Latest Catch Pics Thread

[TnRiver46]

22 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Finally had a good day in cold muddy water.   The past several winters it's been almost impossible to just get a bite, but I was able to get about 22.5lbs with an awesome 8.2 and 6.2.   Next day not as great but caught a nice 6.15.    Finally, fished again today with about 1.5ft of viz and only had 5 bites but one was a 5.15.    

 

This 8.2 had eyes on her that are just wild.     Thanks to the Zillion's audible drag she put on a good show as well.     

 

 

6.15

 

6.2 

 

5.15

 

Finally here's a fish that had a tail down it's throat, and a claw coming out it's butt 🤣

 

Most excellent catches for brown water!

[Swamp Girl]

26 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Most excellent catches for brown water!

 

Most excellent catches for any water. Alex sure can fish.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

@TnRiver46  Thanks brother!!

 

The main difference b/t this year and year's past I believe had to do with the fact the huge rains didn't crash the water temps.  I stupidly took a number of days off one of which was in the mid 70s(outside temps) because "muh never catch anything in cold dirty water" attitude 🤪 

 

Now the water temps have crashed to high 40s, and in another day or two the water clarity should be close to normal.......once again the puzzle has completely reset.   How can you not obsess over these green and brown fish 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

once again the puzzle has completely reset. 

 

That's the way it works in Maine too. I'd go catch bass in a certain place with a certain lure and the very next day, that wouldn't work and I'd have to find them and determine which lure they wanted just then. They keep us guessing!

[TnRiver46]

Had some lovely weather Sunday, was nice after a cloudy cold skunk on Saturday. My buddies invited me onto their boat and were skunking me again until late in the day when I got the lunker on a nightcrawler. Just under 19” and between 3.13 and 3.17 lbs. The mountains still had snow and loons were swimming around all over the place. Water temp 45

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Just under 19” and between 3.13 and 3.17 lbs.

 

And gorgeous. Look at those markings.

[Bluebasser86]

I got out Sunday on the power plant lake, only thing open in the state right now that I'm aware of, even the other power plant lake is mostly frozen over. Forcast to be in the low 50's and moderate south winds, I expected it to be a zoo, so I got out really early and did some catfishing before the sun even got up. I had one slow runner that I hooked up with and popped off about halfway in, and then an absolute screamer that dropped the bait as soon as I touched the rod. 

 

When the sun got up, I pushed off and was already at my spot, so I started tossing a Ned around the point. First time in a while I've fished in the morning and not had my guides icing immediately, it was really nice. Didn't take long before I got my first bite, a whopping 10" bass. The next one was decidedly different. A heavy thump when it popped off a rock, and slow, heavy headshakes on the hookset before she was wallowing on the surface. She was trying hard for my pedal drive and my trolling motor, but I steered her away and into the net. 30 minutes into my morning and I had already made my day with a 20" fish that was a shad shy of 6lbs at 5.93, my second biggest of the year.

The shad weren't on this spot nearly as good as they had been, and the bite was a lot slower, but I was picking one off every now and then. I think I only caught 12 or 13 all day and missed a few more, mostly on a Ned but a few on a jerkbait. None were quite as big as that one but I did get another that was just shy of 4 on the Ned.

 

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Nice ones @Bluebasser86! I’m glad I’m not the only one that has weird stuff happen on catfish takes, some of the strangest biting fish I know 

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Nice ones @Bluebasser86! I’m glad I’m not the opt one that has weird stuff happen on catfish takes, some of the strangest biting fish I know 

I usually run Kahle hooks, because I like to hear the clicker scream and I like to hammer the hook home. Plus, I always use to fish for flatheads and I don't like circles for flatheads, but I think I'm going to have to start running circles for these blues. Flatheads never seem to drop a bait, but blues seem do it all the time when they feel pressure when they run with a bait. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I feel like my life will never be complete until I catch a big SM on a nightcrawler now, thanks @TnRiver46 😁

 

Really cool thing about this thread is how unique everyone's fishing style is.   It really showcases the diversity in techniques, tactics, and locations.  

