Latest Catch Pics Thread

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, ScottW said:

 

What rod/reel were you using? Between my eyes and this old laptop I'm having a heck of a time seeing it. 😛

The reel was $20 and the rod was $10 hahah. Both from academy. Rod is B &M 410 medium ultra light and reel is quantam optix that was completely broken a few weeks ago (got flooded canoeing) but I got her up and running again . 4 lb Shakespeare mono 

[T-Billy]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Side note: caught in same lake where we landed 80+ smallmouth last weekend, the takeover must have stalled out 

[thediscochef]

Tough day out, north wind gusting to 25 but I managed to catch this one bass on a crawler around 2pm over some riprap. It missed the bait all three times it struck but a little patience on the last hit landed some barbs on its back/head. The strikes on those pompadours are straight up violent 

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Love Martin short! 
 

[PhishLI]

Missed most of the past 5 weeks due to schedule, crazy rain blowing up our bi-monthly Jon boat trips, and finally, my first bout of kidney stones. The thought of being found on the side of the lake in the fetal position crying like a baby kept me away even after it was well over with. Better safe than sorry, and I have a reputation to protect.😁 I don't have a worst enemy, but I now know what I'd wish upon them if I git me one. I thought I was dying via flaming razor blades.

 

Anyway, big rains were guaranteed to blow up Saturday's Jon boat trip yet again, so I shot up late Friday afternoon for some throws. It was great finding my favorite spot at full pool after so many months of being dreadfully low. Nothing special happened, but it felt good getting some tugs once again.

 

 

 

[thediscochef]

2 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Missed most of the past 5 weeks due to schedule, crazy rain blowing up our bi-monthly Jon boat trips, and finally, my first bout of kidney stones. The thought of being found on the side of the lake in the fetal position crying like a baby kept me away even after it was well over with. Better safe than sorry, and I have a reputation to protect.😁 I don't have a worst enemy, but I now know what I'd wish upon them if I git me one. I thought I was dying via flaming razor blades.

 

Anyway, big rains were guaranteed to blow up Saturday's Jon boat trip yet again, so I shot up late Friday afternoon for some throws. It was great finding my favorite spot at full pool after so many months of being dreadfully low. Nothing special happened, but it felt good getting some tugs once again.

F a kidney stone, those hurt so so bad. Couldn't imagine being stuck with one lakeside.

Glad you're back in action, here's to calcium staying where it belongs 😳

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Missed most of the past 5 weeks due to schedule, crazy rain blowing up our bi-monthly Jon boat trips, and finally, my first bout of kidney stones. The thought of being found on the side of the lake in the fetal position crying like a baby kept me away even after it was well over with. Better safe than sorry, and I have a reputation to protect.😁 I don't have a worst enemy, but I now know what I'd wish upon them if I git me one. I thought I was dying via flaming razor blades.

 

Anyway, big rains were guaranteed to blow up Saturday's Jon boat trip yet again, so I shot up late Friday afternoon for some throws. It was great finding my favorite spot at full pool after so many months of being dreadfully low. Nothing special happened, but it felt good getting some tugs once again.

June of 2020 changed my life brother.......same deal, first and hopefully last kidney stone, nurses said child birth is the only thing comparable, took 4 rounds of IV meds to finally get me handled.   

 

From June of 2020 until today, I've never drank another thing besides water.....seriously 😁

 

Glad to hear you're better, and back at it!   

[The Baron]

Windy, rainy, cool… but I hadn’t fished in over a week and just had to try for a few hours this afternoon.  Water temps now 55-56F.  All my bites came up shallow and close to the bank on a black and blue buzzbait. First a 3.15# lmb, then about a 6-7# pike that came home for dinner.  Had another good pike miss me short, then I lost a really good lmb just when I was getting ready to leave - a great buzzbait blowup and she pulled drag right away.  Got her to the boat but she must have hit short and been skin hooked because she came off pretty easy - looking like at least 4#.

[PhishLI]

4 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

June of 2020 changed my life brother.......same deal, first and hopefully last kidney stone, nurses said child birth is the only thing comparable, took 4 rounds of IV meds to finally get me handled.   

