Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 2 Super User Posted March 2 On 3/2/2025 at 10:38 PM, LrgmouthShad said: You’re not kidding! I was out there today. Didn’t do any good. Battled some high curling waves by the afternoon Expand That's 'cause you're too cool to back down. 1 Quote
Super User LrgmouthShad Posted March 2 Super User Posted March 2 On 3/2/2025 at 11:33 PM, Swamp Girl said: That's 'cause you're too cool to back down. Expand 😆 Well, thanks. At a certain point since the fishing was bad, I just started trying to educate myself on how to deal with those type of conditions. It’s definitely fishable but less than comfortable and limiting. 1 Quote
Super User BrianMDTX Posted March 3 Super User Posted March 3 On 3/2/2025 at 10:38 PM, LrgmouthShad said: You’re not kidding! I was out there today. Didn’t do any good. Battled some high curling waves by the afternoon Expand It’s one area where an inflatable does suffer. Although it did conserve battery power and I was making 5 kts easy! 2 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 3 Global Moderator Posted March 3 Had some time on the water this weekend, the smallmouth were biting Saturday: Got out in the kayak around 9. I had some nightcrawlers and had also saved some shad I’ve been catching on some random stops at creek mouths near home. It was really windy so I had to get stuck up against rocks or trees to slow down enough to fish. Tossed one of the dead shad up against a deep rock cliff and it got hit hard, swing and miss. Rebait, same thing. This happened 4-5 times and I finally hooked it, a big ole smallie jumps and dives down into the tree I was up against. It finally swims free and tows me out to deep water. It got way down deep up against the cliff and got me wrapped up in something else. I tried to free it for 10 minutes paddling in circles around it in the waves, it was plum stuck. I finally had to break the line. After that I got a couple fish with nightcrawlers, one smallie in the 2 lb range and a spotted bass that I brought home to eat. Sunday: took my motor boat out with a couple buddies. Prior to fishing I went downtown to crackhead creek early this morning and netted about 100 threadfin shad for our excursion. It was 26 degrees my hands froze but they were worth it, smallies loved them. We started fishing around 10:30 and it took a while but Craig caught the first one, nice thick SMB. I then hooked one that got stuck in a tree but it finally came loose, Rich captured the escape on film. I was using 33 lb braid and 12 lb seaguar pounce leader, it held thru the ordeal. I had tied the leader knot yesterday in the kayak and forgot to check it today, still going strong The offshore action slowed so we hit some cliffs, I picked up a couple more went back offshore on the way to the truck and Rich got 2 19” fish within 10 minutes of each other fun times, good scenery, and of course the lucky loon wss swimming around us 24 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 3 Super User Posted March 3 On 3/3/2025 at 2:55 AM, TnRiver46 said: It was 26 degrees my hands froze Expand BRRRRRRRR! Tough guys catching big bass!!! Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 3 Global Moderator Posted March 3 @Swamp Girl, that was when I was catching shad near home early this AM. It was up into the mid 30s by the time we got to the lake and was almost pleasant by afternoon 1 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 3 Super User Posted March 3 On 3/3/2025 at 3:08 AM, TnRiver46 said: @Swamp Girl, that was when I was catching shad near home early this AM. It was up into the mid 30s by the time we got to the lake and was almost pleasant by afternoon Expand I stand by my post. I secretly took some footage of you warming up to cast the net for shad: 3 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 3 Global Moderator Posted March 3 Went a little further south on Sunday to a small, cold water lake, another one of my usual winter lakes. It's very shallow with fairly clear water and lots of grass, which seems to be key for a good winter bite. I caught a couple off the dam on a crankbait, but it was obvious that the grass was obvious starting to grow. I was hoping that was going to be a good thing, but it was not. The bite was very sporadic, with long lulls in between bites and then a few spots that were loaded up with fish. I was hoping the flatsided crank and bladed jig would be working good, but they accounted for a total of 4 fish combined. So basically, Ned ruled the day. The fish were mostly small, but a couple were better sized fish. I decided to give the Seaguar Pounce leader a real test, so I didn't retie all day. I caught 2 fish on a flatside, 2 on a bladed jig, 2 on a Money Badger, 1 on a Texas Rig, and 34 on my Ned rig with 8lb Pounce leader, without retying or breaking off once. I do swim my Ned a lot on this lake with the abundance of grass, but still the abrasion of the bass' teeth will wear through a leader that size after a while also. My biggest bass of the day was also in the end of a tree and rubbed on the limbs, and it still held up. Then right as I was paddling up to the bank to end the day, I found a $20 bill floating right next to the shoreline. 26 Quote
Blue Raider Bob Posted March 3 Posted March 3 On 3/1/2025 at 5:47 PM, lunkerboss923 said: after work every day. Expand My theory is we need to swap jobs! 2 Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted March 5 Super User Posted March 5 Finally got to change lakes to a much shallower, almost muddy water lake today with water temps in the low 50s (51-53). As I thought, I found active fish fairly shallow despite the lake being down 2-3 ft below normal. Was a nice change of pace from the past 2 months of fishing. 22 Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 Returned to the mud today and expanded on the bite from Tues. Ended with a double limit caught on a mix of cranks and jigs in 51-53 deg. water. 23 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 @Team9nine: Thick bass, buddy! You are scoring and I'm living like Uncle Rico. Here's why: I found about two feet of open water today. I kid you not, if coach had only given me a rod and reel, I would have cast at that patch of open water and I would have caught thick bass like yours! No question about it. 3 Quote
