2,044 bass: The Good Place and The Good Life

[Swamp Girl]

I went through every one of my trip reports and added all the bass I caught this year. My 2024 total is 2,044. Now, I know a few BR members might sniff at my total, as I caught a LOT of 2.5 to 3.0-pounders (I also caught my PB and several 20-pound bags.) One of the BR gang once posted that he'd rather catch no bass than three-pounders, but I don't feel that way and here's why:

 

There's a TV show called "The Good Place," which is Heaven, and when the main characters finally reach Heaven, they find it's filled with bored people and desperate angels, for the angels have run out of ideas to amuse Heaven's inhabitants because Heaven's inhabitants have seen, done, and tasted everything again and again and again. No three-pound bass will amuse them. Nor forty-pound bass. Nor 4,000-pound bass. They've been there and done that ad nauseam. I'm not there, probably because I know I'll die and I only get to dance with bass for a few more years. So, I'm grateful for all of them.

 

As an old fishing pal once said, "They're all good."

 

Here are the per trip totals, with a few dates here and there: 1, 3, 2, 11, 3 (including my PB on April 17th!), 14, 6, 13, 15, 11, 18, 23, 37 (May 13th), 75, 42, 47, 39, 40, 45, 26, 28, 31, 37, 52 (June 2nd), 28, 56, 38, 55, 45, 10, 19, 34, 39, 36, 36, 49 (July 5th), 27, 24, 49, 9, 21, 40, 26, 57, 15, 8, 9, 25, 17, 9, 17, 26, 18 (Aug. 18th), 25, 14, 9, 26, 9, 11, 20, 20, 22, 5, 9, 9, 4, 25, 20, 6, 35, 4, 70, 24, 8, 9, 25, 20 (Oct. 3rd), 22, 19, 52, 15, 27, 20, 19, 58, 5, 12 (Nov. 1st)  

 

A lot of my single-digit totals later in the year were me scooting down to fish my pond for an hour or an hour and a half in the evening. My best day for quantity with quality was my 58-bass day, in bold font, three trips from the end. That day might have been my first 25-pound bag. Here are three of them from that morning. Clearly, I thrill to catching bigger bass too:

 

 

Yeah, it's the good life and I'm grateful. 

[A-Jay]

Congrats on one a heck of a productive and no doubt, prolific season.

Here's to an even better one next year.

Nicely Done.

A-Jay

 

[Dwight Hottle]

Katie you should have stopped at 2024. How cool would that have been 2024 in 2024. Congrats on the year. 

[Aaron_H]

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

My 2024 total is 2,044.

 

 

Congratulations on a truly epic year!

[Team9nine]

Welcome to “Club 2000!” We know how to party around here…

 

 

[gim]

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

One of the BR gang once posted that he'd rather catch no bass than three-pounders

A 3 pound largemouth in the northern tier of the country is a quality fish. Much bigger than average. You weigh in a limit of 3 pounders here and you are most likely in the money.

 

In the south or in Mexico it might not be much of a fish. I dare you to point this person out because I’ve got a bone to chew with them. Looking at a sizable number of the dinks people post in the pics thread, 3 pounders beat the snot out of many of them.

 

I caught a pair of 3+ pounders in a 10 minute span during a derby in September and we won because of those two fish.

[Swamp Girl]

25 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I dare you to point this person out because I’ve got a bone to chew with them.

 

I read it in an old post, but I do agree that a 3-pounder at 44.4 degrees North is a fine, solid bass, which is why I photograph and share pics of them. 

 

27 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I caught a pair of 3+ pounders in a 10 minute span during a derby in September and we won because of those two fish.

 

I remember you doing that!

 

I wish I'd done what @Dwight Hottle suggested!

 

[Jigfishn10]

I have a few years til retirement and plan on fishing way more than what life is throwing me now. If I can get to 50% of those numbers in a season I’d be one happy retired person.

 

Those numbers are the epitome of joy and dedication to the sport.

 

What a nice season you put together. Congratulations 

[Swamp Girl]

6 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Those numbers are the epitome of joy and dedication to the sport.

 

Yeah, ^this^ sounds right. I rose at three in the morning many times and launched alone in the cool, foggy dark...and when I heard a big bass splash, I was joyful! 

[GaryH]

Awesome job Katie….

[Jigfishn10]

3 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

...and when I heard a big bass splash, I was joyful! 

Hahaha… yeah, that’ll get the oil pumping in the veins and the greased warmed up in the joints  … makes you feel like a child again 

[Swamp Girl]

33 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Hahaha… yeah, that’ll get the oil pumping in the veins and the greased warmed up in the joints  … makes you feel like a child again 

 

You get it. A galoomp in the dark is a sweet sound.

[T-Billy]

Huge numbers and a new PB. Congratulations on an epic season Katie!!! I love reading your reports. Your joy and gratefulness for the experience always shine through.

[Glenn]

7 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

My 2024 total is 2,044.

[Swamp Girl]

27 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Your joy and gratefulness for the experience always shine through.

 

Thank you, Tim. You see me. 

[Glenn]

7 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

My best day was my 58-day

 

You got me beat by a landslide.  My best day this year was 38 fish in 4 hours, all between 2 1/2 and 5 lbs.  You smoked me!

[Bankbeater]

Man, good job!  I hope you have all of these numbers on a spreadsheet somewhere because that is a lot of numbers to add up.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

That's amazing Katie, and what makes it especially great is I know you appreciated and respected every one of those fish and catches!  

[padlin]

I’m impressed, as much by the number as by the fact you kept track all year.

[Swamp Girl]

33 minutes ago, padlin said:

I’m impressed, as much by the number as by the fact you kept track all year.

 

I didn't exactly keep track. Bass Resource did. I simply went through all my trip reports and added the individual totals. It took a big minute, but it was fun to be reminded of my trips.

 

52 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That's amazing Katie, and what makes it especially great is I know you appreciated and respected every one of those fish and catches!  

 

I sure try, Alex. I do my best to hurry them back to the water. I even thank many of them.

 

Fish in my canoe and you'll hear from the rear, "Thank you so much."

 

[pdxfisher]

What an awesome season. Now you have to do even better next year

 

Thanks for taking us along for the entire season!

[Swamp Girl]

6 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

Now you have to do even better next year

 

Ha! We'll see. I did miss ten days in early June to visit my father and sister and that was a prime ten-day stretch. I also learned a lot about my pond, so that'll help in 2025. 

 

Speaking of my pond, I nearly always fished it by myself and had to take photos of my bass by fully extending my arm to fit them in the frame, but a couple times, I fished with a pal and here's one of the bass I caught one of those times. It sure looks like a four-pounder to me. I write this because I always wondered if my pond was growing four-pounders, but this photo makes me think it does. I just wish she hadn't been wiggling so that her full length could be seen:

 

[Fishlegs]

Y'all remember when @Swamp Girl caught 2044 bass in one year?

 

 

Thank you for taking us along, and letting us share your awesome trips.

[Fishingmickey]

Awesome sauce, SG! That is truly a incredible achievement! That person that was saying that about three pounders is just jelly.  I'm already looking forward to another Maine trip next fall.

Best regards,

Fishingmickey

[Alex from GA]

That's terrific, congratulations.  I've been retired for a number of years and used to fish every day I could for a number of years and added them up for a couple of years with over 3000 bass a year plus stripers and others.  I fished all year while you took months off, your feat is much more commendable.