Fish Chris

I did Monday ! It about startled the $#!& out of me too ! :-) Don't know if it was a good sized Striper or Carp, or a Sturgeon, but first their was a "bang" on the underside of the hull.... Then I jumped and spun all the way around, to see a big wake shoot out all the way around my boat. Honestly, I don't know how much of that wake was from me jumping and spinning, and / or from the fish that blasted my boat..... But one things for sure, that certainly woke me up ! Ever had this happen to you ? BTW, since I'm on this subject, about 2 years ago I had a big fish (almost certainly a Sturgeon) run into my anchor line, and litterally yank the front of my boat forward, against the current, and downward at the same time, about 3 or 4 inches ! After that, it was hard not to daydream, about another yank or two, then wham ! The boat starts getting towed like a wakeboard :-) LOL Fish

For Western Bass fishing, their really is only one choice; Bass West USA. For multi-species fishing, and just fun general reading, In-Fisherman. Peace, Fish

Those things are really bizzarre ! From what I hear, they are filter feeders and are never caught on traditional baits or lures, therfeore, intentionally snagging them (I know yours was not intentional) is apparently acceptable, and at certain times and places, it is permitted. I hear they are really strong. As long as you have a line in the water, you never know what you might catch :-) ......and that is the magic of fishing ! Very cool, Peace, Fish

just one more thing I should add; Most of our biggest bass out here are trout eaters, and since live trout are highly illegal as bait, this is why trout patterned swimbaits are our lure of choice. I guess if trout were legal, they would probably work even better for our big bass, than a swimbait would..... Just as live wild Shiners work best for Florida bass. Peace, Fish

I believe that big, wild Shiners are the best trophy bass bait "in Florida"...... But since the biggest bass on the planet live in Cali, I'd have to say the best bait (easiest to catch a big one on) would be a swimbait, specifically a Huddleston #12, in regular trout pattern..... with my custom rigging, of course ;-) Peace, Fish

it's like LBH is always saying > it's all about the time and place < I'd bet if bassinajr lived and fished in these parts, he would never have asked the question in the first place, as he would have seen how "artificial lures make it >easier< to catch these big trout-eaters. IMPO, around here, if somebody gets a really big bass on live bait, yea', it should have an asterik beside it........ an asterik denoting that this catch is "extra special", with the angler having put in countless hours learning how to fish a live dad, or crawler correctly, then having the patience required to do so, while any goofball can catch a big one on a swimbait ;-) {I'm living proof ! :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's some food for thought. I absolutely LOVE to fish live dads and crawlers, and I have spent litterally thousands of hours doing so. However, here is a list of my top five biggest for; Live bait 12.6 13.0 13.2 13.2 14.1 Artificials 15.0 15.6 15.8 16.5 18.4 And BTW, my 6th, through 9th biggest bass, were also caught on artificials. IMPO this kinda' sucks. I wish I had a few closer options where live bait was the best choice for the biggest bass. I just love crawling that live dad through the rocks when.... tick, tick, tick {the crawdad gets scared and freaks out :-)} then Whack ! Fish on ! ......plus they fight so much harder on a dad, as the dad leaves the picture, as soon as you set the hook. Then the bass has nothing to get in the way of its fight ! You had better have that drag set, because now its just you and the fish ! Whooo Hooo ! I love it :-) Now with a swimbait..... okay, well that's fun too. But if the fish is stuck good.... even a BIG one will be in my hand in less that 1 minute. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to have stuck a big fish, but in my own mind, I know it would have been a bigger accomplishment to have done it on a live dad, or a crawler. This is what I have learned in my last 10 years, and close to 10,000 hours specifically chasing trophy bass. (I've actually fished closer to 14,000 hours in the last 10 years..... but remember, I do the multi-species thing too). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oh...... Should live bait count for records ? HECK YES ! .....and in some cases, it should probably count even more so, than artificial lures. Peace, Fish

I'm guilty of about 95% of every mistake listed here ! One of my favorites is when I thread all of my guides, tie on a leader, and a lure, or hook.... then realize my line is on the wrong side of the bail ! Doh ! Or, don't you just love it when you thread all your guides, right up to the tip..... and then let it slip out of your hands and slide right back out through every guide down to the reel ? Of course this only happens when you just sighted a big fish, or stopped on your best spot..... Urgggg. Anyway, I don't think a trip ever goes by when I don't stop to call myself a dum-bass at least a time or two :-) Oh well. Glad to see I'm not the only one who has a few problems :-) Great thread BTW. Peace, Fish

How you doing Paul ? You picked a good place to hang out. Lots of friendly folks here who are all pretty much "fish crazy" :-) Stick a pig ! :-) Fish Chris

I have to agree with T-rig. I can't imagine a mostly freshwater fish, hybridizing with a saltwater one. Probably an oddly colored Peacock, which has been carried to the ocean side. But if it were a prank, it wasn't a bad one. Had me going for a bit :-) Fish

