Other Species Latest Catch Pics Thread

[TnRiver46]

Now that’s my kind of food 

[T-Billy]

Got some much needed action this morning. Took a double skunking over the last two days. We got some cold rain over the weekend that caused an early turn over. The main lake basin looks like tea, and the water up in the creeks has dropped as much as 14 degrees in a few days time. 

 The crankbait bite is GONE. They're shallow, but buried up in the weeds and not being very cooperative. This morning I got a follow each on a 10/9 stagger, double 8's, and the little #6 Vibrax. Put on a single #8, gold on gold, and that was the magic combo. Both fish crushed it mid retrieve and had it choked. Caught them about 20min apart and just like that, the window slammed shut and it was right back to no action. Then came the floatilla. I got invaded by 8 other boats on about a 10 acre spot, and every other spot I wanted to hit had boats on them, so I called it a trip. Happy to get the skunk out of the boat. Working the next four, then off for four. Hopefully the lake's in better shape by then.

Skinny, beat up, blind in one eye 37". Poor little fish has lead a rough life.

Thick beast of a 39.5". 

 

[bulldog1935]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Now that’s my kind of food 

it gets better than that - today's dinner was grill-blackened half-shell redfish fillets

[Woody B]

I only bass fish, but occasionally catch other species.  I haven't caught any others in a couple weeks until today.  Nothing spectacular, but I caught a decent Crappie and a smallish Yellow Perch.  The strange part, I caught both of them on a Devils Horse.  I've never seen or heard of Crappie or Perch on top water before.   The Crappie really surprised me.  I saw it on sonar all by itself next to a stump.  It was my first cast of the day.  I've never seen a lone Crappie before.  Usually they're schooled up.   The Perch was with a bunch of fish in a lay down.  I threw my Devils Horse right above the underwater part.  It smashed it right after the lure hit the water.   I had a HUGE Flathead Cat follow my Devils Horse later.   I thought it was a log on sonar, with a couple fish next to it.  The Cat got 6 inches or so from my lure and just stayed there.  It would move a little every twitch, but stay the same distance from it.  It followed it one twitch at a time all the way to the boat.   It's back was sticking out of the water most of the time.   It slowly swam under the boat when it got to it.  I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it's back sticking out of the water a few feet from the boat.   

 

 

[Aaron_H]

The bass bite this evening wasn't anything to write home about, but I did accidentally catch the biggest gizzard shad I've ever seen. Kept flopping when I was trying to take the picture on the tape measure, but came in at 13.5" long. I've accidentally snagged a handful of them in the 8-9" region but this is by far my PB.

 

Also culled a couple of tilapia, no pics since they were small but always nice to get some of those out of the gene pool.

[TnRiver46]

Nice gizzard! I think the state record in TN is pushing 3 lbs hahah, I remember thinking “what in the world?” when I read that 

[Aaron_H]

18 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Nice gizzard! I think the state record in TN is pushing 3 lbs hahah, I remember thinking “what in the world?” when I read that 

 

I couldn't even imagine. I thought I had on a nice crappie when I first saw it flash, but this was a cool surprise. I wanted to get a weight but didn't think I'd be able to get the scale/lip grippers on there without hurting the fish, so just a couple of pics and a length measurement and got it back in the water.

[thediscochef]

Fun with flatheads on lipless crankbaits. This one was 10lb 8.5oz. Not quite as big as the last one but fun nonetheless. A little more lively than their blue and channel cousins. I didn't take pics of any of the 5 dinky bass I caught so this will have to do. Had two meanmouth in the same day for the first time which was cool. Possum Kingdom in a few days. I'm ready.

[gim]

On 10/11/2023 at 4:18 PM, bulldog1935 said:

today's dinner was grill-blackened half-shell redfish fillets

That's the only way I've had redfish. I was in Tampa, FL for a week long trip back in 2015 and my wife and I went on a 6 hour guided inshore fishing trip.  We caught redfish, snook, and sea trout.  They let us keep one of the redfish because it was in the keeper size slot and the resort prepared it for exactly that route, per the the cook's suggestion.

 

I personally think saltwater fish blows freshwater fish out of the water when it comes to taste.  Its just so much more flavorful.  Freshwater fish is very bland.

[bulldog1935]

@gimruis When I was a kid, 14" was a keeper redfish, and these small fillets were perfect for pan blackening.  When the min slot made it to 20", I became less interested in redfish to eat, and speckled trout fillets are so perfect to fry, or saute for fish tacos.  (Also, flounder give you 4 fillets which are just the right size)

 

After my buddy Josh showed us how to grill-blacken skin-on half-shell redfish fillets, it totally reversed my priority - this is the best food you've ever eaten. 