This one was shaped like a flint arrowhead. God help me.

 

5 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

From June of 2020 until today, I've never drank another thing besides water.....seriously 😁

That's been me for the past 6 months after being a lifelong tea drinker. Who knows what actually got me though? I won't play with it again. Water or bust. What a long 4 days, man. Pain mixed with terrible anticipation, then holy mother of god pain as a crescendo.

[GreenPig]

4 hours ago, PhishLI said:

This one was shaped like a flint arrowhead. God help me.

 

That's been me for the past 6 months after being a lifelong tea drinker. Who knows what actually got me though? I won't play with it again. Water or bust. What a long 4 days, man. Pain mixed with terrible anticipation, then holy mother of god pain as a crescendo.

Nobody forgets their first kidney stone. Had my first at 17, I'm somewhere around #55 and they haven't any less painful. I've actually passed 3 or 4 while fishing. Get you some Flomax(Tamsulosin) and muscle relaxers as it really helps expedite the trip from kidney to bladder.

Almost forgot a latest catch pic.

[Woody B]

8 hours ago, PhishLI said:

my first bout of kidney stones.

 

I try to stay on topic, but I also put this information EVERYWHERE I get the chance to.   When you're in kidney stone pain get in a tub of HOT water, as hot as you can stand.  It instantly, but temporarily relieves the pain.  When the water cools the pain will come back, just drain some and add more hot.   They had me so morphined up I couldn't even walk through a door, but I was still in pain.   The janitor at the medical facility told me to go home and get in a tub of hot water.  

[bp_fowler]

I finally got back out today I was worried that I wouldn’t get to fish any before it got too cold out.  
 

Had a decent day though and what made it especially cool was that it was my first time fishing a Jerkbait.  I decided to try it out since it’s fall and what not.  It did not disappoint and while none of the fish I caught were very big I still had a blast.

 

I also learned jerkbaits can catch crappie as well.

 

 

[gim]

On 10/15/2023 at 9:04 PM, The Baron said:

then about a 6-7# pike that came home for dinner.

I honestly don't hear of many people keeping northern pike.  Which is a little odd, especially here, given that the daily bag limit is 10, and they're very easy to catch.  I think the slime and the y-bones turns a lot of people off.  Everyone targets walleye or panfish to eat instead.

 

I don't mind them out of colder/cooler water but I will admit that I also have some trouble with the y-bones myself.  We have way too many small ones here and they need to be harvested more.

[A-Jay]

Managed to keep my grip on theses bronze beauties . . . 

A-Jay

[Aaron_H]

On 10/15/2023 at 9:58 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

June of 2020 changed my life brother.......same deal, first and hopefully last kidney stone, nurses said child birth is the only thing comparable, took 4 rounds of IV meds to finally get me handled.   

 

From June of 2020 until today, I've never drank another thing besides water.....seriously 😁

 

Glad to hear you're better, and back at it!   

 

I've passed two; first one Jan 2017, second one August 2018. First one put me in the hospital.

 

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Managed to keep my grip on theses bronze beauties . . . 

A-Jay

 

The pattern on the right fish is unbelievable! SMB gets higher and higher on my fishing bucket list every time I see your bags, A-Jay. Awesome pic.

[Swamp Girl]

Second to last trip. I fish for the last time in 2023 tomorrow, launching around 9:30. It's so pretty right now, but it's cooling fast.

 

I paddled seven miles and explored a new river that flowed into today's pond. I caught 18, six on a Whopper Plopper, and a dozen on a crankbait, swimbait, and wacky worm. I did lose a four to five-pounder that spun my canoe in the river. I only photographed the last five bass so you could see what I was catching, but the highlight was the pond and river, right?:

 

 

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I fish for the last time in 2023 tomorrow

Yeah, okay. Can't wait for the report of your (next) final trip next week

 

Nice report though 😀

[thediscochef]

Mercury said it was a balmy 36 degrees out this morning when I stepped out the door at 6:30am, so naturally a topwater is the first choice. One bass on a popper before I had to leave for the day. Had a few others miss a pompadour and a pencil but I'm not complaining. I'm getting strikes. Confidence is increasing for Friday's trip to PK. 

