Latest Catch Pics Thread

[Jar11591]

@LrgmouthShad that’s the easiest way for me to tell hydrilla and Eurasian milfoil apart. When the hydrilla mats up it gets that nasty cheese/slop on top where the milfoil is just a mat of vegetation. I prefer to fish milfoil, and prefer to not have punch at all if I can help it. 

[Dominat0r]

I didn't get a chance last night to fish, was really late when I came home and haven't been sleeping with all going on. 

 

However, the streak must continue....fish for 7/23 (Day 48) off the new rod. Really like the Victory line of St Croix, very sensitive for the money. 

 

Both fish off the Rat-L-Trap, as you can see. 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhishLI]

It felt like I was being broiled midday yesterday, but by the time I hit an eastern lake with my brother at 11:00pm the temps dropped to 61 and it felt like we were freezing. It was a dry cold though...

 

Not a lick of wind was swirling, and not one pop was heard in the pads or weeds. It was really tough to find anything biting, so after humping a Jon boat 300 feet down a beaten path we were questioning ourselves for fishing a brand new cold front. Finally nabbed some wading a super shallow shoreline then jumped back on das boot for one last shot and got a few more. The lake holds golden shiners and good thing I brought a Berkeley Grass Pig in Swamp Gas because they wouldn't touch anything else. 

The toll for crashing on my brother's couch is levied by Sammy the cat. He's very pushy and won't let me sleep unless I agree to be his pillow. It was 5:00 am by the time we drove home and unloaded, so I was too exhausted to negotiate with him.

[Swamp Girl]

29 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

It was a dry cold though...

 

And the veal is very good this evening!

 

That last bass is a beee-uuuu-teee!

[Bluebasser86]

Saturday was our Tri-County roadrunner style tournament. Tuesday night I had some pretty significant pain flair up. It didn't get any better by Thursday so I'd gone to the walk in clinic at my doctor. He pretty immediately told me to get to the ER, so I got to spend some time there Thursday and got sent home with painkillers and medication for the infection I'm apparently dealing with. I probably shouldn't have fished the tournament, but like the saying goes; "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough". 

 

I got to the ramp at the lake I wanted to fish in plenty of time and was surprised that only 5 other trucks were there. Unfortunately, when I picked up my tacklebox out of the back of my truck, I had a shot of pain run through me like I'd been stabbed in the back and kicked in the groin at the same time. I spent several minutes laying on the front of my kayak before I was able to regain composure and finish loading everything. It was a few minutes after first cast before I finally made mine. Didn't take long to catch fish. I watched another angler catch a 20.75" within casting distance of me on a buzzbait, it was a pretty cool catch and he's a good guy so I enjoyed watching it go down. I had a limit pretty fast but mostly small fish as I worked down the lake. I had a huge brushpile that hangs out over a ledge I wanted to fish because it always hold fish. I got snagged in it with my crawtube, retrieved it, and cast a big worm towards the edges of it and got a light tap. My drag slipped terribly when I set the hook, but she stayed stuck and buried into the tree. Thankfully, the 20lb Tatsu held and I slid the net under a solid 20 incher.

I pedaled across to a small group of stumps on the edge of a flat that drops into deeper water. Ran a crankbait through them, nothing. Cast my crawtube to one, got a little peck and the line started moving. Next keeper was a nice 17.25" fish.

Then for some reason, another big surge of pain. I couldn't even lift my feet to the pedals for several minutes, just sat there trying to take deep breaths and hope it would go away. Finally it did somewhat. I paddled close to the shore to a single log and ran a bladed jig down it. Watched a wake shoot over the tree and felt the jolt. The fish looked a lot bigger, but still a decent 16.75" fish.

I had a pretty decent dry spell of just a few small fish, when I switched my craw tube to an old color of Strike King Denny Brauer Flipping tubes. It was like a light switch. I missed several of the bites unfortunately, but the first one I actually hooked was an 18.25" fish.

I caught several more small fish on the tube and a squarebill, and had a serious issue with missing and losing fish. Had a couple solid feeling fish hooked that just came off before I saw them. I hooked and lost or missed fish off the same stump 3 times before finally catching this 17.25" fish.

I have no service at this lake, so I had no idea how I was doing but I kept hearing about big fish and heard a rumor from the neighboring lake of someone having "Multiple 21" fish". So I was pretty much just on cruise control, happy to have a decent limit despite the difficulties I was dealing with. 

At our weigh in, I found out that someone had just had allegedly had chances at multiple 21" fish but failed to convert (happens to all of us every trip doesn't it?), and the fishing was tougher than what I'd thought. I ended catching 3 dozen bass on the day, and my biggest 5 went 89.5", which proved to be good enough for 3rd and just a small cull away from winning the thing. Todd was who I watched catch the big one on the buzzbait first thing in the morning, so I was happy to see him win it. 

 

[T-Billy]

22 hours ago, galyonj said:

Go when it's raining. Cuts down on the riff raff. 

It thins our herd, but I'LL still be out there!!!

