37 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Wait, what?

Pigs must have flown…?

Congrats!

Meanwhile I couldn’t buy a bite on ol spinnerblade this weekend. I was ticking and pulling em gently through grass and I was thinking “how in the world am I not getting bit doing this.” Spinnerbaits in grass are nasty good

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I did, and caught one! 

You're on a roll with that thing. You're gonna turn into Jimmie Houston if y'aint careful.

Dink Chillin 

A good memorial day weekend of fishing for me.  Caught 10 on Saturday and 10 more on Monday.  Saturday yielded a 4lb, a 5lb and a 6lb.   Most were caught on a black/blue Yumdinger rigged wacky.

 

 

Monday started off with a 3lb on the 3rd cast and was followed up with a 5lb and a 6lb.

 

 

She was my tenth and last fish of the day caught by the dam while waiting for the launch to clear so I could leave.  She weighed in at 6.24lb's and was caught on a TR Junebug Yumdinger.

 

All the rest each day were in the 1-2lb range with maybe one dink thrown in for good measure.

@gunsinger, what a weekend!

 

@thediscochef, congrats on the PB smallie buddy! 

34 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

@gunsinger, what a weekend!

 

@thediscochef, congrats on the PB smallie buddy! 

Thanks! I'm still in shock

@gunsinger, quick, buy a lottery ticket before the magic fades!

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

@gunsinger, quick, buy a lottery ticket before the magic fades!

No doubt...

I had no idea that Dink-a-Palooza 2023 was happening today. I never got the memo. But I found myself a part of the festivities today. Dink after dink. 
 

The significance of this trip was the fact that it was my first time out with the GoPro. Please excuse my sniffling and heavy breathing, I have a gnarly chest cold. And double excuse the terrible camera angle and brim of my hat in the shot. Like I said, this is the first time I’ve filmed myself fishing ever. So don’t be too harsh lol! ? I had no idea the standard SD card only holds an hour of footage, so I only filmed my first hour. But I had a blast filming. I had a natural urge to narrate, which made me feel more connected and in-tune with how I was fishing. Will be upgrading my SD card immediately. 

Fish didn’t want much other than a wacky senko today….the worst kind of bite. Managed to pick one off around noon that went 2.5 on the spinnerbait, but other than that it was short fish after short fish. 

Facial expression in the bottom two photos says it all.

14 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

I had no idea that Dink-a-Palooza 2023 was happening today. I never got the memo. But I found myself a part of the festivities today. Dink after dink. 
 

The significance of this trip was the fact that it was my first time out with the GoPro. Please excuse my sniffling and heavy breathing, I have a gnarly chest cold. And double excuse the terrible camera angle and brim of my hat in the shot. Like I said, this is the first time I’ve filmed myself fishing ever. So don’t be too harsh lol! ? I had no idea the standard SD card only holds an hour of footage, so I only filmed my first hour. But I had a blast filming. I had a natural urge to narrate, which made me feel more connected and in-tune with how I was fishing. Will be upgrading my SD card immediately. 

Fish didn’t want much other than a wacky senko today….the worst kind of bite. Managed to pick one off around noon that went 2.5 on the spinnerbait, but other than that it was short fish after short fish. 

That's awesome you are GoProing your sessions, and I loved the video.   That place looks super fishy, and beautiful.   You're gonna find that filming your catches brings a whole different level of excitement to your catches.     We spend way too much time and money on these fish, and then release them not to preserve some of our greatest highs in life with a camera.   I won't go fishing without a camera and scale, and if I intend to fish for more than 5mins, the GoPro has to come now.  

 

You really just can't put into words or pics what a video does so perfectly.   

 

eta;  like you I started out on my head, then I realized that it was too heavy.   Started with one battery, now I have 6 lol.   I got two 128g cards, so as of this last week, I can keep the thing going as long as I want....but atlas I still have to change batteries, and then also just turn it off going from one spot to the next.......and always that's when I catch a fish I wanted to have on film, just like yesterday lol.   It's a ton of fun to do though, makes the whole thing so much more enjoyable.  You're gonna find that if you're gonna bother taking it and filming, you want it rolling every second that line is wet, if not the stupid fish always come when it's off ?

 

Enjoy learning your way into the style and manner you want to make these videos in.    

So since this is the taking off point for "my season," when I can safely wade most of the waters of my local river, and yesterday's bite was encouraging, I took off again. Left a bit later in the day this day, at around 11:30 am, but this time of year I feel quite good about missing the early morning bite. I had committed myself to walking quite a bit today (it ended up being about 12 miles of walking after all was said and done), I started at the same location I fished yesterday. A couple takers on the ned rig again, an intentional bait choice as it is firmly on my list of tackle choices to garner a greater mastery of. A couple quick landings of some smaller fish, and the acknowledgement that the lower water levels today likely sent any larger fish moving on, and I was off on my adventure.

