Latest Catch Pics Thread

[thediscochef]

4 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

First trip of the new year. 

 

Right there with you brother, hobbled out onto the pier with my messed up knee cartilage and came home all stanky

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I agree Pat, that's the wildest thing I can remember seeing Bass fishing outside of the time I watched the last duckling in a line get absolutely inhaled by a monster Bass.  

 

I had no idea that a Carp would eat a Shad.   Figures you'd have caught some as bycatch, you got that big fish radar 😎

[Woody B]

I've caught a bunch of carp, but I've never caught on bass fishing.   Decades ago a 15 year old kid I took fishing snagged a 28 pound carp in the tail while bass fishing.  That experience turned him into an avid carp fisherman.   I always thought carp were herbivores but he says they're actually omnivores.  I suppose their small mouths keep us from catching many or any small ones while bass fishing.   

[RipzLipz]

Caught an 18lb carp on 4lb test while vertical jigging for crappie in a big laydown. Had to follow it around for a few minutes in the boat before it finally decided to come up off bottom. Clear blue Stren for the win.

 

Oddest thing I’ve seen regarding bass was my dad bringing one in around 2lbs that had recently engulfed a muskrat head first. The tail was still sticking out of its mouth. I’ve also seen smaller bass (under 3lbs) with a similar sized bass stuck in its gullet before - dislodged one from another & the assailant eventually swam off albeit quite slowly.

[MIbassyaker]

On 12/31/2023 at 2:23 AM, T-Billy said:

That's kind of a scary question given your occupation.

 

To catch the skunk, one must be the skunk...

[NJBasstard]

Went out for about 3 hours yesterday morning. Water temp was in the 42-44 range. Got on a school of crappie and shortly after found the Bass. They weren't very active but I got a few to commit. Here's my first for 2024.

 

 

 

[Carolina Pines]

Here's the last of my 2023 bass, caught 10 or 12 of them on 12/26.  Biggest fish was a 3 pounder so nothing too exciting... but I did catch almost all of them on topwater so it was a fun time.  Most fish came on a Megabass Pop Max, also caught a few on a Don Iovino Splash-It.  Topwater pickerel was an interesting bonus.  He slammed it hard!  

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

@Carolina Pines, a three-pounder is a strong fish. Well done. Say, what's in that clear waterproof bag? It looks like my ditch kit, i.e. my change of clothing and fire-starting items in case I tip.

[Blue Raider Bob]

19 hours ago, RipzLipz said:

Oddest thing I’ve seen regarding bass was my dad bringing one in around 2lbs that had recently engulfed a muskrat head first. The tail was still sticking out of its mouth.

I want that fish!

[Carolina Pines]

Thanks @ol'crickety, it was the second fish ever on my new Pop Max... I was originally doubting that the pop max would get bit at all since they were going for the much smaller Splash It, but I was glad I tried it when it got slammed repeatedly!  I should have started the afternoon with it.  

 

I use my bag same way you do... I keep a dry towel in there, a small lighter, a small pair of channel locks, and a few other tools.  I also keep my phone and scale in there until I catch a worthy fish.  I'm not fishing areas as remote as you are, but I was a boy scout for many years in my youth and I was always taught to "be prepared" because you never know... 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Carolina Pines said:

I was a boy scout for many years in my youth and I was always taught to "be prepared" because you never know

 

Heck, yeah!

[Team9nine]

On the board in ‘24. Landed half a dozen cookie cutters today on a mix of Ned and jerkbaits. Hoping to get my permits for a couple more new lakes, maybe even this week still, so I’ll have a few more close options to fish this year. Water was about 46-47 deg. and clear.

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Another day, another lost monster that literally jumped into the side of the boat....looked to be 7+ 🤢

 

Caught 14 in frost covered conditions at dawn, then went back out in the afternoon and caught 1 and a daygum stud of a Bream in nice sunny high 40d temps.     

 

Everything that swims seemingly hits this blade bait.    Caught two big Bream, five Crappie, and a Carp on it the last couple weeks.  Today the biggest was close to 5.     All these fish are so fat, they're just gorging themselves in 18-25ft on carpets of Threadfins.   Besides a big Glide, I think these blade baits teach me more about the fish than any other bait.    For example on these Crappie and Bream.......I found them on 2D first in schools, and then threw on them thinking they were Bass as they were right off the bottom in 20+ fow.     Never really knew where the Bream went once it got cold or how they set up in relation to Bass.   