[Woody B]

I love fishing in the rain, as long as there's no lightening.   

[PhishLI]

5 hours ago, Woody B said:

I caught the bass on a DT6.  When I lipped it and pulled it into the boat it flipped.  I dropped it but ended up with the bass on one hook, with my thumb and index finger on the other.   I cut the hook off the lure to get me loose from the bass.  I got it loose from my thumb but the hook was buried all the way up to the shank in my right index finger.

Sounds familiar, except I wrenched mine out at home. Not sure I could do it again, but I was determined in the moment. Just got the bill yesterday for a tetanus shot and antibiotic. 438 smackers. I wonder what it would've come to had they removed the hook?

[T-Billy]

36 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Saturday was our Tri-County roadrunner style tournament. Tuesday night I had some pretty significant pain flair up. It didn't get any better by Thursday so I'd gone to the walk in clinic at my doctor. He pretty immediately told me to get to the ER, so I got to spend some time there Thursday and got sent home with painkillers and medication for the infection I'm apparently dealing with. I probably shouldn't have fished the tournament, but like the saying goes; "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough". 

 

I got to the ramp at the lake I wanted to fish in plenty of time and was surprised that only 5 other trucks were there. Unfortunately, when I picked up my tacklebox out of the back of my truck, I had a shot of pain run through me like I'd been stabbed in the back and kicked in the groin at the same time. I spent several minutes laying on the front of my kayak before I was able to regain composure and finish loading everything. It was a few minutes after first cast before I finally made mine. Didn't take long to catch fish. I watched another angler catch a 20.75" within casting distance of me on a buzzbait, it was a pretty cool catch and he's a good guy so I enjoyed watching it go down. I had a limit pretty fast but mostly small fish as I worked down the lake. I had a huge brushpile that hangs out over a ledge I wanted to fish because it always hold fish. I got snagged in it with my crawtube, retrieved it, and cast a big worm towards the edges of it and got a light tap. My drag slipped terribly when I set the hook, but she stayed stuck and buried into the tree. Thankfully, the 20lb Tatsu held and I slid the net under a solid 20 incher.

I pedaled across to a small group of stumps on the edge of a flat that drops into deeper water. Ran a crankbait through them, nothing. Cast my crawtube to one, got a little peck and the line started moving. Next keeper was a nice 17.25" fish.

Then for some reason, another big surge of pain. I couldn't even lift my feet to the pedals for several minutes, just sat there trying to take deep breaths and hope it would go away. Finally it did somewhat. I paddled close to the shore to a single log and ran a bladed jig down it. Watched a wake shoot over the tree and felt the jolt. The fish looked a lot bigger, but still a decent 16.75" fish.

I had a pretty decent dry spell of just a few small fish, when I switched my craw tube to an old color of Strike King Denny Brauer Flipping tubes. It was like a light switch. I missed several of the bites unfortunately, but the first one I actually hooked was an 18.25" fish.

I caught several more small fish on the tube and a squarebill, and had a serious issue with missing and losing fish. Had a couple solid feeling fish hooked that just came off before I saw them. I hooked and lost or missed fish off the same stump 3 times before finally catching this 17.25" fish.

I have no service at this lake, so I had no idea how I was doing but I kept hearing about big fish and heard a rumor from the neighboring lake of someone having "Multiple 21" fish". So I was pretty much just on cruise control, happy to have a decent limit despite the difficulties I was dealing with. 

At our weigh in, I found out that someone had just had allegedly had chances at multiple 21" fish but failed to convert (happens to all of us every trip doesn't it?), and the fishing was tougher than what I'd thought. I ended catching 3 dozen bass on the day, and my biggest 5 went 89.5", which proved to be good enough for 3rd and just a small cull away from winning the thing. Todd was who I watched catch the big one on the buzzbait first thing in the morning, so I was happy to see him win it. 

 

Congrats on a solid day while feeling sub-par. Hope ya feel better soon.

4 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

. I wonder what it would've come to had they removed the hook?

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Congrats on a solid day while feeling sub-par. Hope ya feel better soon.

 

Ha!

 

@PhishLI: Yanking it out at home sounds MUCH worse to me. You have to drive all the way home with sharp steel embedded in you. 

[Team9nine]

Nothing worthy of a pic this afternoon, but I took one anyway ? Still, 10 bites is 10 bites. Gets super hot for here this week, low to mid 90s, so trips this week might be limited.
 

[Woody B]

I cut one out of my arm last year.  I cut the hook off, made a small cut near the point, and pushed it through.  This was an Owner ST58, size 4 buried to the shank.   I'm pretty tough, but I needed some deadening to cut that deep.  I "should" get a discount.  The Dr (probably PA) at the urgent care was shaking like a leaf trying to get it out, after deadening it.  I talked her into handing me the blade.  They didn't prescribe anything.  I had my tetanus shot last year.  I'm a mechanic, always getting cuts and such.  I keep my tetanus shot current.  I'm curious about the cost.  This place is really slow to bill.  I went there last November with an ear infection.  I didn't get a bill until April.  I've got really good insurance.  The last visit cost me $35.  