At the first spot, a deeper pool located at the edge of an eddy created by a bridge pylon, I found several smaller takers, and a 20 inch red horse face sucker (a first for me). However I noticed that they were in quite a mood to chase, as I caught a few while reeling up, so I decided I would tie on one of my favorites, an all black 3/32 marabou jig with a piece of berkely scented power worm on the shank for some additional casting distance.

I then moved to the next stop on today's tour, a river wide shelf, which is preceded by a pool, deeper than any water around for some distance. Started off with the same little fish I was seeing all afternoon to that point when suddenly I hooked up, and drag started peeling off of my reel like no other time with this 7'1" st croix md lght, xtra fst finesse setup. After 5 minutes or so I pulled up this first one. As someone who had yet to chase stripers in the river, I think this one hooked me in. Man what a fight. Obviously not a giant, but all of 28inch, and a personal best for me.

@AlabamaSpothunter thanks man. Only 1 hour of filming and I’m already addicted. Being able to go back watch moments and catches is too cool. Never thought it’d be so much fun. When that hour was up and my SD card was full, I was bummed out. Can’t wait to get back out there with more memory! 

Continuing here as I am rambling today. Well since that was so much fun, try again right? And a couple casts later... Well after this I thought there is no way I can go in now, I have to check out the last couple of spots I had in mind. One that would require me wading across a section of river to a large island, where from there I have access to some deeper pools, flats of smooth shale and grass, and possibly the main river channel. Well I made it across safely, and not without some effort with the water levels higher than when I have previously ventured out. Nothing to large to speak of in the first holes, but I remembered some success on the other side of the island, and couldn't pass up the chance on the way back. Well I immediately hooked into a large smallie, which put up a great fight, and (lesson learned here, as I let him turn his head at my feet as I went to grab his lip) and the small marabou jig popped out. Bummer of course, but the fight and getting visual confirmation that she was indeed all of 3.5 pounds, was worth plenty in my book. Another cast, another decent smallie, which provided a view of what must have been a 20+ inch following in. Couldn't her to bite before I snapped my line fowling around the spool..... But then something I have never experienced happened to me. As I was handling in my bait and all the line that was out, I hooked, and successfully landed another smallie!

Honestly helped me stopped kicking myself for letting the largest smallie of the day pop off at my feet. After that I went home satisfied and even landed a few more on the way back across. End rant, thank you anyone who was patient enough to read all of that.

@Jar11591, I laughed when you hooked that pickerel and said, "Oh, this nasty thing. I hate this."

 

Been there. 

 

@cvaicunas69, what a day! Thanks for sharing.

@ol'crickety it certainly was an enjoyable afternoon. I catch anything remotely like @A-Jay someone poor soul may find me shaking by the riverside hours later.

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

Facial expression in the bottom two photos says it all.

The dink scowl 

3 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

The dink scowl 

Hold the telephone what spinnerbait is that top photo

6 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Hold the telephone what spinnerbait is that top photo

That would be a Strike King Tour Grade double willow, 3/4oz in “Green Tomato”. The clean up hitter of my spinnerbait line up. 

3 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

That would be a Strike King Tour Grade double willow, 3/4oz in “Green Tomato”. The clean up hitter of my spinnerbait line up. 

Really unique color. Pretty cool

 

what's the trailer?

Just now, LrgmouthShad said:

Really unique color. Pretty cool

Been great in this super clear lake as well as some dingier water I fish. On sale for $6 on TW currently. 

Just now, Jar11591 said:

On sale for $6 on TW currently. 

Bait monkey confirmed. We found him boys. 
 

Now get away from me, you monster 

 

Still….

31 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

what's the trailer

3.75” Rage Swimmer

I took a day off and went to a new lake for me. It was unreal. I caught 17 smallmouth in the 12-15in range and a couple in 3+lb range, 2 largemouth, 5 sunfish, and 1 big gar. It was just fantastic. It was best day I have had this year.

 

This big girl was around 23in and 7lbs. 

 

Most of the smallmouth I caught were this size.

 

 

I also saw one crazy boat on the way there. I'm not quite sure where he was going to put it but it had 4 350hp engines on it. I can't imagine the cost. Sorry for the bad Pic but I passed it too quickly.  

 

 

 

Well I got out today and caught around 15 in a hour, no size at all really. I got one decent one probably 1.5-2lbs, not what I am looking for. But it’s the biggest one that I have pulled out so far this year. All caught on a salty super fluke in Houdini on a 2/0 owner haymaker hook. I didn’t bother with pictures since I was waste deep in muck in my swimming trunks lol, still have not bought new waders. I had a few more hits later on a ribbon tail worm, they were not eating it good enough to stick them with a hook though. They were just biting the tail lol. I finally caught some fish on a fluke so I am happy. The wife caught one also.