Latest Catch Pics Thread

[Woody B]

I caught 15 in 6 hours today.  It was really windy.  The wake boats are starting to come out too.   I felt like I was in the ocean.   Alex raved about a Shimano Armajoint so I shelled out $42 for one last week.   I fished it a little bit today and caught a genuine dink on it.  Little guy meant to have it.  He came out of the water when he grabbed it.  I would have took a picture with the huge bait in the little fishes mouth, but he came off when I boat flipped him.  No big ones.  The other one pictured "might" have been 16 inches.  I caught a few like it.  I saw an bald eagle today.  I've seen a bunch over the years but this is the first I've seen on Lake Wylie.  

 

[The Bassman]

Rain last night put some nice ones on my favorite drain. The biggest just touched 5 lb. so that makes two 5+ in three days. She came on a Berkley Square Bull which is a bait that I never use because I can't keep it out of the vegetation. Only took a couple of cranks to get it bit in the current, though. I caught three others, all better than two lbs. on it before the bite slowed down.

[Team9nine]

Just now, The Bassman said:

Rain last night put some nice ones on my favorite drain. The biggest just touched 5 lb. so that makes two 5+ in three days.

 

Super nice looking drain n the background. I had a couple like that back about 20 years ago that were dynamite after every good drenching. Sure do miss them these days ?

 

Had to go out in the 43 degree, “almost stopped” misting rain, along with 15 mph ENE winds today to see what that Rozante looked like. Wasn’t the best pond or conditions for it, but got to get a feel for it - and even caught a few. Then I got in a shallow windblown pocket and caught a bunch more. Twenty total for the afternoon. No biggies (this pond only has a couple in it), but healthy and aggressive fish running 14”-16”. 
 

 

 

 

[thediscochef]

On 3/21/2023 at 11:53 PM, thediscochef said:

i'm gonna catch a bass this week. and when i do. i'm gonna post it. and there's nothing you can do about it

It ain't much but it's bass

[Eric 26]

1 minute ago, thediscochef said:

It ain't much but it's bass

Congratulations ? My retention ponds are still quite cold ? I’ve been out a handful of times but haven’t hit yet.

[thediscochef]

Just now, Eric 26 said:

Congratulations ? My retention ponds are still quite cold ? I’ve been out a handful of times but haven’t hit yet.

Thanks! Main lake here is still in the 55-57 territory, this cove was low 60s. Managed to get this one to bite after getting teased a few times lol

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 hours ago, Woody B said:

I caught 15 in 6 hours today.  It was really windy.  The wake boats are starting to come out too.   I felt like I was in the ocean.   Alex raved about a Shimano Armajoint so I shelled out $42 for one last week.   I fished it a little bit today and caught a genuine dink on it.  Little guy meant to have it.  He came out of the water when he grabbed it.  I would have took a picture with the huge bait in the little fishes mouth, but he came off when I boat flipped him.  No big ones.  The other one pictured "might" have been 16 inches.  I caught a few like it.  I saw an bald eagle today.  I've seen a bunch over the years but this is the first I've seen on Lake Wylie.  

 

You're gonna crush those Spots on that Shimano brother, they can't say no.   

 

Great looking fish as well!  

[thediscochef]

3 hours ago, thediscochef said:

It ain't much but it's bass

melanosed dink for good measure. Two in one day. I'm on fire!! Or something is, at least. I smell toast burning. 

[Swamp Girl]

Hey, chefs don't burn toast unless...unless...unless they're distracted by disco music! 

 

By the way, I checked the nearest pond this evening. Nothin' but ice. 

[TnRiver46]

Went fishing with @roadwarrior today, fishing was slow about like it was for the classic boys but no skunk. 
 

I learned all kind of tricks and tactics and heard lots of funny stories. Wind was rough and supposed to be worse tomorrow 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

15 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Went fishing with @roadwarrior today, fishing was slow about like it was for the classic boys but no skunk. 
 

I learned all kind of tricks and tactics and heard lots of funny stories. Wind was rough and supposed to be worse tomorrow 

Same here with the wind, and fish for 5.5 hours for about 8 fish, lost a few fish.   I actually observed Bass spawning for the first time though, a buck and 4-5lb fish are doing the nasty right by where I dock the boat lol.   I watched them for about 30mins throughout the day.     The Spring and Spawn suck, it's a combo of the fish dropping huge cheatcode bellies, the scattering of them, and really I think the most important thing, the very unstable weather.   Water skyrocketed over the last few days and will continue for a several more days, I wouldn't doubt if I see close to 70 tom.   Today was the first day I've seen 62+ in a couple weeks.   That cold snap dropped it after I think the first big Spawn or two happened.   