 

@Bluebasser86  Way to go with another powerplant freakzilla 

[Swamp Girl]

@Bluebasser86: This spring, I'm going to hire Bob/@Blue Raider Bob to dig a canal from your warm water lake with its THICK bass to my pond. I would greatly enjoy the warm water and its bass.

 

Bob has a tractor and can build everything. I believe in him.

[Blue Raider Bob]

40 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@Bluebasser86: This spring, I'm going to hire Bob/@Blue Raider Bob to dig a canal from your warm water lake with its THICK bass to my pond. I would greatly enjoy the warm water and its bass.

 

Bob has a tractor and can build everything. I believe in him.

You're making my chest swell up again Katie. I can't get my shirt buttoned....no wait......that's my belly.  😕

[Swamp Girl]

I'm assuming that we all love looking at @Bluebasser86's bass. I think Maine's bass are beautiful and especially the bog bass I catch, which are big-shouldered and black:

 

 

But not even the bog bass have the bellies of those Kansas powerplant lake bass. Sure, a few do, but most don't. I'd love to know the ages of those Kansas powerplant bass with their accelerated growth. The bass above is sealed under ice right now, while those Kansas powerplant bass are gorging every dang day to look like they do. 

 

Say, Clayton, do you stay warm while winter fishing? Even with my warmest winter outerwear, my hands and feet get cold after a couple hours outside.

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

I'm assuming that we all love looking at @Bluebasser86's bass. I think Maine's bass are beautiful and especially the bog bass I catch, which are big-shouldered and black:

 

 

But not even the bog bass have the bellies of those Kansas powerplant lake bass. Sure, a few do, but most don't. I'd love to know the ages of those Kansas powerplant bass with their accelerated growth. The bass above is sealed under ice right now, while those Kansas powerplant bass are gorging every dang day to look like they do. 

 

Say, Clayton, do you stay warm while winter fishing? Even with my warmest winter outerwear, my hands and feet get cold after a couple hours outside.

I'm not sure the ages of the fish, but I know they grow exceptionally fast, but they don't seem to get very long, or maybe they don't live very long because of the fast growth. Kansas does electrofishing samples and post it online. I always enjoy looking through it to see how the lakes are looking. It's not a perfect sampling of the lakes, since they can only sample so much of a body of water, but this lake is without fail, the best big fish option in the state. They have a "Lunker", portion of sample, the number of fish over 20" sampled per 30 minutes or hour. This lake was 1.8, the next closest reservoir in the state was .89, with the biggest fish it produced being a 7.91lb giant, next closest was over a pound smaller. 

 

I do get cold at times, but I've got a lot of money tied into my gear to keep me warm. My hands, specifically my fingers, are mainly what get cold. The new gloves I just got from Bassmooch really seem to do a good job keeping them warm with a hybrid full/half finger design. On the really cold days, I just fish through the pain until the burning stops, then I'm good. 

[Swamp Girl]

@Bluebasser86:

 

Clayton, buy these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG65PYBV?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k2_1_6&amp=&crid=2UWE2ZMB6EY81&sprefix=rechar&th=1

 

They last for hours, recharge from your computer, have three settings, and slip inside gloves and boots. I own four of them and use them everyday. I'm thinking about buying another two too!

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

@Bluebasser86:

 

Clayton, but these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG65PYBV?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k2_1_6&amp=&crid=2UWE2ZMB6EY81&sprefix=rechar&th=1

 

They last for hours, recharge from your computer, have three settings, and slip inside gloves and boots. I own four of them and use them everyday. I'm thinking about buying another two too!

