Unlike us, big fish don’t read through the phone’s weather apps or watch Newswatch 12 on local TV to get a handle of the forecast. Unlike many of us, they won’t talk themselves out of fishing and feeding either. They’ll be opportunistic and take advantage of any short window that triggers them whether it’s long or short in time duration. Muskies, pike, bass, walleyes – the biggest specimens get big by being smart hunters.

The weather in 2025 has been memorably bad, laughable, and intolerable at times. Each week has featured something noteworthy and different too, such as the heat wave we had over the third week of June and the monsoons of last week. Despite these challenges and adversities, you’ll find that certain fish will take advantage of the situation and make time to feed even if that window lasts less than 5 minutes.

I took advantage of an opportunity I saw midweek last week –

Nowadays if I don’t have to fish, then I don’t have to go. If there isn’t a trip day, I don’t have to leave the driveway. I’m done with those grueling 12-to-14-hour fishing days that were once commonplace. Yet for some reason on Wednesday of last week I was compelled keep going and to keep fishing into the evening despite the incoming thunderstorms and downpours I dealt with.

Even though the conditions sucked, the average angler likely would have talked themselves out of it, and the entire day’s fishing to that point sucked, it was a little fishier than usual that evening and I liked how it looked outside. It should kick out some quality bass and pike I thought.

I will never jump into new trends or cultural movements in fishing when they arise. Don’t need to if I don’t have to – stay the course and play your own system. I did the best I could without FFS and it still sits dry in the boat 95% of the time. One such thing I never got into, lure-wise, until now was the single prop “miniature musky topwater” craze that hit the bass world a decade ago. Those silly little whopper ploppers, choppos, and whatever else they make right now. These baits were modeled off the tail prop musky lure. They catch fish good. I’ve seen them work. I’ve had people on the phone tell me they’ve got inordinate collections of them (like I care?). Everyone else is using them. Not me. Don’t want it, don’t need it.

After our Midwest Outdoors filming session from the previous week, Larry Ladowski gifted me with a supply of assorted topwaters by Yo-Zuri and Berkley to eventually try. One of them caught my attention, an all-black Berkley Choppo 120. It was oversize and overkill but looked applicable for my needs and the potential of mid-summer hawg hunting largemouths. I knew I’d use it immediately. Surface feeding predators like black, will see it best, and it could be an attention-getter.

There seemed to be a short window where a surface lure or water pusher could entice something: It was cloudy overcast, lowlight, minimal wind, and light rain here and there in between the big showers.

I tied it onto my froggin’ rod – St. Croix Victory Full Contact (VTC74HF) with SEVIIN GF (8:3.1) with #50 Cortland Line Silent Flip.

Ten casts into my trial of blind casting and testing what it was capable of with speed, action, sound, and water-pushing, a fish quickly plucked it off the surface. The head of this lunging fish was massive, thinking it was a pike at first. If you’ve ever seen a big pike take down a surface lure, they’ll commonly lunge their heads and upper body out of water for it.

To my surprise, it was a big largemouth. I forgot they even existed anymore as anything over 18” had been MIA on the year. This creature went Free Willy on it and towed me around in circles during the fight.

After a few quick photos, back she went to get caught another time.

99% of the time I wouldn’t have fished in such shit, but glad I did. If I stayed dry inside, we’re not catching a monster bass.

What new did I learn?

Try something new no matter how stupid it looks or seems.

What did this capture prove?

That I have a disorder, will fish through anything, and that you won’t know unless you try.

And don’t ever talk yourself out of fishing.