Super User FryDog62 Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 Shout out to @Siebert Outdoors. Until today I had ZERO confidence in red Chatterbaits. Ordered a couple recently and whattayouknow - 24 inch 7.35 pound LMB. “Hot Sauce” is my new favorite color 21 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 @FryDog62: Yee-haw! I'm so excited to use my @Siebert Outdoors's spinnerbaits too. It looks like you're tight to the shore, Mr. 62. Was she tight to the shore too? Quote
Super User FryDog62 Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 On 3/8/2025 at 4:24 PM, Swamp Girl said: @FryDog62: Yee-haw! I'm so excited to use my @Siebert Outdoors's spinnerbaits too. It looks like you're tight to the shore, Mr. 62. Was she tight to the shore too? Expand Just out from shore in 4-5 fow… 51 degree water temp pre-spawn. It was a cluster of a time. Net got caught in a rod/lure behind me, went to net it and the entire rod/reel went in the drink. Still stuck on the net though, but I couldn’t get the fish scooped up. Fish then dove and the line got caught on a notch in my paddle. Pulled that loose and I grabbed her jaw as the paddle floated away. Couldn’t get the camera in the cradle to take a photo. I heard a voice of someone that had floated up to me and watched the whole thing. He snapped a few shots from afar as I tried to unwind everything and release the fish. Doesn’t look like a 24 incher, picture doesn’t do it justice but I put it on the scale at 7.35. I did not deserve that fish, I need a different net with a shorter handle in close quarters in a kayak, this has happened before where I lost the fish.. - - 3 1 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 8 Super User Posted March 8 On 3/8/2025 at 4:42 PM, FryDog62 said: It was a cluster of a time. Expand Been there, done that. I'm just glad you got to hold her! On 3/8/2025 at 4:42 PM, FryDog62 said: Just out from shore in 4-5 fow… Expand I catch so many of my bass at that depth close to shore. Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted March 9 Super User Posted March 9 I went out yesterday for about six hours. Started off at a pond fishing with jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Never got a bite. After about three hours I headed over to pond #2. I got my first bass of 2025 on my third cast with a creature bait on a free rig. 19 Quote
OHBuckets Posted March 9 Posted March 9 It's official! Heck yeah! NEO unlocked today - I literally watched the ice dissolve with the wind and water. Thank gawd, on the 2025 board. Chocolate milk water, 1-2" visibility dragging a t-rig dark chocolate senko with sapphire flakes. Didn't think I'd have water, so went for a haircut and thought WTH take a rod. So one rod, one weight, one hook, one worm -> one good fish! 21 Quote
Super User J._Bricker Posted March 11 Super User Posted March 11 It definitely took a little while to finally get on the water, however my first trip of 2025 was a personal success with this 4.4lber coming aboard. With 58 degree water and 71 degree air temps it sure seemed like better fishing is just around the corner. 22 Quote
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 11 Super User Posted March 11 Back to back to back posts of members getting on the board for the first time in 2025......Let's GOOOOO gents! 5 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 11 Super User Posted March 11 @J._Bricker: Nice bass, but I couldn't take my eyes off your outerwear. I see an undershirt, a hoody, and a jacket. And it's 71 degrees! If you came to Maine, I think you'd have to wear five sleeping bags. I'm not complaining. I'm as jelly as Smuckers...both about the bass and that warm breeze. 1 5 Quote
Super User J._Bricker Posted March 11 Super User Posted March 11 On 3/11/2025 at 12:27 AM, Swamp Girl said: @J._Bricker: Nice bass, but I couldn't take my eyes off your outerwear. I see an undershirt, a hoody, and a jacket. And it's 71 degrees! If you came to Maine, I think you'd have to wear five sleeping bags. I'm not complaining. I'm as jelly as Smuckers...both about the bass and that warm breeze. Expand Ah, yes Katy hahaha it was 71 degrees- when I got back to the ramp and started the truck. In another three months air temperatures will rise to around triple digits here in the Big Valley, fortunately it’s a comfortable dry heat. And all that haberdashery is welcome when the boats on plane, I was heading back when I decided to hit one last spot because I was there. Definitely glad I did 😁. And as for the Smuckers comment- how’d you guess what I brought for lunch? It’s my jam 2 1 Quote
Super User Swamp Girl Posted March 11 Super User Posted March 11 @J._Bricker: Great, just great! Now I have three reasons to be jelly: 1. Your warm weather. 2. Your big bass. 3. You were full of jelly! 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted March 11 Global Moderator Posted March 11 Went out Sunday hoping to find some big prespawners with the warming trend. If I'd put every bass I caught together, I could have made a good 5 fish limit, problem was, I caught 52 of them. 52 bass, and the biggest was 13", smallest was 9.25". I don't know how I caught that many fish and not a single one was any bigger, but I sure did. I did manage to Ned rig a limit of trout, including a nice 20.5" fish, and this really fat 18" rainbow. This was my last trip locally. I'll be headed to Texas Friday. 20 Quote
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