Swamp Girl

Let's all move to Iowa.

Wow! Wow again! Thanks for that.

Al, like I do, fishes from a boat. Floating anglers should catch more and bigger bass. If you were also afloat, you'd find yourself catching more and bigger bass. I often cast from shore before I launch. I typically catch ONE bass. Yep, ONE. Then I launch and catch lots more.

You Iowa men sure can catch bass.

Three years ago when I started fishing for lmb, I realized my smallmouth rods couldn't control bass in the weeds, so I bought about five MH rods, but I keep using my old reels, up to 40 years old.

Great system.

Yoo-hoo! I love your lures.

Sweet!

I thought about you fishing today, Al, and smiled. I'm glad one of us is still dancing with bass, whatever their size.

So many lures were kindly suggested to me when I returned to lmb fishing three years ago and I bought pert near all of them. Now I have a lifetime supply EXCEPT for the lures I lose, which are mostly soft plastics, specifically Keitechs, Mayors, and Zakos. However, I do chew through those, rather the bass do, so I spend hundreds on them each summer. I don't have a budget. I just buy to replace what I've lost.

Sigh. I wish. My pond is hard.

Not me. Live bait is a blast. When I use it, I'm quick to set the hook. Sure, I lose a few, but I've caught so many with live bait that it doesn't matter. In northwestern Ontario, live bait was perfect for me because I'd simply drag a leech while I paddled the canoe to position it for my lure-casting buddy in the bow. This way, I could keep the paddle in my hand for maximum canoe control, but still catch fish.

Wow, Mike, that sounds thrilling!!!

Woo-hoo, Mike! Are you talking a live shiner beneath one of those balloon bobbers? I used a LOT of leeches in northwestern Ontario for smallies and walleyes. Live bait is fun and I'd fish them right off the side of the canoe. I loved that tiny tap that signaled a fish. I'm guessing with a 9-inch shiner that line would start to move off. Am I right? So many memories, Al! You and Mike scored like the Oklahoma Sooners once scored, again and again and again.

Mike, I think smallies often struggle to compete with lmb, but it's also an issue of habitat. My pond has some rocky bottom, but more muddy bottom, thus more habitat for the largemouth.

Whoa! Those should be mounted on a wall like a DD graphite bass, not cast!

So, I drove to my pond to cast a few times and was skunked. I knew I was imparting good action to my Ned rig because I could see it twitching atop the ice. Yeah, that's right: ICE! I was surprised. It feels early for hard water. Does anyone else have ice? I didn't bring a camera, so I'll substitute this one for my pond:

This has me thinking that the state record bass was either a genetic freak, living in a freaky environment, or didn't actually weigh 15.5 pounds.

Yep, I love to see where you guys catch your bass, but I also love to read how you guys catch your bass. Thanks for the detailed trip report. You fish so differently than me, so I really enjoy reading this different way of bringing bass into the boat.

I love to read your fishing reports, Alex, and to see you lifting a bass and smiling.

Yep. Her house was the newest house on the lake. I think she figured that it made the lake hers and hers alone.

@N Florida Mike: Here's the biggest smallmouth I've ever caught at my pond. She was only 18 inches, but thick:

I love that photo, Bob.

I found a ridge at my pond late this fall when I saw some smallmouth chasing shad. I hooked one and was pulled to where had been feeding. We're in a drought, so our water is low and with the water always being clear, I could see a ridge of bowling ball-sized rocks. I followed it toward shore and away from shore and it continued both directions. So then I paddled out and found a shoreline marker, in this case a particular tree, to mark it. I expect to catch many brown bass there in coming years.

Old school. Me likey.