 

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Nice fish Alex, I bet your white whale eats those bream. Lord knows I would eat those bream and I’m 200lbs 

[Pat Brown]

Just one at the pond today on the caffeine shad.  It was pretty post frontal today and there  was not much happening with reaction baits.  Dropped the CS vertically on a culvert and dead sticked it for a minute before I felt a reluctant tap.  Another cold January bass is alright with me even if he's little!

 

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

🤣 Thanks @TnRiver46, and I think you're right.    Right now I've got a Matt Lures big soft Gil swimbait that I'm thinking of creeping on the bottom, and I'm gonna try to creep some other big soft swimbaits on the bottom.

 

That said I've struggled in the past to keep a big soft swimbait in my hand, I know it's something I've got to learn.

 

Not to many posts ago @Dwight Hottle showed what they do in the winter on the big girls.    

[TnRiver46]

I don’t know about swimbaits but we’ve caught some monsters in small waters with the real thing 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Pat, you ought to try the Core Tackle Hover Rigs.......on some of those pressured ponds, bet it would kill.   

 

The Caffene Shad made me think about that.    Put that sucker on one and watch how crazy the action is when you drop it down.    Got a pack and then the 6th Sense Juggle Minnow.     Thing glides, darts so randomly that I have to think the bait is pressure proof like a whacky worm.  

 

Never realized a tube was just a form of the Hover Rig, but I'm going to start fishing this thing with Creature baits.   Seems like the mid strolling hover rig is just one facet of using the hover rig. 

 

@TnRiver46  Every couple months I get so frustrated that I say I'm going to just start fishing a live Gil or big Shiner everyday until I catch her 🤣  

 

Growing up we caught some nice fish on them and I used them a bunch, but I never caught anything huge on them oddly.   

[Swamp Girl]

59 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Today the biggest was close to 5.

 

I LOVE those five-pounders, Alex. So, a seven-pounder hit your boat and you caught that giant bluegill too? What a day.

 

Pat, it's your turn tomorrow. You and Alex have been tag-teaming the hogs. 

 

And then there's @Team9nine, the Energizer Bunny of bass angling. I'm excited for your new lakes, buddy!

[RipzLipz]

@AlabamaSpothunter You saw what a 5 tried to eat. A hand sized bluegill would be an appetizer for some of those pigs in your lake. Bass up here don’t get as big but some waters they just absolutely chew on bluegill constantly, especially when the gills are spawning & easy targets. Would be like a serving tray full of bacon wrapped hors d’oeuvres for us.

[thediscochef]

Caught these little beep boops coming back from the pier. 38 with lake effect snow after an inch of rain isn't great bassin weather apparently. Who knew?! I saw bait though

[Swamp Girl]

8 hours ago, thediscochef said:

38 with lake effect snow after an inch of rain isn't great bassin weather apparently.

 

What's weird is that your weather isn't much different from ours. Our next five nights are in the teens, but that's about as cold as it's been this winter. 

[thediscochef]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

 

What's weird is that your weather isn't much different from ours. Our next five nights are in the teens, but that's about as cold as it's been this winter. 

I'm sure everything is fine and this is all totally normal 🙃

[Blue Raider Bob]

12 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Another day, another lost monster that literally jumped into the side of the boat....looked to be 7+ 🤢

 

Caught 14 in frost covered conditions at dawn, then went back out in the afternoon and caught 1 and a daygum stud of a Bream in nice sunny high 40d temps.     

 

Everything that swims seemingly hits this blade bait.    Caught two big Bream, five Crappie, and a Carp on it the last couple weeks.  Today the biggest was close to 5.     All these fish are so fat, they're just gorging themselves in 18-25ft on carpets of Threadfins.   Besides a big Glide, I think these blade baits teach me more about the fish than any other bait.    For example on these Crappie and Bream.......I found them on 2D first in schools, and then threw on them thinking they were Bass as they were right off the bottom in 20+ fow.     Never really knew where the Bream went once it got cold or how they set up in relation to Bass.   

 

 

 

 

Alex, your posts and pictures brighten my morning! Those are beasts!

Thanks so much!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Really appreciate those kind words Bob!