{I know this probably should go in the "everything else" section, but I wanted as many people as possible to see it first} I know many / most of you guys carry a cell phone on your boats with you. Of course it's fun to call your buddies with the "DUDE ! I just stuck a pig" phone calls...... {really cruel to do this when your buddies at work But then of course there is the "cell phone as a safety / emergency tool" also. Alright now, I certainly can't be the only one who slips up and forgets to charge the cell phone, before a fishing trip, once in a while ? So yesterday, I picked up a little Energizer portable cell phone charger at Home Depot, for $15. It works on two cheap, easily aquired, AA batteries, and comes with two of the high quality types. Not sure yet, how many times two AA's will recharge my cell phone, but even if it was just once, this would be great for emergencies, and AA alkalines have a several year shelf life. Plus, personally speaking, since both of my cameras use AA's, I always have all kinds of spare AA's (half of them rechargeable) with me. Small. Light. Relatively cheap. Great for the dry storage in your boat. And BTW, Home Dept had 4 different models to fit all common phone brands. Hope this helps somebody. Fish

At only a glance, I'd bet $100 that is a Peacock bass X Speckled Trout (not really a trout, but a saltwater species which is in the Croaker family, and related to a Red Fish, and plentiful in the Gulf) ! Really amazing catch ! Hey JLMass, would you mind if I forwarded this photo to my buddies at In-Fisherman ??? Peace, Fish

but the last thing I'd want, is a girl who was into fishing as much as I am. I really prefer to fish by myself. My ex loved to fish, and would have probably fished 75% as much as I do, but fortunately, because of other responsibilties, was only able to go out about 1 out of every 5 or 6 trips of my trips. That was enough for me. I mean, we had a good time when we fished together, however, just like when I'm fishing with any friend, I didn't feel like I was fishing to 50% of my potential, as I was sidetracked with socializing. Personally, I think it would be ideal to be with a girl who was 100% as passionate as I am about fish, with something different, but similar.... like say, the outdoors, or wildlife.... who wanted to go fishing with me about 1 out of 10 trips.... or should I say, just often enough to stay in touch with my world, and me with hers. Peace, Fish

based on a recommendation from a fellow angler, I just picked up a little line cutting tool called the "Power-Zap" from BPS for $17.99. It works on only 1 AA batt (which is extra cool for me, as both of my fish photo cameras also use AA's, so I will always have plenty of spares with me.... Plus, I can use rechargeables :-)) Basically it looks like a micro-soldering iron or something, and last night when I tested it on 130 lb braid, it cut it like butter, and it also seemed to fuse the filaments at the end, to keep them from fraying. I like it so far. Anybody else use one of these ? Peace, Fish

actually, I have to believe that part of your Grandfather lives on in you...... the "love to fish" part :-) Cool old photo BTW :-) Peace, Fish

This is a good fishing / photography buddy of mine, with his PB Striper, caught from the same waters I've been fishing, about 12 years ago. 45.5 lbs, and 47" long ! And he caught it on a 1/4 oz jig with a little 3" soft plastic fluke, and 8 lb test line ! I've seen a few bigger Stripers (only a very few, and only a little bigger) from my waters, but I don't think I have ever seen a prettier giant Striper. This is the kind I dream of..... Peace, Fish

I just mean to say, I wasn't really happy with the "photos of" the 18.4. I was pretty darn stoked about the fish :-) Although I truly believe I will catch a bigger one someday. As I trophy hunter, I think you have to believe this, as this is what keeps you going back. For the moment though, it's that 40.0 lb plus Striper that I can't stop dreaming of :-) Peace, Fish

Yea, it's hard to certify a fish, later on after the catch...... But what a great catch ! Congrats on that trophy sized Walleye ! And continued success to you :-) Peace, Fish

<---------------- Not my biggest, or even my second biggest. This 15.8 was actually my third biggest, but probably my best photo of a big bass, or should I say, one which shows the size the best. I was never really happy with the photos of my 18.4 lb PB, but the lesson I learned was, to always take "at least a few photos, of myself, by myself". I have this trick down, and then I don't have to rely on someone who might have no clue with fish photos.... or even cameras, for that matter. Anyway...... She was 29 1/2"L X 24.5"G Peace, Fish PS, But hey, since I know some of you might consider this one a bigger deal, here's my 8.5 lb Smallie from earlier this year :-)

You said > It places a hardship on both the caregiver as well as the captive who is living in an unnatural situation < Hmmmm. I guess the same could be said for just about any aquarium fish, as nearly all of them were born in tropical fish farm ponds, then sold to pet stores, to eventually end up in an aquarium. But personally speaking, I wouldn't say that aquariums are such an entirely bad thing. They can be very educational, and fun. I do believe however, that whatever pets a person keeps, they should always be given the best care the keeper can provide. If you wanted to call that care "a hardship" for the keeper, so be it. It would then be up to the keeper to decide if the benefits outweighed the hardships. Loved your story by the way :-) My bass nipped me several times while hand feeding him. He just never could get the "EASY" command :-) Don't remember if it drew any blood though. Peace, Fish

