Other Species Latest Catch Pics Thread

[T-Billy]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

You're SO close to your goal.

Bet you can almost taste it.

For sure. Losing a 34"- 35" isn't usually a big deal, but that one today kinda hurt. I won't be too bummed if I don't get there though. I can't complain about catching 90 something muskie in my first year of chasing them. It's been a fun ride, and I've learned a bunch. 

 Spring was brutal tough for me, but I know what to do next year. I'm back on familiar ground now. Cranks and blades will catch 'em into October, then that will transition into rubber and rigs until ice over.

 

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Just starting posting pics of fish from a few years ago.  We're old and won't know the difference.   Better be wearing the Bomber hat for a distraction though. 

Ha!!! Wearing that hat in August would melt my little pea brain in two minutes flat. 😂 

[Fishlegs]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Ha!!! Wearing that hat in August would melt my little pea brain in two minutes flat. 😂

Can't go wrong fishing with a hat with that T on it.

[DaubsNU1]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

I can't complain about catching 90 something muskie in my first year of chasing them. It's been a fun ride, and I've learned a bunch.

 

@T-Billy good GOD man!! Ninety-something muskie in your FIRST year! Impressive!

 

I've caught a handful in my entire life. 

 

Strong work!!

[king fisher]

I had planned on spending any free time I had this summer to fish, chasing only bass.  A friend called and wanted me to go fish for Rooster Fish south of PV with him on his boat.  I tried to tell him I only bass fish on my free time, but he is a good friend and insisted, so I broke my promise to myself and agreed to go.

 

I'm glad I I did because I have fished this area for 17 years and this was the best single day of fishing for roosters in my life.  We landed over 40 including this giant.

 

Fishing was fast and furious, and I hadn't run a busy cockpit like that in a long time.  The other angler was not experienced and I ended up having to be a full time deck hand.  It was just like riding a bike, it all came back after the first big flurry of bites, and I had a great time.

 

[ATA]

On 8/3/2024 at 5:44 PM, king fisher said:

I had planned on spending any free time I had this summer to fish, chasing only bass.  A friend called and wanted me to go fish for Rooster Fish south of PV with him on his boat.  I tried to tell him I only bass fish on my free time, but he is a good friend and insisted, so I broke my promise to myself and agreed to go.

 

I'm glad I I did because I have fished this area for 17 years and this was the best single day of fishing for roosters in my life.  We landed over 40 including this giant.

 

Fishing was fast and furious, and I hadn't run a busy cockpit like that in a long time.  The other angler was not experienced and I ended up having to be a full time deck hand.  It was just like riding a bike, it all came back after the first big flurry of bites, and I had a great time.

 

This roosters are in my list that I need to check. great catch

[king fisher]

18 hours ago, ATA said:

This roosters are in my list that I need to check. great catch

Get a hold of me if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta.  I will make sure you catch a rooster fish.  They are a truly unique sport fish.

[ATA]

3 hours ago, king fisher said:

Get a hold of me if you are ever in Puerto Vallarta.  I will make sure you catch a rooster fish.  They are a truly unique sport fish.

[12poundbass]

I took the today and tomorrow off to spend some extra time with the family and do a little fishing. 6poundbass and I headed to one of only a couple lakes around here that have smallmouth and blanked. We did see one smallie that looked huge roaming the shallows which I thought they’d be deeper. We saw a couple big green bass shallow too but no takers. We decided we were going to load up and head across the road to another lake. I put the trolling motor on high and head towards the launch and noticed a bunch of fish suspended 20’ down in 50’ deep water. I circled back, launched a Besotted Lures deep diver, and started trolling again towards the launch. It didn’t take too long and I hooked up on something big! I was really hoping it was a lake trout. After a brief tug of war, I realized it was a slimy pike! Not a bad one though. That was the only fish we caught on that lake. The other lake we ended up with 10 small largemouth. 
 

 

[TnRiver46]

That’s a big un! 

[T-Billy]

I lost two at the net on Wednesday and ended up taking a skunking. I moved five yesterday, but they were being skittish and the only one I got to commit was this little guy that just squeaked into the count at 30.5".

I picked up two early this morning on cranks, then the bite shut down like the flip of a switch.

39.5".

37"

So... I fell a bit short of my 100 fish goal, but it's all good. 94 muskie over 30" ain't a bad rookie year. I've learned a bunch, and now have some experience with them in all four seasons, so I feel like I have a solid foundation to build on. New goal is 100 before ice over. The current count for the 2024 calendar year stands at 44. 

[Fishlegs]

94 is extremely impressive. Well done @T-Billy!

 

[TnRiver46]

Had a couple hours free from mowing this afternoon, got a nice gar in the tiny kayak. Took it to shore to figure out how to unhook it and luckily it unhooked itself after dragging my rod/reel back into the water the first time I beached it 

 

[Swamp Girl]

We're so proud of the mighty @T-Billy!

[herder]

Hit the reservoir today looking for some more Smallmouths.

Did manage to get 4 Largemouths and 2 Smallies.

Tough day trying to find them, but the bonus fish were a Rainbow and a Channel Cat.

