Met up with one of the dudes for a quick early morning sesh under bluebird skies and a brisk 62* which was nice because it's been crazy hot lately. I got some and he got a nice chunk right after I bugged out.

@PhishLI: I see that fluke! And I see that big bass too. I think they call this flukesuasion. 

34 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Met up with one of the dudes for a quick early morning sesh under bluebird skies and a brisk 62* which was nice because it's been crazy hot lately. I got some and he got a nice chunk right after I bugged out.

What kind of water plants are those? They have water lily shaped leaves that grow above the water like Lotus, but Lotus leaves are not split like the ones in the pictures?

1 hour ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

What kind of water plants are those?

Spatterdock, which are more or less a nightmare. 

41 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Spatterdock, which are more or less a nightmare. 

Thanks!  Thant's what I thought. I have planted three in large pots in my pond. They won't spread but the turtles eat them. Don't think there's enough turtles to help you with yours.

10 hours ago, JohnFromLisbon said:

Here's a few photos from our guided trip on Wednesday.

 

Santa Clara lake is spinnerbait country but I did manage to fool this little guy on a wacky rigged Senko.

 

 

It was a tough day. Almost all fish came off of submerged oak trees and you had to cast the spinnerbait right through the branches to elicit a bite. Needless to say we spent some time getting spinnerbaits back after snagging. Our guide Joaquim knew the lake better than anyone and more often than not he'd call the bites as soon as we pulled up to specific trees.

 

 

It was a long day with a lot of time between bites but all in all it was great! We're already planning to go back in October. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice.  I'd like to know more about that technique to hold 2 bass with one hand... It appears you're holding one with the index finger in his mouth, and pinched against the other bass' lip?

On 6/27/2024 at 3:50 PM, Fried Lemons said:

Two fish from a short float on the river. Spotted two of the fish I was looking for but unfortunately by the time you can see them it’s too late. I really dislike these catfish, they slam a bait so hard you think you have a giant for the first few seconds then the rolling starts. The smallie came off one of the sunken trees I was able to spot at a sufficient distance to make a bomb cast downwind. Another 19” 3.5lber. Getting into that next class of fish is proving difficult, they are spooky and only seem to hit at the end of the cast.

 

That orange/red on the tail of the last pic... was it that color or was that some type of reflection. If it was colored like that, that's wild!

My son and I put together a decent bag today.  We both caught about 8-10, his mostly with a paddletail minnow on an Owner Flashy Swimmer and one on a spinnerbait.  I got a couple bites on a speed worm, one on a spinnerbait but then got into a good frog bite around sparse pads in 3-4ft. of water.  My hookup percentage was much higher than usual, possibly because they were choking it (I’d like to think my timing is improving as well).  My frog fish included a 3.85# and 4.45# 😎

 

 

This came from a private lake. 

 

 

Hard won Carolina rigged bass at a heavy pressured local lake, right by the boat dock where everyone else tries.

 

Private lake again.

Practicing my Carolina riggin'

Trying out a new color... eh..

 

This one was the only one for a few hours at a local reservoir. I think everyone likes this color better.

 

Private lake again... a few minutes before bible study on Wednesday produced this one.

We went back after bible study for a bit, and it was raining, and I coaxed a few more.

 

 

 

 

 

Got this one right before I left, right at dark. I had to walk over to the car for my wife to take the picture.

 

That one was rough on my already raw thumb. This is the next day at the local heavy pressured lake.

 

Carolina riggin' is paying off there.

 

On 6/28/2024 at 12:38 PM, PhishLI said:

 

 

Whoa... that's a dagnabid monster! What'd it weigh? 7ish?

35 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Whoa... that's a dagnabid monster! What'd it weigh?

No scale. Probably 4 1/2-5. Spawned out.

I had a short trip this morning.   From 5:30 until I started sweating.   I caught 7 Bass.   6 cookie cutter Largemouth, 13 to 15 inches long, and one 14 inch Spot.   First picture is one of the LM's.  I caught it on my 4th cast.   The other picture is the Spot caught on my last cast.  Alex is going to like this, but catching 6 LM's made me forget how strong Spots are.  It wasn't any bigger than any of the LM's but I got my landing net ready after I felt it.   

 

A different stretch of the river I run.

I've never caught a spot, @Woody B, and I might never, but I wish I could feel their tug. 

Left the house at 3:15 am with my son-in-law for the 2 hour trek out to the east end of the island on the north fork to a lake we call Bass Paradise. Dropped the boat in at 5:20 and hooked my first bass on my second cast, thank god, at 5:32 on a 6th Sense 6" Trace Floater. Good sign. Next up was a crazy fighting Pickeral on a Storm 360 GT swimmer. Got rained on for a bit, then we both picked off some smalls and a few nice bass, then disaster. The trolling motor quit and we found the wires from the battery were melting. Who needs oars with extra batteries? If not for the 12 foot lure retriever pole we brought we'd still be out there. Used it as a push-pole to painfully crawl back to shore. Pulled the prop at home and found a wad of 25lb mono jambed between the prop and motor housing, and the forward-reverse switch was cooked on the Minn Kota. Regardless, it was a good time for as long as it lasted.

