Swamp Girl

Wow, what a fight! And what a beautiful place to catch her. I agree with Dwight. She's in the four-pound range. I'm guessing 4.4 pounds.

Fish are hard to hook on a frog. Even the great @Pat Brown misses some.

You and me both, brother.

Double ditto. I'd start with a Senko on a jig, letting it fall both on the edges of the grass, in the openings, and where it's not as thick. I'd also T-rig it with whatever soft plastic you like and let that fall into the grass. They might be there one day and not the next. Heck, they might be there one hour and not the next. And they might be in one area of grass and not the next. Assume nothing. Keep plugging.

When I watch YouTube videos of bass being caught, I am reliable at guessing their weights. I guess and then they weigh the bass and I'm usually within two ounces, but this is because I get to see the bass from multiple angles. I wouldn't trust my one-angle guess.

I'll soon have your back, Bob. Literally your back, as you'll be in the bow and I'll point you at bass. Monday and Tuesday mornings should be calm, but I've got some touristy stuff and good grub planned too.

You're not looking real average now, AA.

I like the way you fish, Joe. Simple. Easy. No fuss.

No doubt, but it just doesn't work in my little boats. I launch with three to eight rods and I tied an A-Rig onto a Heavy action 7' 4" rod. When I wasn't using it, it threatened to tangle with my other rods and when the wind blew me into shore, it tangled with the branches. I think it would be a better fit for a bigger boat.

Well observed and well stated, Al.

...it's way too ungainly and heavy for me. Plus, I think it would only catch idiot bass because it's a wire-y mess and why would any level-headed bass hit something that looks like a tipped silver Christmas tree? Other than that, it might be a good lure. I'll never know.

Glenn, I want you to write my eulogy. What you wrote for Tony is beautiful.

Glenn emphasized how teaching fishing is his purpose and Bass Resource's purpose. Well, he has succeeded. Glenn has taught me so much.

I agree. The map is bleak.

So, I'm guiding a hero at my pond this coming Friday morning. I'm a little nervous because I want him to catch some thick, strong bass. I know where they are, but he'll have to land his lure in some tight spots. If he can't, I have a backup plan. I remember the professional guide and our friend, @king fisher, stating that part of being a good guide is taking your angler to a place where HE can catch fish. Until recently, this wonderful man was disabled by Agent Orange and 9-11 dust, but thanks to a medical breakthrough, he can breathe again. P. S. - And I baked him some chocolate chunk pecan cookies as a backup to my backup plan!

Wow, @Mr. Aquarium!

You always looks so happy when you catch bass, Toxic, and your joy makes me happy too!

Apples and oranges, Alex. NLMB are more aggressive than Florida bass.

You are boating so many bass. Way back when, I caught the most bass. Then Clayton surpassed me. Now you have too. I see the trend and it ain't pretty!

I fished my pond for 1.5 hours this evening. It was post-cold front, so I didn't expect a big total. I thought ten would be a real success. I launched on the north shore and fishing was hotter than I expected. I caught seven in about 45 minutes. This one was the best: However, once I reached the western shore, the fishing went pfffft. So, I paddled across the pond to the eastern shore and caught one on a shallow, rocky flat. When I paddled back, I caught another two on the north shore. Yeah I should have stayed on the north shore. Still, I caught ten. Success! And I've caught 418 bass in 2026.

That bottom one looks huge, Al! I love that you caught salad with the meat.

@Bird, that is wicked cool! I didn't know there was such a thing.

We're two sides of the same coin. You're catching those far eastern bass. I'm catching those far eastern bass. We leave all the bass in-between for everyone else.

I feel that my take on big bass varies sharply from many of you. I don't believe that simply saying you're fishing for big bass means you're actually fishing for big bass. I don't even think that fishing with only big swimbaits means you're actually fishing for big bass. As I wrote earlier in this thread, I occasionally hook a big bass over six pounds and whereas I attribute it to luck, I also think it's due to time on the water. Go to Vegas and spend enough time in front of a one-armed bandit and you'll eventually win. Spend enough time on the water and you'll eventually have a chance at a big bass. There is a cheat code and that's FFS, which finds the biggest bass for you, but being an old woman in a simple canoe, I'm content with not knowing what's out there. I like the mystery. I enjoy the hunt. There have been times when I've posted a pic of a big bass and was told, "Now go catch a bigger one." Nah. I choose to enjoy what I have, not continually pine for something bigger and better. And whereas I tell myself every year that I'll use my scale more, I care more about getting the bass back to breathing than some number I can share at Bass Resource. So, yeah, I'm an outlier.

You are hardcore @senile1. Love your pics.