DogBone_384

Awesome Mike! You really are Mr. Aquarium!

This was my first year using the ANGLR app and bullseye. It tracks data pretty well. I fished 63 trips, was skunked 17 times, caught 206 fish in 9 species. The tally came out to 89 SMB (biggest @ 3_9), 58 LMB (biggest just over 5 & a new PB), 28 picks, 15 yellow perch (biggest 1_4), 12 white perch, 1 Rainbow, 1 rock bass (my 1st), 1 pumpkinseed, and 1 bluegill. My biggest fish this year was a Larry just tipping five pounds at Ponkapog on a creature bait. I had multiple yellow perch over 1 pound, with the biggest at 1_4. Overall my average bass was between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds, which is not bad. I think it goes with other members' reports of this year that numbers were good but size was down. I did much better this fall with treble hook lures than the past few years. My 2020 goals are to fish jigs and treble hook lures more, improve my patience (ha ha ha), break my PBs, and catch fish in open water (in MA) every month of the year. Oh yeah, NOT BUY ANYMORE RODS & REELS! Great South, Hinckleys, Sheep, and the Quabbin are waters I didn't do as well as years past, so those are priority targets for next year too. The year's not over yet if I can help it. Perhaps one more trip to Plymouth or Cape Cod for my December fish.

My checkbook survived this year’s TW 20% sale unharmed.... Kittery Trading Post’s buy three, get one, however .... I have four new Megabass Onetens heading my way.

I live in a city that has a significant foreign population. I’ve seen many folks take buckets of bass home to eat. My in-laws came here in ‘78 and still wonder why I don’t bring my catches home to them, pickerel included. Right or wrong, it’s just the way it is sometimes.

It’s pretty well said already. Best I can offer is cut your coffee intake.

Thanks for the news ... my wallet, however, doesn’t thank you. I’ll quietly chant “I have enough Kistlers, I have enough Kistlers...” and keep the monkey at bay.

Yes, Hedges is my SMB go-to, especially when cold. I stick to small waters when the temps get into the 50s. If I ever go for an unplanned swim, I want to be close to shore. As far as the drive, yes, it's a hike from my house, but luckily my Toyota Tundra gets great gas mileage....

This ^^^^^^

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Thanks, everyone, for making this the best educational bass forum out there!

Blade baits are already rockin’ and rollin’ in Plymouth/Cape Cod waters. A little green/gold Damiki is my best producer as of late. Water temps are in the mid 40’s out here.

Took another trip to Hedges late this morning (I couldn't resist because of the forecast!). It was a good trip. I landed three smallmouth, ranging from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds and a fat yellow perch just over a pound. I also lost a bigger, fatter perch at the kayak. The smallies still have some fight in them too. I threw a Damiki blade bait, a few treble baits, a brown/purple hair jig, a dark purple 4" U-Tail, and 3.5" Keitech. I needed only the blade bait and an orange Rapala Shad Rap Shad deep. Water temps were 45.x - 46.x with air pressure sitting at 30.1. It was mostly sunny and very windy from the S/SW until about 3:00. If I get my December fish, I'll succeed getting fish in open water 10 of the 12 months this year.

...YES... with one of these to go with it: Wiha 40010 Magnetizer or Demagnetizer, Color may vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00018AONE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_20R2Db084P1WZ

I made the trip back to Hedges just before lunch. It was very windy, coming from the S/SW and overcast. My five pound anchor did a good job of keeping me from blowing across the pond faster than I can pedal. Water temps were 46.x. Air pressure was 29.6. I stuck with yesterday's formula and came up with one nice SMB at 1 1/2 pounds. Today's fish was taken in 5' by yesterday's blade bait. Heavy rain came in around 2:30 so I beat feet back home, which was good timing because I got called in to help out with a 3 alarm fire. Given the weather, I'll take the one smallie and be happy.

