Hybrid School for 22

We mostly fished for largemouths earlier this week on Lake Eufaula, but I can't say I minded the school of white bass/striper hybrids that briefly popped Monday afternoon while I was fishing with Brent Crow. We didn't spend loads of time trying to keep up with the school, but when a bunch of fish started breaking on the surface, and birds started diving among them, you can bet that Brent quickly steered the boat within casting distance. I grabbed a Pop-R rod, flung the little plug into the fray and started ripping. If you've been around schooling hybrids, you won't be surprised that it took one cast and about three pops to get attacked and hooked up for the first time. We actually hoped there might be some largemouths or spots among the hybrids, but we caught half a dozen hybrids  and no black bass in 15 minutes or so before the schools went down for good or migrated down the lake.

When I got home I pulled up my "2013 fish species" list, which tracks the species I've caught this year, because I didn't think I remembered having caught a hybrid yet. As suspected, I had not, so I added it to the list. I had added four saltwater species a couple of weeks ago after returning from Louisiana, so October was a productive month.

This year's tally stands at 22 species. I hit 30 last year, and it seems unlikely I'll match that in 2013. You never know, though. I didn't know I would catch any hybrids this week.