If I’ve learned anything about lures on this forum it’s that the fish want what the fish want. No YT video spouting this, that or the other color or bait means all that much to me as they’re pushing affiliate sales more than knowledge and experience. On this page alone several different lures in differing colors and styles were used to catch fish. Match the forage as well as the time of year factors in more for me. Of course all the bass in our pond have taken to ordering from Dominos lately so I need to find out if they prefer pepperoni with black olives or ham and pineapple. ?

14 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I was just watching a video where Tim from TB said red lipstick on big girls is from Crawdad eating......this contradicts what I read other places saying it was "Shad lipstick", and they got that from eating lots of Shad. 

And as best we’ve (Paul Roberts and myself) been able to research and determine, both theories are wrong - lol. It’s most likely hormonal, with possible winter physiological influences, though neither of us has yet been above to convince any of the researchers we’ve spoken with to test and prove this in the lab. You can dig up some old threads going into a lot of the discussion on this site if interested.

59 minutes ago, ScottW said:

If I’ve learned anything about lures on this forum it’s that the fish want what the fish want. No YT video spouting this, that or the other color or bait means all that much to me as they’re pushing affiliate sales more than knowledge and experience. On this page alone several different lures in differing colors and styles were used to catch fish. Match the forage as well as the time of year factors in more for me. Of course all the bass in our pond have taken to ordering from Dominos lately so I need to find out if they prefer pepperoni with black olives or ham and pineapple. ?

 

Golden shiners are common in Maine's ponds, so I've been stocking up on gold-hued lures for 2023. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can match the hatch. 

18 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I fear for those Menderchuck big brown Bass, there is a storm coming there way ?

 

Those plus sized smallies all singing Cash's The Man Comes Around "Hear the Thunder Goby comin'/When A-Jay comes around"

On 2/21/2023 at 10:32 AM, ol'crickety said:

Golden shiners are common in Maine's ponds, so I've been stocking up on gold-hued lures for 2023. I'm looking forward to seeing if I can match the hatch. 

We have them too, but farther out east on this island. I just ordered these in Black and Gold. On sale right now! Weeeee.

Savage Gear Pulse Tail LB Baitfish Swimbaits 2pk - Tackle Warehouse

 

 

Blue skies, sunshine, quickly fading winds and clear water made for another tough bite. Nothing on jerkbait from the windiest pocket was a sign - a bad one - lol. Switched out to Ned, but got nothing out deep. Finally found a few hanging shallower around the muckline, bringing 8 to hand. 
 

Most interesting aspect was a break-off on a fish during hookset. My fault for not retying my 6 lb. line. Took a few minutes and tie on and rig another Ned, duplicate the cast, and catch a bass. Sure enough, two Neds in his mouth ? Not sure I’ve ever had that happen before.

 

 

Look close - two Neds in there ?

 

A rare glimpse at a pair of Neds reproducing in the wild 

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

Blue skies, sunshine, quickly fading winds and clear water made for another tough bite. Nothing on jerkbait from the windiest pocket was a sign - a bad one - lol. Switched out to Ned, but get nothing out deep. Finally found a few hanging shallower around the muckline, bringing 8 to hand. 
 

Most interesting aspect was a break-off on a fish during hookset. My fault for not retying my 6 lb. line. Took a few minutes and tie on and rig another Ned, duplicate the cast, and catch a bass. Sure enough, two Neds in his mouth ? Not sure I’ve ever had that happen before.

 

 

Look close - two Neds in there ?

 

A rare glimpse at a pair of Neds reproducing in the wild 

 

Caught me a biggun this afternoon. Almost lost him he put up such a fight. ? Gonna have to hire a crane if this keeps up!
 

17 minutes ago, ScottW said:

Caught me a biggun this afternoon. Almost lost him he put up such a fight. ? Gonna have to hire a crane if this keeps up!
 

That's a sweet setup you're packing, love how it's all organized and mobile.     

 

 

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That's a sweet setup you're packing, love how it's all organized and mobile.     

 

 

Organized chaos! ? Thanks man, it’s a good setup for pond fishing. Still working out some kinks but it’s getting there.

On 2/20/2023 at 8:34 PM, keagbassr said:

Got in about an hour of fishing from shore before work this morning, got 2 to bite, both on a jerkbait, they weighed 3-4 and 5-2

The quiet killer returns. Nice fish, as usual.