 

I also never freeze fish, but keep fillets floating in ice water in my cooler until I cook them.  They'll keep for a week, and the ice water cleans out blood and bile - I learned this from a Rockport bud who became a guide.  Also drain them on a stack of paper towels, min 20 min on each side, before you cook them.  

 

[T-Billy]

First two fish on the rig for fall 23. 41" and 36". Lost a mid 40's and a high 30's on it also, plus another half dozen follows. They're eating it up in the creeks where the water's in the mid 50's and there's small schools of gizzards balling up. Still too warm in the main lake basins at 61, and no shad schools there yet. 

First fall fish in the fur hat yesterday morning. Barely over 30". The hat needs to step up it's game. This kinda performance is unacceptable.

[Catt]

I love fishing brackish water, throwing a spinnerbait for bass when this little boy wanted to play.

 

[MassBass]

Trout!

[Team9nine]

Welcome to South Carolina 😎

 

Sitting just on the back side of high pressure today, which peaked around Noon, and almost no wind (variable/E at 3-6 mph), I decided I’d try and chase the crappie and see if I could figure them out a little better. Finally put something together and scored big.

 

Got my first SC crappie limit (20).
Got my first SC blacknose.

Got my first chance to run up the counter, and left them biting.

 

Stopped counting at 100 today and just swung on more. I may have to let the bass rest tomorrow, too, and do it all again 😉

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

Took a friend and her son out fishing, he caught probably 20 something bluegill, some redear sunfish, several green sunfish, one or two redbreast sunfish, and a channel catfish all from about 5-7 pm 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Took a friend and her son out fishing, he caught probably 20 something bluegill, some redear sunfish, several green sunfish, one or two redbreast sunfish, and a channel catfish all from about 5-7 pm 

Kid went to bed thinking about those fish, he'll wake up thinking about those fish.....that Dad is going to be regretting you putting him on some hot fishing if he ain't a fisherman, ask my dad how I know 🤣

[BASS302]

@TnRiver46:

[TnRiver46]

@BASS302,

 

[TnRiver46]

Fishin on the clock in a company boat, nice Sunday 

[Woody B]

In the past couple trips I've caught a few small White Perch that I didn't use pixels on.  Yesterday (I'm saying) I caught a decent size Blue Cat.  I thought for a while I had the biggest fish I'd ever caught.  It was hooked in the tail making it especially strong.  It wasn't trophy size so I took my pliers and shook it off next to the boat.  I didn't want to slime my boat measuring one I knew wasn't trophy size.   I caught a medium size Yellow Perch today on a crank.   Every time I send Mrs B a picture of a Yellow Perch she responds "that's a pretty fish".  There was a HUGE Muskrat swimming around my boat for a while today.  I was talking to it, like I do most animals.  I guess it was swimming around listening.  

 

[T-Billy]

Started the day off right. I caught this 26" 6.4# eye about 15 minutes in, on the rig.  4.8" Keitech. 

It was tough sledding with the muskies. Three follows on the rig. One follow and lost one on the glide bait. At least I finally got one to eat the glide instead of just following it in and circling around mocking me. Lol. There'll be another front blowing in tomorrow morning. Hopefully it'll get 'em chewing for me. Fingers crossed.

 

[gim]

That’s one of the bigger floaters for your standards @T-Billy. 😂

[T-Billy]

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That’s one of the bigger floaters for your standards @T-Billy. 😂

Yeah, it's a good'n. My guide buddy couldn't let me have my moment though. LOL. He caught one 28.5" and over 8#. His client also put 4 ski's in the net, and lost 5 more. I'll not be leaving that stretch tomorrow. I bailed on it early to go fish some hard structure and drop some waypoints for when things really get going here soon. He said the shad came up high shortly after I left the area, and the ski's went to bustin on 'em. 

[T-Billy]

Started today off even more righter than yesterday. About an hour in, this thick beast of a 45" rocketed up from the deep and smoked my rig in the second turn of the 8 going full tilt. Not a bite I'll forget anytime soon.

The huge schools of shad are forming and lots of muskie are there gorging on 'em. Muskiepalooza 23 is officially underway. 

Unfortunately the seal around my livewell plug decided it had had enough shortly after, and I started taking on water faster than I was comfortable with so I had to bail. Got it fixed this afternoon, and made a batch of 4.8" Keitechs, and 6" Do-It Rippers. Speaking of which, that's what the above beast ate. I had that rig loaded with three 6" Rippers on 3/8 heads, and two 4.8's up top on the dummies. That sucker is a workout to throw. Bass rods need not apply. I'm throwing it on a 9' H muskie rod and it really loads that rod up. I'm gonna suck it up and spend a bunch of time with that rig though. Sticking them with that 8/0 Mustad 34081 inspires confidence.

Two more days to fish this week, and the wife's fishing with me both days. I hope she gets to stick a few. Fingers crossed.

[MIbassyaker]

I always forget about this thread -- a few odds and ends from my season this year: