Swamp Girl

I told Bob yesterday that I wouldn't want to fish against you, Clayton. I would, however, like to net some of your beasts!

I'm a roamer, a rolling stone, a strolling crone.

"My thumb is raw," Bob just said. And I'm sad because my buddy leaves tomorrow morning, but we ended our visit dancing with bass, catching 40 (Bob caught most of them.) in about 2.5 hours. At one point, we saw four circling ospreys and we saw a loon swim underwater beside our canoe. Bob hooked an 18-incher in tight quarters and played her masterfully and a V of geese flew low overhead. I didn't even try to photograph the sunset. I couldn't capture that much beauty.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are! Bob's my buddy. He does have a wounded wing. He had shoulder surgery this spring and the bass keep wearing him out. I love how he loves walking through the woods to the pond...like me! For Bob and me, it's not just catching bass. For example, it's watching the birds and talking about them. I asked what a white-breasted black bird with a white-tipped tail was and Bob explained that it was a Kingbird, which flutter hovers in the air as it hunts bugs...and it does! We were both happy to see a grouse rise out of the bog, something I've never seen before that moment. And the carnivorous Pitcher Plants are blooming and we both enjoy them too, but most of all, Bob loves the bog. I'm Swamp Girl and he's Swamp Boy.

I would have loved your trip!

Bob and I fished for two hours this evening and we caught 29. Bob caught the biggest at 18 inches. He also caught a 17.75-incher, as did I. We fish well together, supporting each other, but with a light seasoning of teasing. Bob loves the beauty of my pond as much as I do and he knows more birds than me (and trees!) and I enjoy learning more names of nature. Bob really enjoys t-rigging, but he also caught bass on a Whopper Plopper and spinnerbait. Here are some of our bass, starting with the first one caught:

Bob and I caught 32 this morning. This was the biggest, caught by Bob: However, we caught many bass 16.5" and up: We had a great time, fishing and laughing and talking. Bob really enjoys fishing the shallow bog: It's very easy to spook bass in inches of water and we both loved watching the lines in the water that bass make when they scoot.

Nobody does fun better than Russ. Nice bass too!

In a couple hours, Bob caught about 20 and I caught four, but we tied in having a great time.

Strangely, @Blue Raider Bob and I have only fished once and that was with the Hero, but we might fish for two hours today and again tomorrow morning. There's just so much to do and share and Bob goes, goes, goes. He wants to see, walk, and eat Maine. Yesterday he walked alone along a stretch of thundering coast and plumbed tidal pools. He has a great eye and he notes and appreciates everything from the smallest flower to the biggest mansions. For those who know Maine, we're also visiting Camden today, the "Jewel of the Coast," where we'll watch the windjammers from the 1800s come and go, while sitting beside the waterfall that tumbles into the harbor. But we won't sit for long because Bob wants to see what's around the next corner. Tomorrow we'll done at a fish shack that's won a James Beard award and it too is situated by a falls, albeit a tidal reverse falls, which is a feature found only where you have great tides. And we're going to visit the world famous Wooden Boat School, since Bob is a builder and I think he'll love the craftsmanship and picture perfect campus. I'll soon post pics of this morning's fish.

Al:

And don't forget to get lucky!

Well, I finally went fishing with the vet and @Blue Raider Bob. Bob arrived last night from Tennessee and after I fed him taters, toast, an egg, and sausage links, the vet arrived and I drove them to my pond. It was 36 degrees when we launched and the canoes were frosty. Bob paddled by himself in my solo canoe and I put Al, the veteran, in the bow of my canoe. We all caught bass and enjoyed the beauty and quiet of my pond. Bob caught one that went about three pounds and we saw a few fat ones in the tandem canoe too: Here's Bob in my solo canoe: And here's Al from the back! It was an honor to fish with such fine men!

Well, we fished this morning and the hero had a great time. Bob from Tennessee is here too and he also had a peachy morning, although it was 36 degrees and the canoes were icy when we launched!

I've been fishing mostly T-rigged craws and underspins with craws or paddletails. When it gets warmer (It's 37 degrees right now.), I'll add poppers, buzzbaits, wacky worms, and T-rigged worms.

Stealth works. That's a tanker!

I remember hooking a four-pounder in heavy cover and that one bass wore me out. Then I hooked another four-pounder on the next cast and literally said, "Oh, no, not again." But you did it 29 times, Al!

It's going to be 40 degrees when I launch tomorrow morning. I'll be dressed like you!

Mike! Two Whoppers!

@T-Billy: Tim, do you happen to know through the Ohio Musky Grapevine if any other Ohioan is surpassing your catch this year? @Fried Lemons: Your multi-species angling is so very impressive.

Thanks, but I think I'm a wimp compared to you crossing Lake St. Clair in those swells.

I have never had a Dobyns break on me.

My buddy wanted to fish Sunday morning instead of this morning, so I'll let you know how it goes.