[keagbassr]

Got out this morning about 7-12, caught 6 bass,1 each on a spinnerbait and buzzbait,and 4 on a double wide beaver with the best of those weighing 6-4. Heading home got the word I didn't need to pick up my granddaughter after school so I ate, grabbed my other battery and headed back out to another pond. Boated 8 more ,7 on the spinnerbait and 1 on the double wide that weighed 3-9.

[A-Jay]

21 minutes ago, keagbassr said:

Got out this morning about 7-12, caught 6 bass,1 each on a spinnerbait and buzzbait,and 4 on a double wide beaver with the best of those weighing 6-4. Heading home got the word I didn't need to pick up my granddaughter after school so I ate, grabbed my other battery and headed back out to another pond. Boated 8 more ,7 on the spinnerbait and 1 on the double wide that weighed 3-9.

I like your style ~

A-Jay

[Team9nine]

Almost didn’t go today, but glad I did. Didn’t expect a great bite given the sunny skies, light N breeze, and cool temps, and it wasn’t. But I did manage 11 fish in about 3.5 hours of fishing, including another nice one. Got a school fired up deep cranking and put a limit in the boat in about half a dozen casts - even got a double on one of those casts.

 

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

Some belugas, @keagbassr and @Team9nine!

[The Baron]

15 hours ago, gimruis said:

I honestly don't hear of many people keeping northern pike.  Which is a little odd, especially here, given that the daily bag limit is 10, and they're very easy to catch.  I think the slime and the y-bones turns a lot of people off.  Everyone targets walleye or panfish to eat instead.

 

I don't mind them out of colder/cooler water but I will admit that I also have some trouble with the y-bones myself.  We have way too many small ones here and they need to be harvested more.

I typically only keep the odd pike out of colder water (let’s call that sub-60 degrees or so, but ones caught through the ice are best) as I find the meat firmer then.  I also feel better keeping a pike than a bass, as I’d always like to catch more bass and less pike  where I fish.  I’ll only keep ones between about 4-8#.  I fillet them like any other fish, y-bones and all, and take the skin off.  I then season with a generous dusting of Old Bay and some garlic powder.  Bake on a cookie sheet and then flake the meat away from the bones and use it for fish tacos.  My wife and I both like that a lot.  And honestly, with the cost of groceries these days I’m starting to wonder why I catch and release so much “free” food - especially with my wife always saying we need to eat more fish.  lol

[Swamp Girl]

46 minutes ago, The Baron said:

I typically only keep the odd pike out of colder water (let’s call that sub-60 degrees or so, but ones caught through the ice are best) as I find the meat firmer then.  I also feel better keeping a pike than a bass, as I’d always like to catch more bass and less pike  where I fish.  I’ll only keep ones between about 4-8#.  I fillet them like any other fish, y-bones and all, and take the skin off.  I then season with a generous dusting of Old Bay and some garlic powder.  Bake on a cookie sheet and then flake the meat away from the bones and use it for fish tacos.  My wife and I both like that a lot.  And honestly, with the cost of groceries these days I’m starting to wonder why I catch and release so much “free” food - especially with my wife always saying we need to eat more fish.  lol

 

Ontario pike are delicious. I tried the method for filleting the y-bones away, but you lose too much meat and I just eat around them. 

[gim]

1 hour ago, The Baron said:

I’ll only keep ones between about 4-8#.

Thanks for the recipe, I will try it.  I'm open to just about any fish recipe that doesn't require it to be lathered up in batter or breading.  Most of the pike I catch aren't this big.  They are the 20 inch variety.  There is a slot restriction too, most of the state here mandates the release of 22-26 inchers and you can only keep one over that size.  I prefer to release the bigger ones and keep the small ones, since those are the ones that really need to be culled.

 

Pike are cannibalistic too, so big pike do a very good job of thinning out the smaller ones.

 

I truly think there aren't near enough people here utilizing this abundant, easy-to-catch resource.  Everyone wants walleye or panfish.  Pike aren't even on their radar if they're looking for a meal.