Swamp Girl

Whoa! What a ^story.^ I was once camped on the Mississippi with kids. In the middle of the night, I awoke utterly. It was the only time in my life I awoke so completely and quickly. I knew that there was danger outside, but I didn't know what it was, so I just listened. In a couple minutes, the wind started to howl, so I ran to the boys' tent and screamed (I had to scream for them to hear me.) to run to my car. We were at a campground and other campers' anchored motorboats were thrown onto the shore, which we saw with the headlights The aluminum dock was crumpled like aluminum foil. Then a huge branch fell on the boys' tent. We should all listen to our spidey tingling. I was expecting something similar.

In that linked article about the men who hunt for giant bass, they mentioned the northern strain + the Florida strain producing huge bass quick to strike, which produced a string of monster fish. I would melt down there. If it hits 80 degrees, I'm baking.

So true. For months, I watched Alex and others land 6, 7, and 8-lb. fish. Even the NY bassers were catching weeks before me.

@Woody B, you're consistent too. So is @Team9nine. And @Bluebasser86. And others. I do often catch more, but that's a function of latitude. You must have noticed that the Ontario and Maine bass fishers catch about what I catch...or more. Northern bass aren't as pressured. As I noted above, I am proud of the consistent quality of my catches, but that's due to Bass Resource. You guys have taught me lures and techniques that I did not know. For example, the 19.75" bass above was caught on a 7" Wacky worm with a 1/0 hook. It was Alex who modeled throwing big baits for me. I hooked her using tips imparted by other BR guys. I played her on braid, which T-Billy encouraged me to use. I set the hook using a stiffer rod than I've used in the past. Again, that's because of the BR gang. I think my total bass catches have dropped, but my quality has increased and that's a joyful trade for me. A four-pounder coming out of the water and making like a marlin is as thrilling as a roller coaster. And netting a kid's first four-pounder is the best.

I went fishing with a buddy this morning. We only caught 31, but the following three were sweet and we caught some chunky 17-inchers too. For approximately the last 15 fishing trips, I've caught at least one 19-incher or longer. A couple times, I caught the 19-inch or longer bass as the trip was about to end, so there's been some luck in my streak, but I'm proud of my consistency.

I am so happy for you, @IcatchDinks! An 18.5-incher is a fine fish! I love your evening pond photo too. That's a Midwestern sky and I miss them. Maine skies just don't look like that. I think it's our humidity, which is nearly always low. P. S. - Please change this: "My PB: Between 1-2 lbs"

@gunsinger: The next time you have one of these days, please give me 24 hours to get there first. Thank you.

They are pooping digested fish. Collect it, package it in tubes, and sell it as fish attractant.

What a great thread. I enjoyed all the posts and quickly ran out of likes. My dad was my primary fishing partner, but he's 92 and barely walks with a walker. Since those years with my dad, I've fished with various people, but mostly alone. A good fishing partner is someone who never complains: Rain? No problem. Rising at three in the morning? No problem. Six hours in a canoe? No problem. A little hunger? No problem.

That's a beautiful bass and like Glenn said, it's great to have you back. How were you fishing your Megabass Dark Sleeper? @Dominat0r, your top bass has a sweet shape. @PhishLI, as you know, I once focused on muskies. Muskies are so dang hard to catch that you must leverage every possible advantage, which means noting all minutiae. A good musky fisher sees more, hears more, and remembers more. You're like that on your pounded lakes. I observed and deduced like PhishLI once and was rewarded beyond my wildest dreams. We'd been fishing a wilderness lake for muskies for five days. I'd caught nine in those five days, but two of the four in our party hadn't caught a single one because the wind was a cool northwester. One day, we were fixing lunch on our island when the wind swung 180 degrees. It was suddenly coming warm out of the southeast. Well, at the far end of the lake was a strait that ran from the southeast to the northwest. I guessed that the change in temperature and pressure would trigger the muskies and that they'd cluster and feed at that strait, with water pushing through it. "Let's go fishing!" I yelled to my partner. "Lunch?" he said. "Later!" I said. We paddled as fast as we could to that strait. I caught five muskies in an hour, which is, given the length of time it takes to play, land, and release a musky, close to Constant Musky (TM). I lost a sixth just as the wind died. The fishing conditions were really tough as we each had about one cast before we were blown out of position. My point, PhishLI, is that you're always trying and often succeeding to crack the code at your Long Island ponds by paying attention to light, wind, temperature, and even smoke and deducing from the clues.

