Latest Catch Pics Thread

[N Florida Mike]

I was on the water shortly after 5 today. Wind 10-15, mostly cloudy, temp around 80.  Decided to fish the east channel of our island , starting out with a june bug baby brush hog. Got 5 there off brush piles and laydowns. Got to the south end of the island and switched to the speed worm. Hooked a good fish that probably jumped 3 feet out of the water and shook off. I got a dink on the speedworm and moved south. I decided to do a drift across part of the lake.

This is when I suddenly thought of a bait I hadn’t used much in 10 years, the Zoom horny toad in watermelon red, and put one on. Immediately got a tap on the retrieve but swung and missed. The wind took me west around a point, so I fired a cast parallel to the point down the bank . Boom! Missed again. Boom ! missed again. Next cast a 1 pounder. 

By then I was back near the island. I went slightly up into the west channel, and missed another fish. The next cast the rod loaded up on the drop. Pegged him and got the biggest of the day. Ended up going on to the far southeast corner where I like to end the day. Got a couple more one pounders on the toad.

Threw near a dock, and the rod loaded up again before I could even get the reel engaged. She had nearly pulled the line all the way tight and I hit her hard…

but it came loose. BIG fish. I didn’t turn her at all as she  went on under the dock.  As the sun went down , I got another fish skipping the toad under a dock. I had forgotten how well they skip!!
I am excited to start using the HT again.  I ended up with 11, and 5 of them on the toad !

 

[thediscochef]

Got the slump buster out (Creme Maxi Tail + 1/16oz tube jig), caught this tiny spotted bass, 13 black crappies, and 2 bluegill. Had a couple nice size black crappies, nice little barn doors. Bite ended around 2am. Night fishing is good and cool. Have had a tough time finding black bass but that little tube setup at night is basically a cheat code for getting bit. I'll take it.

[Swamp Girl]

@N Florida Mike: You've got your own big bass streak going now too, Mike, like @AlabamaSpothunter, @Pat Brown, @Team9nine, @hokiehunter373, @Fried Lemons, @deep, etc.

 

I'm going to my first biggish bass pond tomorrow, so here's hoping I land one or two over four pounds. 

 

My three big bass bogs don't have solid shorelines, so I've been avoiding them until the water warms a little more, for if I were to tip, there'd be no place solid to swim. My pond and tomorrow's pond give me solid shorelines to hug. I keep hearing @T-Billy's wisely admonishing me to put safety first and I try to do just that.

 

Correction: I'm going fishing today. The wind forecast just shifted. So, fingers crossed a big gal wants to dance with me this afternoon. 

[Jmurphy87]

Here’s what I caught yesterday after work and today after work. Yesterday fish all came on a shad fry z and a micro finesse shad jig head. Today was a 4” double ringer in black with red flake on a 3/32 all terrain Hail Mary football ned head. Black and red flake is going to be my new color of the year and I also got 2 largemouth and my bigger smallmouth today on that color combo. They were feeding very shallow around 9:15 am today. The fish are small but there still a fish and that’s good enough in my book lol, definitely beats a skunk 🦨 

[Swamp Girl]

It was a quantity day, Murph. Those are fun too! I'm just grateful you're posting again. You could post an old can you'd hooked and I'd still be happy to see it.

 

And I note your beard getting bigger and bigger. Watch your back, @thediscochef, there's a bigger and bigger beard on your rear bumper! 

[MIbassyaker]

First Haircut Police, and now Beard Wars!

 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Jmurphy87 said:

 Black and red flake is going to be my new color of the year ...

 

Don't tell anyone, but that's a good color on the Grand River up here too.

[LrgmouthShad]

Word on the street is that Disco “The Wild Card” Chef is catching em.

#spoiler

[Swamp Girl]

4 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Word on the street is that Disco “The Wild Card” Chef is catching em.

#spoiler

 

Oooh, I'm genuinely excited! I'm off to fish now too, so I'm excited times two.

