Swamp Girl

You did the right thing, Murph. What an evening, @hokiehunter373!

@gimruis: That is a walrus! Well done.

I'd also be happy to take you fishing, but I read "quick excursions off the side of the road" and it would take you four-plus hours just to reach me and return to Acadia. Maine is full of bass. I've had my best luck casting in the overlooked water, i.e. a swamp here and stream there. You're more likely to land a smallie in the stream than swamp.

@Bluebasser86 Here's some footage of your blimp swimming right before you caught it:

I like the two bottom photos, @IcatchDinks, i.e. the fat-bellied bass and the beautiful pond. Fish on, my bass brother!

Because of this thread, I just bought a pair of safety glasses that will fit over my eyeglasses. So, thanks, PhishLI! I used my hook cutters recently when a bass somehow managed to work my rear treble hook completely through its gills. Rather than attempt to work it back, I simply cut all three hooks and then easy-peasy and a healthy fish to release.

With a pegged weight? And fishing both open water and dropping it into lily pads?

I just googled this. Fascinating. It's like a mini-Alabama rig. Are you thinking it simulates a little school of bait fish. I did see some bait fish jumping where I took out my canoe.

That makes sense, Alex. They all eventually have to eat. I'm thinking of trying 10" or thereabouts worms too. I've never fished a worm that big. Any suggestions as to brand or technique? When I fish this bog, I imagine hooking a big bass and I'm always trying to position my canoe to lessen their advantage, i.e. give myself a little open water if one hits.

As I posted in the Latest Catch thread, I only caught one bass in my latest visit. I know that there are big bass in this bog. I've never seen anyone else fish it, so the fish aren't seeing many lures. I fished a frog. I topwater fished the open stretches. I fished big lures and little lures. I fished throughout the water column. I fished slow, fast, and with pauses. I know the bass were seeing my lures. They just weren't hitting them. What I didn't do was paddle through the lily pads to the two feeder creeks. I wish I'd done that. What would you have tried that I didn't?

11. Be kind to coons. I struggle with coons too. There's one that disassembles one of my bird feeders if I forget to put it in the garage. He also licks my suet cakes to nothing. I leave bird seed on the ground for all the critters, but oh, no, he's not happy with that.

Bob, I think you live life to the FULLEST. You could be a life coach. Here would be the lessons in your ten-week course: 1. Love your wife. 2. Love your kids. 3. Raise some goats. 4. Catch some fish! 5. Beware the goose. 6. Those dang otters! 7. Remember and revel in your swampy youth. 8. Behold the horses! 9.Stock your pond to stock your days. 10. Love your life.

Heck, yeah, those 20-inchers are rare at our latitude. Congrats on landing three already this season. I'm always thrilled when I catch one. I average about SEVEN 19-inch-+ class bass for every 20-incher-+. That bass in front of your son sure is a chunk! Here's a video in honor of that bass:

@gimruis: That is a beauty bass! Beautiful family too.

Go, Meagan! And hooray for Pat too, for being so happy for his wife! Nice pics and bass, @LrgmouthShad!

I'll keep my fingers crossed. And you keep your legs crossed if you have to pee while fishing.

I think they're eating golden shiners and pumpkinseeds. In some ponds, they're eating alewives too. I've also never caught fatter bass. The bass in the local bogs are fatter than the bass in the local ponds. Here are two examples caught in the last week. Pond bass on top. Bog bass below.

Original cuss words??? Say, are you Ralphie's dad?* *A Christmas Story

Thanks, Bob! I do love bog fishing partly because of their beauty, but when you hook a bass, they have so many places to free themselves. Thanks, @Jar11591 too!

I came so close to a skunk this morning that I think I felt Pepe Le Pew's hot and passionate breath on my cheek, but right before he planted a wet one on my lips, I caught a bass. Barely. I was about to quit and load my canoe when I thought I'd try the outlet culvert. The water was so high that the bog had flooded the woods, which meant the culvert was roaring. I chucked a paddletail near the opening and thought I detected a hit, but with the current and trees jammed against the opening, I wasn't sure. So, I followed with a wacky Senko and sure enough, there was a bass there, which immediately wrapped my line around wood. I'm surprised my line didn't break given it was just 10 lb. mon. Between the current, the trees overhead, and the trees in the water, I'm amazed I landed it, giving me ONE bass for the day, but the excitement of FIVE bass. However, I ended my streak of of at least one 19" or bigger bass per fishing trip, but I threw the dice by fishing a big bass, but few bass bog and lost. However, for the year, I've caught two six-plus-pounders, four five-plus-pounders, and nearly thirty four-pounders. The trade-off is that I'm not having many 35-59 bass days.

Sluggish? Why, if I had my fishing glove with me and was standing before the Merriam-Webster person who wrote that definition, I'd give him or her a good smack on the cheek. And then we'd cast musky lures at each other at 50 feet.

Well, I'll see if it works well in Maine too!

Thanks. I bought one and will do the same.

Didn't know. So cool!

I love this story.