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[Swamp Girl]

I returned to my pond for the first time in about a week, launching at 4:30 and fishing until 8:30. I was SURPRISED and PLEASED to find that the rudimentary boardwalk two pals had built for me out of pallets was straightened and extended by a man whose house is at the entrance to my property. He asked if he could fish the pond with his son and I said yes and when I met his employee who also has a son, I gave him permission too. So, those two men took it upon themselves to greatly improve the boardwalk and they built a dock too. So, now launching is a breeze. 

 

I paddled my 85-pound canoe backwards because it's a tandem and tandems are easier to steer if you paddle backwards from the bow seat if you're alone. I caught 52 bass. The last two years, I'd average about 35 bass, but I was fishing longer then, so I feel like I'm learning the pond, as I'm catching more in less time. I caught the vast majority of my fish casting into shoreline pockets. 

 

 

I saw a red flower I've never seen before. Does anyone know what it is?

 

 

Then I saw it again, looking purple this time.

 

 

Pretty, huh?

 

At one point, I crossed the pond and took a pic of it so you can see that whereas I catch most of my bass in the marshy pockets, there is open water.

 

 

Here's a long, thin bass I caught.

 

 

For once, I didn't cast a single Whopper Plopper. I caught half on my translucent Shimano Flash Boost popper with a pink tint and the other half on an Owner Underspin with dark blue and shad-colored paddletails (Keitechs and Crush City The Mayor). By the end of the morning, I was down to my last Underspin. I thought I'd bought enough over the winter to last for all of 2023. Ha! The spinners eventually fall off. They still work, but not as well. I caught some thicker ones too.

 

 

Thanks to @fin for teaching me how to insert photos for more cohesive storytelling. Five final points:

 

Is there anything better than putting a brand new Keitech on an underspin?

 

I increased my hook-setting success by waiting a few seconds on the underspins, i.e. just letting them run with it.

 

I forgot to take photos of the new boardwalk and dock, but I will next time and share them.

 

@Glenn said the higher the Sun, the more bass tuck into shady shores. Man, oh, man, is he ever right about that. I found success casting under overhanging bushes. A few times, it seems like I cast right into a bass's mouth, as the lure hit the water and it was immediately fish on.

 

I have lots more fish pics, but so many of the bass were flopping as the shutter clicked. I don't like to wait for them to be still because I like to return them to the water ASAP. 

 

 

[jbmaine]

27 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@Glenn said the higher the Sun, the more bass tuck into shady shores. Man, oh, man, is he ever right about that.

That's also one of our secrets. Can't tell you how many good bass we've caught in 1-2 ft. of water, right at the shoreline tight under overhanging bushes.

[Swamp Girl]

22 minutes ago, jbmaine said:

That's also one of our secrets. Can't tell you how many good bass we've caught in 1-2 ft. of water, right at the shoreline tight under overhanging bushes.

 

It's such a tight pocket to hit, but when do, they hit right back.  "Right at  the shoreline" is sure right.  I do best about three to five inches from the shoreline. They are tight to it, tucked under a bush.

[wdp]

Nice pics & fish!!!

[IcatchDinks]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I increased my hook-setting success by waiting a few seconds on the underspins, i.e. just letting them run with it. 

 

 

 

I have found this to be the ticket for nearly every bait I use. I learned it when I was learning how to fish top water, but I've since started waiting to set the hook on nearly every lure. I seem to get a much better hook-up ratio nowadays.

[Swamp Girl]

@IcatchDinks: I rarely deep hook bass because I set the hook sooner rather than later, but I was using a 5/0 hook and I think it's too big for them to swallow, which allows me to wait longer.

[Team9nine]

3 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I saw a red flower I've never seen before. Does anyone know what it is?

 

First guess - Some variety of pitcher plant, perhaps? 

[Swamp Girl]

5 hours ago, Team9nine said:

First guess - Some variety of pitcher plant, perhaps? 

  

I sent the photos to a flower expert and you are correct. I knew it was odd when I saw it. I just didn't know how odd. She wrote:

Pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, an insectivorous plant, gets its nutrition in a Nitrogen-poor bog habitat by attracting insects to its vase-shaped leaves that hold rainwater in them. The insects fall in the liquid, can’t climb out because of downward-pointing hairs that line the inside of each “pitcher”. The insects rot over time and feed the plant.

A great find! You are blessed to have seen one of Maine’s premier wildflowers.

[Pat Brown]

Awesome report!  Glad you have a dock! I also find that a delayed hook set works best in spite of many people saying otherwise 😉😉😉

[Swamp Girl]

@Pat Brown: Yeah, the opinions/tactics about hook-set timing sure range. As you know, I use an underspin A LOT and I find it fascinating how bass can take the lure and move sideways and I wouldn't even know they're there if I weren't watching the line.

 

Hooray for the dock! I think the guy, who owns a construction business, took pity on me when he saw me exit my canoe, so stiff that I had to crawl on the floating mud before I could get my feet under me. I both called him and texted him to thank him. I think it's a win-win, for he gets to fish the pond and I get a dock. And he gets a dock too!

[BrianMDTX]

23 hours ago, jbmaine said:

That's also one of our secrets. Can't tell you how many good bass we've caught in 1-2 ft. of water, right at the shoreline tight under overhanging bushes.

The vast majority (like 95%) of the bass I catch are right on the shoreline, under overhanging brush and tree branches. Sometimes I’ll deliberately cast a weightless TR on the bank and jerk it into the water where it gets slammed. But OMG, I am NOT boating 52 bass in a day like @ol'crickety  That’s one productive body of water right there!

[pdxfisher]

Another great report and beautiful pics! I have no idea what that flower is but it is really cool looking! You really like that underspin. That is something that I almost never throw out here. I tend to go with just a swimbait on a jighead. Maybe I will have to dig out an underspin out of my the bottom of my jig box and give it a whirl whenever I can get out next.

[Blue Raider Bob]

     I ran out of fingers and toes on this one but here goes......52 Bass in 4 hours equals 13 Bass per hour or a bass every 4.61 Minutes. Katie, I am speechless! I am not even deducting time for launching and recovery, much less travel time to and from fishing spots. To say you were at the top of your game would be like saying Tenzig Norgay could climb! I'll put on my Captain Obvious Suit and state that you may be the most prolific producer ever. The only angling level we share equally is our love of our sport. That's were our comparison ends! I won't catch that many quality fish all year! Keep it up!

[Swamp Girl]

Bob, I figure we'll fish together one day. I've got a good feeling about that. 

 

However, I've been told to stop telling people that they'll catch 40 bass. 

 

I was told, "Tell them they'll catch ten bass and they'll get to watch you catch 40 bass."

 

However, if you can cast into the pockets below the bushes and between the weeds, you too can catch 40 bass because that's where they are. However, if you bang the canoe, neither of us will catch 40 bass! 😉

 

One last thing: To catch a lot of bass, you have to release them fast. The net slows me down. I don't photograph smaller bass. And one quick pic for the bigger ones. 

[GaryH]

@ol'crickety the energizer bunny. Great job Katie fishing and being kind to others wanting to fish your area.👏👏👏

[Swamp Girl]

11 minutes ago, GaryH said:

@ol'crickety the energizer bunny. Great job Katie fishing and being kind to others wanting to fish your area.👏👏👏

 

Thank you, Gary. I think it's important for landowners to let anglers reach the water. I never thought I'd have the money to buy waterfront acreage. I was born in a trailer and raised three to a bed and kids who share a pillow with their siblings don't dream of waterfront lots, so my sympathies will always be with the working man and his kid just wanting to catch some bass.