Latest Catch Pics Thread

[OmegaDPW]

Good afternoon friends and neighbors!

 

 It's been at least two months since I've been able to log on here and just as long not fishing. Father in law died, had to move my mother in law to my town, just a real mess. 

 

 I hadn't even driven by my favorite farm pond but had the chance to go yesterday. The water is extremely low. Never saw it this low before. Weeds and some sort of vegetation have appeared where they never were before. In all actuality, it looks horrible. This pond is where I've always caught large bass but the crappie and bluegill populations were hit and miss. Usually miss. I think I found out why, though. Caught this pic of four otters swimming and playing near me. They're probably tearing up the bluegill population. 

 

 

 Overall, was a pretty good morning though. Caught 15 fish- a mix of bass and bluegill. Caught all of them on tiny swimbaits (less than an inch), a tiny jighead with a #12 hook and fished about a foot under a weighted bobber with a steady retrieve. That was the only way I could keep the lures above the weeds. Couldn't find the crappie- if they're even there anymore. Biggest bass was about 4lbs. 

 

 Hopefully it won't be another couple of months before I get to go again. Good to be back (here and there!).

[Woody B]

I caught 12 today.  11 Spots and 1 lone 16 inch Largemouth.  I caught the LM on my 3rd cast.   Biggest and last on last cast was a 19 1/2" Spot.  First and last pictured.  The first few came on a spinnerbait.  Later ones came on a (gasp) Ned rig.  (no I didn't go over to the darkside.  I'm still using baitcast equipment)

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Went joyriding with the wife today along some crazy mountain road neither of us had ever been on, luckily it ended up just above a dam where I had been before and I got to stop and fish. Tossed a fluke and saw some small bass and one large one. They chased but wouldn’t hit it. Went back to the car and grabbed a senko , got it fairly quick blind casting with 50 lb seaguar tactix and a 4/0 gamakatsu nano alpha round bend hook

 

also got a rock bass in a different spot in a small creek, picture just for @gimruis. Missed/spooked many smallmouth in the creek 

 

also saw a cool waterfall that was fairly dried up 

 

[gim]

Lol that largie could literally eat that puny rocky.

[BrianMDTX]

Slow morning. Caught three, lost two. All on a weightless #297 Senko TR. No bites on anything else. 
 

The first bass was the biggest (none were big lol). But like @ol'crickety posted recently, some of these smaller bass are real scrappers. That bass made three runs that peeled line off the drag. I thought it was a minimum of 5 lbs. I was surprised when I netted it. All three really fought well. 
 

[TnRiver46]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Lol that largie could literally eat that puny rocky.

He certainly could, but it would have to jump over a dam and swim several miles up a creek to find it……..

 

I actually used a live rock bass for bait in a deep pool yesterday for 3-4 casts, then I released it because we had to keep walking /swimming 

[BluegillsTightlines]

Caught this 4 lber today. I had just turned my head for a second(used live bait). Was going to get me a drink and take my morning BP med when I turn around to find my rod literally in the water. I was like "sh...... where did it go?!?!?!" Then I saw it gently bobbing along the bottom.

 

Fortunately it was just a foot or so off the bank and I was able to use my net to get it close enough to scoop back up. Knew a nice size bass had to do that. So I started cranking the reel a bit and sure enough saw the head poke up in the weeds about 15-18 feet away. It felt like it was going to definitely be a lost fish, but I lifted my rod up a good bit and just sort of let the fish do the work and swim itself out, and then the fight began-- lots of darts to the left and right, and a big jump that made me pucker big time.

 

Gotta keep your head on a swivel here when live bait fishing, they can and will drag your stuff in. I just happened to turn around in time and not only catch the fish, but save my recently purchased rod and the daiwa reel my dad got me all those years ago.

[MIbassyaker]

Keep it up, Hammers.  I've been able to fish exactly once this month, and don't know when my next opportunity will be.  Catch a few for me.

[BluegillsTightlines]

Here is another pic I took of yesterday's big bass(I personally consider anything 4 lbs+ to be big, anything 8+ huge). Is it just me or does it have more teeth than the average bass? Or perhaps my phone just got more detail of it. Either way I think it's a cool shot and it's currently my wallpaper. She darted right off immediately after being revived.

[gim]

11 hours ago, BluegillsTightlines said:

Caught this 4 lber today.

 

Please do us and the fish a favor.  Remove that metal j-hook from your scale and replace it with a clamp.  I cringe every time I see photos of that thing shoved into a fish's gills.  Plus they can flop off very easily from it.

[Pat Brown]

Got some *catching* up to do 😏😏😏😏

 

 

Got some fish on my Bobby's Perfect Frog in the 'Hot Mess color yesterday middle of the day bluebird skies.  Ultra fun.

 

Missed two huge ones and some buzzbait bites but we had a great time.  GoPro batteries ran out and sadly didn't capture the action this time.

 

 

Got on a fun jig bite at the snotty pond the other day with Jake.

