Other Species Latest Catch Pics Thread

[gim]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

She's so mean, I named her Marci, after my sister. ?

 

[ATA]

Caught biggest tilapia of my life and 10lber carp and smallest bluegill ?

[T-Billy]

Got on 'em pretty early this morning with three aggressive follows on a crank shortly after daylight. They were following close and snapping at it , but just wouldn't commit. Moved to some shallower milfoil and managed these two on #8 blades. First fish came about 08:30, second around 09:30, then a drought until I called it around 13:00. Both pretty thick fish for this time of year. 36" and 39".

 

Back to the grind for the next five days. Forecast is looking good though. Water might be below 70 next trip. Saw some small shad schools today. They'll be putting the feedbags on soon. 

[Eric 26]

Finally got out yesterday for about an hour. Between last weeks cool down and 2 days of rain including yesterday I was able to fish my favorite retention pond without snagging weeds every cast. I had one miss even though he struck my in-line spinner twice due to not resetting the drag upon arrival caught the second one and had the third shake loose right at my feet before I could get him. Definitely looking forward to the upcoming fall bite. I apologize in advance for the poor photo quality as it’s been awhile since I’ve had anything to photograph ?

[MassBass]

I set off into the unknown of the Mt Washington valleys in NH, for a river rat campaign. I was very excited to have success with some wild and native trout. On the open river. The rainbow and brown came from the same hole, got another rainbow to with an early release. Two on spinners, one on jerkbait. 

 

Further north to the Androscoggin, I caught two brookies on a spinner. These fish were probably totally wild and native, near the main river nonetheless.

[T-Billy]

Caught my first fish on my newly built mag size chatterbait this morning. I got on my spot right at the morning major and on the third cast it got smoked by this thick 44 incher in about 2' of water. 

I lost another shortly after, at boatside. It was about 40-42". Came unbuttoned while I was reaching for the net. Three more follows by low 30's and then it was like fishing the dead sea for the next three hours so I called it. Happy to have some success on the chatterbait. It's been a bit of a challange finding a hook I'm happy with, but I think I'm good to go now.

 

[gim]

I had an interesting morning. Just me and the dog went muskie fishing for about 3 hours. I made a deal with her. I would take her with if she took a photo of a muskie if I caught one. Turns out when we get there, I remind her of the deal and she is off in doggy la la land watching ducks in the distance.

Around 9:30am, I am fishing a wind blown weed line and another muskie angler comes flying across the lake and starts fishing in front of me about 2 cast lengths away. He is tossing enormous bull dawgs. I give him the stare down and say “ hey, what gives?!” He looks at me, says nothing and keeps fishing.

I continue fishing behind him. 10 minutes later, I pile into a solid fish. It turns out to be a 36 inch tiger muskie. The guy who cut me off sees me catch it, and shakes his head. I yell at him “can you take a photo of this fish?” He gives me the finger and keeps fishing. I look at the dog, and she is sleeping lol

Then I hear “Hey! Over here!” There is a guy on his dock nearby that saw the whole ordeal and tells me to motor over with my fish in the muskie net. He offers to take photos and takes a bunch. He makes friends with my dog. I release the fish. He asks me “what was that other guys problem? What an a**hole.” I shake his hand and keep fishing.

To the dip stick that cut me off, in yo face. To the helpful landowner named Kevin who took photos, thanks. To my dog who didn’t hold up her end of the bargain…we’re still friends.

[T-Billy]

Nice @gimruis!!! Those tigers are gorgeous fish. I wish we had some in our lakes.

Good job with the bunghole who cut you off too. Always enjoyable when you catch fish behind them and get to heckle 'em about it. 

[gim]

2 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Nice @gimruis!!! Those tigers are gorgeous fish. I wish we had some in our lakes.

Good job with the bunghole who cut you off too. Always enjoyable when you catch fish behind them and get to heckle 'em about it. 

It had been about 2 months since I caught a muskie. The water is still very warm for late September here. It’s still 70 degrees.

 

Thats the first time I’ve had someone cut me off in quite a while too.

[Eric 26]

@MassBass Truly beautiful fish ??

Caught me a decent bluegill to go along with a few bass I posted in the latest pic’s section.

[T-Billy]

This morning I caught numbers 29 and 30 since I started chasing these toothy slimers on August 10th.  Counting only fish over 30". This morning, I caught a 33" in the dark on my musky chatterbait, and the second, a 35.5" on a crankbait. Had four other follows, and had one bite in the 8, but didn't hookup.

That's two, in two predawn trips on the chatterbait. I'm building it on Do-It, 1oz and 1.5oz sparkie heads. Using a 7/0, 30 degree mustad hook. The mold calls for a 5/0, 60 degree hook, but going with a 30 allows me to fit a bigger hook in the cavity with minimum alteration to the mold. I wish I could find a 30 degree 8/0, but my search has been fruitless. 

