Had an awesome weekend camping in NC. My wife and 4 friends did a 14 mile hike from cades cove in TN to a backcountry campsite in the great smoky mountains national park on the Carolina side. They need a ride from the campsite across the lake to a highway for extraction, that’s where I come in haha. Since I’ve got a boat for the shuttle, they send all the heavy camping gear with me. I launched a little after noon on Saturday, fish were biting the little green worm pretty well. I think I caught 2 smallies and 8 spotted bass, which have no limit. I had the spots filleted and ready to cook once all the hikers arrived at the campsite, they were thrilled about that. The campsite was absolutely covered in toads! They were calling loudly and breeding everywhere. While washing some dishes in the creek with a headlamp, I noticed some big white bass swimming around in the shallows. The next morning while hanging out around camp, I figured why not toss a fluke around nose hooked. The white bass would follow it around and dart towards it on occasion, but were tricky to get to bite. I finally hooked one and my wife was nearby to take a photo

 

Today I was blessed with enough time to fish for however long I wanted. Woke up at 5, started fishing around 7 and continued until 4 in the afternoon with a couple breaks. It was just really nice being able to fish for a long time since I've been very busy recently. I went to a pond that I've had some good luck at in the past, but it can be "hot" or "cold" on any given day. Today I was expecting it to be hot, and I left with three topwaters rigged up. Get to the pond, start chucking around a buzzbait. Then a frog, then a lipless, then a spinnerbait, and then finally a worm which got me my first fish, and fairly quickly too. Started fishing dropoffs around the pond with a worm, and only got some nibbles from what I thought were bluegill. This continues for a while, and then after three hours of fishing, I've got one tiny fish to show. But all the while, I've been checking off boxes in my mind, trying to figure out where the fish are and what they want. Lily pads had started to emerge around the pond and a good many were green and healthy so of course I had tried running old faithful spinnerbait through them. No luck. Then I start thinking that if the fish were not biting worms on the dropoffs, usually on this pond, if they aren't on the dropoffs, they can be dirt shallow. I decided to try... a swim jig. I don't think I'd ever caught  fish on a swim jig before today, but as soon as I got to throwing it around and winding it through lily pads, I started getting bit. It was just night and day. Wound up catching somewhere over 20 fish, I really don't know. I talked before on here about throwing a swim jig in lily pads, but this was the first time I tried it and, oh man, it just got bit like crazy. I fished it just like I do a spinnerbait around lily pads, except that I threw the swim jig even more fearlessly into the heart of lily pads, and I fished it a little faster. The crazy thing, is, even though I caught somewhere over 20, my landing ratio was actually really bad. There is something I need to figure out about how to better land fish when fishing like this because it was a mess. I probably lost two really nice size fish and pretty much wound up catching fish 2lbs and under. So I've got some work to do. But just a really fun day. The swim jig that pretty much caught all the fish was Siebert's Grass and Swim jig paired with a rage menace in summer craw color with the chartreuse belly facing downwards. Right around noon was the best bite window. Around that time I went on a flurry. I'll share six fish.

Well I finally remembered to use the scale I bought last year, fish were not big enough for me to be worried about weight. I just wanted to use my scale lol

2 bass, 2.66 lbs, 1.33 lbs

2 pike 3.64 lbs, only weighed one of these.

All caught on various squarebills.

There were 2 tournaments on Pickwick this weekend, but @roadwarrior & I wanted to fish so we hit the water on Saturday. The day started out with great expectations. It was "fish on" just a few minutes from the ramp, and we had three good fish in the first 30 minutes. The one in the picture below was my best on the day. I got it on a chrome lipless.

 

 

Unfortunately we didn't notice that the net wasn't in the boat until we caught the first fish. The first fish was small enough for me to flip in the boat, but I wasn't about to try to flip this fish over the rails of a pontoon so I used one of the tips I learned from watching BassResource videos. I got as low as I could, grabbed the line, said a little prayer that it didn't shake the lipless onto my face, and pulled the fish up Glenn May style. It worked! Thanks for the tip @Glenn! Roadwarrior caught a similar sized fish just a few minutes later. I pulled it up the same way. It was a single hook lure so it wasn't as scary as the trebles on the lipless. ?

