Alewife-fattened Bass

[Swamp Girl]

The West has trout-fattened bass. The Great Lakes have goby-fattened bass. The South has year-round-eating-fattened bass. And Maine has some ponds with bass fattened by alewives, which swim into the freshwater ponds to reproduce and the bass grow fat on them and their young. I've always wanted to fish an alewife pond and I did this morning. It began as a bog and then flared into a north woods pond, with rocky shores and few weeds. I had the best luck in the bog. I only caught fifteen, but lawdy, four were so fine and two were extra fine. I caught every single fish on a Whopper Plopper and three of the fish were pickerel, but big, strong pickerel, so I even enjoyed them. All the fish clobbered my lures. KERSPLOOSH! My last big bass tried every trick: She ran like a pike, wrapped line around a submerged tree, and burrowed into the weeds. The photos start with two pics of the stone ladders that were built for the alewives to ascend to the bog/pond. Then pics of the bog. Then a photo of an average bass. Then the four fat gals on the bump board. Then a pretty pic. Then two of the fat gals in a lip and grip pose so you can appreciate how many alewives they've eaten! I've lost too many big bass in the last two weeks. It felt wonderful to finally land some. 

[Susky River Rat]

Looks like the NFL lost a load of footballs. Great catches!

[Pat Brown]

That's a TOAD factory @ol'crickety

 

I reckon that alewives pond is the deal right now!

[roadwarrior]

Outstanding!

 

 

 

                            

[Fishlegs]

Are those fish, or butterballs? Wow!

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

The West has trout-fattened bass. The Great Lakes have goby-fattened bass. The South has year-round-eating-fattened bass. And Maine has some ponds with bass fattened by alewives, which swim into the freshwater ponds to reproduce and the bass grow fat on them and their young. I've always wanted to fish an alewife pond and I did this morning. It began as a bog and then flared into a north woods pond, with rocky shores and few weeds. I had the best luck in the bog. I only caught fifteen, but lawdy, four were so fine and two were extra fine. I caught every single fish on a Whopper Plopper and three of the fish were pickerel, but big, strong pickerel, so I even enjoyed them. All the fish clobbered my lures. KERSPLOOSH! My last big bass tried every trick: She ran like a pike, wrapped line around a submerged tree, and burrowed into the weeds. The photos start with two pics of the stone ladders that were built for the alewives to ascend to the bog/pond. Then pics of the bog. Then a photo of an average bass. Then the four fat gals on the bump board. Then a pretty pic. Then two of the fat gals in a lip and grip pose so you can appreciate how many alewives they've eaten! I've lost too many big bass in the last two weeks. It felt wonderful to finally land some. 

Thank you so much for sharing! I could stare at these pictures for hours and just day-dream.....actually that is just what I am going to do! I am dreaming of Maine, Alewife fattened Bass, and sausage and taters! Wish I had some of your lilypads. Mine are no-shows. What are the plants with the purple flowers? Katie, Charlie Daniels always said that "Tennessee was God's Country". I'm beginning to thing his view was a bit narrower than It should be. I'm going to expand it as far as Maine!

[A-Jay]

That is some impressive Bassing ~ !

 And all on topwater to boot.

Just Wow.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

[Swamp Girl]

42 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

That's a TOAD factory @ol'crickety

 

I reckon that alewives pond is the deal right now!

It's about 5 feet deeper than my favorite bogs and that extra water allowed me to land them, as opposed to the beasts I've been losing for the last two weeks in shallower weed-choked bogs.

 

@A-Jay: I tried a wacky Senko and Rage Swimmer paddletail, but couldn't coax a single subsurface hit.

 

@Blue Raider Bob: Anytime, Bob, anytime.

 

[Fishingmickey]

Very nice, Katy! I'm counting down the four weeks for my Maine fishing adventure.

Fishingmickey

[Swamp Girl]

8 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Very nice, Katy! I'm counting down the four weeks for my Maine fishing adventure.

Fishingmickey

 

You'll be here at a pretty time! Low humidity, cool nights, and warm days. 

 

57 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Thank you so much for sharing! I could stare at these pictures for hours and just day-dream.....actually that is just what I am going to do! I am dreaming of Maine, Alewife fattened Bass, and sausage and taters! Wish I had some of your lilypads. Mine are no-shows. What are the plants with the purple flowers? Katie, Charlie Daniels always said that "Tennessee was God's Country". I'm beginning to thing his view was a bit narrower than It should be. I'm going to expand it as far as Maine!

 

I don't know what the purple flowers are, but they are everywhere!

 

I forgot to share that one reel died, one rod was cracked by the last bass, and I stuck myself with a treble for the third time this year. Yikes, huh?

[Catt]

That's some serious bass kicking 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

 

@A-Jay: I tried a wacky Senko and Rage Swimmer paddletail, but couldn't coax a single subsurface hit.

 

 

 

I am not a Wacky worm fan at all.

But I keep waiting for you to get on the Z-Man Jackhammer Train.

Some of those places seem 'tailor-made' for it. 

All Aboard !

A-Jay

[GaryH]

Nice work Katie… those are some nice hogs

[TnRiver46]

Nice ones! Hooked 3 times? Better get a lotto ticket. 
 

we also have alewives in TN, the monster stripers and open water black bass enjoy them 

[bp_fowler]

I swear you catch what have to be some of the most aesthetically pleasing fish I’ve ever seen.

 

Beautiful fish! 

[Skunkmaster-k]

?

[Mobasser]

Ol Crickety you've got " that big fish something " going on big time! Great job!

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I am not a Wacky worm fan at all.

But I keep waiting for you to get on the Z-Man Jackhammer Train.

Some of those places seem 'tailor-made' for it. 

All Aboard !

A-Jay

 

I've tossed it a few times, but have yet to catch a bass with it. However, I won't quit. I was thinking of trying it again tomorrow morning. Should I toss it at weed lines? I'll have to retrieve it pretty fast or I'll snag weeds. However, there is deep water abutting the bog. Maybe I should cast it there and fish it deeper. What do you think, A-Jay?

[Pat Brown]

I believe it is Blueback Herring and Alewives that look almost identical and we have the Blueback Herring here in NC.  I love the purple/pinkish and green hues!

[Swamp Girl]

53 minutes ago, bp_fowler said:

I swear you catch what have to be some of the most aesthetically pleasing fish I’ve ever seen.

 

Beautiful fish! 

 

I agree that the fourth gal on the bump board is a perfect-looking bass. However, the three gals above her a little lumpy and bumpy. They added alewife weight and weren't quite sure where to put it.

 

I think it's the tannin in bogs that make the bass I catch so dark and striking. 

[Bankbeater]

Can you say HAWGS!!

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I've tossed it a few times, but have yet to catch a bass with it. However, I won't quit. I was thinking of trying it again tomorrow morning. Should I toss it at weed lines? I'll have to retrieve it pretty fast or I'll snag weeds. 

Get some of these Berkley Fusion 19 weedless wacky hooks and throw those worms anywhere you want. I like the 1/0 size. The fluoro weedguard is very effective and durable.

[Spankey]

Nice pics and great fishing. 
 

We fish water that is quite a bit different. I have an addiction to fishing crankbaits and the patterns center around bluegills, shad and herring. Lake forage. Can usually make something happen with them. 
 

You have a top water haven. 

[Aaron_H]

 

Congrats on those monsters! I'm living vicariously through you right now

[TheSwearingAngler]

Wow.. just wow. I’m in MA and my whopper plopper bite has slowed but I’m gonna throw it a bunch tomorrow before work.