Swamp Girl

15 mph would be way too much for me. I'll stick to fishing in the Land of Trees, aka Big, Green Windshields. However, since you do take your kids fishing and you do have a big boat, I am open to being adopted. Being old, figure on me napping on the way home too

I love the way you write, Phish. It's distinctive, creative, and playful. My suggestion is to recatch that third fish in five years. The way it's eating now, it'll be huge down the road. Regarding Blue and his giddy kitty-sized fish, here's my plan: Buy a canoe trailer. Load my canoe on the trailer. Tow the canoe to Blue's house. Hitch my canoe to Blue's boat trailer. This will require installing another tongue and ball. Wait in my canoe for Blue to go fishing.

I'm thrilled for you, Alex! That big bass is big from its mouth to its tail. I'm also thrilled that it was so powerful. I love when they take line. Hey, thanks for the lure tip! Woody, the drought-stricken folks of California, Kansas, and Utah will pay you big bucks to arrive and doff your raingear. Tririver46, that smallmouth looks like an Olympian. All muscle, no fat. Or an NFL wideout. What helps me count is that I'm in the boat by myself and on the lake by myself. There's no one to distract me.

A fisher at Minnesota's Mille Lacs recently broke the state length record for muskies. He released her and speaking of the catch, he thanked all who had caught and gently released her over the years and said he looked forward to her being caught again and again. I love that guy. I also love how respectfully you guys disagree. For the record, I side with Alex. Protect the exceptional genes.

No wetsuit yet, but I did pack dry clothes into a dry bag at your urging and although I never had to use it, I was grateful you encouraged me to do that.

Okay, I'm now your fangirl.

I like trip reports like this, the ones where we were befuddled, but remain tenacious and also recognize that being on the water, even if the wind is howling and the skies are gray, beats watching the plastic, preening Kardashains every dang day times infinity.

And on the 8th day, He gilded the sky and smiled.

^Heck, yeah! If there's a Heaven, I'll die, go to the light, and find myself in Ontario.^ From time to time, I Zillow Floyd.Maybe someday, but the clock ticks faster and faster nowadays.

Keep fishing, Woody! I'm done for 2022, so I need you southern guys to keep bringing fish aboard. Nice spot! Crazy heavy for 14 inches. It's cool that you weighed it.

You do have great rivers. I walked across VA on the Appalachian Trail and fell in love with it. More than once, I thought Floyd would be a great place to live.

^And here's another funny line!^

I launched my canoe in total darkness and was on the water for five minutes when my headlamp stopped working. It was windy too, so I was bobbing in the dark. I ended my fishing season like Willie Mays in center field, bumbling and stumbling. I did hear a hoot owl and we chatted for a bit, as I do a pretty good hoot owl imitation, good enough to fool those birds. And the stars were brilliant. I'd forgotten how bright they can be, since I always have light with me that dims them. When there was finally enough light to see, I was struck by how deep into the fall we are. Only the larches had a few leaves and the reeds looked as dry and cracklin' as November corn. So, I went home, made some chai tea, and looked at pics of fish caught this wonderful year!

Thrilling report, Alex! Plump with information too.It was both a macro and micro look at fishing. The macro is learning a pattern and then realizing it's chalk on the sidewalk with thunder and pelting rain on their way. The micro was the details about fishing the Flashback Mini. That's the good stuff that the barkeep secrets under the counter for when the customers leave, but you brought it out and put it on the counter for all to see and enjoy. I'm going to eat and then I'm off. I hope to experiment a little more today. I think my plunging numbers have been because the fish have changed and I haven't. Yesterday morning, I did catch a couple on Phish's suggestion of a soft plastic paddle-tailed bait, so I'm going to use that more this morning and I'm going to try a walking-the-dog bait and cast a lipless crankabait too, as well as a jerkbait. We'll see. But I'm glad you're catching them, Alex!

The Great Brown Whale!

You two have such fun, throttleplate.

Yeah, I feel the same way about Maine.

I went fishing again this morning, but I'm thinking the days of 30/40/50 fish mornings are done until next year. I did catch ten, but only seven were largemouth. The other three were pickerel and I took a photo of an especially pretty one. I also caught an 18-inch bass (the second photo) and one pushing 17 inches, so they were fun. Heck, it's always fun, even when I don't catch a bunch or they're short. I just like being on the water. There was a huge flock of geese on the water this morning and another that looked like they wanted to land on the lake, but passed. I even like taking pics of the little bass with fat tummies because they're on their way to being big bass!

I was talking to one of the Field and Stream editors once and he shared that his writers still wanted to write the old style F&S articles instead of "35 Surefire Ways to Catch Smallmouth Bass!" The old style articles weren't just about how to catch fish, but how it felt to catch fish and to be on the water with your friends or alone. Thanks, Glenn, for this thread! Ahh, shucks, Dwight! Alex, you're the best. And thanks to the rest of you too! You guys are so encouraging and kind.

Those are fine looking fish, Alex. They look like the fish I caught this morning. Not long, but well fed and healthy. I'm marinating a second article. So glad you enjoyed the first!

^I like the way you think.^

Most years, I simply counted as I caught them. One year, I took three of those clicking counters, one each for pike, smallmouth, and walleye. That was way too complicated. Then I settled on a single counter with each fish, whatever the species, counting as a click. BTW, you're a hoot and a half! There are so many lakes loaded with smallmouth, but you do have to be willing to sleep on rocky shores and bathe in the lakes. That eliminates a chunk of fishermen right there. You're right, Alex. That bass does look like a mating salmon. Imagine what it will look like in five years and if keeps growing in its current directions: It will be Jurassic Bass! You're also right about my struggles with water in the boat. After 30 minutes or so, my canoe has water in it, as the paddle sheds water as I switch sides. And water, as you've seen, has freckled my camera's lens more than once. You're right again (Trifecta!) about the risk of a skunk. I have worked darned hard to reach some lakes in Canada, thinking I'll be casting to fish that have never, EVER seen a lure and I ended up casting to no fish at all.

^My kinda guy^

It appears I will be my only customer. Of course, my Dual Scale 5000 also comes with a free jet pack, but it's too late for any of you to get aboard this boat.

BRRRR! It was 34 degrees when I launched my canoe this morning. The water was shallow, so I had to step into it. It was so foggy too. I did see four Great Blue Herons and one Bald Eagle. I also saw a beaver. It had no fear of me. Fog is nature's curtain and when the curtain is drawn, animals are less afraid of us, I think. I only caught nine fish and two were pickerel, which I didn't photograph because they are bonkers. BONKERS! I just try to survive them. And most of the time, I just get a blur when I do try to photograph one. I'll lead with some short, but stout bass and then a photo of the fog. Then some longer bass. The smallmouth was so rotund and so was the last bass. The last bass was only 15 inches, but built like a 19-incher. See how its body slopes downhill to its tail? Drop some snow on that bass and your pet mouse could ski him. Hey, the lead article on the Bass Resource home page is mine. Cool, huh? Alex, I also have an old camera. It's an Olympus Stylus Tough. One of these years, I'll upgrade.