 

Unfortunately, the fishing went downhill from there. Around 9:30 the wind picked up to a steady 25 mph. That didn't help us, but apparently wind is great for sailing. There were sailboats everywhere.

 

 

Shortly after that the hoards of pleasure boaters came out to greet the first 80 degree weekend of the year. I don't blame them. It was a beautiful day. It made finding a fishing spot tough though. Pretty much every wind protected area we went to already had a party.

 

 

If have ever fished with Roadwarrior, you know it's always fun. You're either catching fish, or hearing an interesting story about previous experiences. He worked hard all day navigating the wind, sail boats, jet skis, pleasure cruisers, tourney traffic, and helping me retrieve my lure (which I blame 100% on the wind). ? As always, I appreciate his generosity, and letting me tag along.

 

^ I caught my new PB smallie yesterday morning as the sun was rising over Lake St. Clair. That was a truly epic feeling! This one was 4.43 lbs and 20". I caught it on a NetBait STH Finesse Series Tube (2.5") in 'Green Pumpkin'. My new NRX+ 842C MBR handled it amazingly.

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

                                                                          

I hoped to catch my PB this past weekend, but ended up a few pounds short.

      First cast at daylight my line some how caught on the hook keeper of my rod. I did make the long cast I was trying to make, only the lure didn't stay tied to the line.  Instead of going and getting the lure right away I picked at the professional over run first.  A couple minutes later a bass came up and ate the square bill.  Only bite of the morning was on a lure that wasn't tied to the line.  It was turning out to be one of those days.

       I did find my PB below the same steep bank as last week, and I had the same luck trying to get her to bite.  After a few hours trying to get her to bite, I went to another spot and landed a 5 pound bass on my first cast with a Carolina Rig, but wasn't able to get another bite.  Same place I was one and done with the C Rig last week.  Nothing frustrates me more than a one bass pattern.  Later in the day I tried a new offshore hump I found, and managed to hook an 8 to 9 pound bass on a deep diving crankbait, but lost it within a foot of my Kayak.  Of course I couldn't get another bite.  Another dreaded one bass pattern.  Do pros ever go one and done, or do they always figure out the secret of the first fish success and find a way to duplicate it?

       The next day I tried for the big bass on the bank, and as always, couldn't even get her to look at a lure.  I did manage to catch some small bass, and realizing time was running out, decided to take a picture of one.  I got my small bass PB out of the way, next time I hope to get my big bass PB, at least I didn't get skunked. 

On 4/24/2022 at 6:24 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Had an awesome weekend camping in NC. My wife and 4 friends did a 14 mile hike from cades cove in TN to a backcountry campsite in the great smoky mountains national park on the Carolina side. They need a ride from the campsite across the lake to a highway for extraction, that’s where I come in haha. Since I’ve got a boat for the shuttle, they send all the heavy camping gear with me. I launched a little after noon on Saturday, fish were biting the little green worm pretty well. I think I caught 2 smallies and 8 spotted bass, which have no limit. I had the spots filleted and ready to cook once all the hikers arrived at the campsite, they were thrilled about that. The campsite was absolutely covered in toads! They were calling loudly and breeding everywhere. While washing some dishes in the creek with a headlamp, I noticed some big white bass swimming around in the shallows. The next morning while hanging out around camp, I figured why not toss a fluke around nose hooked. The white bass would follow it around and dart towards it on occasion, but were tricky to get to bite. I finally hooked one and my wife was nearby to take a photo

 

Your always going on cool adventures in pretty scenery. No spots around me but I've heard they are the best eating of the 3 main bass...you agree? 

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

Your always going on cool adventures in pretty scenery. No spots around me but I've heard they are the best eating of the 3 main bass...you agree? 

I say that’s a convenient myth because people want you to keep more of them. They all taste the same 

 

all the land around me is pretty scenery, you’ve gotta drive 3 hours to Atlanta before it runs out! Haha

2 hours ago, king fisher said:

I hoped to catch my PB this past weekend, but ended up a few pounds short.

