10 hours ago, Jmurphy87 said:

I find it nuts how camera positions change the size of fish, one pic he looks smaller and the other he looks bigger than he was. I always like trying to make my fish look as small as possible. I catch fish and I don’t want to lie about there size.

 

So true. This is why I love my bump board. #bumpboarddon'tlie

 

The bump board also cradles the fish. They feel cozy in it and rarely flip out. A quick dunk in the water first, a trick I learned from the YouTuber, Old Lady Angler, and it also protects their slime coat. 

On 6/9/2023 at 10:09 AM, hokiehunter373 said:

Got out for an hour with my buddy even though I didn't think there'd be much of a bite with last nights conditions.  Started with a square bill with no action.  Wanted to catch a fish so Beau could have a lick so I tossed the in-line spinner and got a sunny and then a tiny little bass.  Beau approved. 

 

 

Picked up the wacky worm and caught a few 1ish pound largies.  Snapped off on my best one on the hook set because the drag was set to tight ?‍♂️Felt like the fish were pulled back and deeper and while I hate running a crank from the bank I figured I'd try to see if I could get a reaction from any of them before it inevitably was in the weeds.  I did not.  Butttt just as I was about to set it down I saw a decent swirl right up on the rocks.  Tossed the crank over, it landed just out of the water on the rocks, and the bass tried to eat it out of the water!  Gave it a little tug so it got in the water and he smashed it.  Set the hook and he ran hard.  Just a little 2 pounder but a super fun eat and good fight.

 

 

Finally going to get an extended session Sunday morning with my dad.  Hopefully I can report back with a new PB.

Welp, sure as heck didn't get my new PB, and I also broke my Okuma EVX ?‍♂️.  However, I laid the smackdown on my dad lol and got to listen to a turkey gobble his freakin head off while watching this beautiful sunrise.  Outcaught pops something like 15-2.  I was smashing them on the PopMax before I broke my rod.  I did that by catching my oar on the back swing of a cast.  Man, that was sad.  Switched to a wacky worm after and really stacked them up.  Then a caught a few more on a buzzbait once the sun got up.  Maiden voyage of the "boat" went well though and I can't wait to do that some more and get my kids out with me.  Sure was funny feeling fish run under the boat.

 

 

 

Fishing with your pop and your dog? Man, you scored! Sorry I couldn't leave a reaction. I'm all out. 

 

What was it like fishing in that raft? Was it stiff enough to give you some support?

4 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

I was smashing them on the PopMax before I broke my rod.  I did that by catching my oar on the back swing of a cast.  Man, that was sad.

 

I broke my favorite baitcasting rod in a similar situation. I caught it near the tip with a squarebill I was casting with another rod. I was gutted.

 

Packed my gear up and left for the day. I was done.

13 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Fishing with your pop and your dog? Man, you scored! Sorry I couldn't leave a reaction. I'm all out. 

 

What was it like fishing in that raft? Was it stiff enough to give you some support?

Just my dad yesterday.  I want to get the dog in there eventually but right now I think he'd prefer to be swimming in the pond than stuck in the boat. 

 

With the two of us and all of our crap it was a tight squeeze.  I was comfy just sitting on the provided cushion for the first hour or so with my legs crossed in front of me but then I started to cramp.  Rearranged my legs every 10 mins or so and I was fine.  It was better than expected and I think if I was by myself I would be insanely comfortable sitting in the back of the boat with the support from it to sit against and legs stretched out.  I will definitely be doing that before the summer is over.

 

There's one part of this pond that is impossible to get a lure to because of tree cover and it's too dense to walk into the trees from land so this is the only way to do it.  Fish were definitely stacked in there yesterday.  I have dreams of a 10 pounder laying in the sticks back there and one day I'm throwing the anchor down and fishing it til I prove myself correct.

15 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

I think if I was by myself I would be insanely comfortable sitting in the back of the boat with the support from it to sit against and legs stretched out.  I will definitely be doing that before the summer is over.

 

Let us know how that goes. As I grow older and older, I think more and more about a lighter boat and especially a boat I could wear on my back when bushwhacking woods to reach a pond. I've been looking an Origami Kayak that weighs 18 pounds. Strong bass can already turn my canoe. I think they'd take the Origami Kayak for a spin. 

 

19 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

There's one part of this pond that is impossible to get a lure to because of tree cover and it's too dense to walk into the trees from land so this is the only way to do it.  Fish were definitely stacked in there yesterday. 

 

Gosh, ^this^ sounds exciting.  I love cracking those tight spots. 

 

Do you own the pond? 

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

So true. This is why I love my bump board. #bumpboarddon'tlie

 

The bump board also cradles the fish. They feel cozy in it and rarely flip out. A quick dunk in the water first, a trick I learned from the YouTuber, Old Lady Angler, and it also protects their slime coat. 

That’s a good idea, also I use a scale to weigh them to be as accurate as it is. I don’t really care how big they are, as long as I am catching fish I am happy. I still like the fight from the big ones. Although the little ones are real scrappers sometimes.

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Gorgeous fish! You and I had pretty much the same day yesterday, as I caught a 6.5-lber. and a likely 5-lber. You just caught yours in the southwest and I caught mine in the northeast. It's great to see you smiling so wide!

Thank you Sir! We done good!

45 minutes ago, Jmurphy87 said:

Although the little ones are real scrappers sometimes.

 

Heck, yeah, they are! I think of 16.5" bass as teenagers. Remember the energy and recklessness you had as a teen? Well, they have that. Those 16.5-inchers are some of my favorite bass to catch. I've had many of them turn my canoe and they often fool me when they near the canoe and run under it and I think they're 18-or-19-inchers based upon their pulling power. 

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Let us know how that goes. As I grow older and older, I think more and more about a lighter boat and especially a boat I could wear on my back when bushwhacking woods to reach a pond. I've been looking an Origami Kayak that weighs 18 pounds. Strong bass can already turn my canoe. I think they'd take the Origami Kayak for a spin. 

 

 

Gosh, ^this^ sounds exciting.  I love cracking those tight spots. 

 

Do you own the pond? 

This one has to be 25-30 pounds and I don't see it being easy to fold up and carry around but it's perfect for a spot where you can just get it out of the truck and blow her up relatively quickly.  Little 2 pounders were still moving the boat around with ease.  Heck, I could use my spinner bait as a make shift trolling motor if I reeled it right lol

 

I don't own the pond but I've fished it here and there for about 25 years.  One of my dads friends farm pond.  There's some pigs in it but they've been super hard to come by lately

7 minutes ago, hokiehunter373 said:

Heck, I could use my spinner bait as a make shift trolling motor if I reeled it right lol

 

Ha!

15 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

But I have to take a break. I used to be able to fish all day for a week straight, but those days are long gone.

I hear you Katie! Feel the same here especially with the days getting hotter ?

23 minutes ago, ScottW said:

I hear you Katie! Feel the same here especially with the days getting hotter ?

 

Hello coldfront. Nice to see you. You ended a drought in more ways than one. Best trip since catching my PB muskie back in March. Caught 12 or 13. Not sure. Once I run out of fingers all bets are off.

Fish still aren't moving onto the weed flats. Everything's running behind this year. That bite is usually on by the first week of June. I found some quality fish by running a chatterbait down the outside edge of milfoil beds on steep shale/clay banks though. After sunrise it was all about pitching the pine laydowns again. I fished from 2 till 10:30am.

3.06# 

3.18#

3.06#

2.83#

I had three others over 2# and had another 3 something come off mid air while boat flipping it. I also tied into a lake monster in a deep pine top. Dunno if it was the muskie or flathead variety, but I'd wager flathead by the way it was pulling. Straightened out a 4/0 6th Sense OX flippin hook trying to winch it up out of that tree top. Twas an epic tug o' war.

6 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Straightened out a 4/0 6th Sense OX flippin hook trying to winch it up out of that tree top.

Holy moly, something with power for sure.  That's not a light wire hook by any means.

 

Bring on more low pressure fronts, those things make fish bite in the summer time here too.

9 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Hello coldfront. Nice to see you. You ended a drought in more ways than one. Best trip since catching my PB muskie back in March. Caught 12 or 13. Not sure. Once I run out of fingers all bets are off.

Fish still aren't moving onto the weed flats. Everything's running behind this year. That bite is usually on by the first week of June. I found some quality fish by running a chatterbait down the outside edge of milfoil beds on steep shale/clay banks though. After sunrise it was all about pitching the pine laydowns again. I fished from 2 till 10:30am.