I’ll keep them in mind. The Hot Hands things are pretty worthless. I get them all the time for gifts and they don’t really work. I’m hoping we’re past the worst of it though. Our coldest day the next 10 days is 58*. I’m going to try to catch a fish on a frog next weekend 😅

[Swamp Girl]

6 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I’ll keep them in mind. The Hot Hands things are pretty worthless. I get them all the time for gifts and they don’t really work. I’m hoping we’re past the worst of it though. Our coldest day the next 10 days is 58*. I’m going to try to catch a fish on a frog next weekend 😅

 

Hot Hands are worthless. These aren't. @Pat Brown will smile when he reads that you're goin' fishin' with a frog!

[Pat Brown]

Oh I'll be trying to catch a fish on a frog between now and the 27th with fervor you better believe it LOL!

 

We've been steadily rising for 3 days now and 2 days before the new moon is go time baby.  😎😎😎

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Yeah Hot Hands truly are a complete waste of money in my experience.

 

I've yet to find a remedy for my hands when the guides and level wind are icing.   It's one thing to fish an A-Rig in gloves, but it's just not happening for me with a jig for example.   I tried half dozen gloves this winter, from latex/nitrile gloves to thinsulate mittens.   

 

Next winter I'm going to use one of those 1gal portable propane heaters in the floor of the boat and just blast my hands in between casts.  

[Swamp Girl]

40 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah Hot Hands truly are a complete waste of money in my experience.

 

I've yet to find a remedy for my hands when the guides and level wind are icing.   It's one thing to fish an A-Rig in gloves, but it's just not happening for me with a jig for example.   I tried half dozen gloves this winter, from latex/nitrile gloves to thinsulate mittens.   

 

Next winter I'm going to use one of those 1gal portable propane heaters in the floor of the boat and just blast my hands in between casts.  

 

Alex, try the rechargeable heaters. They're like a slender computer mouse and you can stick them anywhere: pockets, gloves, boots, or hat. On the highest setting, they're actually too hot for me and they only cost $20 for two. I lost one on the floor of my car for a couple weeks and it had snow, dirt, and ice falling on it and sat in a shallow pool of water too. No matter. It still works.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Thanks Katie, yeah I need something that is actually too hot I think.     Something that you don't have to hold for long.   That's why the idea of propane heater sounds perfect.    

 

Winter fishing will expose all the human body's weaknesses real quick 😆

[Rocky998]

Question. I'm teaching my dad how to bass fish. How do I convince him to NOT throw FULL size frogs and chatterbaits on his ultralight? Loll

He does that when he doesn't feel like re-tying his baitcaster...

[Swamp Girl]

7 minutes ago, Rocky998 said:

Question. I'm teaching my dad how to bass fish. How do I convince him to NOT throw FULL size frogs and chatterbaits on his ultralight? Loll

He does that when he doesn't feel like re-tying his baitcaster...

 

I don't think you have to teach him. If he hooks a big bass, the bass will be his teacher. When I started fishing for lmb in swamps after decades of fishing for smallies in rocky lakes, I learned quickly that my M spinning rods couldn't control a big lmb in weeds.

[Rocky998]

1 minute ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I don't think you have to teach him. If he hooks a big bass, the bass will be his teacher. When I started fishing for lmb in swamps after decades of fishing for smallies in rocky lakes, I learned quickly that my M spinning rods couldn't control a big lmb in weeds.

Yeah, I just don't want him to lose a fish AND bait at the same time... or worse, a pole... 

 

Sadly he hasn't been able to catch much, but I'm hoping this coming spring will boost his confidence!

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, Rocky998 said:

Yeah, I just don't want him to lose a fish AND bait at the same time... or worse, a pole... 

 

Sadly he hasn't been able to catch much, but I'm hoping this coming spring will boost his confidence!

 

Send him up to Maine. I'll have him cast into the bog below. A bog bass will bully his buggy whip pole and then he might be ready to listen and learn. Note all the grass around the bass below, even though I'm constantly pitching grass from my canoe because you're not just fighting big-shouldered bog bass; You're fighting their home too: