This weekend, while giving a seminar in Forest Lake, I had the pleasure of meeting Cameron and Alex Anderson. Young Alex showed me a photo of his big bass. I couldn't resist inviting Cameron to share his story with Star Tribune readers.

Here goes...

"It was Wednesday night, July 22nd and my son and I were out fishing with my neighbor Dale Groth on his boat. Dale and I were Muskie fishing on 3rd lake of Forest Lake. We were just talk to a few of the boats around us that were in the Bass tournament, who said they were not having much luck, and jokingly told them we are Muskie fishing, so they won't be in our way. It was about 7:45pm when my son said, "Dad, it's really hard to reel!" I briefly looked back and saw his pole was bent over. I thought he was just snagged on some weeds as we were in 6-8ft of water and could see the weed tops. I continued to reel in my bucktail when Dale looked back and said, "No, he has a fish!" I about had my bucktail back and looked back and saw his rod shaking and the line cutting across the water. I went back to help him, telling him to pull up and reel down. The fish surfaced and then started to cut across the back of the boat and across the motor. I lifted the pole/line over the motor and brought it to the other side of the boat where he came and finished reel'n it in. He caught the Lgm Bass on a red rubber worm on an red offset hook with his Uglystick Synergy Youth, casting ~30 ft off the back of the boat in 6-8 feet of water with the weeds 1-2 ft below the surface. NW corner of 3rd lake on Forest Lake. Alex refers to it as his "Large Mouth Bask" and reminds me that the one he caught was bigger than the one I caught. Alex has been fishing with me since he has been 3. He is 1 month shy of his 5th b-day in this picture. Alex and I plan to buy our own boat this winter so we can go out fishing more on Forest Lake, Clear Lake, and Big Comfort. I think Alex has caught more fish than me this year. I have yet to get in my 10,000 casts yet to boat a Muskie"

Thanks for being my guest contributor !!!

Tight Lines !!

John Moore

Also, interesting to note a bass tournament occurring at the same time as this fish was caught. Could Alex be paving his way as a future tournament angler ??