Mainebass1984

Big fish.... They never bite in the rain... Any details to the fish ? weight ? length ?

KVDs 1.5 when I want numbers and 2.5s for I want big bass. I usually fish 2.5s.... They are awesome and I have my best luck when I am "bumpin the stump " with my crankbait.

Oh yeah that's a huge smallie. I bet it was caught on a live leech in 200 ft of water with 4 lb test.... Or.. Maybe its a 6 inch young of the year held so close to the camera it looks bigger ?

I really wanted to see a picture of a 9.8 lb smallmouth....

Its a difficult question to answer. I think that it varies so much lake to lake. In Vermont I would guestimate my "average" bass is 2 lbs. In Maine though I would say for this year my average would be closer to 4 lbs.

Haha.Funny. I find that when I locate fish in the late fall, early November for example, then they will be there through the early ice period which can last as late as mid January here in New England. On more then one occasion I will be catching them on a silver buddy as well as a jig from my boat and then the next week I am targeting them threw the ice.

I think that in most places the average size largemouth outweighs the average size smallmouth. Largemouth usually get bigger as well. Im not saying you cant win a tourney with smallies or largemouth. On average largemouth are bigger and there is a greater opportunity to catch larger fish which is exactly what pros/tourney guys are fishing for.

I hope your able to get out there. The fishing has been red hot.

Agreed

During the hottest part of the summer when the water temperature is above 80 degrees I fish deep and I fish very shallow. When I am fishing "deep" I am targeting drop offs, and isolated structure some times as deep as 40 feet. During this same time I also fish the thickest nastiest weeds I can find which is more often then not in less then 5 feet of water. Got to love that hollow body frog bite. I usually see water temperatures of 80 or more from late july until early sept. This year I never saw 80 degree water temperature, 78 and 79 but not 80. It was an odd summer but the fishing was good.

Id love to take the day off. Tomorrow is going to feel hot. As I sit here and type this it is 28 degrees outside.. Water temperature yesterday was 56 degrees during the warmest time of the day. Lake Champlain has been on fire. Jigs, jerkbaits and crankbaits have been pulling some heavy bags. A local tourney was won with 27.7 lbs of largemouth for 6 fish.

Nice bass ! Heck yeah. Go to love fall bass fishing. Nice picture and sweet swim jig set up. Soon you will break 7 lbs !

No music is allowed in my boat. I would rather listen to the sounds of nature. They are pleasing to listen to and clue me in on what the fish are doing. Keep that music crap at home along with your annoying ring tones.

6 fish ?

I fish ponds too of course. I can see how fishing form shore would very challenging that time of year. Usually I don't find any bass near shore in late Oct or Nov.

They do bite all year. You just got to change tactics. Go deeper and very, very, slow. Even when things are iced over you can still catch them through the ice without using live bait.

Earlier this year I was fishing a hollow bodied frog in and around lily pads in 2-5 feet of water. There was a lot of surface activity, sunfish slurping down bugs, dragonflies and other bugs flying around as well as swallows skimming the surface eating bugs. The fishing was great. The frog bite was on and I was catching a lot of fish over 3 lbs and some bigger fish over 5 lbs. I had made a cast and was keeping a keen eye on my frog. As I was watching my frog, way out beyond it, further up the shore, I watched as a swallow that was skimming the surface disappear into a massive explosion. I couldn't believe what I had seen and thought for sure I had just seen an 8 lber eat a bird. A bird. I remained somewhat calm and after a couple minutes I meandered over to where I had seen the swallow get swallowed. I cast my frog just past where the explosion had been. Plop, Plop, wa-bam, a huge surface strike. I set the hook hard, like my life depended upon it. The fish felt big but not huge. After it jumped a couple times and putting up a spirited fight I slip the net underneath it. It weighed in at 4 lbs 12 oz. I figured it couldn't have been the same fish, but it was in the same exact spot. As I released the fish I noticed something float to the surface and start quivering half way between where I had hooked the fish and the boat. I motored over for a better look. It was a swallow, quivering from just being eaten by the bass I had just caught. That bass had just eaten a bird and he still wanted my frog. I had figured it must have been a giant bass that had blown up on that bird and it was a fish that didn't even weigh 5 lbs. That is pretty wild. I guess you never know what will happen on the water.

Jigs catch big fish all across the country. My Pb was caught on a 1/2 oz Jig.

Did you fish the drop off ?

I have been fishing the same brush piles for years. How long they last definitely depends on what you use. I have caught fish the day after putting a brush pile in. If fish are there they will use it.

Sweet ! Well done Bob. That is some amazing fishing. I have heard the bite has been red hot on southern champlain lately. Lots of big fish being caught including a 8.5 last week. There is atleaset 2 tourneys going on tomorrow. One is out of Larabees. If your on fish like that maybe you should enter one.

Yes, Yes you should be fishing. I see it raining and I ask myself why am I not fishing ? Big fish bite in the rain and nobody else is out there.

I fish from my boat until the ice is too thick for me to break through it. This usually occurs around thanksgiving. Some of the biggest bass I catch all year are caught in November. I usually fish VERY slow and deep. Great time of year to fish. The number of fish caught goes way down but the average size is great. I have fished in snow storms and the fishing is good most of the time.

Every think about using more natural cover like tree or bush instead of a bucket and plastic tubing ?

There is a nice launch. Its worth your time. Lots of 3-4s in there. Ive caught quite a few 5s there as well. Its a great place. Smallmouth up to 4 lbs as well.