of orange in the skirt.

"A few casts later, he puts another seven pounder in the boat," said Bright. "This time, we were fishing an island and the fish hit along the backside of a point where wind current was creating a small eddie.

Ball finally got in on the action that afternoon when he first hit a three pound striper and then a small largemouth while throwing a crawdad colored Rat-L-Trap. "That was our fifth largemouth for the day and gave us about 24 pounds for a limit," said Bright. "The last fish was under two pounds so we knew we still had a good chance for a limit in the mid to upper 20 pound class."

According to Bright, opportunity knocked when Ball flipped a black Terminator jig next to a small stickup in two feet of water. "It looked like a toilet flushing when that fish grabbed his jig," said Bright. "His rod doubled over and the fish ran straight out and under the boat. All he could do was hang on as the fish was peeling off drag and it suddenly came unbuttoned. That one might have put us over the 30 pound mark."

As time was winding down, Barrack managed his fifth fish of the day, once again while working a small island point with a spinnerbait. "It was just under five pounds and gave us between 26 and 27 pounds for our best five fish," said Bright. "I didn't put a single fish in the boat, but the lessons I learned from the backseat that day were invaluable."

For more information on a guided fishing trip with Bobby Barrack, call Back To Class Guide Service at (925) 684-9904.