Every Rico Story – Mark Yero and Black Beauty

I knew it was the perfect “spot”, the only piece of structure in an otherwise barren lake. A small culvert emerged from the bank with strands of bulrush on either side and a flowering bush covering the base of the culvert. Naturally, the bush had to have one fledgling branch protruding out over the mouth of the culvert like a sentry patrolling the front of a barracks. Weathered concrete blocks supported each side of the culvert and most certainly some had tumbled into the Lake with settling over time.

It would require a perfect cast, but this had to be the “spot” holding a quality Bass. The wind was blowing at about 10 mph so I would need to plan my attack from a good distance upwind from the “spot”.

I chose my 6 foot medium action St Croix Legend rod for the task as accuracy would be most important in these conditions. The lure charged with enticing the Bass out of her lair would be “Black Beauty” my ¼ oz Rico topwater.

I positioned the boat about 100 feet upwind from the “spot” and let the wind blow the boat into position. 90 feet, 80 feet, 70 feet, 60 feet, still too far away, 50 feet, 40 feet, now or never. I flipped the bail on my Sustain and unleashed 40 feet of Power Pro. Black Beauty sailed thru the air as my line uncoiled and the wind was taking it right at my target.

Oh please don’t let that little overhanging branch get in the way. Splat, Black Beauty landed perfectly at the mouth of the culvert. The wind wouldn’t allow much time for Black Beauty to rest in place. I reeled up the slack and gave Beauty a short jerk. Beauty danced and spit water into the air; her tail undulating behind. A large boil emerged from under the culvert and sucked Beauty under. I waited to feel the weight of the Bass on my line and loaded up the rod. Several minutes later I lipped my prize, a football shaped 5.9lb Green Beauty courtesy of my Rico “Black Beauty.”

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