Last Bass of the Year

[OCdockskipper]

Yesterday was the last day of 2018 that I would go fishing.  It had been productive for a cool winter day and as I was headed in, I stopped at one last isolated dock on a point that had often produced in the past.  My first cast into the shade line produced a strike and I ended up with a nice bass that just topped the 4 lb mark.  A fitting end to the day & year and I continued back to my dock to unload.

 

One post-outing habit I have after cleaning the boat & stowing the gear is to make a couple of casts to test certain lures or to try something new that I didn't do out on the water.  I had a new jerkbait tied on that I had only made a couple of casts with during the day, so I wanted to see its action and what depth it would run at.  As I made a cast with it, my mind wandered back to the bass I caught coming it.  I suddenly realized that bass was the largest "last bass of the year" I had ever caught.  I don't keep records for such a thing, but the uniqueness of it stood out to me.  Most of the time, the last fish you catch just melds in with the rest.  As I was thinking about how cool that was, my rod loads up.  A 12" bass who had done stretching exercises in the morning to make himself a keeper had grabbed my jerkbait.  He was hooked well, he had all 3 hooks of the front treble in his mouth and the rear treble had swung around & stuck him as well.  As I worked to unhook him, I suddenly realized that he was now my last bass of the year.  Crud, so much for that record..

[Hook2Jaw]

 

Dink for last bass of the year catchers unite!  ?

[Big Rick]

Now that you mention it, my last bass for the year was caught last week. I had had a good day fishing with my oldest son. We had wrapped up the day and I was sliding the rod covers on and sliding my combos in the rod box. My last rod had a jig on it. On a whim I stood up in the middle of my boat and pitched it to the bank. Immediately my line took off to the deep. I set the hook hard. Felt like I had hooked a tank!  A short fight later and there she was. 7 pounds even!  Just 3 ounces shy of my PB. So, the last fish of 2018 was a remarkable one indeed for me. 

 

 

[JustJames]

I supposed to go out fishing on my new float tube my wife got me today, but I guess not since it started to sprinkle a little bit and cloudy as well. Oh well there will be a first fish of 2019.

[papajoe222]

My last bass of the year was actually caught on Oct.30. The local lakes close on Oct.31. Nothing special about it other than it was the only fish I caught that day. 

[Log Catcher]

My last bass of the year was caught some time in mid to late October. It was a smallmouth. No big one as it was about 14". It was the only smallmouth I caught this year.

[N Florida Mike]

The same thing happenned to me today. I got a 4.15 as the light was fading. Made a few more "last casts " , and had a pound sized fish get on to close out the year.

[Koz]

My last bass was a one pound dink on Saturday. Today (12/31) I gave it one last shot to meet my goal for the year of a 7 pounder but only managed a 2 pound crappie. There's always next year.

[Bluebasser86]

My last bass of the year was one of the larger ones I can remember catching. Could have been much larger if it was built like they normally are from this lake. I caught one a little shorter that weight 1.25lbs heavier than this one did the same day, but still a 3.22 for a last fish of the year when it doesn't make it above freezing isn't bad.

[Team9nine]

My last bass of the year was Friday, and would be very lucky to be considered "scorable" under MLF rules  With any luck, my first bass of 2019 will be tomorrow, and I'd be surprised if it turns out to be any larger than the last...but it's that hope and anticipation that it could be a big one on any given cast that keeps us coming back day after day ?

[Smokinal]

I don't remember my last bass, specifically. But what I do remember is the day. It was our first time on a lake I had heard had good smallies; and it didn't disappoint! We didn't catch very many, only around 12-15 each (my buddy and I) but none were under 3 lbs.

That was in Oct and I dinged my prop badly that day so I had to go out and buy another prop; which I did, and I was so eager to get back out to that lake to try the prop and bust some lips but it turned cold up here really early with early snow/ice so I was never able to get back out. First time I can remember that we didn't fish into December.

That place is on my radar for early smallies for sure

Good to see you guys catching some fish!

[Team9nine]

As I thought, I got my first bass of 2019 today, and it was small  We got around an inch of rain, so it really stained up the water around here and hurt the bite. That said, I did finally find a few others that were a little bigger, though I lost what I think was the best fish of the day...happens.

 

 

[FryDog62]

My last bass of the year was Nov 7.  21 inch 5.5 lbs.  Had planned to fish more that afternoon but it was a raw, cold day and 2 casts after this fish I got a rats nest which I tried to pick out for 10 minutes with numb fingers.  At that moment, realized I needed thumb surgery more than continuing to fish that day.  Dam, winter sure starts too early in Minnesota... C’mon Spring, get here ...

[soflabasser]

My last 2 bass of 2018 where a 23.5 inch and 24 inch largemouth bass. Today is January 1st and I went fishing for a couple hours in the late afternoon/early night. Ended up with my first 2 largemouth bass for 2019 which measured 23.75 inches and 20 inches. Looking towards to what 2019 has to offer and hope to improve my bass fishing skills by the end of the year.

[MIbassyaker]

Final bass of 2018 was an 11-inch smallie on Oct. 19. 

 

The year sort of went out with a whimper.

[ohboyitsrobby]

My last bass of the year was Monday while crappie fishing from a dock. A 13 inchish spot. 

[Bankbeater]

My last bass of 2018 was back on Oct. 20.  It seems like so long ago.