3.06# 

3.18#

3.06#

2.83#

I had three others over 2# and had another 3 something come off mid air while boat flipping it. I also tied into a lake monster in a deep pine top. Dunno if it was the muskie or flathead variety, but I'd wager flathead by the way it was pulling. Straightened out a 4/0 6th Sense OX flippin hook trying to winch it up out of that tree top. Twas an epic tug o' war.

Straight mono brigade would have allowed some stretch and put that fish in the boat………

 

just messing with ya man, nice fishes 

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

 

 

Your daily "low" temps are still higher than Maine's daily high temps.

 

1 hour ago, ScottW said:

16 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I hear you Katie! Feel the same here especially with the days getting hotter

 

I factor three things into the days I go fishing, which are wind and whether I'm physically able. 

46 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Best trip since catching my PB muskie back in March.

 

17 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Your daily "low" temps are still higher than Maine's daily high temps.

It’s alright. I’ll try to get outside quite a bit now. Get myself acclimated to the heat before July and August hit. I did the same thing in Missouri when we had five straight days in triple digits and got myself very comfortable with the heat 

7 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

It’s alright. I’ll try to get outside quite a bit now. Get myself acclimated to the heat before July and August hit. I did the same thing in Missouri when we had five straight days in triple digits and got myself very comfortable with the heat 

Dang man, triple digits everywhere you go! I don’t ever have to deal with that 

14 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Dang man, triple digits everywhere you go! I don’t ever have to deal with that 

Badin had it too for a stretch in July. And my fishing partner went out for like 8 hours with me, and I never saw him drink water. He ate one hard boiled egg the whole time. I don’t understand 

Another solid 4lber on chad shad. I saw him approach from left after few cast but he shy away, So next cast I cast behind him ad exactly at that spot I twitch and bring the lure little down and BAM he was on it and I had solid hooks. I was proud of myself for that catch, I hunt that bass like a pro ?.

I am going to buy another chad shad same color today, I suggest you guys do the same, Really working. If I had money I would buy 10 of them just in case LOL.

2 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Badin had it too for a stretch in July. And my fishing partner went out for like 8 hours with me, and I never saw him drink water. He ate one hard boiled egg the whole time. I don’t understand 

 

Does your fishing partner look like this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 hours ago, Jmurphy87 said:

I got out twice today, wanted to try my choppo  on mono instead of 14lb fluorocarbon that I normally use on my other reel. I was coming through some sparse weeds and had one roll on it and miss it completely. I think I startled it and it wasn’t going after it to eat it. I then kept fishing in the rain in my hoodie, felt good with the temperatures we had last week. Managed to blow my reel up on a cast and tried to get it out for 8 minutes and decided that I needed to go get some groceries lol. I was there for a hour tops at spring valley fishing. Off to the store I went defeated, the store was crazy busy.

 

 I got home and got the mess out of the reel and salvaged the last half of the spool. I have big game on it and could respool it but I didn’t want to. I was happy and figured that is still plenty of line.

 

 I had to pick my son up in allegan and figured that I might as well put it to the test again and make sure that I had enough line on the reel still. I was still using the choppo and bombing cast and had enough line on the reel. I kept at it a while moved spots and casted and came back through where I caught a pike a little while back. I had a light strike but it didn’t grab it. I kept trying different angles and eventually caught a small smallie about 20 feet off the bank.  The spot was perfectly set up as a ambush point, shallow rocky point leading to a flat with a drop on the outside. It was a good day and fun, I can’t complain.

 

 I find it nuts how camera positions change the size of fish, one pic he looks smaller and the other he looks bigger than he was. I always like trying to make my fish look as small as possible. I catch fish and I don’t want to lie about there size.

I really like the Choppo. Especially the white one. I do well with them.

The more you use it, the more confident you will get in it.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your story.

1 minute ago, treble hook said:

I really like the Choppo. Especially the white one. I do well with them.

The more you use it, the more confident you will get in it.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your story.

No problem, I like sharing my experiences because someone might get some useful information that they can use someday out of it. I enjoy helping others out and being able to teach them new things. No clue why just do lol.

Got me a little one, loving my pond...can catch something every 15-20mins.