Latest Catch Pics Thread

[FishTax]

Wow! I've never seen a crappie like that. Insane

[Swamp Girl]

Consider this about @Team9nine's crappie. Its belly is comically distended and yet, it still wanted to eat. That fish is never sated. In two years, if @Team9nine catches a 7 lb. crappie, he'll be able to say to it, "Good to see you again!"

 

And if the crappie could reply, she would say, "I'm hungry. Got any minnows on this boat?"

[Blue Raider Bob]

😬

[Swamp Girl]

@Blue Raider Bob: Your bass confounds me as much as @Team9nine's crappie. How did you fit a hook into your bass's mouth, Bob?

[Blue Raider Bob]

4 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@Blue Raider Bob: Your bass confounds me as much as @Team9nine's crappie. How did you fit a hook into your bass's mouth, Bob?

     I didn't do the fittin', he did! And to think I've complemented you so many times on the quality of your fish.......and you're makin' fun of mine!   😁  Everyone can't catch inland whales like you Katie. The youngin's get to get caught too!

     Actually, I've been amazed over the years at the ability of tiny bass to hook themselves on the lures we use. I've got tons of pictures like this where a little fella has eyes bigger than his stomach and tries to eat a lure much too large for his lips. And as you see, it's not just bass that have this behavior, their cousins the Bluegill share this trait. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

That fish is crazy Bob, it has to be almost a year old and still that size.   Should have thrown him in your slice of heaven pond 😁 

 

I always look at catches in terms of odds.....obviously a DD is like a lotto ticket win, but catching that fish had some extreme odds as well.     Outliers are the most fascinating fish to me.   

[Swamp Girl]

Bob, I once caught a smallie in Canada so small that when I posed with it, you could mostly see my finger lightly pinching it and it looked like I was giving the photographer the bird. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

6 hours ago, FishTax said:

Wow! I've never seen a crappie like that. Insane

I've caught gobs of crappie back in the day but I've never seen one like that. Longer maybe but never that fat. She could populate the entire lake!

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

Bob, I once caught a smallie in Canada so small that when I posed with it, you could mostly see my finger lightly pinching it and it looked like I was giving the photographer the bird. 

Please share that picture. I want to see if you really were!

[Swamp Girl]

51 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Please share that picture. I want to see if you really were!

 

I'll try to find it, Bob, but I have a lot of Canada folders. 

[MIbassyaker]

It was trout day with the ultralight.

 

 

Now on the board with some smallies and trout, I'm going to see about trying for some largemouth tomorrow from the kayak. 

 

However, I expect the lakes are still pretty cold, so Skunk Risk will be high.

[bp_fowler]

Went out yesterday and today.  Tuesday we had a high of 71 degrees and partly cloudy.  I had high hopes and went to a larger body of water know as the Old Reservoir.  Unfortunately the fish did not share my optimism and I only managed three dinks (first 3 pictures).  2 on the fluke and the third with a tandem blade Spinnerbait.

 

Today we had a high of 59 degrees winds out of the south and rain. I returned to Gun Club not expecting much given the my luck the last two days however I managed 4 this time 3 on the fluke and the last with the tandem Spinnerbait again. Size of the fish was noticeably improved but still not giants by any means.

[thediscochef]

They liked the one knocker spook in bone color this evening. The bigger fish hit it like a bowling ball

[AlabamaSpothunter]

For the last week, plus last Spring I've been trying to learn how to sight fish......last 5 outings, at least 15-20hrs dedicated to visually looking for fish and beds, and occasionally pitching on them......lots of fish pitched at, every single fish wouldn't even so much as look at my bait.     

 

Finally had my breakthrough thanks in part to being stubborn.   After pitching and spooking fish after fish it happened, and it was one of the most exciting catches I've ever had.   Absolutely mind blowing watching her immediately spin on a dime the moment my bait hit the bottom, suck my bait in, lay the hammer down on her and watch her leap clear out of the water.    Managed to repeat it one more time visually, and then caught two in the blind(casted to areas I knew fish were likely spawning at but couldn't see) which were vastly easier to catch then the ones I could see.    Has to be one of the most thrilling ways I've caught a Bass.   

 

I make a couple of pitches and move on, I'm not a fan of pestering them or "bumping" the fish with baits.   Ethically speaking I don't see anything wrong with the practice in terms of catch and immediate release.   I'm really glad I got to see what it's all about, Bass fishing is endless and the wonderment is still just as good as it was when I was a little boy.   

