Latest Catch Pics Thread

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, Mr. Warrior and Mr. SpotHunter. I too always thought of Maine as a smallmouth state and there are lots of smallmouth here and big ones, but I've fallen in love with bog fishing, which means largemouth. Bog fishing is like miniature golf with all the obstacles, but instead of windmills and tunnels, there are reeds and lily pads. Bog fishing is also great for my canoe. The smallmouth prefer the deeper lakes, which are more open and therefore windier. All that wind and water is fine if you have a big boat and motor, but bogs are cozier for a canoe. Hey, did you see my bolt cutters in three of the photos? I'm ready for the next mishap! 

[T-Billy]

When I grow up I wanna be as awesome as ol'crickety!!! 

[N Florida Mike]

Was out at daybreak. I connected first on a Big bites craw 17.5 inch fish. I switched to a fluke and got a 19 incher. Got 10 total but 8 in the first 1.5  hours. 9 of them on flukes…

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I drove to a new bog yesterday afternoon, but there wasn't enough water to float my canoe. I could see water yonder, about a hundred yards away, but there were a hundred yards of reeds between me and it. I asked the folks at the nearest house what happened to the bog and they said the dam broke. Dang dam!

 

So, I went to a smaller bog this morning and for the first 45 minutes, I only caught one bass. Then I switched to nightcrawlers and caught two more, but I don't like worm fishing. It's not busy enough for me. I was getting hits on my Whopper Plopper, but not hooking fish. The bite slowly increased and I landed a 17.5-inch bass. I also caught some chain pickerel and took a photo of one in case you southern fishers wanna a look.

 

The wind blew me into some reeds. Just last night, I watched a YouTube video where an accomplished frog fisher said that we should chuck our frogs into places where we don't think there's enough water for fish. Well, I'd been blown into the big salad bar at Caesar's Palace, but there was about two feet of open water, so I cast my frog there and KERSPLOOSH! There was so much water moved that I was confused, but my frog was gone, so I set the hook and luckily, there wasn't enough water for the bass to put up a big fight. She was 19 inches, the size I love.

 

I caught 34 in all and lost a BIG bass at the end that I just couldn't control, not even with my 17-lb. line and MH rod. I could see she was headed for reeds as thick as a man's thumb and I tried to stop her, but couldn't. Even in the reeds, I had her hooked for a bit, but by the time I dug to my lure, she was gone. Sooo exciting. 

 

The first photo is a typical bass for the bog. Then the chain pickerel. Then the big girl. Then some others.

Nice ones! The only chain pickerel I’ve ever caught was in FLA

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

Was out at daybreak. I connected first on a Big bites craw 17.5 inch fish. I switched to a fluke and got a 19 incher. Got 10 total but 8 in the first 1.5  hours. 9 of them on flukes…

All is right in the world when @N Florida Mikeis slayin with flukes 

[Swamp Girl]

N Florida Mike, if you don't mind, will you share a photo of your fluke rig and a tip or two for using them?

 

Aw, shucks, T-Billy!

[Woody B]

I caught 11 bass today between 9 and 18 inches.   It's the first holiday (except Christmas) I've had off in almost 2 years.   It rained off and on.  I pretty much had the lake to myself.   I kept having (longnose) gar follow my bait to the boat but no strikes.   I'm not sure I wanted to deal with all those needle teeth anyway.   

 

 

[Cbump]

The wife and I tried a new lake today. The black bass fishing wasn’t great but we did catch some stripers. 
 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A wife unit who goes fishing with you.....yeah that's gonna be the real catch of the day

 

I hate what Stripers do to most Bass fisheries, along with Alabama's only little Rainbow Trout locale, but they are easily one of the most fun freshwater fish to catch.   Very exciting catching them when they are blowing up bait on the surface.   

[N Florida Mike]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

N Florida Mike, if you don't mind, will you share a photo of your fluke rig and a tip or two for using them?

 

Aw, shucks, T-Billy!

It’s easy . Use a 3/0 wide gap hook and T-rig it. I use no weight because I primarily fish in less than 6 f.o.w . Let me clarify- I use zoom SUPER  flukes, rarely the smaller flukes anymore.

I catch a lot just deadsticking or pulling it over weeds and letting it drop into holes, also skipping around brush piles or under docks.

Another method is finding a weed line and  skipping the fluke parallel to the edge.

I have never done well twitching it like so many people do.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Yeah I just twitch the things along weed lines, or throw them into pods of baitfish.   I rig the same way, but use a 4/0 or 5/0.    There is a tradeoff doing so, I think the smaller hooks give much better action, but hookup ratio is reduced in my experience.   

