A Slew of Slabs

[Swamp Girl]

I spent my final evening on a pal's pond. Next week, it's back to lugging my canoe over fields and through woods, but not having to do this let me fish four times this week instead of two. This pond saved the best for last, as I caught nine bass in the three and a third pounds to more than three and a half pounds. The pencil reeds have grown higher and thicker and it's verrrry difficult to bring a bass out of them. To take a break from failure, I dragged a Rapala Crush City The Mayor on the bottom in deeper water and landed some thick fish. It's amazing what a little weed-free water will do for my success rate. 

 

Below, the first two bass are well-shaped, but smaller. Look at the fins of the first bass. That's a nest maker, the first one I've seen. 

 

Then there's a pretty shoreline pic.

 

Then two well-shaped smallmouth.

 

Then another pretty pic.

 

And then the parade of slabs. Some of them are so round, thick, and beautiful, but a few are simply long. 

 

Then a reflection photo for @IcatchDinks.

 

And finally, a pic of a pickerel. The pickerel grow as thick as nice pike in this pond and I wanted to share their girth with the BR gang. 

 

Note how calm the water is. After a week of fighting wind, a calm day meant more fishing and less paddling in my three hour session. I caught 37 total. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

I've posted too many bass. My trip reports get fewer and fewer views, reactions, and replies. Going forward, I'll just post a bass or two in the Latest Catch Pics thread...and maybe one pond pic. I've posted many photos because:

 

A. I like looking at bass and I figured you guys might be like me.

 

B. I think Maine bass vary greatly in color and shape and I like seeing the differences.

 

However,  I'll throttle back. 

 

I'm surprised no one reacted to the pickerel. It makes me think that thick pickerel are pretty common for you guys, but I only catch them at this pond. This is the pond where I caught a pickerel that I think would have been a new Maine record about a week or so ago. That pickerel sagged like a pregnant bass, but she wasn't pregnant because pickerel spawn at ice-out. I know the pickerel photo above is a lousy photo, but even in a net, pickerel are bonkers. She wouldn't stop flipping. I nearly never net pickerel, but I netted this girl so you could see how thick they grow in this pond and they outfight five-pound bass, so I actually enjoy them. 

[GreenPig]

Excellent. 

[TnRiver46]

Nice trip

 

”I’ve posted too many bass”

 

oh go cry me a river! 😂 

 

nice problem to have 

[Pat Brown]

Beautiful scenery!  I just dump stuff in latest catch pics because I'm lazy and it's practical!

 

I enjoy your pics wherever they end up!

[pdxfisher]

Awesome report! Those pics are awesome. You always say it is beautiful out here but it is sure gorgeous there!

 

I hope you keep posting reports because yours are my favorite. I love seeing all the pics and reading about your adventures!

[Swamp Girl]

51 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Nice trip

 

”I’ve posted too many bass”

 

oh go cry me a river! 😂 

 

nice problem to have 

 

I wish I could cry you a river, Riverman. It would be saltwater, so you could fish for snook, redfish, and tarpon. Fun, huh? 

22 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

Awesome report! Those pics are awesome. You always say it is beautiful out here but it is sure gorgeous there!

 

I hope you keep posting reports because yours are my favorite. I love seeing all the pics and reading about your adventures!

 

Thanks, PDX. I used to photograph the bass on my bump board at the cluttered bottom of my always-wet canoe, but I think they're much prettier with a Maine shoreline and sky behind them. 

[TnRiver46]

I’m also a fan of all bass pics, hopelessly addicted 

[CastingClinic]

It ain't bass fishing without a few slime darts to spice things up but leave it to @ol'crickety to find one that looks like a pike.

 

Solid day as usual.

[Fishingmickey]

Katy,

     I'm already looking forward to my annual trip to Maine. I hope to get in three solid days of fishing again. China lake has been great fishing for me. Not sure if it is gonna be China again this year or Cobboseccontee (speel) or Magontacook.  But I have never gotten 37 bass of the size your posting in three hours.  Scale back on the pic's if ya want, But I very much do enjoy seeing your pictures.

Fishingmickey

[Swamp Girl]

23 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

Katy,

     I'm already looking forward to my annual trip to Maine. I hope to get in three solid days of fishing again. China lake has been great fishing for me. Not sure if it is gonna be China again this year or Cobboseccontee (speel) or Magontacook.  But I have never gotten 37 bass of the size your posting in three hours.  Scale back on the pic's if ya want, But I very much do enjoy seeing your pictures.

Fishingmickey

 

Mickey, I don't live far from China Lake. You are welcome to fish my pond, which has been good for 40+ bass in two-plus hours of evening fishing the last couple weeks or I could take you to one of my bigger bass bogs. I can't take you to my pal's pond, where the bass above were caught, but I have three bogs that have six-pound-plus bass swimming in them that I could take you to fish. The big bog bass are verrrrrrrrrry hard to pull out of the weeds, but there's a good chance you'll hook one. 

 

23 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

But I have never gotten 37 bass of the size your posting in three hours. 

 

I watch YouTube videos of other Maine anglers and they also don't equal my catch rate nor the average size of the bass I catch, but they're fishing the bigger water. I'm often fishing in a foot of water, sitting atop weeds and surrounded by weeds. I don't think motor boats could go where I go. They are, however, much faster and more comfy than a canoe. So, pluses and minuses.  

 

Mickey, here's a trip report about my pond, with pics of the bass it holds:

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

59 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m also a fan of all bass pics, hopelessly addicted 

 

Me too!

[roadwarrior]

On 5/31/2024 at 8:48 AM, ol'crickety said:

I've posted too many bass. My trip reports get fewer and fewer views, reactions, and replies. Going forward, I'll just post a bass or two in the Latest Catch Pics thread...and maybe one pond pic. I've posted many photos because:

 

A. I like looking at bass and I figured you guys might be like me.

 

B. I think Maine bass vary greatly in color and shape and I like seeing the differences.

 

However,  I'll throttle back. 

 

Speaking for all our members...

Please don' t "throttle back".   I look forward to reading about your journeys every day.

                                 

                                                         

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Echoing RoadWarrior - keep them coming Katie!

 

[BrianMDTX]

Methinks some may be a tad bit jealous. 
 

I, for one, am not. It’s WAY more than a tad! 😂

[A-Jay]

On 5/31/2024 at 9:48 AM, ol'crickety said:

I've posted too many bass. My trip reports get fewer and fewer views, reactions, and replies. Going forward, I'll just post a bass or two in the Latest Catch Pics thread...and maybe one pond pic.

Utter & Complete non-sense.

That's what this site is all about.

Bass, Bass & More Bass - I say post all day, every day.

Whatever makes you happy.

Views, reactions & replies - whatever.

In the words of the late great Ricky Nelson,

"See you can't please everyone. So you got to please yourself. "

A-Jay

 

[Swamp Girl]

20 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Utter & Complete non-sense.

That's what this site is all about.

Bass, Bass & More Bass - I say post all day, every day.

Whatever makes you happy.

Views, reactions & replies - whatever.

In the words of the late great Ricky Nelson,

"See you can't please everyone. So you got to please yourself. "

A-Jay

 

 

Well-put, Andy, and thanks.

[Catt]

[Alex from GA]

Agree with everyone; pictures are great.

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Alex from GA said:

Agree with everyone; pictures are great.

 

I'm trying, Alex. When I hold a bass for a photo, I try to pick a pretty or telling shoreline for the background. What you don't see are the bass where the lower half is a blur! Some mornings, they just won't be still. 

[GaryH]

Katie’s pictures are

 

[Bankbeater]

Good catching!  Take as many pics as you can while you can.