Sometimes, one fish is enough, especially when it is not only a worthy Fish of the Week, but what a reader once called a FOAL, or Fish of a Lifetime. Jim Karp caught one of those.
The Morton Grove man caught this 22 3/4-inch largemouth bass weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces on Oct. 14 while fishing, unsuccessfully for northern pike, on Delavan Lake in southern Wisconsin with guide Jim Gordon.
FOTW tops the Midwest Fishing Report in the Sun-Times each Wednesday. An extended online version appears here, usually before midnight Tuesday. E-mail FOTW nominations to outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.
Here's the first word from Karp:
Here are the pics...for my FOTW....actually FISH of my LIFE.
Caught Oct. 14th ,Lake Delevan with local guide Jim Gordon
We were bait casting for Northerns all day, lost or actually never hooked about 3-4 hits.
This was the only fish caught ,But well worth it.
He actually thought I should think about a mount,since he's never seen one that big on Delevan.
I did let it go after these couple pics.
Still shaking.
Don't think I'll ever get one bigger ,unless maybe the Everglades backwaters.
He should be shaking. It is a FOAL.
He caught it on a large black Bucher bucktail.
I loved this follow-up note the member of the Morton Grove Sportsmans Club sent:
Love to fish,as does my wife and FOUR daughters.
Great catch Dale. Thanks for releasing this FOAL. I fish Delavan with passion every year. I look forward to the day I net your fish.