How many, how big, and why?

[Susky River Rat]

I routinely fish about two bodies of water.

 

1st is 444 miles long about a mile wide at the widest. Goes through 3 states and dumps into the Chesapeake bay. One of those oldest rivers in the world. - “The” Susquehanna river.  I do not really need to say much more.
 

The second body of water is a 1200 man made impoundment. I honestly despise it but, can’t catch fish sitting on my sofa.

- Blue Marsh. It’s close to home and the only place close I can run my Big motor.  
 

The one neat thing is Ike is known to fish the susky from time to time. This year he also visited blue marsh so his kids could fish a youth fishing tournament. One day I would love to bump into him. 

[Swamp Girl]

41 minutes ago, king fisher said:

When I first started fishing this lake, I hooked a 10 pound bass almost every time I fished the lake.  This past year I only landed one bass over 10 pound's, but did manage a bass over 7 pounds each time I fished.

 

OMG.

[GreenPig]

- Beaver pond at my hunting club 2.476399 acres that has a surprising amount of fat 3 year old LM.

- Close to home lake 1700 acres that's tough but gives up the occasional fat girl. Seen a 31 boat tournament winner and he had big fish with a 15 ounce bass.

- My primary lake that I fish 96% of the time is 3400 acres and has some swollen green girls and nice hybrids.

 

 

[Jig Man]

I like to stay an hour or less from home.  I have lakes almost every direction from my house within that radius.  
 

Pomme de Terre 15000+ acres 75 miles

Stockton 26000+  acres 50 miles

Bull Shoals 40000+ acres 65 miles

Table Rock 40000+ acres 32 miles

Beaver Lake 40000+ acres 70 miles

 

There are some smaller lakes but they have motor restrictions so I can’t launch at them.

 

They all have largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.  Walleye, stripers, hybrids and musky are also in some of them.  Our lakes are over run with tournaments which I believe is harming them but there is too much money involved for change to occur in the near future.

[Bird]

In 2023, I've fished 27 different lakes in VA/WV.

I've put over 5k on the truck pulling the boat.

2024 will be a repeat and a couple of new lakes thrown in.

 

@ol'crickety

Wife and I will be staying at Bar harbor for 2 weeks in July but all fishing will be salt.

[Tackleholic]

50 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

I like to stay an hour or less from home.  I have lakes almost every direction from my house within that radius.  
 

Pomme de Terre 15000+ acres 75 miles

Stockton 26000+  acres 50 miles

Bull Shoals 40000+ acres 65 miles

Table Rock 40000+ acres 32 miles

Beaver Lake 40000+ acres 70 miles

 

There are some smaller lakes but they have motor restrictions so I can’t launch at them.

 

They all have largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.  Walleye, stripers, hybrids and musky are also in some of them.  Our lakes are over run with tournaments which I believe is harming them but there is too much money involved for change to occur in the near future.

I live on one of those forementioned lakes you listed, and you are correct about being over run with tournaments.  Not to mention one very large annual tournament by name, but after the pre-fishing and the actual tournament, there are dead bass floating everywhere.  Anyone else experience this?

[BigAngus752]

I read the title to this and thought we were going to talk about ex-spouses. 

[TnRiver46]

TN river -652 miles ……..

 

but there’s 30-40 other places I like to fish as well…….

 

and that’s just the home state, I also fish NC SC AL FL somewhat regularly and have fished Michigan 3 times 

 

I will fish any size waters from small streams to the ocean but would rather not go far into the ocean 

 

[RipzLipz]

@BigAngus752 You sound like you’re a tad disappointed. I didn’t read Bottomfeeder anywhere…🤣

[king fisher]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

TN river -652 miles ……..

 

but there’s 30-40 other places I like to fish as well…….

 

and that’s just the home state, I also fish NC SC AL FL somewhat regularly and have fished Michigan 3 times 

 

I will fish any size waters from small streams to the ocean but would rather not go far into the ocean 

 

Out of all those places which one is your favorite place to throw a spinnerbait?

[papajoe222]

This is one of those that makes you think......................................I'll get back to you.

