thediscochef Posted April 12, 2022 Posted April 12, 2022 I have been sitting out for a bit with some back trouble. Finally got it worked out, finally back to catching black bass at my normal water. Nothing big today but a couple of nice 1ish lbs spotties, a wiper, and an interesting little guy with some cool markings. I catch fish that size out there all the time but that's the first one with those marks I've seen. Maybe a lmb/spot hybrid? Or maybe just lmb. Idk. You decide. Back to Lake Whitney tomorrow with a buddy for dam fishing. Probably gonna catch a bunch of little stripers like I have been. That said, even little 3-4lb stripers and wipers are tons of fun on lighter gear. We'll keep throwing until they stop biting or until we have to leave. 17 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 13, 2022 Global Moderator Posted April 13, 2022 36 minutes ago, thediscochef said: I have been sitting out for a bit with some back trouble. Finally got it worked out, finally back to catching black bass at my normal water. Nothing big today but a couple of nice 1ish lbs spotties, a wiper, and an interesting little guy with some cool markings. I catch fish that size out there all the time but that's the first one with those marks I've seen. Maybe a lmb/spot hybrid? Or maybe just lmb. Idk. You decide. Back to Lake Whitney tomorrow with a buddy for dam fishing. Probably gonna catch a bunch of little stripers like I have been. That said, even little 3-4lb stripers and wipers are tons of fun on lighter gear. We'll keep throwing until they stop biting or until we have to leave. Nice! I think your little guy is a standard LMB. I’ve never heard of them hybridizing with spots but SMB hybridize with spots regularly I can’t catch a striper to save my life the last two years, granted most of ours are 20-50 lbs so I guess they are not as numerous and/or smart 1 Quote
Super User gim Posted April 13, 2022 Super User Posted April 13, 2022 4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said: It’s very peaceful to reel in baits super fast and not get hits . I think you should try bobber fishing. Its even MORE relaxing and peaceful. You don't even have to cast or reel more than once every so often either. You just kick back, put your feet up, wait, watch that cork, drink beer, and turn on some tunes. Then you wait some more. Don't fall asleep though. 1 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 13, 2022 Global Moderator Posted April 13, 2022 2 minutes ago, gimruis said: I think you should try bobber fishing. Its even MORE relaxing and peaceful. You don't even have to cast or reel more than once every so often either. You just kick back, put your feet up, wait, watch that cork, drink beer, and turn on some tunes. Then you wait some more. Don't fall asleep though. Ironically, I hate bobbers ! My least favorite thing in fishing history. I can put on a small jig and catch bluegill about anywhere. Hang the jig under a bobber and I’m guaranteed to get skunked 1 Quote
Super User gim Posted April 13, 2022 Super User Posted April 13, 2022 Just now, TnRiver46 said: My least favorite thing in fishing history. I hear ya. Its not really my thing either. I find trolling to be just as bad except that you burn fuel while doing it so its more costly lol. Quote
Mbirdsley Posted April 13, 2022 Posted April 13, 2022 Fished duck lake in Montcalm county mi. Between my buddy and I we caught 10-12 bass. I caught more he caught the biggest. We were both using chatter baits. He was switching up between differnt ones I kept the zman stealth jack hammer rigged on with a Berkley ayu paddle tail swim bait as a trailer. Caught one bass on a jerk bait. However, we were on a chatter bait bite. We took 4-5 bass out of one spot. Duck lake is a large shallow and weedy lake. Average depth is only 4ft but, the water temp where we caught the fish was 51.8 degrees. this was probably one of the warmest lakes we were going to find for the year. Every where else the temp was 48-49 degrees in the lake and didn’t do squat. Beautiful spring day in Michigan and on the board for 2022 24 Quote
thediscochef Posted April 13, 2022 Posted April 13, 2022 1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said: Nice! I think your little guy is a standard LMB. I’ve never heard of them hybridizing with spots but SMB hybridize with spots regularly I can’t catch a striper to save my life the last two years, granted most of ours are 20-50 lbs so I guess they are not as numerous and/or smart I've just never seen one with such a scattered lateral line Either way that was cool. Stripers are fun, none of mine are big like that, my best was like 7.5lbs and that was years ago. The striper fisheries where I'm at just don't support as many of the bigger fish. But the ones I've been catching are just tons of fun. Hence why we're making a day of it tomorrow 2 Quote
Chris Catignani Posted April 13, 2022 Posted April 13, 2022 11 minutes ago, thediscochef said: I've just never seen one with such a scattered lateral line Either way that was cool. I think your confusing the lateral line... 3 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 13, 2022 Global Moderator Posted April 13, 2022 20 minutes ago, thediscochef said: I've just never seen one with such a scattered lateral line Either way that was cool. Stripers are fun, none of mine are big like that, my best was like 7.5lbs and that was years ago. The striper fisheries where I'm at just don't support as many of the bigger fish. But the ones I've been catching are just tons of fun. Hence why we're making a day of it tomorrow Heck yeah ! If we had some medium sized ones, maybe I could actually catch one every now and then haha 1 Quote
