Toledo is throwing some serious curveballs. My spot that was stacked with fish yesterday was vacant today. I tried it multiple times and I searched around nearby to see if I could find where they went to.

 

On the bright side, I did discover a couple deep spots. Not a ton of fish, but some bites, and "some" is about all I have been finding, and from what I've heard, that is the case with most at the moment. I caught one really nice fish today on a spot that has serious potential, but it was the only bite I got there. I am hoping that some more fish of that class move in!

 

Lots of fish yesterday, including my first 3 smallmouth of the year. They were little, but I was glad to see them.

Several nice largemouth, one of my biggest of the day smashed a Savage Gear Shine Glide.

First smallie of the year. First time I'd actually been fishing this year targeting bass...well as much as you can target bass in the small river behind my house. On a strike king bitsy bug.

@everythingthatswims,

I think some photos of you are on the Bassmaster website!

Poor weather, ponds being partially frozen, and being sick has kept me at home most of this month—only got out twice. Got my first bass of 2018 today. 

 

Two warm weekends in a row and a little more rain today opened up one of the little lakes in my area after nearly 5 weeks of being frozen solid. Had to take advantage and at least make a few casts after the cold we've been dealing with this past month. Bonus when I managed 7 bass in about 75 minutes from a lake that was still frozen just yesterday. On the board in 2018, about 2 weeks earlier than last year! Looks like another lake in the area will be clear by tomorrow, so hoping for one more trip before we go cold again. 

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Two warm weekends in a row and a little more rain today opened up one of the little lakes in my area after nearly 5 weeks of being frozen solid. Had to take advantage and at least make a few casts after the cold we've been dealing with this past month. Bonus when I managed 7 bass in about 75 minutes from a lake that was still frozen just yesterday. On the board in 2018, about 2 weeks earlier than last year! Looks like another lake in the area will be clear by tomorrow, so hoping for one more trip before we go cold again. 

 

 

 

Nice Bass & cool pics ~

Congrats ~ You Lucky Dawg you . . . 

A-Jay

Nice bass @Team9nine!

After 3 weeks where I couldn't even buy a bite, pulled in this nice 4.5lber in FT Stewart.

I had a day on Friday that I have to share.  I fish from noon to 1 PM nearly everyday during my lunch hour with two of my colleagues.  We catch a few fish but rarely many big ones, but it gets us out of the office and lets us enjoy the south Florida sunshine.  Friday, January 26 the wind is blowing 20+ but the skies are clear so off we go.  With the wind at my back I send my first cast out about 35 yards and light a smoke.  I start working the lure and on the second bump I feel that all too familiar tick and wind down and set.  The first picture is the resulting 4-6 fatty.   All three of us keep fishing and each catch 4 really little guys (I mean really little, 8" or less).  Its gets near 1 PM and we call last cast.  I have worked my lure nearly to the bank when I get torpedoed.  The second picture is the last cast 3 - 15.  Last year I only caught two fish over 4 pounds so I get two in that range in an hour was special.  I was using a spinning reel loaded with 15 lb mono with a 6" medium action rod and a Havoc Rocket Craw (Watermelon with purple fleck) Texas-rigged with a 3/16oz bullet weight.   

Thanks to google for putting a *** article on the wifes phone about the prespawn, she wanted to go out today. Had another 4lber slam the chatterbait!!

Ran out just before sunset to beat the bank. The color purple ruled the day, with three 3-pounders in quick succession.

 

I was down in the Orlando area and fished one day on the Harris Chain. My first largemouth bass of the year weighed six pounds, two ounces:

 

 

Closest I've been to a bass in 3 months!

10 hours ago, PECo said:

I was down in the Orlando area and fished one day on the Harris Chain. My first largemouth bass of the year weighed six pounds, two ounces:

 

 

Now that is what I call a "Road Trip". 

16 minutes ago, Gundog said:

Now that is what I call a "Road Trip". 

Sure was. Luckily, a charter captain I know from up on Lake Champlain spends the winter down there. Captain Mickey Maynard ( http://www.lakechamplainangler.com/ ). If you're in the area and want a good shot at catching some decent fish, you should give him a call (518-578-9273). Tell him that Phil sent you.

 

Moderator: I hope this doesn't cross the line from a recommendation to promoting a business. If so, I apologize.

Edited January 30, 20188 yr by PECo
I don't want to break the rules.

Caught a lot of <3lb fish Monday and had the lake all to myself, it was really nice other than being pretty cold. Got my first fish on one of my new swimbaits too. Just a little guy, but he smacked it. 

Great day on the water today.  Caught about a dozen LMB including 2 over 3lbs and over a dozen Crappie including this 2.5 lb slab.  All on Yo-Zuri jerk baits.

Nice catch.

My son got 23 specks

( crappie to y'all) down at Rodman dam the other day. Going with him soon.

 

17 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Nice catch.

My son got 23 specks

( crappie to y'all) down at Rodman dam the other day. Going with him soon.

 

They're fun to catch and we've got some monsters in my lake.  I'm not really targeting them but the big ones hammer jerk baits this time of year.

Hey @A-Jay and @NHBull (and everyone else); so I tried out the Type R+1, and the Type R+2 today. Nothing much happening, although I did catch a scrawny 17" on the first cast with the Type R+2.

 

 

Went up and down a few breaklines in the main lake where I figured there might be a few shallow fish; with not much (zero) luck other than that one fish, I might add. Too cold I guess.

 

 

What I can confirm is that both baits seem to dive to their advertised depths (or maybe even deeper, 10# Seaguar Tatsu), and cast exceedingly well. However, I think I'll stick with my confidence jerkbaits until there are a few more fish in the shallows.

 

Pretty much on a whim, I fished around a (regular) 110+1 along the same breaklines. Hooked and lost a dink, then hooked and landed another dink, and then caught a 4#. Maybe they moved up for a while. Who knows.

 

 

My fingers were too frozen to retie either Type R's (I only had two rods with me); and anyway, I had enough of the cold wind and the overcast afternoon. So I made it back to the ramp to try the Type-R's again another day. Did catch another dink on a plastic near the ramp on one of the last casts of the day.

@deep ~ Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I don't think the +2 would have place in my fishing - so I'll be skipping that one pending further developments.

 

BTW - As long as a jerkbait is splashing and not bouncing - It's Never too cold.

A-Jay

This is a photo from back before I left for Toledo Bend, but I think it's worth sharing. Living the dream!

Got my first few cold water fish yesterday (5 to be exact). It was cold, mid 20's when I went in the afternoon. Ponds just thawed for a few days but will probably be frozen again tomorrow. Took 1 rod and 1 65 pointer because I only had about 30 minutes. This was the biggest one, the other 4 looked like bass colored swimbaits, only smaller.

The tule fog lifted, the sun came out and a friend and I were able to get out on the water with favorable conditions. The weather forecast is showing no rain for the foreseeable future this February, which means a lot of good fishing days. My first decent fish of 2018 was this 4.2lb largemouth.