The Conasauga Bass Club had a youth event this past weekend, so we went took my little brother and my son out to the pond. Soon as we pulled in we saw just where we wanted to start. After a long brisk walk I threw out a buzz bait quite a few times, working it in different ways… nothing hit it. <br /><br />I changed things up with a carolina rigged, plastic worm. Threw out a few times working it steadily, and finally caught a decent size largemouth; the plastic worm was missing from hook. Released him without weighing.<br /><br />Put plastic crawdad on, and threw out in same area… working it… BAM!!! The fight was on… I knew I had something big when it started pulling line off the reel and the rod bowed like it did. The youngsters in the area saw me fighting him after he jumped out of the water, and when I heard them saying "oh my god, he's this long" it just verified my thoughts of having a big one. A small crowd gathered round and watched as I reeled him in. My wife had to be the first one to touch him, so she took him off the hook and handed him to me.<br /><br />I've never caught a fish this big before. I weighed him at 5 pounds 10 ounces. While I was holding him and even 30 minutes after releasing him, I was shaking from the adrenaline and excitement. Nobody could have smacked that smile off my face! I'll never forget that moment; I actually day dream about it, and have recurring dreams about catching him all over again.<br /><br />I picked up fishing this Spring and have fished nearly every week since, at least one a week. I've been buying In-Fisherman, and Bassmaster Magazines and reading them. I've watched the World Fishing Network on TV. I've done plenty of research and practice. It's great to put all that effort in, and finally catch something that I've been wanting for so long. The reward is well worth all the work, time, and money I've put into my new found hobby. It may have been in a pond, but a fish is a fish!