 

Night Ops at the Crappie Hole.  It was pretty muggy out and I sweated through my shirt after the first 10 minutes.  Caught 3, all with the Crush City Mayor…not everybody’s idea of a nighttime lure but strangely effective for me recently.  

First and biggest fish of the night.

@bp_fowler: I love the Crush City Mayor!

 

@PhishLI: Hooray for the solid bass and dang it for the trolling motor. 3:15 a.m. is my kinda time.

On 6/29/2024 at 3:40 AM, Bazoo said:

Nice.  I'd like to know more about that technique to hold 2 bass with one hand... It appears you're holding one with the index finger in his mouth, and pinched against the other bass' lip?

 

Thumb over index for one, middle, ring, and pinky fingers against the hand for the other, and praying they stay put while I'm holding them 😅

 

The gloves help too

It's been fun lately!

 

 

A nice little flurry of pond bass - missed some bigger ones this week but managed a few welterweights.

 

 

Jake got an exceptional  red ear (the same ones the 6 lbers we were watching were transfixed with!)

 

 

Just your annual reminder to watch your step and wear protective footwear while night or bank fishing in the summer!!!!!!  💀💀💀

 

 

Things got pretty serious on the boat yesterday.  Best ones pictured here all caught on the scum frog and the weightless fluke!

 

This morning we had the privilege of sharing our time with fellow BR member @IcatchDinks!

 

We had a splendid time watching the sunrise and Jake made us look good by keeping us skunk free while we chatted and watched bass pretend to be red drum (taunting us!) as the day broke!

 

We are hatching plans for later this week 😎👍🏼

 

 

Hoping to get out on the water this afternoon with Meagan and Jacob to see if there's still a little frog bite on the little local lake 😉😉😉

 

Tight lines to all this weekend!

You got to hang with ICD, Pat!

 

You got to hang with Jake and Pat, ICD!

 

Pat, you have many fine qualities, but one of your best qualities, Mr. DD, is how you're happy with all the bass you catch. I've told this story in the past, but it's worth retelling. I was fishing with two female anglers who've achieved some fame and the boys in their boat on a different river were catching beasts, while we caught dinks.

 

And when I bewailed the difference, one woman said, "They're all good."

 

I've never forgotten that. That's you, Pat, celebrating all your bass, from dinks to DDs. 

I've caught nothing enough times to know how lucky it is to catch a bass and I do a little dance  *Every.  Single.  Time.*

 

😉♥️🙏🏼

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I've caught nothing enough times to know how lucky it is to catch a bass and I do a little dance  *Every.  Single.  Time.*

 

😉♥️🙏🏼

 

And ^this^ is why I'm the lucky president of the Rockin' Pat Fan Club.*

 

Sadly, I'm only the VP of the Jake is Great Fan Club, but I'm thinking of taking the prez on a long walk on a short pier. Hey, accidents happen!

8 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

@bp_fowler: I love the Crush City Mayor!

They catch fish and are pretty tough. I also like that they’re easy to skip.

4 minutes ago, bp_fowler said:

They catch fish and are pretty tough. I also like that they’re easy to skip.

 

 

I usually don't make a big deal about tackle because I think most of it is pretty interchangeable, but I will say that the mayor is my favorite swimbait by a long shot right now. It's got great action and it's incredibly pretty looking in the water.  Sorry to hijack the thread. 

I caught 9 this morning between 5:30 and 6:30.  All Spots between 15 and 18 inches.  First and last are pictured.   Actually I caught 8 within the first 20 minutes.  I'll only catch so many from a school before I move on.  I decided 8 was enough.  It took me 40 minutes to catch another,  then they just shut off.  After that I could get plenty of follows but no bites.   There's been a BUNCH of fishing pressure all Spring and Summer.   99% of the people fishing are beating the bank and fishing docks.  For the last bit I've only been finding Bass off shore.  I'm not talking about deep, but off shore.   The closest to the bank I've caught a Bass lately (in this lake) is probably 75 yards.  There not on points or even deep channel swings near the bank.   The school I caught 8 from this morning were 10 to 14 feet deep on a point that runs off an underwater hump.   The last one (which was also in a big school) was off a channel swing, but nowhere near the bank.   The school was up the channel "bank" on the inside of the swing 15 feet deep.   I'd guess they were close to 1/4 mile from the bank.  Look behind me in the picture.  The trees are about the same distance as the other bank that's in front of me.   

So I think they've moved off shore due to fishing pressure.   Is this also why they quit biting when the Sun got up?  I left yesterday before the Sun got up good, but I fished until 9:30 today.  This is one of the rare times I didn't catch a Bass on my last cast.  I usually either leave early, on a catch, or stay and "catch one more".   I had baked in the Sun enough today.  I accidently left my hat in my truck, and my head was hot.  So, last Bass, on last cast yesterday at 6:43.  (I left at the right time)  Last Bass today, 3 hours before my last cast at 6:24.   It's time for another night trip.   

 

Can confirm that @Pat Brown is indeed a real person. I have yet to see the Giants he posts on here, but I believe it's just a matter of time. The man is a master at working a frog. 

 

We had a blast. 

 

Thanks again for inviting me out!

Nice fish, @Woody B! Your spots are always so pretty.