FISHING ARTICLES
COOPER
LAKE MONSTER BASS
By:
Jim
Holderfield
The
sun was just peaking above the horizon when Cooper
Lake Guide Marc Mitchell fired up the Mercury on his Cobra Bass Boat and
headed for some of his favorite bass spots. A little chop on the water and the cooler
temperatures assured he would have a challenging day
looking for Monster Bass on Cooper.
This
day started at 5:30AM when he met my son Danny and me
at the Burton’s Restaurant, right next to the Best Western Motel in Suphur
Springs Texas. This
location is convenient to both Cooper and Fork, where
Marc offers guided trips. Both these lakes have gained a reputation
throughout the U.S. as one of the top candidates for
an opportunity to catch trophy Bass.
Looking
through Marc’s photo album during breakfast, I could
see why in the Fishing Community, these lakes are high
on the list for those attempting to break the Texas
State Record for Black Bass. Dozens of photos of past clients were testimony
to the size of bass that come from these two lakes.
It
was hard to imagine being present when this many BIG
fish were caught. Marc still gets excited when he tells stories
about his clients that had the good fortune to hang
onto one of these exceptional fish in t he 10 lb.
Range. In
detail, he would describe each move that took place to
finally boat the fish, take a quick photo, and just as
quickly, release the fish back into the water.
Marc
has been guiding on Fork and Cooper for over eight
years, and as his photo album attests, has the uncanny
ability to find the trophies. My stomach was in knots, just thinking about the possibility of having
the chance to add my photo to his album!
After
finishing a hearty breakfast at Burton’s,
Danny and I followed Marc in our vehicle to the
boat-launching ramp near the dam.
Just at daylight, looking across the rippled
lake, I could see the wide-open waters near the dam.
Mark assured me there was lots of structure
left in the lake when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
constructed the Dam.
I was soon to find out just how much structure,
as the boat lanes were the only passageways through
large expanses of uncleared areas.
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