      First cast at daylight my line some how caught on the hook keeper of my rod. I did make the long cast I was trying to make, only the lure didn't stay tied to the line.  Instead of going and getting the lure right away I picked at the professional over run first.  A couple minutes later a bass came up and ate the square bill.  Only bite of the morning was on a lure that wasn't tied to the line.  It was turning out to be one of those days.

       I did find my PB below the same steep bank as last week, and I had the same luck trying to get her to bite.  After a few hours trying to get her to bite, I went to another spot and landed a 5 pound bass on my first cast with a Carolina Rig, but wasn't able to get another bite.  Same place I was one and done with the C Rig last week.  Nothing frustrates me more than a one bass pattern.  Later in the day I tried a new offshore hump I found, and managed to hook an 8 to 9 pound bass on a deep diving crankbait, but lost it within a foot of my Kayak.  Of course I couldn't get another bite.  Another dreaded one bass pattern.  Do pros ever go one and done, or do they always figure out the secret of the first fish success and find a way to duplicate it?

       The next day I tried for the big bass on the bank, and as always, couldn't even get her to look at a lure.  I did manage to catch some small bass, and realizing time was running out, decided to take a picture of one.  I got my small bass PB out of the way, next time I hope to get my big bass PB, at least I didn't get skunked. 

One bass pattern is the years long story of the TN river, it happens to lots of the pros every time they fish it. Patterns seem cool to people but the fish don’t really care what we think. 

Today is the first time I've been able to fish in about a week and a half, got hit with a pretty bad head cold last Monday, still under the weather but was able to get out into some fresh air for a few hours. Bite wasn't crazy, managed a handful on chatterbait, lipless, and one on the jerkbait.

 

 

Most of them about that size, did manage one was was 3lb even, choked the lipless and was bleeding pretty bad so no pic. Thankfully missed the gills but stuck it pretty deep in the roof of the mouth.

 

And of course removed a few more tilapia from the gene pool, only managed to get them on lipless today.

Only had a couple hours to fish but that sure as heck beats not going out at all. Always great just being out on the water.

 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, ABrugs said:

 

^ I caught my new PB smallie yesterday morning as the sun was rising over Lake St. Clair. That was a truly epic feeling! This one was 4.43 lbs and 20". I caught it on a NetBait STH Finesse Series Tube (2.5") in 'Green Pumpkin'. My new NRX+ 842C MBR handled it amazingly.

 

You know what comes next right? Introduction into the 5 lb club. Congrats on the new PB.

My brother got his 1st nice piggy of the year last night on the Toxic Baits Whippersnapper.

 

Few from yesterday. Had to dead stick Ned style baits  to get bit. 

Got five today, two LMB and three spots. This was the "big" of the bunch, probably 1 to 1.5lbs. Not bad for a bright, sunny, calm day between 3pm and 5pm. Lake is up about two feet from some rain earlier in the week. 

The rest of my day was absolute dumpster-quality. But at least I caught some fishes. It's a good day.

Late to get around posting, been really busy the last few days. Got out both days this past weekend. Saturday was the first warm day I've been able to fish in this year, so of course there was 30-35mph straight winds with gusts to 40-50mph. I fished 3 different lakes, hoping that somehow I'd be able to get out of it a little bit, but that wasn't ever really possible. I did manage to catch at least 1 good fish at each lake, including my first frog fish of the year, so that was nice. 

Big fish of the day and first one of the day on the Spro Wameku Shad in Electric Red Craw, it was one of my best producers of the day. The fish went 4 3/4.

Every bass I caught at that lake was on the lipless and each one crushed it,

but the weeds were so bad it was very difficult to fish it, so I moved to a little 30 acre lake nearby. Nothing around it to protect it, but I thought maybe the waves would be better. Never saw white caps on a lake that small before Saturday. Made the best of it though and caught several, mostly on a Strike King Hybrid Hunter Jr.

There's another little 100 acre lake across the road that runs east/west. Since the wind was out of the south, I thought it would be protected. It was, kind of, but it was still just rolling up the lake.