@Team9nine: Yes, you chose this as your screen name: Team9nine But I wonder if Mr.Consistency was taken.

I could see fishing for a monster for a month or two on a brown-shored, busy lake, as long as I returned to green shores and quiet water. I know that you too love pine-scented air, WRB. However, I'd be thrilled and forever content with one DD. Or would I? Would the big bass hook me deeper than I hooked it? One day, WRB, I'd love to hear one story of your many giant bass. I'm guessing you remember them all.

Wow, @Way north bass guy, your stories and pics get better and better. I wish I'd been in your canoe with you!

Please keep posting. I love your tales of fishing Ontario.

^Ha!^

Lake to Table is a wonderful movment.

I love LOW! I'm glad you got to savor its charms.

These guys are so far from the fishing I do in my scuffed canoe, but we do share the passion. They start their day at four, just like me. It's just that I'm launching my canoe in a lonely bog and they're jostling for position in a parking lot, waiting for the lake to open. I play bumper car with rocks and wood under the water and they play bumper car with each other as they launch. They're kin, passion-wise, albeit fifth cousins three times removed. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/big-bass-and-men-who-love-them/?scope=anon Here's a teaser: During the next three hours of actionless fishing, Hall recasts frequently and talks about his own quest for the Big One, which has been going on for almost 30 years, since he wrangled his first ten-pounder from the Florida swamps while on a family vacation at age 12. Ten pounds is the catch of a lifetime for most bass anglers, but for a big-bass specialist like Hall, it’s more of a bar mitzvah, proof that you’re ready for bigger and better things. The achievement, though, apparently wasn’t viewed with great joy by his eight rather competitive bass-fishing brothers. “For my own safety,” he remembers, sounding like he hasn’t entirely recovered from the experience, “my dad had to rent me my own hotel room for a few days, or I’da been battered and bruised.” Later, in the midseventies, Hall attended Florida State on a pole-vaulting scholarship. But Lake Jackson, one of the finest natural bass lakes in the world, happened to be only six miles from his freshman dorm, and three weeks into his first year, before he ever took an exam, he dropped out to live in a tent in a nearby national forest. “I couldn’t stay off the lake,” he drawls,

So funny!

He actually caught 35. I just uploaded the bigger bass. Yep, I was lucky to catch three 14" bass as a kid. I'd strap one rod to my bike and a few lures and wade farm ponds. I remember catching 21 bass one evening and that was my greatest session ever, but none were three and four-pounders like this young fisherman caught this morning. I had a great time too. He really wanted to learn and because of his focus, he learned fast. I'm taking him to a numbers pond next where we'll have a chance at a hundred total. Thanks, Alex. He was sooooooooooooooo happy. Me too. I enjoyed the morning as much as catching the bass myself. His grandparents asked why we were launching the dark. The proof is in the pics.

We had a good trip.

Too funny!

^Beasty bass!^

I mentioned that I'm taking a boy fishing tomorrow and I can't believe how excited I am. He's super excited too. I was a teacher for 40 years, so I know how to teach kids, but I've never taught fishing, so I've been thinking about ways to build skills while having fun. We've going to start at four in the morning with trolling. I'll put in the bow and have him troll off one side while I troll off the other. I'll paddle so he can focus on the fishing. When I hook a bass, I'll pass him my rod. This will give him double the opportunities to play fish. Then we'll move to casting. Nothing is easier than a Whopper Plopper, so I'll start him on that and then move him to a Mepps, wacky worm, and paddletail. Then we'll move to froggin', both for fun and because it's so hard...at least for me. I'll post pics of the lad with his bass tomorrow. I'm hoping for 30, which is doable because we're going to a numbers pond.

Thanks for ^this.^ I appreciate hearing how other fishers set the hook.