Everything caught on the drop shot with a Berkeley Flat Worm

  

[slonezp]

On 8/13/2024 at 8:12 PM, herder said:

Hit the reservoir today looking for some more Smallmouths.

Did manage to get 4 Largemouths and 2 Smallies.

Tough day trying to find them, but the bonus fish were a Rainbow and a Channel Cat.

Everything caught on the drop shot with a Berkeley Flat Worm

  

Nice trout

[T-Billy]

It's been kinda tough sledding lately. Stable high pressure, little wind, and clear water. I've been moving lots of fish, but getting them to commit has been tough. Took a skunking Wed, and only managed a 31.5" yesterday. 

Last night some storms rolled through, and this morning we had some showers and a low cloud ceiling. That put 'em in a much better mood. 

Started the morning off with this 37" on a 5" Tuff Shad. SLOW cranking it over deep coontail at first light.

Next up was this thick beast of a 45.5" on a Mepps Muskie Killer, about an hour later. I've been getting lots of follows but few bites on bigger blades, so I downsized this morning. It proved to be a good call.

 Cool story on this fish. It followed my double 8 spinner in yesterday about 100yds further back in the bay in just a couple feet of water. It saw me and wouldn't follow into the 8, but didn't spook either. It just sat there for a bit looking at me, then slowly swam off. I recognized it as I was releasing it today by the white scar on it's head that I had noticed yesterday as it was sitting there. 

The final catch of the day came just over an hour after that in the back of another bay, again on the Muskie killer. It's a lean but beautifully marked 44".

It was all down hill after that. Lol. I lost two at boatside while trying to net them. Not heartbreakers though, a mid 30's and a high 30's. Missed two that absolutely smoked my Tuff Shad. Not sure how they didn't hook up, they were violent hits, and I had five follows. Pretty busy 7 hours by muskie standards, and two mid 40's in the net is an awesome day. Happy, happy, happy!!! 😁

 

[gim]

6 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Next up was this thick beast of a 45.5"

 

That is a quality fish.  Nice work.

 

I went last night for about 4 hours and finally moved a fish for the first time this season (3 outings, a total of 10 hours now).  It swiped at my lure, missed, I kept reeling, and swiped again boatside, and missed.  Figure 8, nothing.

 

I've got a 7 year muskie streak on the line.  And I'm running out of time here.

[T-Billy]

28 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I've got a 7 year muskie streak on the line.  And I'm running out of time here.

I don't know what y'all got going up there, but here the water temp's down about 6 degrees from it's peak a couple weeks ago, and they're stacking up in all the bays that have a feeder creek. 4"-5" cranks and smaller blades have been producing best. 

 The fish are moving into the back of the bays and back out to the weeds in 10'-15'. That pattern will hold up clear into October. Ours are man made reservoirs with a shad forage base. I don't know if the same pattern happens up your way or not, but it might be worth checking out.

[gim]

20 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I don't know what y'all got going up there, but here the water temp's down about 6 degrees from it's peak a couple weeks ago

 

I didn't muskie fish here when the water was at its peak.  We had one really hot, humid week of weather in late July/early August.  I was also out of town for a week too.  Before the heatwave, it was 76.  During it, I'm sure it was 80+.  Luckily we got a nice cool down after that hot weather and the water dropped back down to 75, which is where it was yesterday.

 

My opportunity to muskie fish is much more limited than yours.  We don't have near as many stocked anymore, and the season is only open for less than 6 months (1 of which I'm hunting instead).

 

Not to mention I can't fish for 9 or 10 hours at a time either.  lol

 

There is a PMTT event here in a week so a lot of pro muskie anglers will be invading the area.

[T-Billy]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Luckily we got a nice cool down after that hot weather and the water dropped back down to 75, which is where it was yesterday.

Pretty much the same here. Surface temp was 76 this morning. It was 82 two weeks ago.

[T-Billy]

My work schedule has me rotating back into some weekend days off, so I got to go fishing with my bride for the first time since late June. We had a great morning and put a couple fish each in the net. Both of hers were bigger than mine. 😁 I love it when she gets the better of me. 

 

I started things off with this 37" on a Tuff Shad at first light. 

 Tammy followed that up shortly after with a 40.5" on a Muskie Killer in the shallow milfoil. It's only her second over 40", so we were both tickled with that.

 

After a few hours with no action, it was Tammy getting it done again with the Muskie Killer with a 38.5".

 

 

 I picked up my second with time running out, again with the Muskie Killer in a shallow creek channel. 38"

 Back to the grind tomorrow for the next four days.

#HAPPYWIFEHAPPYLIFE!!!

 

 

[MassBass]

Bucktails in shallow water, that is an exciting bite.

[T-Billy]

It sure is @MassBass. It's my favorite way to catch 'em. 

[Swamp Girl]

@T-Billy is a heckuva angler. 

[Fried Lemons]

I got on a fun mixed bag in some brackish water. I never target these fish or fish salt so it was pretty gratifying to get on all three species I was hoping for in one exploratory trip. I caught all these fish on a grass line in 8’ with an old mirrolure that sat forever in an old tacklebox without catching any fish.