 

It's so much work to catch fish in the Spring and early Fall.   It sucks too because you get the most beautiful days for fishing during those times.     

 

One quality today on the Jackhammer/5.5" Spunk Shad...3ish Spot.    Those big 5.5" Spunk Shads on a Jackhammer are really effective.    Dozen fish including a 5.3 over the last week since stopping the Berkeley Slobberknocker experiment.   Got it all on sale, but with two models, and then 4 packs of the Power Stingers, it's like $50 MSRP.   You lose some, you win some.    I think it's important for me to mention the baits I lose money on because of how much I boast about "magical" baits.   

 

For clearer water I still think they might be better than a Jackhammer, or other brandname Chatterbaits.    They are right between a beautiful Swimjig, and a Jackhammer if that makes sense.    

 

Finally, getting more and more action on the buzzbait, and the Shimano produced the first fish of the day.   

[PhishLI]

I really wanted to sneak in a good night session before the DEC dumps in a truckload of 8" rainbows any day now, plus rain was coming overnight. On one hand the stocking is great because it grows our bass bigger, but in the short term it wrecks the bite. It takes time for a bass to digest a trout or two in 41 degree water. Not that I needed any more inspiration, but my brother sent me a pic of a pretty dink he picked off right before he had to work a night shift.

 

Based on the past I wanted to hit one specific cove, then trek down the length of the lake to a channel that wraps around an island. The in-between is typically dead this time of year, so unless I spot-lit bait along the way I was sticking to the plan.

 

It looked like I had the place to myself when I pulled up, and my anticipation was ramping up as I made my way through the woods and down towards the cove. Too bad for me, but Danny the Carp guy was set up in my spot. Unlike the typical carp mooks who show up occasionally, Danny's cool, and he's hardcore. He takes carp fishing very seriously, and doesn't rudely drop poles on every cut down a shoreline. He only takes up one. Dude even has portable livewell on shore as he's C&R. He mentioned that he was doing an overnight, so I said my "hi and good luck" as I jetted my way past him and up towards the channel way up the lake.

 

Halfway to my spot a wave of Canadian geese honked thier way overhead then crashed down right outside the island near the channel of my salvattion. It took mere minutes before they went to war with what I assume were geese already occupying the zone, or maybe they just started fighting with eachother. It was very dark, so who knows? Wings beat the water from one shoreline to the other, and there I stood feeling like a schmuck with a stupid amount of slings and tacklebags weighing me down like an absurd pack animal.  Oh, and I had seven rods slung over my shoulder like a stack of 2 x 4s. Men make plans...

 

The in-between zone was dead as a doornail as predicted, so after 3 hours of trying and just 3 tiny nibbles I threw in the towel and made my way back to the cove. I'm not really in wading-shape yet anyway, so my azz was kicked from working my way down and up some of the steeper banks. Had I caught a fish or two, the rush would've anethestized my lower back for sure, but absent of that fantasy scenario I was done.

 

Just as I got to the cove, and just oppsosite of Danny, there was huge expolsion in the water right in front of me which sounded like a killshot from a big Pickeral or a big Bass. I asked him if he heard it, and he asked me if I snagged his line. I hadn't, so I told him it must be a carp. He reeled into it, then yelled out that it was huge. I got there as he netted this monster, then helped him get it out and up into the livewell. He drove a bolt into a tree with an impact driver, hung his scale on it, then I helped him load it into a weigh-bag. 3 feet long and 25.2lbs. I helped him release this thing, and I was surprised by its power during the process. It rocketed off like nothing had happened. Not my night at all, but pretty neat nonetheless. I'd never seen a carp this big in person. Knowing a bass this big has been caught is just crazy, especially with this experience fresh in my mind. Elsewhere my buddy went yakkin' and got 'em on a Bucca Bullwake 4X4.

