The timing couldn’t have been more frustrating.

My most recent fishing trip followed a string of disappointing outings. The fishing over the past six weeks had been more puzzling than normal, resulting in days when one fish per hour seemed to be the best I could produce.

Then came the day earlier this week. Just when my expectations were bottoming out, the fish came out to play. Why, you ask, is that frustrating?

It is the timing. Just when the bite soared, my fishing time was reduced to, well, whenever the doctor says I can return to full activity.

I knew well that Sunday’s outing would be my last for several weeks as I had a date with a surgeon to fix a hernia. If you’ve gone under that knife, you know full well that you’ll be laying low for a while.

So every fish I boated that day added to a tall tally that surpassed any day I’ve had this year. If I revealed the total, you’d call me a liar, so I won’t tempt you with the number other than to affirm that I counted accurately.

The fish, of course, were largemouth bass, the favorite species that entertains thousands of Northeast Ohioans at Mosquito, Pymatuning, Berlin, West Branch and hundreds of farm ponds, freeway borrow pits and old strip mine lakes.

It took me more than an hour to boat my first bass Sunday, but the next two hours after I hit paydirt featured non-stop activity. I connected on the edge of an expansive flat in three feet of water with scattered sprigs of hydrilla. The southerly breeze pushed ripples across the flat, stirring a food chain that attracted a marauding pack of largemouths sensing the need to feed.

The situation was a complete reversal of the prevailing conditions over the past month and a half.

Hot weather had pushed the lakes’ temps to the upper range of the bass’ comfort zone. Every day featured piercingly bright sun and the wind seemed to have blown itself out. Cloudless days with nary a ripple on the water are some of the toughest times to go fishing.

Despite the tough conditions, anglers did find bass all around our corner of Ohio, but not typically in the numbers and sizes that we’ve come to expect.

Sunday’s big score was heartening. The fish were obviously hungry and willing to attack the black-and-blue Chatterbait I like to throw. I added a sungill-colored Reaction Innovations swimbait as the trailer, tinting the belly orange to mimic a yellow perch or bluegill, two forage fish high on the list of bass’ favorite foods.

I made super long casts and burned the bladed jig across the flat. At one point I hooked 10 and landed 10 bass on consecutive casts. The fish ranged from 2 to 5.5 pounds.

When the Chatterbait bite waned, I picked up a rod to which I’d tied a Rapala OG Slim 6, a flat-sided cedar crankbait. The bass loved it, too.

By noon, I was done. I loaded the boat on the trailer, looked back across the lake and promised to be back as soon as possible.

My surgeon says that can happen as soon as a few weeks. I’ll be ready.

Jack Wollitz has written this column every week since 1988 for anglers and their friends throughout the Youngstown-Warren region. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com.