BassSteve Posted April 13, 2022 Posted April 13, 2022 So I decided to fish this evening a little more late than usual. Landed a nice number this time. I was landing crappie like crazy! I rarely catch them in this pond (is it the season for them in FL or something?). Caught a decent bass and Mayan cichlid(sorry no pic, I use hooks with the barbs crimped, got off the hook and flopped back in the water). I was not harassed by any snakeheads this time fortunately. Oh, and I think the gator enjoyed my being there, it likes to watch lol ? happy fishing ? 20 Quote
Super User GreenPig Posted April 13, 2022 Super User Posted April 13, 2022 3 hours ago, thediscochef said: I have been sitting out for a bit with some back trouble. Finally got it worked out, finally back to catching black bass at my normal water. Nothing big today but a couple of nice 1ish lbs spotties, a wiper, and an interesting little guy with some cool markings. I catch fish that size out there all the time but that's the first one with those marks I've seen. Maybe a lmb/spot hybrid? Or maybe just lmb. Idk. You decide. Back to Lake Whitney tomorrow with a buddy for dam fishing. Probably gonna catch a bunch of little stripers like I have been. That said, even little 3-4lb stripers and wipers are tons of fun on lighter gear. We'll keep throwing until they stop biting or until we have to leave. Careful with that back, it's got to last your whole life. 1 Quote
thediscochef Posted April 13, 2022 Posted April 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Chris Catignani said: I think your confusing the lateral line... Most of the fish that size that I catch have a much darker and continuous set of spots below the lateral line that usually make up a dark stripe. This fish has a bunch of little spots rather than the robust blotches I'm used to seeing 1 1 Quote
Aaron_H Posted April 14, 2022 Posted April 14, 2022 The past few weeks have been miserable. I've mentioned that I lost a couple of big fish, Saturday was no different. Threw the lipless on the second jump, easy 6-7lber. I ended up cutting the day short because I was so frustrated and didn't want to force it if I wasn't having fun. It was the first day I ever felt genuinely mad while fishing, which to me was a sign to cut my losses and clear my head. Then today was a day of ups and downs. Lines in at 3:15, started off breaking off a brand new lipless crankbait 30 minutes in after catching 0 bass on it (but did get two tilapia). My 5th or 6th lipless into the drink for 2022 so far, more than I typically lose in a couple of years. Then had a break, finally landed one of the bigger bites. Just before 4:30 had a nice one smash the whopper plopper 110 while working it through some flowing water. Came in right at 6lb even. Got a few more on topwater, and some on the lipless. Then got to the same pond that I caught my two DDs out of this year, working my way around and....hooked into an enormous bass on the lipless. She ate it on the fall while yo-yoing it, came up and jumped and she was just humongous. She did that big lazy backflip the giants do, could see the lipless in the inside corner of her mouth. Everything looked good, both trebles down her mouth, rod loaded, she went back under and started peeling line. Then she came up again for backflip #2 and *poof*, threw the lipless. I know everyone who loses a big fish is always like "it was a frickin ten pounder bro!!!" but I'd like to think I have enough credibility when I say this fish was for sure a DD. I don't get it. I feel like I've got the yips lately with losing these big fish. I'm not doing anything different and it's typically very uncommon for me to lose fish on a lipless, let alone big ones that can really load that rod deep. The lipless is my all-time confidence bait and I have spent a lot of time getting my setup dialed in for how I like to fish them, now I feel like I'm losing d**n near half the fish I hook into. It might just be a bad luck streak, it happens. 2022 has already been a very fortunate year for me bass fishing, and I know I'm doing something right to be finding and triggering big fish like this so consistently this year. I'm trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but losing these big ones lately has got me feeling like Charles Barkley's golf swing. I did end up getting another decent fish on topwater to close out the evening, 3lb 8oz, but it was a poor consolation for the one I lost. 18 1 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 14, 2022 Global Moderator Posted April 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, Aaron_H said: The past few weeks have been miserable. I've mentioned that I lost a couple of big fish, Saturday was no different. Threw the lipless on the second jump, easy 6-7lber. I ended up cutting the day short because I was so frustrated and didn't want to force it if I wasn't having fun. It was the first day I ever felt genuinely mad while fishing, which to me was a sign to cut my losses and clear my head. Then today was a day of ups and downs. Lines in at 3:15, started off breaking off a brand new lipless crankbait 30 minutes in after catching 0 bass on it (but did get two tilapia). My 5th or 6th lipless into the drink for 2022 so far, more than I typically lose in a couple of years. Then had a break, finally landed one of the bigger bites. Just before 4:30 had a nice one smash the whopper plopper 110 while working it through some flowing water. Came in right at 6lb even. Got a few more on topwater, and some on the lipless. Then got to the same pond that I caught my two DDs out of this year, working my way around and....hooked into an enormous bass on the lipless. She ate it on the fall while yo-yoing it, came up and jumped and she was just humongous. She did that big lazy backflip the giants do, could see the lipless in the inside corner of her mouth. Everything looked good, both trebles down her mouth, rod loaded, she went back under and started peeling line. Then she came up again for backflip #2 and *poof*, threw the lipless. I know everyone who loses a big fish is always like "it was a frickin ten pounder bro!!!" but I'd like to think I have enough credibility when I say this fish was for sure a DD. I don't get it. I feel like I've got the yips lately with losing these big fish. I'm not doing anything different and it's typically very uncommon for me to lose fish on a lipless, let alone big ones that can really load that rod deep. The lipless is my all-time confidence bait and I have spent a lot of time getting my setup dialed in for how I like to fish them, now I feel like I'm losing d**n near half the fish I hook into. It might just be a bad luck streak, it happens. 2022 has already been a very fortunate year for me bass fishing, and I know I'm doing something right to be finding and triggering big fish like this so consistently this year. I'm trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but losing these big ones lately has got me feeling like Charles Barkley's golf swing. I did end up getting another decent fish on topwater to close out the evening, 3lb 8oz, but it was a poor consolation for the one I lost. Nice bass! That swing tho….. hahah gets me every time. I get a 6 lb bass about once a decade so don’t feel bad 1 Quote
Aaron_H Posted April 14, 2022 Posted April 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: Nice bass! That swing tho….. hahah gets me every time. I get a 6 lb bass about once a decade so don’t feel bad Trying not to feel too bad about it, I know a lot of guys would kill just for a shot to see a bass like that so I know how blessed I am to be getting consistent big bites. But man, it's got me second guessing myself something fierce. Drag too tight? Too loose? Rod suddenly not loading as deep as it should? Are they mysteriously getting slack line? It's gotta just be a bad luck streak, but I feel like to be losing this many fish the past month there has to be something that changed that I'm not picking up on. Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 14, 2022 Global Moderator Posted April 14, 2022 1 minute ago, Aaron_H said: Trying not to feel too bad about it, I know a lot of guys would kill just for a shot to see a bass like that so I know how blessed I am to be getting consistent big bites. But man, it's got me second guessing myself something fierce. Drag too tight? Too loose? Rod suddenly not loading as deep as it should? Are they mysteriously getting slack line? It's gotta just be a bad luck streak, but I feel like to be losing this many fish the past month there has to be something that changed that I'm not picking up on. I’ve thrown traps my whole life and always lose a good many fish on them 1 Quote
Super User DitchPanda Posted April 14, 2022 Super User Posted April 14, 2022 35 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: I’ve thrown traps my whole life and always lose a good many fish on them 2 springs I ago I started my open water season off right by catching a 7lb fatty the first week of April on a Cordell super spot. I was glad the water was so cold cuz she didn't jump...I considered it a small miracle to land her. 2 Quote
Fishlegs Posted April 14, 2022 Posted April 14, 2022 43 minutes ago, Aaron_H said: Trying not to feel too bad about it, I know a lot of guys would kill just for a shot to see a bass like that so I know how blessed I am to be getting consistent big bites. But man, it's got me second guessing myself something fierce. Drag too tight? Too loose? Rod suddenly not loading as deep as it should? Are they mysteriously getting slack line? It's gotta just be a bad luck streak, but I feel like to be losing this many fish the past month there has to be something that changed that I'm not picking up on. Hang in there, man. I lost three big ones on a lipless in the same day recently. If they’re biting them we just have to keep throwing them. You’ll be landing them again soon. 1 1 Quote