 

 

 

[thediscochef]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I really wanted to sneak in a good night session before the DEC dumps in a truckload of 8" rainbows any day now, plus rain was coming overnight. On one hand the stocking is great because it grows our bass bigger, but in the short term it wrecks the bite. It takes time for a bass to digest a trout or two in 41 degree water. Not that I needed any more inspiration, but my brother sent me a pic of a pretty dink he picked off right before he had to work a night shift.

 

Based on the past I wanted to hit one specific cove, then trek down the length of the lake to a channel that wraps around an island. The in-between is typically dead this time of year, so unless I spot-lit bait along the way I was sticking to the plan.

 

It looked like I had the place to myself when I pulled up, and my anticipation was ramping up as I made my way through the woods and down towards the cove. Too bad for me, but Danny the Carp guy was set up in my spot. Unlike the typical carp mooks who show up occasionally, Danny's cool, and he's hardcore. He takes carp fishing very seriously, and doesn't rudely drop poles on every cut down a shoreline. He only takes up one. Dude even has portable livewell on shore as he's C&R. He mentioned that he was doing an overnight, so I said my "hi and good luck" as I jetted my way past him and up towards the channel way up the lake.

 

Halfway to my spot a wave of Canadian geese honked thier way overhead then crashed down right outside the island near the channel of my salvattion. It took mere minutes before they went to war with what I assume were geese already occupying the zone, or maybe they just started fighting with eachother. It was very dark, so who knows? Wings beat the water from one shoreline to the other, and there I stood feeling like a schmuck with a stupid amount of slings and tacklebags weighing me down like an absurd pack animal.  Oh, and I had seven rods slung over my shoulder like a stack of 2 x 4s. Men make plans...

 

The in-between zone was dead as a doornail as predicted, so after 3 hours of trying and just 3 tiny nibbles I threw in the towel and made my way back to the cove. I'm not really in wading-shape yet anyway, so my azz was kicked from working my way down and up some of the steeper banks. Had I caught a fish or two, the rush would've anethestized my lower back for sure, but absent of that fantasy scenario I was done.

 

Just as I got to the cove, and just oppsosite of Danny, there was huge expolsion in the water right in front of me which sounded like a killshot from a big Pickeral or a big Bass. I asked him if he heard it, and he asked me if I snagged his line. I hadn't, so I told him it must be a carp. He reeled into it, then yelled out that it was huge. I got there as he netted this monster, then helped him get it out and up into the livewell. He drove a bolt into a tree with an impact driver, hung his scale on it, then I helped him load it into a weigh-bag. 3 feet long and 25.2lbs. I helped him release this thing, and I was surprised by its power during the process. It rocketed off like nothing had happened. Not my night at all, but pretty neat nonetheless. I'd never seen a carp this big in person. Knowing a bass this big has been caught is just crazy, especially with this experience fresh in my mind. Elsewhere my buddy went yakkin' and got 'em on a Bucca Bullwake 4X4.

 

 

 

don't you know you can't tell how ripe a bass is by squeezing it? or is that tomatoes...

[PhishLI]

12 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

don't you know you can't tell how ripe a bass is by squeezing it?

 

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Elsewhere my buddy went yakkin' and got 'em on a Bucca Bullwake 4X4.

It wasn't me, homie.

[Woody B]

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Danny the Carp guy was set up in my spot.

Carp, and Buffalo are a big deal around here.  There's a bunch of pay lakes.  I don't know how exactly it works but it's a contest.   "Danny the Carp guy" here fishes for Carp, and Buffalo in the big lakes and sells them to the pay lakes.  IIRC "Danny"  (actually Ronnie) said they'd pay as much as $20 per pound for living Carp.  I guess that's how the pay lake people stock their lakes.  Ronnie also wins money at the pay lakes all the time.  It would be pretty cool to get paid to catch fish you'd sold to a lake.  He's got well guarded special bait recipes.   

[Swamp Girl]

@PhishLI, you are a good writer. Thanks for taking us along on your wading trip. I enjoyed meeting Danny. That carp is gorgeous. I caught one that big, while fishing for smallmouth, on the Whitefish River on Lake Michigan's north shore. I can see why Danny fishes for them. It's like hooking a train.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

8 hours ago, PhishLI said:

 

It wasn't me, homie.

At least he wasn't smacking it's fat belly while making rooting and hog noises like Ben Milliken ?