Geeez ! Where did my big girls go ??? I know what the problem was.... I went out thinking, "How could I possibly miss" ? Overconfidence kills me every time ! Actually, I thought I was going to get the big skunk, but in the last hour, some smaller males moved in, and I stuck two 8's, and a 6 lb'er. Better than a sharp stick in the eye, but not what I'm after. Oh well. Back after the Sturgies today... at least for the first 6 hours (in coming tide) then I might run back over and give those Striped ones a shot for the last 2 hours before dark. Will post a report and pics, if anything interesting comes up. Peace, Fish PS, I bet if I hadn't found that spot on Monday, I'd have caught those same 21 lb'ers on Tuesday instead. Basically, I feel like I caught the biters using that area, and so they vacated the premesis. Give it a few days, and those fish "might" come back, but more likely, a few "new fish" might move in..... So I can stick those next week :-)

Striper bite for these parts in Feb.... Well, let me put it this way, they haven't moved back out towards the bay yet, but with the cold water, it can be sporadic. Some tough days. Some better days. And when your really lucky, a wide open day, here and there. Peace, Fish PS, When you said > I think it's more about being where they are than what you offer. < I couldn't agree more ! If your in the middle of a bunch of hungry Stripers, odds are, your going to get a few. If your not in the middle of them, your not catching squat ! :-)

Hey LBH, it's funny you should mention this.... Actually, I'm fishing in a huge mud flat bay, which averages 3 to 8 feet deep, depending on the tide. And since I caught these fish yesterday on the second half of the outgoing, they were probably in no more than 5 feet ! I think if I really wanted to eliminate the "pesky little 10 to 20 lb'ers ;-)" and just shoot for nothing but a really big one, I'd just use an 18" to 20" Split Tail, or Squaw fish. Speaking of which, I have a buddy who probably hadn't caught 5 Stripers over 10 lbs at the time. So he goes out with a guide, who rigs him up with a 20" Squaw fish. {the guide preferred 16"s, but they were having a tough time catching bait} So my buddy is sitting there thinking, "Their ain't no freaking way something is going to eat this huge thing whole"....... And then his line starts peeling...... and he catches a 44", 40 lb'er ! That dog ! :-) Big Stripers, big baits ! The thing is though, I have heard of huge, 40 plus Stripers being caught on 8" Split Tails too. The only thing is, then you have to wade through a bunch of the little 8 to 20 lb'ers to get to the big one :-) I guess if I had caught so many 20 lb'ers in my life already, that it didn't mean anything, I'd probably get hardcore with a giant bait..... But I still kind of enjoy catching a 20 lb Bass.... even if it has Stripes :-) Peace, Fish PS, BTW, today I'm also going to throw a few swimbaits and big surface plugs at em' too :-) I figure in only 5 feet of water, they won't be too far away from my lure. So now if only I can get them to eat it :-) Whoo Hoo ! I'm stoked !

Hey Robert, theirs no place like home, huh ? :-) Anxious to see some photos. Those Peacocks are SOOOO beautiful ! I'd just love to photograph them...... and sticking them wouldn't be half bad either :-) Peace, Fish

that is one FAT Striper you have there ! That has to be a landlocked one, huh ? Ours are ocean run, and every once in a great while you might catch one which has a fat belly from really pigging out..... but not really from the build up of straight up fat. It just seems like it's such a work out getting here. But thats okay.... I'll just have to get one that weighs 40 lbs, because its 44" long :-) .....or 50 lbs, because its 48" ! But wait a minute... not trying to be greedy. The 40 plus would be fine today :-) Peace, Fish

I hooked up with one right between these that was very 30'ish, and after a 200 ft run, it simply came unbuttoned :-( That's okay. I'm just glad to see the bigger females finally coming in :-) Whooo Hooo ! The thing is, you can catch the 5 to 10 lb males all day long (especially if you troll for them) and you might catch 100 of them in 5, or 10, or 20 trips.... but the odds of you getting a big female, in the middle of all those little males are slim to none. On the other hand, when you start catching 18 to 25 lb females, it's only a matter of time until you stick a big one ! I really feel that if I can keep catching one or more good females each trip now, for the next several weeks, that my odds of sticking a 40 plus will be pretty darn good ! Anyway, this was the first good one today. It went 21.2 lbs: And this was the second one, which went 21.4 lbs. Both of these photos were somewhat backlit, but I thought this one came out pretty nice, in spite of this.... I'll be more careful with the shots of my 40 ;-) Can't wait to get back out there tomorrow ! .... and the next day too :-) Peace, Fish