[T-Billy]

8 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I keep hearing @T-Billy's wisely admonishing me to put safety first and I try to do just that.

Can't fish that bog tomorrow if you drown in it today. 😉

 

So... I had a pretty solid bite on a spinnerbait today... 😂

Given the location, and time of year, I'd wager it was a big pike. Didn't get to see it. It came off immediately after very nearly ripping my rod out of my hands. It bent the handle so far it locked up the reel when it came around and hit the spool tension knob. My goodness what a ferocious hit!!!

 I then proceeded to take a skunking. Caught 9 LM and lost two more there yesterday. No bigs. All 1 - 2.5#. Front rolled through last night and into the morning, and THEY GONE!!! 

Edit to add: Hat's off to Lew's. That old Tournament MB has been through the ringer and it's still smooth and going strong. Just needs a new handle, and it'll be ready to get back to haulin 'em.

[FishTax]

I took off work and hit lake Norman with a buddy this morning. I'm not used to water that clear or fishing for spots, so it was fun to have a new experience. They were on beds everywhere and pretty aggressive. It was cool to be able to see the beds in 5-8' of water in some places. This whole year I've fished under a foot of visibility so really really cool. Even saw 2 schools of large catfish, one circled our boat like sharks lol. 

 

We caught a lot, but all they'd eat was senko, any way you gave it to them. They fight much harder than lmb in my experience, which is fun. Mostly small ones, a few in the 2-3 lb range. Only picture I took is below. 

 

My buddy got there super early and caught numerous over 4lb ones in the dark on top water. I couldn't make it that early because I live too far away and like to sleep at least some. 

[Team9nine]

Had less than 3.5 hrs to fish this afternoon, but wanted to take advantage of the clouds and cooler temps (only 80 deg.). Changed lakes and decided to chase bass today. Ended up with half a dozen fish, all shallow, on a mix of Ned and trick worms. Water really clear, but even with the cloud cover, I was able to spot a couple nesters - first I’ve seen this year. Need to go back on a sunny day when they’re easier to see.

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

My big girl today. 22" and built like an offensive lineman or Octomom in her third trimester. She could have swallowed my fist. 

 

I am afraid of the fish that @T-Billy lost.

 

[Pat Brown]

Dang Katy that thing looks super duper huge.  What did it weigh?

[LrgmouthShad]

Heck yeah @ol'crickety.
 

It appears those Yankees are coming at us now with a vengeance. Stay strong my Southern kinfolk. We have a lot of months before dreadful August. 

[Swamp Girl]

I didn't get a weight, Pat. I left my scale at my waterfront lot. My length to weight chart says she's about 6.5 pounds being a tad over 22", but with her belly, she might be seven. What do you think? You know big bass more than I do. 

 

I like her tail. Yeah, I'm weird, but it's so wide and perfect.

 

2 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Heck yeah @ol'crickety.
 

It appears those Yankees are coming at us now with a vengeance. Stay strong my Southern kinfolk. We have a lot of months before dreadful August. 

 

Ha! To be frank, I wouldn't be surprised if she's my biggest bass of 2024. I expect I'll hook bass as big or bigger than her, but I hooked her in open water, which gave me wiggle room to play her. Most of the biggest bass I hook are in summer weeds atop weeds and they use those weeds to wrench free. 

[LrgmouthShad]

I think that bass is over 7lbs, which is insane 

[MIbassyaker]

30 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

My big girl today. 22" and built like an offensive lineman or Octomom in her third trimester. She could have swallowed my fist. 

 

I am afraid of the fish that @T-Billy lost.

 

 

Boom!  I might agree with @LrgmouthShad here -- if 22", that bass looks easily over 6, very possibly 7.

[T-Billy]

32 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I am afraid of the fish that @T-Billy lost

Nah. You've caught bigger. It was a big fish for sure, but the bent handle is the result of me having the rod pointed the wrong direction when the strike happened. I know better but... stuff happens.