 

 

10 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I really wanted to sneak in a good night session before the DEC dumps in a truckload of 8" rainbows any day now, plus rain was coming overnight. On one hand the stocking is great because it grows our bass bigger, but in the short term it wrecks the bite. It takes time for a bass to digest a trout or two in 41 degree water. Not that I needed any more inspiration, but my brother sent me a pic of a pretty dink he picked off right before he had to work a night shift.

 

Based on the past I wanted to hit one specific cove, then trek down the length of the lake to a channel that wraps around an island. The in-between is typically dead this time of year, so unless I spot-lit bait along the way I was sticking to the plan.

 

It looked like I had the place to myself when I pulled up, and my anticipation was ramping up as I made my way through the woods and down towards the cove. Too bad for me, but Danny the Carp guy was set up in my spot. Unlike the typical carp mooks who show up occasionally, Danny's cool, and he's hardcore. He takes carp fishing very seriously, and doesn't rudely drop poles on every cut down a shoreline. He only takes up one. Dude even has portable livewell on shore as he's C&R. He mentioned that he was doing an overnight, so I said my "hi and good luck" as I jetted my way past him and up towards the channel way up the lake.

 

Halfway to my spot a wave of Canadian geese honked thier way overhead then crashed down right outside the island near the channel of my salvattion. It took mere minutes before they went to war with what I assume were geese already occupying the zone, or maybe they just started fighting with eachother. It was very dark, so who knows? Wings beat the water from one shoreline to the other, and there I stood feeling like a schmuck with a stupid amount of slings and tacklebags weighing me down like an absurd pack animal.  Oh, and I had seven rods slung over my shoulder like a stack of 2 x 4s. Men make plans...

 

The in-between zone was dead as a doornail as predicted, so after 3 hours of trying and just 3 tiny nibbles I threw in the towel and made my way back to the cove. I'm not really in wading-shape yet anyway, so my azz was kicked from working my way down and up some of the steeper banks. Had I caught a fish or two, the rush would've anethestized my lower back for sure, but absent of that fantasy scenario I was done.

 

Just as I got to the cove, and just oppsosite of Danny, there was huge expolsion in the water right in front of me which sounded like a killshot from a big Pickeral or a big Bass. I asked him if he heard it, and he asked me if I snagged his line. I hadn't, so I told him it must be a carp. He reeled into it, then yelled out that it was huge. I got there as he netted this monster, then helped him get it out and up into the livewell. He drove a bolt into a tree with an impact driver, hung his scale on it, then I helped him load it into a weigh-bag. 3 feet long and 25.2lbs. I helped him release this thing, and I was surprised by its power during the process. It rocketed off like nothing had happened. Not my night at all, but pretty neat nonetheless. I'd never seen a carp this big in person. Knowing a bass this big has been caught is just crazy, especially with this experience fresh in my mind. Elsewhere my buddy went yakkin' and got 'em on a Bucca Bullwake 4X4.

 

 

 

Great writeup, and awesome adventure.

 

That Carp dude is nutty, and cool ?

[BrianMDTX]

Not a great day, but not bad. On the water at daybreak. Air temp was 59°. Not sure what the water temp was, but it was definitely warmer than that. Other than the first bass on a Fat IKA, the other three were all on a X-Zone Adrenaline Craw. Which I will add had only one claw lol. All about 2 lbs or so. The second one I thought was bigger. It was a real scrapper! 
 

IMHO, I think I would not have caught the first and last bass had I not been using my new Kistler Helium. They barely bit the bait but I felt it and set the hook. I’m really glad I bought it!

 

[GreenPig]

12 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I really wanted to sneak in a good night session before the DEC dumps in a truckload of 8" rainbows any day now, plus rain was coming overnight. On one hand the stocking is great because it grows our bass bigger, but in the short term it wrecks the bite. It takes time for a bass to digest a trout or two in 41 degree water. Not that I needed any more inspiration, but my brother sent me a pic of a pretty dink he picked off right before he had to work a night shift.

 

Based on the past I wanted to hit one specific cove, then trek down the length of the lake to a channel that wraps around an island. The in-between is typically dead this time of year, so unless I spot-lit bait along the way I was sticking to the plan.