The mag blade, with a 6" grub trailer hunts like crazy when you burn it, and shakes hard enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth. LOL.

I'm trimming a bit off the tip of the blade to allow for more gap between it and the hook point, and winding on a piece of .051 stainless wire for the line tie. No clip to fail on this bad boy.

[T-Billy]

31" and 37" this morning. Lost a mid 30's and a low 40's also, all within about 45 minutes. That bite window SLAMMED shut. Five follows and no takers over the next 6hrs.

 Today's MVP was a little #6 Blue Fox Super Bou in white/red. Killer little spinner that has unfortunately been discontinued. I acually found the one I was using today. I just cleaned the auction site out in that color. Shad have started moving into the backs of the bays with creeks entering them. Little white and nickle spinners should be a hot bait until turnover.

That marabou and tinsil tail on these has crazy action. Looks like I'll be building bucktails this winter. I need more of these small spinners in my life, with different weights so I can fish them deeper.. Those fish wouldn't look at anything else today.

 

[WVU-SCPA]

Bass were thumping a spinnerbait on the drop after the first crank, could tell instantly this was a little different and was thinking pike.  Got to swim free as I had to go back to work and wasn't heading home. 

 

[JackstrawIII]

Not as cool as all of T-Billy’s giant musky, but I finally caught a very nice channel cat out of the Seneca River near Clyde, NY. This is pretty big for up here and I really enjoyed pulling this in on a light dropshot I had rigged up for walleye. Fun. 
 

Ps. I’m 6’5 220 for scale. 

[Dwight Hottle]

On 9/25/2023 at 2:18 PM, T-Billy said:

This morning I caught numbers 29 and 30 since I started chasing these toothy slimers on August 10th.  Counting only fish over 30". This morning, I caught a 33" in the dark on my musky chatterbait, and the second, a 35.5" on a crankbait. Had four other follows, and had one bite in the 8, but didn't hookup.

That's two, in two predawn trips on the chatterbait. I'm building it on Do-It, 1oz and 1.5oz sparkie heads. Using a 7/0, 30 degree mustad hook. The mold calls for a 5/0, 60 degree hook, but going with a 30 allows me to fit a bigger hook in the cavity with minimum alteration to the mold. I wish I could find a 30 degree 8/0, but my search has been fruitless. 

The mag blade, with a 6" grub trailer hunts like crazy when you burn it, and shakes hard enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth. LOL.

I'm trimming a bit off the tip of the blade to allow for more gap between it and the hook point, and winding on a piece of .051 stainless wire for the line tie. No clip to fail on this bad boy.

 

@T-Billy Tim has to be the Ohio version of Pete Maina/Larry Dahlberg for his tackle innovation & catch ability of the esox species. ??

[N Florida Mike]

Tilapia fishing this morning in a friend’s pond…

[T-Billy]

Thanks @Dwight Hottle. I'm not sure I should even be mentioned in the same breath as those two, but I appreciate the compliment.

I did put together a new creation yesterday and got to spend a little time with it this afternoon. It's a chatterbait built on a piece of .062 wire like a bucktail. I used a 1oz tungsten flippin weight for the head, a tinsel skirt, a VMC 5/0 6X strong treble on the buisness end, and a screw lock added to the split ring to hold a trailer, in this case a 6" grub.

That tinsel has outstanding action behind that big blade. I had a low 40's and a mid 30's follow it in this afternoon, but they were lazy follows, wouldn't even follow it into the 8. Same deal with a mepps muskie killer. Four lazy follows on it. Slick calm, sunny, and warm, it was actually more action than I expected. I think once this water cools a bit more, and we start getting some fall winds, this chatterbait is gonna be a solid producer. 

That VMC is a beast of a hook. Perfect for pulling big slimers up out of the weeds.

[you]

Had a great multi-species day while creek fishing. Caught shellcrackers, stumpknockers, bluegill, bowfin, and pickerel, but no bass. Not even micros. I'm wondering where they went--normally there are plenty in this stretch. Oh well.

 

It's worth noting that all fish pictured below were caught on a single z-man larvaz trailer. Hard to complain about elaztech.

 

[T-Billy]

I had an awesome morning, with one of the greatest fish catches of my life. I bagged my first muskie on the new chatterbait at first light. The fish hit mid retrieve and we slugged it out through about 40' of shallow milfoil. As I got it close it made a hard run under the boat. I got it turned and it came back out going full tilt, turned in a semi circle, and rocketed up about 4' out of the water, as they're apt to do in the shallows. The fish came unbuttoned mid air, and sent my bait flying back at me, while the fish landed ON THE FLOOR OF MY BOAT!!! LOL!!! So, I put in in the net to chill while I set the phone up for a pic. I get the green, uncooperative fish out of the net for a photo, and as I turn it horizontal, it goes ballistic, wrenches out of my hands, bounces off the deck, and goes right back INTO THE NET!!! NO FLIPPIN WAY!!! ? My first thought was of Paul's comment in Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Lol.  Anyhow, twas a total fiasco, but my new bait is on the board with a 42". ?