Congrats on that toad Katie!!! That's a dandy!!!

[Pat Brown]

I'm in the definitely over 7 camp for this one.  She is very tall and very thick.  What a dang horse.

[MIbassyaker]

29 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

It appears those Yankees are coming at us now with a vengeance. ...

 

Better look out -- me and my phalanx of 2lbers should be on the march after this week...

[thediscochef]

52 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

My big girl today. 22" and built like an offensive lineman or Octomom in her third trimester. She could have swallowed my fist. 

 

I am afraid of the fish that @T-Billy lost.

 

Dang!! That's a tank! Great work

[GreenPig]

ol'crickety she's a great fish and looks to be 7 or better with that build.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

AN ABSOLUTE G-G-G-G-G-G-GIANT BASS.......BOOM SHAKALAKA 

 

So proud of you Katie, that's an exceptional fish/catch in every way, but seeing her belly, and overall health makes me smile ear to ear!

 

Give me some more details, I want the juice......where did she come from, and what did you catch her on?    Really hate to hear about the scale, I won't keep fishing if I don't have a camera or scale.    High possibility that's your new PB......fish is a freak.  

 

From our PMs........wish I could say I'm surprised, but I already knew the future 😁

 

" It's hard to exceed your level of big girls last year, but I have zero doubt you'll do that."

 

"You landed a ton, and you'll land even more this year......I promise that!!!"

 

"You're a few months behind me because you're forced off the water, but your results this spring and summer will be ridiculous.   You had a blockbuster year last one with regards to big fish, but you're going to catch even more this year!"

 

"I seriously have zero doubts that this is going to be your best year thus far, said the same thing last winter about you catching the big girls, and sure enough you make me look like a prophet "

[Swamp Girl]

I was fighting the wind, Alex, so I ducked into a cove to call home and dropped my cell phone in the water, losing it. So, I was distracted and sad coming out of the cove into the main lake, which is only 49 acres. I think being distracted and sad actually helped me land her, as I was calm through the fight.

 

She hit a trolled shad-colored Keitech on an Owner underspin shortly after I exited the cove. My rod went back and stayed back. I paddled hard for about four strokes to set the hook and buy me a couple seconds to switch from my paddle to the rod. As I reeled, for a second, I thought I might have hooked a floating log. She was heavy, but not angry. I slowly worked her to the canoe and then she stayed put under the canoe. I worked her up until I could barely see her, confident my long-handled net would reach her, which it did. Only then did I realize how big she was. I snapped a quick photo, but she was flopping, and then remembered I'd left my bump board and scale at my waterfront lot, so I laid her on the tape measure on the floor of my canoe to get her length.

 

Then I set her free. I thought I'd hold her by the lip for a sec and let her catch her breath, but wasn't having any of that and scooted. 

 

Today's pond is a very good pond for four-to-five pound bass. I caught five four-plus-pounders one morning there last fall, including two on consecutive casts So, I'm thrilled that this pond grows them bigger than the fine bass I've caught there. 

 

She might be my biggest ever. She was long and fat and was hard for me to hold. 

 

However, the support of the BR crew means as much to me as catching her, and to be frank, you lead BR in being supportive of all of us, Alex, and in catching the most big bass too. 

 

Did you notice the Catchall lure in the first bass's mouth?

 

Quote

overall health makes me smile ear to ear!

 

You're right about her health, Alex. I don't think she's ever been caught. Not a nick or mark on her. 

[Pat Brown]

You're a dang hammer Katy!  Well done!  Sorry to hear about the phone!  🤣🤣🤣 

 

Also you clearly gotta fish this pond a whole heckuva lot more now!  Jeeze Louise!  And bring your scale!  I hate to be that guy but you miiiiiight have been pushing 8 with her 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

 

Only one way to find out.  Gotta catch her again 😌😌😌