I haven't had a good day fishing since Christmas.I go to my winter hole twice a week and catch a dozen or so that weighs 2 and a half pounds.Im assuming these are the males? The bigger fish are there but I have struggled to catch them since Christmas.Yesterday morning I stopped by the local bait store on my way fishing and stocked up on ned hooks.Picked up a pack of ned bombers.They were the trick yesterday.

I'm generally not a fan of ned rigs as they catch too many dinks but yesterday the biggens and little ens both wanted it.I lost several hooks tossing this rig in trees and rocks.it was worth it.Most were caught vertically jigging the ned under my kayak.I caught around 30 or more.Finally caught some decent size.

4.00

4.04

 

 

Biggest fish of the day

 

 

I will be going back today for some more fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The Jackall Drift Fry catches 95% of these fish

 

I can't wait to fish mine!

 

10 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I really am humbled and floored by the love and support I receive here! 

 

I can't speak for all of us, but I'm awestruck, Alex. As I've told you many times, I can see the shorelines. You're fishing a developed lake. There have to be times when a guy looks out his mansion's picture window and sees you boating six and seven-pounders. So, it's no secret that your lake holds Nadines, but if everyone could catch them, everyone would.

 

They can't.

 

It's you, Alex, which is why I'm awestruck. 

 

Beauties, @Creek Pirate!

 

Just my guess: @TnRiver46 is the happiest guy in the world. No wonder so many fish with him and all his buddies are happy too.

11 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

   The Jackall Drift Fry catches 95% of these fish, but the 6th Sense Crush 75x got the 7.6 big fish and a few others.   It has to be the best big fish flatside crank made. 

 

 

 

2.8 Crappie.....these things blow my mind, they're the size of a dinner plate

 

 

 

Out-Rageous ~ What week you're having !

And getting it all on video is The Best.

btw - I think it's only fair to tell you that,

You're costing me money . . . . $$$$$$

#DRIFTFRY

A-Jay

 

Great stuff @TnRiver46, always such diverse and beautiful fish! 

 

@Creek Pirate Way to grind it out and finally crack the code, heck of a SM congrats!  

 

Thanks so much Katie and A-Jay, praise from such accomplished anglers means a great deal to me!    

 

I really am pumped to see you and Katie start using these Drift Fry as I suspect they'll be just as insane for you guys as they've been for me.  Lots of baits don't translate from region or lake to lake it seems, but this bait/rig is just so sneaky, and incredibly realistic looking that if it's around predators it's going to get bit.   It obviously works on those big brown fish you love A-Jay as Fujita won on Champlain with it.   As for Katie she'll catch 25 fish on a bottlecap, so I have little doubt she'll kill with it as well.    

 

8 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Thanks so much Katie and A-Jay, praise from such accomplished anglers means a great deal to me!    

I really am pumped to see you and Katie start using these Drift Fry as I suspect they'll be just as insane for you guys as they've been for me.  Lots of baits don't translate from region or lake to lake it seems, but this bait/rig is just so sneaky, and incredibly realistic looking that if it's around predators it's going to get bit.   It obviously works on those big brown fish you love A-Jay as Fujita won on Champlain with it.   As for Katie she'll catch 25 fish on a bottlecap, so I have little doubt she'll kill with it as well.    

 

You're Welcome and you've surely earned it.

Scoured the web for the 5.2 - 

Am I pumped, ah Yea !

A-Jay 

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

 As for Katie she'll catch 25 fish on a bottlecap, so I have little doubt she'll kill with it as well.    

 

You know how people write LOL and really weren't laughing out loud. Well, LOL, and I was!

@Creek Pirate, a dozen 2.5 lbers wins any tournament around here, sounds to me like you’ve been crushing it since Christmas 😂 

Forecasters pushed the rain chances back, along with dropping the wind forecast down to about 10 mph, so I decided to hit the lake again. Heavy cloud cover, but air hit 60 degrees. Decided to let the crappie rest, so headed to a different lake, and pulled all but 1 crappie stick out of the boat, and threw a couple extra bass sticks in.

 

Got off to a decent start, picking up a 2-3/4 lb. bass about 45 minutes in. Twenty minutes later, I stick one almost 5 lbs. Went another hour and a half without a bite, so decided to spend the final 30-40 minutes seeing if I could find a crappie or two. I’ve only ever caught one from this lake. 
 

First spot I pull up to I land one brushing the 3 lb. mark. Next two go 2.25 lbs or better before breaking one off. Finish with a 1.75 lb. fish, and then I have to go. Can’t wait to go back if the rain doesn’t blow things out.

 

 

 

 

From now on just check in with me for your “poplar” radar forecast @Team9nine. I’ll climb a poplar and tell ya what it looks like and you’ll get it 2-3 hours later

 

Nice catches 

First fish of 2024 - the weight has lifted ha ha

FINALLY

 

Finally managed to get on em with the help of a good friend (who owns a phoenix) on a lake I've never fished before. He caught the big fish of the day with a 6 and a 4ish, but we racked up the dinks - 22 fish total in about 3 hours of fishing. I got probably 8-10 of the total, we doubled up at least twice. They were coming in fast enough that I stopped counting. Vision 110s did the work in 47 degree water until the rain started rolling in. I like fishing again 🤗

Atta, Chef!