Super User LrgmouthShad Posted April 14, 2022 Super User Posted April 14, 2022 11 hours ago, Aaron_H said: The past few weeks have been miserable. I've mentioned that I lost a couple of big fish, Saturday was no different. Threw the lipless on the second jump, easy 6-7lber. I ended up cutting the day short because I was so frustrated and didn't want to force it if I wasn't having fun. It was the first day I ever felt genuinely mad while fishing, which to me was a sign to cut my losses and clear my head. Then today was a day of ups and downs. Lines in at 3:15, started off breaking off a brand new lipless crankbait 30 minutes in after catching 0 bass on it (but did get two tilapia). My 5th or 6th lipless into the drink for 2022 so far, more than I typically lose in a couple of years. Then had a break, finally landed one of the bigger bites. Just before 4:30 had a nice one smash the whopper plopper 110 while working it through some flowing water. Came in right at 6lb even. Got a few more on topwater, and some on the lipless. Then got to the same pond that I caught my two DDs out of this year, working my way around and....hooked into an enormous bass on the lipless. She ate it on the fall while yo-yoing it, came up and jumped and she was just humongous. She did that big lazy backflip the giants do, could see the lipless in the inside corner of her mouth. Everything looked good, both trebles down her mouth, rod loaded, she went back under and started peeling line. Then she came up again for backflip #2 and *poof*, threw the lipless. I know everyone who loses a big fish is always like "it was a frickin ten pounder bro!!!" but I'd like to think I have enough credibility when I say this fish was for sure a DD. I don't get it. I feel like I've got the yips lately with losing these big fish. I'm not doing anything different and it's typically very uncommon for me to lose fish on a lipless, let alone big ones that can really load that rod deep. The lipless is my all-time confidence bait and I have spent a lot of time getting my setup dialed in for how I like to fish them, now I feel like I'm losing d**n near half the fish I hook into. It might just be a bad luck streak, it happens. 2022 has already been a very fortunate year for me bass fishing, and I know I'm doing something right to be finding and triggering big fish like this so consistently this year. I'm trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but losing these big ones lately has got me feeling like Charles Barkley's golf swing. I did end up getting another decent fish on topwater to close out the evening, 3lb 8oz, but it was a poor consolation for the one I lost. It's only a matter of time until you stick another one of those giants, man. ?. Keep it nice and easy in your head. Easy for me to say, I didn't have a DD jump off on me. But it'll be just fine, they just wanted to let you know they're hungry. 1 Quote
Super User PhishLI Posted April 14, 2022 Super User Posted April 14, 2022 Tough finding bites last night, but I managed to get one squirt on a Diesel Minnow and my buddy nabbed a solid chunk on a 7" wacky senko. 23 Quote
hokiehunter373 Posted April 14, 2022 Posted April 14, 2022 2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said: It's only a matter of time until you stick another one of those giants, man. ?. Keep it nice and easy in your head. Easy for me to say, I didn't have a DD jump off on me. But it'll be just fine, they just wanted to let you know they're hungry. Don't hook into DDs and you can't lose DDs.. I'm ahead of the game here 6 Quote
Super User LrgmouthShad Posted April 14, 2022 Super User Posted April 14, 2022 17 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said: Don't hook into DDs and you can't lose DDs.. I'm ahead of the game here Heck if you throw a giant swimbait, you can even see one without having to actually risk hooking it! If one bites it, just snip your line. Fish is happy, you didn't lose because you never actually tried to catch it, and bait monkey is dancing all around you. 3 Quote
The Bassman Posted April 14, 2022 Posted April 14, 2022 Epic bite this afternoon. Fished an inflow that was bringing muddy water in and setting up a color break. Wind was blowing hard and the fish were obliging. Had pretty much non stop action for about 45 min. with a 1/4 oz Johnson Thinfisher blade bait (like ones I use during cold water but one size larger). Biggest was 5.80 with a 4.97 second. Lots of 2-3 lbrs. Actually got past the 4 lb. barrier the other day but messed up the pic. My wife says I keep using the same fish pics over and over as they pretty much look the same. I'm a better painter than I am a photog. These times make good memories. 25 Quote
Super User N Florida Mike Posted April 15, 2022 Super User Posted April 15, 2022 The spring bite is on. Got a nice cloudy evening to fish finally. Light breeze giving way to calm. Low 70s. At first, they were all about the super flukes. When that slowed, I switched to yum dingers.. this is often the way the bite goes here… Got 4 between 17-19 inch. Ended up with 11. I got the last fish when it was nearly dark sitting 3 feet from the bank. Saw what looked like a bed in the faint light right by the boat , and I dropped the dinger in and got bit. It was the buck, but was still fun to get bit so close. The only disappointment was losing the biggest fish that bit. 21 Quote
Super User GreenPig Posted April 15, 2022 Super User Posted April 15, 2022 Fished today from 7am - 6pm and boated 39 fish. A mixture of LM, Spots, Stripers, and Hybrids. 20 Quote
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