Shortly after, the #6 Vibrax got it done again with a nice, thick 40.5" That little spinner has quickly earned a place in the staring lineup. Sucks it's been discontinued, but I have parts arriving today to make my own.

I spent awhile longer in the shallow weeds with just a single lazy follow to show for it, so I moved back out to the deeper 10'-13' weeds, and managed to crank up this little 33" before the bite completely shut off. 

After almost four more hours without even a follow, I called it around noon. This heat wave has really tightened up the bite windows. I can't get anything going in the dark either, just that early morning bite.

I'll close this out by stating that, muskie knuckle trumps bass thumb every time. ?

 

[Fishlegs]

@T-Billy

[MassBass]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I had an awesome morning, with one of the greatest fish catches of my life. I bagged my first muskie on the new chatterbait at first light. The fish hit mid retrieve and we slugged it out through about 40' of shallow milfoil. As I got it close it made a hard run under the boat. I got it turned and it came back out going full tilt, turned in a semi circle, and rocketed up about 4' out of the water, as they're apt to do in the shallows. The fish came unbuttoned mid air, and sent my bait flying back at me, while the fish landed ON THE FLOOR OF MY BOAT!!! LOL!!! So, I put in in the net to chill while I set the phone up for a pic. I get the green, uncooperative fish out of the net for a photo, and as I turn it horizontal, it goes ballistic, wrenches out of my hands, bounces off the deck, and goes right back INTO THE NET!!! NO FLIPPIN WAY!!! ? My first thought was of Paul's comment in Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Lol.  Anyhow, twas a total fiasco, but my new bait is on the board with a 42". ?

Shortly after, the #6 Vibrax got it done again with a nice, thick 40.5" That little spinner has quickly earned a place in the staring lineup. Sucks it's been discontinued, but I have parts arriving today to make my own.

I spent awhile longer in the shallow weeds with just a single lazy follow to show for it, so I moved back out to the deeper 10'-13' weeds, and managed to crank up this little 33" before the bite completely shut off. 

After almost four more hours without even a follow, I called it around noon. This heat wave has really tightened up the bite windows. I can't get anything going in the dark either, just that early morning bite.

I'll close this out by stating that, muskie knuckle trumps bass thumb every time. ?

 

Maybe this a sign your success with musky has become a holy endeavor, of biblical proportions. If I were you I would gear up for the next state record. 

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, MassBass said:

Maybe this a sign your success with musky has become a holy endeavor, of biblical proportions. If I were you I would gear up for the next state record. 

The muskie record is actually one that is a possibility. I had one of that caliber follow my A-rig in a couple springs ago. Couldn't get it to chew unfortunately. 

[13poundBLUEGILL]

On 9/25/2023 at 1:18 PM, T-Billy said:

This morning I caught numbers 29 and 30 since I started chasing these toothy slimers on August 10th.  Counting only fish over 30". This morning, I caught a 33" in the dark on my musky chatterbait, and the second, a 35.5" on a crankbait. Had four other follows, and had one bite in the 8, but didn't hookup.

That's two, in two predawn trips on the chatterbait. I'm building it on Do-It, 1oz and 1.5oz sparkie heads. Using a 7/0, 30 degree mustad hook. The mold calls for a 5/0, 60 degree hook, but going with a 30 allows me to fit a bigger hook in the cavity with minimum alteration to the mold. I wish I could find a 30 degree 8/0, but my search has been fruitless. 

The mag blade, with a 6" grub trailer hunts like crazy when you burn it, and shakes hard enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth. LOL.

I'm trimming a bit off the tip of the blade to allow for more gap between it and the hook point, and winding on a piece of .051 stainless wire for the line tie. No clip to fail on this bad boy.

would you sell one or two of these? very cool!

[T-Billy]

3 hours ago, 13poundBLUEGILL said:

would you sell one or two of these? very cool!

Sorry, no can do. TnA Tackle, and Livingston Lures both offer a chatterbait designed for muskie though. 

[bulldog1935]

Sorry, haven't been playing on this forum page for awhile, too busy cleaning off my work plate and staging for the annual fall Redfish Rodeo (last week).   Here are my best results.  

First day on Estes flats with Lou (only good weather day).  

Lou's thick trout, my redfish limit (only limit for the group/week)

Fried Feast from our host

Next day, on and off Dagger Flats before the front and monsoon rain hit

Last day, Lighthouse Lakes before retreating in 30-kt wind

(trip-fish for the group/week)

a lot can happen in a minute seventeen

Last nite shrimp boil

And consider all the fish gravy - the point of this week was spending time with the brothers you choose - those you want be with when doing what you'd always rather be doing, like this.