 

Somebody here was talking about putting them on a jig head, and bumping the bottom with them.....a lightbulb went off when I read that, but have yet to try it.   

[N Florida Mike]

If I used a jighead, I’d get a clump of weeds every time with the waters I fish.  I get a lot of bites on the fall too, I just think in the primary lakes/ponds I fish it would sink too fast.

I also occasionally use 4/0, never 5. Your right. Not as many bites with the 4… 

[crypt]

another great trick is to Carolina Rig them......

[NYWayfarer]

Our pup was sleeping so I snuck out to go fishing.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Meanmouth, smallmouth, largemouth? 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Nice, thinking first two are Smallies, and the last guy is a LGM.    River fishing it looks like, love fishing around big structures like those below the dams.    Wish I lived closer to the TVA lakes, as it stands I'm an hour + away.     I think the variety of fish is one of the things that makes that area so special.    

[Swamp Girl]

N Florida Mike, when you Super Fluke, what weight line are you using? I ask because you said that you let your fluke drop into holes and I'm wondering if my 17 lb. test is enough to haul a bass out of a hole.

[TnRiver46]

20 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Nice, thinking first two are Smallies, and the last guy is a LGM.    River fishing it looks like, love fishing around big structures like those below the dams.    Wish I lived closer to the TVA lakes, as it stands I'm an hour + away.     I think the variety of fish is one of the things that makes that area so special.    

I was on tellico, it’s been tough there for me lately 

[BigAngus752]

Lately the fishing has been S.L.O.W.  I was talking with a ranger while fishing this forest preserve and he said the animals are totally messed up due to the insane weather we've had all season.  He pointed out that half of the deer were a couple months late having fawns and he personally saw a fisherman pull a bass guarding fry at the very end of July!  That's way out of bounds here.  I was glad to get this 3-2 off of a rocky point.  Mostly I'm just digging 1 and 2lb-ers out of the brush and very few in a day.  

 

[N Florida Mike]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

N Florida Mike, when you Super Fluke, what weight line are you using? I ask because you said that you let your fluke drop into holes and I'm wondering if my 17 lb. test is enough to haul a bass out of a hole.

I use 12 pound mono. I fish a lot of eel grass with algae clumps everywhere right now. Also fish a lake with a lot of maidencane and use the same. I can’t remember having one break off down in these weeds. I have lost some in there of course.

17 should be more than enough.

I fish a lot of moderately clear        ( somewhat stained) water. So I feel like I get less bites the higher pound test I go. I definitely get less bites with braid .( Unless I fish more stained waters.)

I even use 10 pound mono in less weedy waters.

 

[N Florida Mike]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

N Florida Mike, when you Super Fluke, what weight line are you using? I ask because you said that you let your fluke drop into holes and I'm wondering if my 17 lb. test is enough to haul a bass out of a hole.

I use 12 pound mono. 10 in less weedy water. I fish fairly clear water so I feel like I get less bites the higher pound test I go. Ive lost fish down in the weeds, but don’t remember breaking off because of the weeds.  My home lake has eel grass and lots of algae clumps. Another lake I fish primarily has maiden cane. I don’t have problems with line breakage with these.

17 should be more than enough. 

If it’s clear water you won’t get as many bites though…

[The Bassman]

Had a lively hour and a half this evening. Wind kicked up a little from small storm cells close by and got the bass active. Caught a quick dozen on my small blade bait with this one, probably three lb. or so the best.

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, Mike. I plan to use flukes more going forward. 

[gim]

21 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I too always thought of Maine as a smallmouth state and there are lots of smallmouth here and big ones, but I've fallen in love with bog fishing, which means largemouth

 

Do those bogs freeze up in the winter there?

[Swamp Girl]

They do, Gimruis, but they freezing doesn't kill the fish because there are deep pockets. I am so excited to fish this fall when the bass grow feistier! Sadly, I can't fish for the next four days as I'm flying to visit my mom. She actually lives on a lake in Florida and the lake has largemouth, but they're pale. I like the dark Maine bass. 

[Bluebasser86]

Still prefishing for an upcoming tournament next Saturday. Saturday was tough with mostly very small fish. Broke one off that felt decent in the morning, then came back and caught it later out of the same tree with my hook still in its mouth.

Also caught a crappie trolling a buzzbait...

Monday was much better. Caught a respectable limit with a 4.63lb big fish, and a walleye flipping a stump in a foot of water.

This morning I stopped in the fog for 20 minutes with the tiny SPRO 40 popping frog, fishing it on a Bass X spinning rod and 20lb braid, caught 3 and missed 2.