Swamp Girl

It's a good-looking boat. Thanks for the review.

What I didn't share is that the skinny bass in my original post was terribly hungry, so hungry that she saw her wagging tail and went for it, curling herself into a circle to eat it. Well, she kept eating herself all the way up her body to her head. Then she swallowed her head too and poof, she disappeared! And this is why I don't like to catch skinny bass.

@LrgmouthShad: Now I'm thinking that if I start a "Post your Big Bass" thread, the BR gang will wax about the nuances of fat bass versus long bass. 😁

Me too. I can catch ten lmb and photograph all ten and each looks different, which has me wondering why. My smb don't vary nearly as much.

Ha! Not me. The wind is howling over ice in Maine. @casts_by_fly: Your fish are healthy! I'd love that lake.

Here are another two examples. The first bass is only 18.25", but thriving: The second bass is 20.75" and likely heavier, but I prefer the one above:

Exactly. I worry about the skinny ones. I wonder why, with their years of experience, they aren't thriving.

I agree with you 100%. If I catch a 15" bass that's bulging, I smile.

Yeah, me too. There were many evenings in 2024 when I'd drive down my gravel driveway, park, walk through the woods, and launch my canoe only to catch four or five bass and I was so happy.

I should have given this thread the heading, "Post your big bass!"

Different bodies of water. The thick one was a bog bass and the skinny one was a pond bass.

Would you rather catch a fat, shorter bass, like this... ...or a longer, skinnier bass, like this? Assume they weigh the same. Thicker or longer? ...or a longer, skinnier bass?

You're the best, Bob. I've never met ya, but I still miss ya. Truly.

I hear ya, Scott. I fight the loss of light by adding light. My outside Christmas lights are twined blue and green and I just filled a box elder burl bowl with white Christmas lights. I also hanged two scones last week and have another two to hang. Then there are the candles! I do not go gentle into this good night, I rage, rage against the dying of the light!

I sure use and LOVE the Shimano Flashboost lures and Deps Sakamata Shads. Both caught me a lot of bass in 2024. Literally hundreds of bass. I'm like @softwateronly: I LOVE the Winter Solstice. It's my favorite day of the year.

You'd look silly beholding the grace and coordination of a ballerina and deny that that's art. Then watch a fly fisher in thigh-high current while working his/her line and you might look silly again denying that there's no art in that angling. Of course, many anglers bring a lot of science to bassing. A motor comes from science. So do carbon fiber rods and FFS and Garmin. Best response. I'm a creative person and I have had countless conversations with other creative people. Whatever the medium (dance, theater, painting, writing, etc.), we all have the same challenges and similar choices. A painter works with form, color, and texture. I dancer works with her/his body. A writer works with words, but we're all trying to convey what we see. For example, Vincent van Gogh saw movement: Grant Wood saw order: I'm going to go with "a bit of both" as my answer. This is akin to fishing: The scientific process, also known as the scientific method, is a systematic approach to investigating phenomena by making observations, asking questions, forming a hypothesis, conducting experiments, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating the results However, when I fish, I don't always go with my set conclusions. I cast against the grain, which is creative and intuitive. And I certainly take the time to see what's before me and share that:

Skipping is so easy in December. January and February too.

I drove to my pond yesterday, crunched through the woods, and walked to the end of my boardwalk, figuring I'd cast a few times for old time's sake, but the water was frozen. I cast anyway and my underspin skittered over the ice. I caught nothing, making me a... So, yeah, I know about fishing ending annually too. I just imaging you at my pond yesterday, creating your own advantages:

I've never owned such a pretty kayak paddle as yours.

Just the gunnels. I am thinking of wrapping a little orange tape around my paddle, right above the blade. It's carbon and very light and the wind has blown it out of my hands a few times. On a choppy day, it can be hard to spot in the waves as I grab my second paddle to retrieve it. I always clamp on my second paddle! I own a couple kayak paddles and have tried them, but I don't like their length. When I'm not paddling, they take up more space and my canoes are already crowded with rods. It's cool to talk boats and paddles with you!

I haven't paddled it yet. It's sitting in my garage, waiting for the spring, but thanks for asking. I did order some Yak Attack mounting plates and rod holders, so when I troll as I paddle to the next spot, that will be much easier! I also bought adhesive-backed rubber strips for the gunnels, so my rods and paddle won't strike the hull and spook bass. I'll be painting the bottom of the Next in the spring before I take it to my pond and leave it there. I'm already excited to do that!

Great goal, Tim.

Dang, you're still out there too??? How big do you think the crappie-eater was?

I think part of my success comes from moving. I watch the videos where a guy will cast at one laydown for 20-30 minutes and whereas I might give a laydown five minutes, that's it. So, whereas I understand the allure and power of Spotlock, getting from one spot to another in less time appeals to me a little more.

I think @T-Billy should loan Clayton his fur hat for the next two or three months.