I went straight to the west end to try to get out of it. Very shallow and caught a couple dinks on a bladed jig before I got to some slop and caught my first frog fish of the year.

Followed shortly with a much nicer frog fish.

The Wameku shad caught several small ones here, and a bonus crappie.

Sunday was much calmer so I took my kayak out to a creek I'd never fished before. I've heard that the bass move into it in the spring, and the lake has a great crappie population, so I was prepared for both. Crappie won out, but I did catch one healthy largemouth out of log jam on a crappie jig. I also caught a channel cat in serious need of a good chiropractor. 

 

 

 

Got out for 45 mins last night and had my first good day of the year.  5 fish total with a decent one to boot on @BrianMDTX favorite senko.  Opinions from everyone on pre or post spawn?  From my observations the fish just moved up this weekend.  Beds have been created and little males were everywhere.  I thought this fish would be chunky and have a gut but she didn't at all and her weight was below what her frame looked like it should have been.  Pinkish coloring around her anal fin on her belly but fin/tail didn't look bloody or rubbed.  Caught right off the bank in like 2 foot of water on a farm pond.  She lessened the pain of later breaking off on what I believe would have been my PB.  I'll be back.

 

 

 

 

Nice bass @hokiehunter373! Love that Senko! 
 

 

1 hour ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Got out for 45 mins last night and had my first good day of the year.  5 fish total with a decent one to boot on @BrianMDTX favorite senko.  Opinions from everyone on pre or post spawn?  From my observations the fish just moved up this weekend.  Beds have been created and little males were everywhere.  I thought this fish would be chunky and have a gut but she didn't at all and her weight was below what her frame looked like it should have been.  Pinkish coloring around her anal fin on her belly but fin/tail didn't look bloody or rubbed.  Caught right off the bank in like 2 foot of water on a farm pond.  She lessened the pain of later breaking off on what I believe would have been my PB.  I'll be back.

 

 

 

 

for the size of the head it does look a bit thin. Up here the water is the bottom half of the 50’s and there isn’t anything doing in less than 5’ as far as bed activity. Not even small cruising fish yet. The fish have good bellies.  Could that just be a hungry fish in a pond with not enough forage?

 

 

Fished our finally regular season tourney for the 2021-2022 BASS high school season.  Was a really tough day for us, but had a lot of fun.  Caught two keepers for 3.99, and took 9th place.  

Ended the season with 4 top tens, including one first place finish.  Fishing our state championship in June!  Finished 3 in overall standing, out of 69!

 

                                             

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

for the size of the head it does look a bit thin. Up here the water is the bottom half of the 50’s and there isn’t anything doing in less than 5’ as far as bed activity. Not even small cruising fish yet. The fish have good bellies.  Could that just be a hungry fish in a pond with not enough forage?

 

 

Water temps here should have been low 60s over the weekend after Sunday's 85 degree day but are back in the mid to upper 50s right now.  Doubtful on the lack of food.  The bluegills in this pond are plentiful and range from the size you'd like to live bait fish with for bass to ones that will fill a pan if you cook whole.  My pb last year in late June certainly thought there was enough to eat lol.  

 

 

15 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Water temps here should have been low 60s over the weekend after Sunday's 85 degree day but are back in the mid to upper 50s right now.  Doubtful on the lack of food.  The bluegills in this pond are plentiful and range from the size you'd like to live bait fish with for bass to ones that will fill a pan if you cook whole.  My pb last year in late June certainly thought there was enough to eat lol.  

 

 

interesting. Maybe just a big male, otherwise maybe an early spawner that dropped eggs last week.

2 hours ago, HaydenS said:

Fished our finally regular season tourney for the 2021-2022 BASS high school season.  Was a really tough day for us, but had a lot of fun.  Caught two keepers for 3.99, and took 9th place.  

Ended the season with 4 top tens, including one first place finish.  Fishing our state championship in June!  Finished 3 in overall standing, out of 69!

 

Congrats on a good season, and good luck in the state championship tourney @HaydenS.