I can't stand watching you guys catch bass after bass. Like an old Eskimo woman, I'm going to go out to the ice to die.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Okay, I'll give it two more months.

3 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I can't stand watching you guys catch bass after bass. Like an old Eskimo woman, I'm going to go out to the ice to die.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Okay, I'll give it two more months.

Katie - don't feel too bad....bass season doesn't open here until mid-May....so I got 3 months to wait no matter when the ice disappears.

On 2/20/2023 at 7:49 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

We might set a historical day time high temp this week.....on Thursday it's forecasted to be 85......EIGHTY-FIVE DEGREES in Feb ?

 

Same here in NC, low 80s both today and tomorrow with some wind, then high 60s low 70s Friday right before the front arrives.  This type of thing gets me chasing the big ones.  

 

Friday I'm hauling the boat to work, taking half a day off then headed straight to the honey hole. 

 

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

Katie - don't feel too bad....bass season doesn't open here until mid-May....so I got 3 months to wait no matter when the ice disappears.

I’m so glad NYS opened up their bass season year round. Only caveat is from December to June it’s artificial lures and C&R only. Both things that don’t affect me at any point during the year. 

13 hours ago, ScottW said:

Organized chaos! ? Thanks man, it’s a good setup for pond fishing. Still working out some kinks but it’s getting there.

Can we get some details on it?  Feel free to PM them if you don't want to hose up the thread

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

I can't stand watching you guys catch bass after bass. Like an old Eskimo woman, I'm going to go out to the ice to die.*

*Okay, I'll give it two more months.

Well, there are places just as quaint as Maine. If you want to stay in a Siberian

climate, Wisconsin or Michigan might be alternatives. Both states offer thousands

acres of wilderness, a variety of fishing and canoeing opportunities and as much

solitude as you will find anywhere. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Well, there are places just as quaint as Maine. If you want to stay in a Siberian

climate, Wisconsin or Michigan might be alternatives. Both states offer thousands

acres of wilderness, a variety of fishing and canoeing opportunities and as much

solitude as you will find anywhere. 

 

 

 

I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and I've spent months in Minnesota, so I know them well. I even lived on the Wisconsin River for a couple years and have lived on the Mississippi River for about a year in aggregate. However, when it comes to virgin bass ready to bust up a surface lure, the only place I've found that compares to Maine is northwestern Ontario.

 

@MN Fisher, now I feel badly for you and will quit my complaining. 

Stop by my local pond earlier today and was rewarded with this beauty ? 

 

5 minutes ago, killobet said:

Stop by my local pond earlier today and was rewarded with this beauty ? 

 

Awesome!   What did she weigh?  

38 minutes ago, killobet said:

Stop by my local pond earlier today and was rewarded with this beauty ? 

 

Good fish.

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Awesome!   What did she weigh?  

? I don't have my scales with me.

probably around 3 - 4 lbs

1 hour ago, killobet said:

Stop by my local pond earlier today and was rewarded with this beauty ? 

 

My gosh, she's a balloon! LOL

Took advantage of the big break in the rain this afternoon. Decided to go to the clearest lake due to the heavy cloud cover. Nearly calm and low 50s when I started, so went with Ned. Picked up half a dozen scattered fish. Then the warm frontal line hit us, with temps rising very fast, and actually setting a new daily record of 71 degrees. The old record of 70 was 101 years old, set back in 1922. The wind also suddenly blew up, steadily blowing 25 mph out of the SSW. Switched to a jerkbait and headed for the windiest corner and proceeded to catch another dozen bass, mostly smaller fish, but a sign of good reproduction and the future of the fishery. Never disappointed seeing and catching the little guys.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Took advantage of the big break in the rain this afternoon. Decided to go to the clearest lake due to the heavy cloud cover. Nearly calm and low 50s when I started, so went with Ned. Picked up half a dozen scattered fish. Then the warm frontal line hit us, with temps rising very fast, and actually setting a new daily record of 71 degrees. The old record of 70 was 101 years old, set back in 1922. The wind also suddenly blew up, steadily blowing 25 mph out of the SSW. Switched to a jerkbait and headed for the windiest corner and proceeded to catch another dozen bass, mostly smaller fish, but a sign of good reproduction and the future of the fishery. Never disappointed seeing and catching the little guys.

 

 

Nice fishes. Our wind came up suddenly mid day as well, I was on a ladder and noticed immediately haha