 

It looked like I had the place to myself when I pulled up, and my anticipation was ramping up as I made my way through the woods and down towards the cove. Too bad for me, but Danny the Carp guy was set up in my spot. Unlike the typical carp mooks who show up occasionally, Danny's cool, and he's hardcore. He takes carp fishing very seriously, and doesn't rudely drop poles on every cut down a shoreline. He only takes up one. Dude even has portable livewell on shore as he's C&R. He mentioned that he was doing an overnight, so I said my "hi and good luck" as I jetted my way past him and up towards the channel way up the lake.

 

Halfway to my spot a wave of Canadian geese honked thier way overhead then crashed down right outside the island near the channel of my salvattion. It took mere minutes before they went to war with what I assume were geese already occupying the zone, or maybe they just started fighting with eachother. It was very dark, so who knows? Wings beat the water from one shoreline to the other, and there I stood feeling like a schmuck with a stupid amount of slings and tacklebags weighing me down like an absurd pack animal.  Oh, and I had seven rods slung over my shoulder like a stack of 2 x 4s. Men make plans...

 

The in-between zone was dead as a doornail as predicted, so after 3 hours of trying and just 3 tiny nibbles I threw in the towel and made my way back to the cove. I'm not really in wading-shape yet anyway, so my azz was kicked from working my way down and up some of the steeper banks. Had I caught a fish or two, the rush would've anethestized my lower back for sure, but absent of that fantasy scenario I was done.

 

Just as I got to the cove, and just oppsosite of Danny, there was huge expolsion in the water right in front of me which sounded like a killshot from a big Pickeral or a big Bass. I asked him if he heard it, and he asked me if I snagged his line. I hadn't, so I told him it must be a carp. He reeled into it, then yelled out that it was huge. I got there as he netted this monster, then helped him get it out and up into the livewell. He drove a bolt into a tree with an impact driver, hung his scale on it, then I helped him load it into a weigh-bag. 3 feet long and 25.2lbs. I helped him release this thing, and I was surprised by its power during the process. It rocketed off like nothing had happened. Not my night at all, but pretty neat nonetheless. I'd never seen a carp this big in person. Knowing a bass this big has been caught is just crazy, especially with this experience fresh in my mind. Elsewhere my buddy went yakkin' and got 'em on a Bucca Bullwake 4X4.

 

 

 

Nice. Here's a 40 lb 1 oz Common I arrowed.

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, GreenPig said:

Nice. Here's a 40 lb 1 oz Common I arrowed.

Right after the catch, I texted Danny's fish pic to my buddy who lives 3 blocks from this lake. He was supposed to meet me but got sidetracked. His only reply: Did you club it then chuck it into the woods?

[Team9nine]

The only thing that matches a good drain is a great wind - lol - and we had plenty of that today. Steady 25-35 mph sustained winds with peak gusts of 45-48 mph. Combine that with high, stained water (received another inch overnight), and that usually means a good bite, even if air temperatures were only in the low to mid 40s. Twenty bass later, I can confirm the pattern ?

 

 

 

 

 

[Bankbeater]

The only fish of the day was when this largemouth came up out of the eel grass and hit my white spinnerbait.   

[Cbump]

My son today. 

[thediscochef]

16 hours ago, PhishLI said:

 

It wasn't me, homie.

I was referencing an old tomato commercial, angry tomato says "don't you know you can't tell how ripe a tomato is by squeezing it?!" all in jest

[Jmurphy87]

Well it was still raining and windy today, but I was going fishing either way. I told myself this on Wednesday. No matter the weather we are fishing. It was mid thirties and raining when I started winds would get stronger and die off and then come back with a vengeance. Towards the end it switched to snow. The bass were not cooperating one bit today, as usual the pike were full of there normal high energy. I caught three small pike, 2 on a 1/2 oz thunder cricket that I changed the skirt out to match a idea of a sungill chaterbait, zoom super fluke in sungill. Tried a chick magnet but all I caught was grass lol, last bait to catch the last pike was a 4.3 keitech in morning dawn on a owner flashy swimmer underspin. I saw a wake in the middle of the pond and casted to it and came back towards me it hit. I didn’t get the best hook set on it fought it close to the bank and about 10-15 feet from the bank it came off. The one I lost felt like the best one of the day by far, oh well that’s the fun part of this you win some and you lose some. If it was easy what would be the point, we learn that sometimes it just doesn’t work out and there is always tomorrow. 
 

I like the chatter bait combo what’s your thoughts ?