Itching to catch another fish species, I figured the highest probability for my next species in Olmsted County would be Largemouth Bass (Micropterus nigricans), so I headed to Chester Woods County Park.

After doing some research, I learned that plastic worms—especially lightly colored Senko-style worms rigged wacky—were a good option. I got up early at 5 a.m., but once I arrived, I realized I didn’t have the recommended setup. Instead, all I had were bright orange plastic worms.

I decided to give them a try anyway… and promptly got one stuck in a tree.

Next, I switched to a modest-sized Rapala rattling lure and started casting from the fishing pier. On the second cast, I hooked into a fish. It put up a decent fight—not huge, but strong enough to be fun. I was happy to see it was a Largemouth Bass, a new species for my list.

I expect I’ll catch much bigger ones as the summer goes on.

I fished for about 45 minutes after that, trying a variety of lures, but didn’t get any more bites. Eventually, I had to head out for work.