 

Seriously, I can think of 10 lakes ranging from 55acres to 2500. The most productive for both size and numbers have been out of state to the north and east. A smaller, 85acre one in Wisconsin is considered a muskie lake and is kept quiet by the locals as it is surrounded by privet property. The bass fishing is nothing short of fantastic and the numbers of fish over 4lb. is truly something for a lake that far north.  There are also some retention ponds I fish that are fairly young, but whet my whistle when I can't get on the lakes.

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, king fisher said:

Out of all those places which one is your favorite place to throw a spinnerbait?

Into the garbage cans placed  along the river 

[T-Billy]

I fish the MWCD lakes, and the Tuscarawas River. That's what I have available to me within an hour drive. They're 1k - 3k acres. I live on the shores of Atwood. Leesville and Piedmont are my favorites.

[Zcoker]

 

I do all my fishing out in the Florida everglades, which is thousands of square miles, most of which is only accessible by kayak…or airboat. I’ve tried other places in Florida but few give me outcomes like the glades. It’s almost guaranteed giant territory, and if only after numbers, not uncommon to have triple digit days. I’ve never come close to getting skunked out there. Just the other day putzing around for a few hours I measured over 105 inches for 5 fish! It’s not a question of if out there but a question of when, no matter the conditions, day or night. The secret is being ready for those mega hits. Unlike any other place that I’ve ever fished, the big bass out in the glades are completely insane! Like Tasmanian Devils, they come out of nowhere to annihilate the lure. Then it’s game on, hoping the 65lb braid holds! I even have to use my saltwater rods with Shimano Stella reels out there lol 

 

 

Little taste 

 

 

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

If I lived in Florida, I too would fish the Everglades and nowhere else. I hooked and lost what might have been a couple Everglades bass, for I saw them both coming for my bait through wild rice reeds. Wild rice, if you don't know, is like bamboo in its stiffness, so parting it takes a honkin' bonkers bass, so bonkers that both of them overwhelmed me when they hit my lure, spinning my canoe with their power. I see you position your net exactly as I do mine. I've tried laying it other places, but across the bow works best for me.

 

However, what's more impressive than the bass you catch and the bass I catch are the fish that @T-Billy catches. I'm from Ohio. I know the water that Tim fishes.

 

It. gets. pounded.

 

And still, he catches big bass, sauger, and muskies. He's a heckuva fisherman, the true hammer. 

[WRB]

Our local bass lakes are within 30 to 70 miles from my home are Lake Sherwood private, Westlake private are about 15 miles, lake Castiac, lake Casitas and lake Piru public are about 40 miles, lake Cachuma and Pyramid is 70 miles. All these lake are 2500 to 100 acres in size, average around 2000 acres.

DVL is over 100 miles away and San Diego lakes over 150 miles. 

NorCal has several large lakes, Clear Lake and the Delta, SoCal boarder with AZ is lake Havasu a large lake, about 250 miles to Havasu and over 400 miles to NorCal lakes.

Today without a boat my bass fishing is invite only to the local lakes.

Tom

 

[Woody B]

I fish Lake Wylie, ~13,000 acres on the Catawba river in NC and SC most of the time.   There's 4 ramps between 33 and 36 miles from my house.  I have a BUNCH of lake within 2 hours.   I go to other lakes a handful of times a year, but mostly just Lake Wylie.  

 

Many people around here say Lake Wylie is the dead sea.   I don't keep track or tournament results, but you'll occasionally hear of a 9 pound bag winning.  You'll also occasionally here of a 25 pound bag.   

 

I manage to catch enough to know there's decent numbers of both Spots and Largemouth there.   

 

It's a big enough lake I don't ever fish the same spot more than once a week.   

 

When I fail to catch bass I blame myself since I can't blame it on some new lake.  

[Columbia Craw]

I’ve been blessed to be close or relatively close to many fishing opportunities.  The last few years I’ve fished bass only on a 2800 acre lake to three pools on the Columbia River and a couple of large bodies in central Washington.  Strangely one of my favorite locations is a slough off the lower Columbia that is about four miles long with some attached canals. This is tidal affected and it’s close.  
 

Why?  Variety. I get to fish many techniques from 18 inches to 50 feet and water that is very stained to crystal clear.  I love the process of learning and bass are the species to seek if you figuring things out. Hard on the wallet but fun.

[crypt]

On 12/7/2023 at 3:56 PM, Mike L said:

I don’t mind naming them…

The be all, end all for me is Okeechobee, has been and always will be.

