ONE HUNDRED BASS A DAY

P-Arrow Plantation

EDITOR'S NOTE: Drayton Pruitt, a successful attorney from Livingston, Alabama, has set out to produce some of the best trophy bass-fishing ponds and one of the finest quail preserves in the nation. Pruitt's dream has come true on his nearly 3,000-acre P-Arrow Plantation. This week we'll learn how he's built and today maintains his ponds to produce a trophy bass-fishing experience and quality quail-preserve hunting for sportsmen. Not only can you possibly catch 100 bass in a day, when you fish the lakes of P-Arrow Plantation near Livingston, Alabama, you likely will take and release 100 bass any day you fish. You also may catch the biggest bass you've ever taken in your life. Because Drayton Pruitt, the owner of P-Arrow, has stocked each lake with largemouth bass that weigh from 8 to 10 pounds each, P-Arrow has joined the ranks of the new generation of fishing lakes jumping full-grown onto the bass-fishing scene throughout much of the South. Drayton Pruitt and his wife Zina also are the licensees for Mossy Oak camouflage for paper products, including tablecloths, napkins, plates and cups. Max Adams guides on P-Arrow's Lakes and took my son John and I fishing there.

Phillips: What is P-Arrow Plantation? And how many lakes do you have to fish?
Adams: P-Arrow is a quail-hunting reserve of 2700 acres. We also have eight lakes that comprise 110 acres stocked heavily with large northern largemouth bass and the Florida strain of largemouth bass. The lake also homes coppernose bluegills.

Phillips: Tell us about the lakes.
Adams: The biggest lake we have is Horseshoe Lake, which contains about 33 acres of water and has quite a bit of grass in it. One of the older lakes on the property, Horseshoe Lake contains some of our biggest bass. For the angler who enjoys fishing rubber frogs, rubber rats, swimming worms and
grass-type baits, this lake can really be exciting. You need heavy line of either monofilament or braided. And you need to make a long cast and work your lure through the pockets in the grass. Although the bass will blow up through the grass to take the baits, more than likely they will take the baits through one of those pockets in the grass. If you're a grass fisherman, you know if you reel the lure up through the pocket, twitch or shake the bait when it's in that open pocket and then wait, the bass will attack. A bass holding under the grass is looking up through that opening. When the fish sees a lure move into that clear water, the bass usually will approach the lure slowly and often just suck it down or explode up through the hole to attempt to kill the bait. If you've ever fished for bass in the grass, the best way to insure a hook set is to wait until you feel the bass on the line and not set the hook when the bass blows up on the bait.

Phillips: Why do you have so much grass in this lake?
Adams: The grass grows naturally in this lake. And grass provides a lot of habitat for bass and plenty of protection for young bass. P-Arrow Plantation also wants to provide different types of fishing opportunities for various anglers. If a bass angler likes to fish grass, then we'll take him to Horseshoe Lake. If he prefers to fish underwater structures, we have lakes that have rocks, concrete structures, trenches, ditches and mounds in them. If an angler prefers to fish a shoreline, we have old catfish lakes with no structure in them. But we have improved those lakes by putting lots of shoreline cover in them. If you're a spinner bait fisherman, we have some trees out in the water and some bushy areas that are a spinner bait fisherman's dream. If you prefer to fish topwater, we have lakes that are more productive for topwater fishing. If you're a crankbait angler or a soft-plastic lure fisherman, we have lakes designed for that style of fishing. We even have lakes that are designed for the fly-fisherman. If you tell us what style of fishing you prefer, we can take you to the lake primarily designed for that kind of fishing. And the good news is if the bass aren't biting in that lake, we have seven more lakes that we can move to and catch fish.

Phillips: What does an angler pay to fish P-Arrow Lakes?
Adams: The charge is $250 per day per fisherman for up to four anglers. We can handle larger groups for corporate clients with advance notice.

Phillips: What should an angler reasonably expect to catch if he comes to P-Arrow Lakes in the spring or the fall?
Adams: I believe two fishermen can easily catch 100 bass a day when they fish at P-Arrow Plantation at that time of the year. And even in July with the temperature at 110 degrees, you and your partner caught 100 bass in a day.

Phillips: How big will those 100 bass be?
Adams: You will catch quite a few of 2- to 4-pound bass, but you should also catch a bass that will weigh from 5 to 12 pounds.

For more information on P-Arrow Plantation, you can write
P.O. Box 1037, Livingston, Al 35470; call (205) 652-7990 or (800) 949-7990; e-mail parrowplantation@aol.com; or, visit www.bitzandpieces.net

TOMORROW: CATCH BIG BASS EVERY DAY?