After last Saturday and Sundays skunking I started junk fishing today.  I caught five 12 inchish Spots skipping docks with a wacky.  That was enough to get the skunk out so I decided to chase real Bass.   In addition to the 5 micro Bass I caught a 3 1/2 (3.48) pound Spot and a 5.64 pound Largemouth.   The Spot was the strongest Spot I've ever caught.   I thought it was a big Cat for a while.   It wasn't fast (and spastic) like most Spots, it was just strong.   It slowly went around the front of the boat, taking line going toward deeper water.   It didn't take very long to tire it, but I was surprised it was a Spot and it was only 3 1/2 pounds.   I knew pretty quickly the Largemouth was a decent Largemouth.  When I set the hook it headed for the sky.   It walked on it's tail for a bit, then headed around the boat toward a boat house.   I got it turned before getting to the boathouse.   By the way it acted and it's strength I figured it was at least 6 pounds.   Largemouth turn into beasts when they get over 6 pounds.   TnRiver will be mad at me.  Both "real" Bass came on a (gasp) spinnerbait.  According to the weather app on my phone the wind was 15 mph with gust up to 30.  The lake was white capping.  I decided to call it a day after the Largemouth.   

 

17 minutes ago, Woody B said:

 TnRiver will be mad at me.  Both "real" Bass came on a (gasp) spinnerbait

He won't be mad at you. He won't believe you!!! 😂

Nice fish brother. Congrats.

First outing of 2024 was less than stellar. Will save any potential readers from any boring details.

Also observed first idiots near boat ramps in 4 females with vehicle parked directly in front of ramp, which has signs posted in either side saying "DO NOT BLOCK RAMP". Luckily, they observed us inbound & left without any nasty exchanges. Tire valve stem core remover will be in my truck for remainer of year.

Really enjoyable but unremarkable day fishing today. Caught a few tiny dinks, losing a 2lber(ish) due to bank landing difficulties. I had many more bites as well, but I believe some were just small or bluegills. I’m away from home right now and just have a bit of gear. 
 

Swimming a bitsy flip jig proved to get a surprising number of bites and otherwise a shaky head with a magnum finesse worm was effective.

Had a couple hours this morning with decent weather. Mainly fished a Marabou jig for crappie or whatever would bite and had no luck whatsoever with it. Swapped over to Bass and wound up with two. These are average/low sized for this pond but I took the pics because I rarely get the lures in the pic. 😉 (still showing up crooked on here for some reason)

 

Wow, only been like a day since I checked in and so many excellent new posts.......folks getting on the water for the first time of the year, @thediscochef getting rewarded after grinding so hard, @Team9nine continuing his hot winter, and @Woody B with another big fish fantastic day.      

 

From now until June, the fishing reports will only get better and better, and by more and more members.....it's like a beautiful butterfly emerging from its cocoon when everybody is back on the water.    

Today was my first wet line since October. Either no time or rain. Rain started this morning as well, but I was adamant. Just fished the bank. It was pretty dead. One light strike and finally this one. First bass of 2024 and no skunk! Thank you, Zoom Trick!

 

3 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Really enjoyable but unremarkable day fishing today. Caught a few tiny dinks, losing a 2lber(ish) due to bank landing difficulties. I had many more bites as well, but I believe some were just small or bluegills. I’m away from home right now and just have a bit of gear. 
 

Swimming a bitsy flip jig proved to get a surprising number of bites and otherwise a shaky head with a magnum finesse worm was effective.

Them bitsy flips be doin work

Last two days I've been sharing a big school of fish with a friend on the lake that has taught us so many fascinating things over about 16hrs fished b/t the two days.  

 

All day long schooling action, real Nat Geo stuff.  We tried like 50-75 different baits over that span of time and found only two baits they'd fire on.   

 

Yesterday my friend found the magic button, and I've never seen fish require something so specific.   They wanted a 3/8th Dirty Jigs Underspin with a Reaction Innovations Shiver shot 3.5, but get this, my friend had two of those baits being exactly equal except one had a silver blade, the other gold.   He couldn't get a bite on the gold blade model, yet he scored a 26.5lb bag(his PB) on the silver blade one.   Mind you I'm throwing the underspins I have as well(silver bladed ones at that).....not a single fish for me on the ones I had.

 

Then today I get the better of him on the Drift Fry and score close to a 25lb bag with two 7s.     He bought me two of those exact baits and a pack of those Shiver shots, and while that was the only other bait they would really fire on today, the Drift Fry produced the biggest fish.   The exact opposite was true the day before, he got the bigger bites and way more fish catches, but I was still able to catch my fair share and get some quality on the Drift Fry.    He still caught two 5s and had a 19lb day.  Both of us lost a 5+ as well.   

 

He caught a 2.15 Crappie yesterday, and I caught a 2.10 today.   Now I really want a 3lb one.   It's fascinating how the biggest class size Crappie will school with the Bass.  

 

We learned that we could fire up the school with our trolling motors, still trying to figure out the mechanics behind that.   

 

Think I'll take a break tomorrow with T-Storms predicted after 44hrs fished since Monday, which marks the most hours I've ever fished in a week.    

 

 

7.1

 

7.2

Big ones @AlabamaSpothunter! 
 

@Woody B, hell hath no fury like a 3.5 lb spotted bass 

Awesome, man!

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It's fascinating how the biggest class size Crappie will school with the Bass.  

I've learned that when crappie are in the zone, stay put. If they're chasing bait, bass come alive in that zone and are probably keyed in on the same bait, so I keep it small.

Beast @AlabamaSpothunter!  It's so cool that you've hacked the offshore bite!  Totally makes sense that you've also found the biggest crappie because they eat the same stuff as the bass!

 

Something I noticed last year's a couple times at the pond I fish: 

 

During the sunfish spawn after the bass got done I saw wolfpacks of catfish and bass in the 12-16" range hunting bluegill fry together!!!! 

 

Another thing I found interesting, I saw 8-10 lb bass in 3-4 fish wolfpacks roaming after the spawn and I saw 2+ lb red ear swimming with them peacefully.  Surely all hunting the same stuff and the redear know they're too big for the bass to want to eat.

 

 

@AlabamaSpothunter livin on a little slice of Heaven. Congrats brother.