 

My first sight fish 

 

Forgot to post up a 5.14 from two days ago......on the Damiki Vault.   I'm just going to start fishing the Vault year round.   

 

[Swamp Girl]

Alex, how do you fish your Damiki Vault?

 

Congrats on your sight fishing success and double congrats on your big-bellied girl!

[LrgmouthShad]

I rushed to pack, went the wrong way to the lake, and forgot the kayak seat. Too beat up to fish right now. Leaving until another day

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Thanks Katie!

 

I fish the Vault two ways, and while I have the 3/8th and 3/4th models, the 1/2oz is the deal for me regardless of depth.

 

1.) Deep fish in 15-30fow that I find using 2D Sonar, then I back off and make bomb casts with it, let it completely touch the bottom, then Yo Yo it a few feet off the bottom, and repeat.     True winter pattern usage.  

 

2.) Shallow fish and fish visually blowing up bait on the surface.... I make my cast to them or where I think they are, and upon touching the water I start a frantic Yo Yo retrieve.    That fish above came from less 3fow.    If you go fast enough you can Yo Yo a 1/2oz in the skinniest of waters I've found.  

 

I read your thread about when to start.......once that water gets 40d I'd give this bait a shot.    It keeps you moving and a bit warmer, you're going for a reaction bite with it instead of dragging around something slowly on the bottom so it makes fishing in those cold temps feel a bit more like warm weather fishing.   

[Team9nine]

Not to intrude, but I'll add another comment on retrieves with the Vault or other similar type blade baits. Take advantage of the holes drilled in the bait for where you clip to - they're there for a reason. One of my favorite ways to fish them is by clipping to the last/back of the 3 holes. This creates a very nose down attitude, and more drag, and you can easily slow roll or slow steady retrieve these things through just a foot or two of water without having to burn things, keeping the bait just off bottom and muck. Makes a big difference in cold water sometimes, especially with the lighter versions. I've caught tons of fish doing this in super cold water, often with ice still ringing parts of the lake. They also work surprisingly well in shallow river systems with current fishing them the same way for smallmouth 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I can't get fish to bite them on a steady retrieve, but they become magic on a Yo Yo.

 

Ultimately if you want to learn about them, Matt Allen at Tactical Bassin is about as good of a teacher of all things blade bait as you can find.  Lots of content.    

[Team9nine]

34 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I can't get fish to bite them on a steady retrieve, but they become magic on a Yo Yo.

 

Ultimately if you want to learn about them, Matt Allen at Tactical Bassin is about as good of a teacher of all things blade bait as you can find.  Lots of content.    

 

Interesting - I crushed them back in IN in shallow cold water with it. Largest was 8 pounds. I hop in deep(er) water, but slow and steady in shallow water, especially if that water is a little stained. One of the few moving baits (crankbait style) I can fish slow in as little as 15" of water. It's a Rat-L-Trap without the rattles, only better  lol. Always interesting what works or doesn't work for different people and places. Confidence or regional variability? Who knows...

[Dan N]

Just a little guy, but first of the year just a day after ice out, ready to get to it in Wisconsin.oops , meant to put this on 1st of 2024 thread🤣

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I rushed to pack, went the wrong way to the lake, and forgot the kayak seat. Too beat up to fish right now. Leaving until another day

I’ve done that nearly every time I take my wife’s kayak, not used to bringing a seat in my canoe haha. I’ve sat on my cooler each time, not quite so comfy 

[Swamp Girl]

9 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve done that nearly every time I take my wife’s kayak, not used to bringing a seat in my canoe haha. I’ve sat on my cooler each time, not quite so comfy 

 

And last year, I once went paddling without a paddle. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

22 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That fish is crazy Bob, it has to be almost a year old and still that size.   Should have thrown him in your slice of heaven pond 😁 

 

I always look at catches in terms of odds.....obviously a DD is like a lotto ticket win, but catching that fish had some extreme odds as well.     Outliers are the most fascinating fish to me.   

Actually Alex, that is not a recent picture. I felt I needed to contrast the huge bass caught by you master anglers, with the fish caught by us piscatoricley challenged mortals.

[GreenPig]

Best 3 of 10 today. A 3.28, 3.41, and 6.21

[AlabamaSpothunter]

That's what I'm talking about, A TRUE GREENPIG, let's gooooooo! 😎

 

Awesome day!