[Pat Brown]

@Bluebasser86 you crushed it.  Not only did you make it through, you darn near won it.

 

Hats off.

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

@Bluebasser86 you crushed it.  Not only did you make it through, you darn near won it.

 

Hats off.

 

Heck, yeah. I'd never bet against @Bluebasser86. Plus, he takes his wife and kids fishing, so he's all that and a family-sized bag of chips.  

[thediscochef]

Well it ain't much. But it's bass. Finally broke a week-plus skunk streak with this lil guy and a couple nice crappies. Feels good to get bit again. This cold spell of 95 degrees really made for a better weekend ??? back over the century mark the rest of the week. I'm ready for fall fishing 

[Swamp Girl]

I fished a bog again this morning. The approach to the bog was cool, as I paddled down a twisting river in the near dark. 

 

Today is the start of our first heat wave, i.e. six days in the low to high eighties. I know that's not hot for some of you, but Mainers aren't acclimated to the heat, so I probably won't fish until it breaks this coming weekend when we're back in our typical seventies. Or maybe I'll fish a couple hours one evening.

 

I didn't fish as long this morning, but still caught 25 bass and only lost four. My lures were my usual suspects: wakebait, Whopper Plopper, a wacky Senko, a paddletail, and a plopper. Most were caught on the wakebait. I caught another 19-incher with a softball tummy, but there were other chunks too. The photo of the fifth fish down makes me wish I'd measured her. Same with the last one.

 

The first two photos are my big girl.

 

 

[Bird]

I believe I caught the same fish as I did last Wednesday.

Same stump, same bait and even the same time of day......10am.

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, Bird said:

I believe I caught the same fish as I did last Wednesday.

Same stump, same bait and even the same time of day......10am.

 

That's a beauty! Next time, let me catch her, okay? You've caught her twice and that's quite enough for you for now, mister. ? 

[Bird]

@ol'crickety

You don't appear to be struggling in the Bogs ?

[Swamp Girl]

13 minutes ago, Bird said:

@ol'crickety

You don't appear to be struggling in the Bogs ?

 

I was struggling when I first started bog fishing. I started a thread seeking advice about a year ago. I came to bog fishing from catching smallmouth in clear, rocky lakes and sandy rivers, catching muskies with near winches for rods and reels, and catching white bass in big lakes.  Fishing between, over, and sometimes on weeds was so challenging at first. Heck, it's still challenging. 

[Dominat0r]

Today is one hard day....the last of the family coming in and we laying him to rest on Weds. With everyone coming in at different times, we have had to the discussion about what happened, multiple times. 

 

It was too much for me to do at the moment, so I grabbed my pole for a quick few casts. 

 

Streak is on day 49!!! LETS GOOOOOOOO!!! Fish for 7/24. Really loving this St Croix as my crankbait rod. 

 

[Blue Raider Bob]

26 minutes ago, Dominat0r said:

Today is one hard day....the last of the family coming in and we laying him to rest on Weds. With everyone coming in at different times, we have had to the discussion about what happened, multiple times. 

 

It was too much for me to do at the moment, so I grabbed my pole for a quick few casts. 

 

Streak is on day 50!!! LETS GOOOOOOOO!!! Fish for 7/24. Really loving this St Croix as my crankbait rod. 

 

Hang in there big D! You be the crutch everyone needs to lean on! You be the Rock for a few days longer. Help everyone get over this, then when you are alone on the water with your thoughts and your dad's memory, then you can break down and let them flow!

[Dominat0r]

4 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Hang in there big D! You be the crutch everyone needs to lean on! You be the Rock for a few days longer. Help everyone get over this, then when you are alone on the water with your thoughts and your dad's memory, then you can break down and let them flow!

Thank you for those kind words. Yea, holding it together for my family and Ill bleed later. 

[Team9nine]

A fun afternoon fishing the slop. The storms just missed me, but the heavy cloud cover didn’t, which provided some welcome relief from the sun and heat for about 90% of the trip. A total of 18 “blow-ups” on the afternoon…a few were pretty chunky, even.

 

 

[KP Duty]

On 7/23/2023 at 11:37 AM, Woody B said:

My night fishing didn't work out as planned.   I fished from 1:30 until 6:30.  I caught a couple Perch,  1 decent Largemouth, and a 205 pound 69 inch long sucker.  I caught the bass on a DT6.  When I lipped it and pulled it into the boat it flipped.  I dropped it but ended up with the bass on one hook, with my thumb and index finger on the other.   I cut the hook off the lure to get me loose from the bass.  I got it loose from my thumb but the hook was buried all the way up to the shank in my right index finger.   It was buried too deep to work it on through.   I ended up going to an Urgent Care to get it cut out.  I've got a couple pictures of the hook in my finger, but I don't want to look at it so I figure no one else does either.   I cropped it out of the Bass picture.   

 

That sucks....been to the ER twice for hook removal.  Now that I go barbless, it will not happen again.