I found a black jitterbug, a Spro swimbait in rainbow trout (a pond without rainbow), at Ponkapog, and two crankbaits at Blue Hills Reservoir. I also pulled a white spinner off a tree branch on Cape Cod, though I don't remember which pond. On two occasions I found lures I lost on earlier trips. One was a perch blade bait I reeled up when I snagged a branch at Hedges. I lost that bait the previous fall/winter. The second was a bluegill flavored Rapala Skitter Walk I lost when a pickerel bit through my line at Ponkapog. I found that one just off the launch in 3' of water. I'm much better at losing baits than I am at finding them.....

Drove to Hedges a bit before lunch and stayed until about 4:00. Got four good smallies and one F A T (1.17 lbs) yellow perch in the kayak and lost the day's big SMB when I reached for my net and let off the pressure I had on it. A blade bait, couple different jerk & crank baits, and a motor oil/green flake 4" Zoom U-tail were all I needed today. All but one fish caught on the blade bait took it while it was idle on the bottom. The same goes for the smallie that took the worm. It was sunny, water temps were 45.9 - 46.4 and air pressure was 30.1. The wind was northerly at about 8 mph and was calm by 3:00. I've used the ANGLR app, including their Bullseye, for most of this year. It does a good job of tracking me, my catches, and the weather on all my trips. It's pretty interesting. I can log on and compare my trips for the year. Today was my 61st trip of the year. I've caught 200 fish of 9 different species. All in all a pretty good trip for the week before Thanksgiving. I'm heading back tomorrow after I replace a shower head for my parents, who coincidentally, live half way to Plymouth from my house....

I've not had any sallies puke anything up, but a two pounder I caught on 04 November had a yellow perch's tail sticking out of its throat. I was a dummy and didn't take a picture of it before I put it back in the water.

I guess I’ll just have to wait until January .... It’ll be worth the wait. ?

^^^^^^^^^^^ Mike does great work and is very reasonable!

Yes, I’m still at it. Smallmouth country’s about an hour from me, in Plymouth, MA. It’s getting cold this week, but back to the high 40’s, low 50’s, next week. Water temps were 56.x my last trip, on 06 November.

Looks like another great trip Mike! Bad news is I drove through the first snow flurries OTW home this afternoon. Hopefully Plymouth & the Cape stay open the rest of the year! Gotta get my December fish in MA.

Good luck! I'm gonna try to get down to Plymouth today or early tomorrow if I can beat the rain. I can pack light, bringing blade baits, jigs, and jerkbaits. Maybe a couple spinners to coax the perch or trout if the smallies are uncooperative.

It’s 29 degrees south of Boston ..... It AIN’T over yet..... I concur with Massyak85 about big fish in MA this year. My numbers were good (My log says 194 fish, 9 species, over 60 trips in 2019) but overall size was down.

I'm not done yet either. Took another shot at Hedges yesterday afternoon. Managed two good SMB on an under-spin with a 3.8" Keitech on it and a nice yellow perch on a gold Rapala BX Brat. The smallies still had some fight in them. Water temps were 56.x, air pressure was 30.3, and the wind was intermittent from the west between 5 - 10 mph. It's gonna get cold from here on out ... time to break out the wool socks and thermals.

Took a ride to Hedges yesterday afternoon, looking for my November fish. I caught 4 SMB and 4 yellow perch. My biggest smallie was a hair over two pounds and 1.3 pounds for the number one yellow perch. The big SMB had a small yellow perch tail halfway out it's throat when I landed him. The feed bag's still on. I threw a variety of treble hooks, a chatter bait, hair jig, gold Binsky, and tube. At the end of the day I needed only the gold Binsky and a molten copper Rapala Shad Rap Shad deep. I was surprised that all of my catches hit the baits while moving fast. Water temps were 57.x, air pressure was 30.4, and there was an intermittent breeze from the S/SW. All in all a pretty good afternoon. It's a drag that the sun sets so early this time of year. Best of luck to everyone still getting out there.