 

 

They also wanted the golden shiner frog in the shade.

 

 

And some nicer ones on the golden shiner scum frog in there too 😎😎😎😎

 

 

A speedworm fish to round it out.

 

 

 

Smashing success came out on the big lake!
 

 

Had a really solid day on the boat with this 4 lb 12 oz kicker on jigs off of deep timber.

 

 

Jake went back to school today and I'm counting down the hours til his bus gets home and we can get a line wet after chores and homework.

 

It was a fantastic summer full of bass and memories.

[Swamp Girl]

16 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

It was a fantastic summer full of bass and memories.

 

Thanks for sharing your summer with us, Pat. Jake will change so much in the coming year, but he has a ways to go before he can outfish his pops, who has such a nose for bass. 

[BluegillsTightlines]

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Please do us and the fish a favor.  Remove that metal j-hook from your scale and replace it with a clamp.  I cringe every time I see photos of that thing shoved into a fish's gills.  Plus they can flop off very easily from it.

I will, I just picked this one up in a pinch until my Berkley scale with a clamp comes in. I had one, but it stopped working and my local stores didn't have any like it.

[gim]

@Pat Brown whats with the black rubber gloves?

[Pat Brown]

@gimruis Really nasty infection with open wounds and stuff.  Had to get on antibiotics.  Don't get dirty water and fish slime in your little cuts and dings on your hands kids!

 

Have to keep them clean and dry until they fully heal which could take a while.  Hopefully won't need another round of antibiotics.

[gim]

Makes total sense.  I'd be wearing them too if that was the case.

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

Don't get dirty water and fish slime in your little cuts and dings on your hands kids!

Rut Ro Raggy... Here lies T-Billy, cause of death... infected case of muskie knuckle. 😂

 Joking aside, I hope ya heal up soon Pat. Some nice fishes ya been catching. Congrats.

[Swamp Girl]

I also struggle with summer cuts and infection. I've got three things nicking me: a needle-toothed puppy, fishing, and gardening. One cut heals and two more open. Sigh. 

[Woody B]

I'm a mechanic.  Cuts are part of my life.  Make sure your Tetanus shot is current.  

[The Baron]

Another couple days of slow fishing this weekend.  Fished dawn until 1pm with my son and a friend of his on Saturday.  I only caught a few 1.5-2.5# largemouth, my son caught a nice smallie that was long and surprisingly light at 3.4# (take a look at the photo and tell me what you think the two dents could be from?).  Wes’ buddy caught only one 1# largemouth early on.  The boys are both 14 and when the fishing proved to be slow they got acting goofy, not listening and then Wes was whining about how hot it was (it wasn’t hot).  His friend was casting very aggressively and thought all the bluegill nibbles were big bass he had to violently hookset then say oh, I missed it that was big. I tried to coach him a bit, but he didn’t listen so I gave up and concentrated on not drowning anyone. 🙄😒#yerbugginme

 

Sunday I took a good friend and his 13yo. son to a favourite small lake.  My friend used to fish the lake with his dad, and his son had only been there once before when he was young.  They were great guests and it was a pleasure to take them to experience that together.  His son has a great sense of humour and despite slow fishing he stayed in good spirits.  We had some good natured ribbing when he declared it a tournament and kept changing the rules when I was winning.  It was a weird day and seemed I caught the first and only fish at each new spot, then there’d be no other bites so we’d move to a new weed bed or hump and I’d do it again even when I hung back and let my guests take a few casts first.🤷🏼‍♂️  I caught 1/2 doz. including one solid bass and a pike that could swim through the eye of a needle - he had some gill damage (not from me) and was obviously struggling, but still fought like a pike does.  My buddy got 1 pike and unfortunately his son struck out (had one pike bite him off, that was it).  I’ll be trying again to get his young lad out for a better day. 🤞🏻

[gim]

23 minutes ago, The Baron said:

and a pike that could swim through the eye of a needle

Wow, no kidding. That thing is a flag pole.

 

The largie is healthy looking tho.

[Swamp Girl]

I think the dents are too perfect to be an injury. I think they're a birth defect. 

 

I love that fat bass!

[Bluebasser86]

Took the family to the lake Sunday to meet my MIL with her pontoon and jetski. We got there a little before the rest of the group and caught some fish before they showed up. Once they were there, the kids hopped onto the pontoon to go swimming with their cousins. It was triple digit heat indexes but not awful with a good amount of wind blowing. Mrs. Blue and I had the rare chance to get out and fish by ourselves and the fish were more than willing to bite despite the heat. Not a lot of bigger fish, but lots of biters and hard pullers. 

 

[Swamp Girl]

@Bluebasser86: Hear, hear for hard-pulling bass and an afternoon with your sweetheart! 

[Pat Brown]

12 hours ago, Woody B said:

I'm a mechanic.  Cuts are part of my life.  Make sure your Tetanus shot is current.  

 

 

Hah!  I get cuts every day too but I've never had a septic infection.  Apparently it is not unheard of for people who handle fish.