Other lakes that I’ve done the best are Stick Marsh (PB), Toho, Istopoka and lately Lake Placid. 
I’ve been fortunate enough to pull 8-10 lb’ers out of each. 

Many others…St Johns River, Rodman, Kissimmee Lake and River are all world class fisheries but obviously the ones I know the most about (especially Big O) are the ones I’d rather fish. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

same here......if I had to pick one to fish for the rest of my life it would be Okeechobee.even though my PB came from the Stick Marsh.

[T-Billy]

9 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

If I lived in Florida, I too would fish the Everglades and nowhere else. I hooked and lost what might have been a couple Everglades bass, for I saw them both coming for my bait through wild rice reeds. Wild rice, if you don't know, is like bamboo in its stiffness, so parting it takes a honkin' bonkers bass, so bonkers that both of them overwhelmed me when they hit my lure, spinning my canoe with their power. I see you position your net exactly as I do mine. I've tried laying it other places, but across the bow works best for me.

 

However, what's more impressive than the bass you catch and the bass I catch are the fish that @T-Billy catches. I'm from Ohio. I know the water that Tim fishes.

 

It. gets. pounded.

 

And still, he catches big bass, sauger, and muskies. He's a heckuva fisherman, the true hammer. 

Awe... Shucks... Thanks for the compliment Katie. I feel like I do pretty well for the waters I fish, but hanging out around here will keep an angler humble. This place has more hammers than a hardware store. 

[Swamp Girl]

57 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Awe... Shucks... Thanks for the compliment Katie. I feel like I do pretty well for the waters I fish, but hanging out around here will keep an angler humble. This place has more hammers than a hardware store. 

 

Sure, there's always someone who's a sledge hammer, but at the very least, you're a framing hammer. 

[Mbirdsley]

we have thousands of lakes, hundreds of rivers and 4 great lakes in the state of Michigan. all of them have either large mouth, small mouth or both.  I love exploring new lakes.  other than catching fish. i like checking out new water.  Michigan is the best place for it 

 

last year after june i was only fishing maybe once every other week and i shut it down real early on october 1st ( kicking my self right now for that).

 

order from biggest to smallest. lakes off hand.  this is just last year.

 

Lake michigan @ Frankfort x2 trolling for lake trout and king salmon 

Saginaw bay x3

Detroit river walleye fishing x1

saginaw, titabawassee, and shiawassee rivers.  x6 times.  the saginaw and titabawassee meet in saginaw which, forms the saginaw river.  even in low water years there is 30ish miles of river to run in a tin boat or bass boat.  

portage lake x1 ice fishing for perch ( manistee county ) 

Crystal lake ( benzie county ) 7 mile long lake super clear x3 

little crystal ( montcalm county) x 6 times medium to big lake.  

Dobbunet lake ( grand traverse ) 

little platte x1 ( benzie county) 

peach lake x1 ( ogemaw county ) medium sized lake 

lincoln lake x1 there is actually a canal system to get to 2 more lakes.  i can’t remember those lakes right now but, i caught fish in them. 

clear lake x1 ( ogemaw county ) smaller supper clear lake 

duck lake x1 ( montcalm county) 

Muskrat lake x1( clinton county ) really big pond my boats almost too big for it 

Derby lake x1 ( montcalm ) small lake 

long lake x2 ( ionia county ) medium sized lake 

 

i may have missed 1 or 2 

 

if i would have kept up my pace from the spring it would have been a longer list.  i’m expecting another child this summer so i don’t know after july how much i’ll be out. 

 

[Bankbeater]

So far this year, I have fished around 20 different ponds and small lakes.  They range in size from about 55 acres down to 2.5 acres, and most are around 15 to 25 miles away.  This is the water I fish most of the time when I don't have a lot of free time on the weekends. 

[TLHSS]

I primarily fish the Kishwaukee River. I’m a bank fisherman, and old, so I fish at the canoe landings. I’m lucky since the state maintains great access points, and there’s six different landings within 20 minutes of my condo.

 

[Koz]

On 12/7/2023 at 11:48 AM, Alex from GA said:

I fish a 38,000 acre lake...

Your bio is a big hint. I call that lake The Death Lake. I really dislike fishing that there. I know many love it it it can be productive, and more power to those people. I'm just not a fan.