11 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Katie's eyes never lie, that's a beautiful fish.   Congrats @TnRiver46 on an early XMAS present

 

Merry Xmas and happy holidays everyone!   

 

If I were a talented painter and I wanted to paint a perfect smallmouth, it would be @TnRiver46's.

I agree. That’s a beautiful smallmouth!

Sunday was a weird day. I fished for 5 hours and caught 5 dinks and a big crappie. Then the switch turned on and I caught 40 more in the last 3.5 hours doing the same things I'd been doing all day, go figure.

 

Hey, @Bluebasser86, quit stealing @Team9nine's crappie! Where's an LEO when you need one?

 

Seriously, that switch turning on is something I've enjoyed. It's the sweet can't catch-can't catch-can't catch-CAN catch!

Got to go Sunday and hooked this beauty. 3lbs 2 oz is a nuisance is some but its borderline trophy for me! Only fish I caught but It made my day!

went back yesterday but left quickly. The jet ski crowd was out in force!   ☹️

Bob shoots, he SCORES! And the crowd goes crazy!!!

 

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

Bob shoots, he SCORES! And the crowd goes crazy!!!

 

That's about how I felt! About 15 minutes before this fish, I hook a big one and was in for a hard, long fight. Got it to the surface and It was a five foot gar! Thankfully I got my Vault back!

Awesome fish Bob, keep throwing that Vault brother!    

 

I wouldn't mind catching a 5ft Gar, anything that fights that hard is gonna be a blast to catch.  

First day back on the lake after nearly a week. Surprised to see a big water level drop that had 1 of the 2 ramp lanes closed. Not surprised at the heavily stained water. Got a limit of bass, and lost a real nice one right near the boat. Also caught 6-8 crappie just playing around between spots. Unfortunately, 3 days of rain in the forecast, so this might have been it until next week. Water 46 deg.

 

 

 

@Team9nine: You and I both have the consistency gene. Whether you're north or south, in winter and summer, you catch bass, and I too caught/catch bass in rivers big and small, in farm ponds and the largest lakes, in cities and wilderness water. 

If you are having trouble catching, you are not alone. I’m at five consecutive skunkings averaging about five hours a session in NC

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

If you are having trouble catching, you are not alone. I’m at five consecutive skunkings averaging about five hours a session in NC

 

We gonna get em Monday I guar-on-TEE.

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

If you are having trouble catching, you are not alone. I’m at five consecutive skunkings averaging about five hours a session in NC

 

Wow that sounds more like my muskie fishing in the summer time.

7 minutes ago, gim said:

 

Wow that sounds more like my muskie fishing in the summer time.

 

Muskies can be tough, no doubt...even for the Great Furred Musky Hunter @T-Billy.

Fished with a friend this afternoon. Windy conditions out of the south, which is the hardest wind to fish in my lake. Caught 9 total , mostly on speed worms. Joe got a 3.90 20 inch fish, ( not a good pic of his fish) and my big fish was 2 poundish. Both were caught in one  of the only places we could escape the wind. Caught most of the fish in the first hour and a half. 
It was the slowest day Ive had there in a long time…
 

10 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Muskies can be tough, no doubt...even for the Great Furred Musky Hunter @T-Billy.

It's been brutal. I've caught a total of TWO muskie this month, and lost two others. Ten skunkings in eleven trips. Those slimy rascals know how to hurt a persons feelings. 😂🤦‍♂️

31 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

It's been brutal. I've caught a total of TWO muskie this month, and lost two others. Ten skunkings in eleven trips.

 

All of the sudden I don't feel so bad.  For a while there I thought you were immune to failing in that realm.

12 minutes ago, gim said:

 

All of the sudden I don't feel so bad.  For a while there I thought you were immune to failing in that realm.

Nobody is immune to skunk streaks when it comes to muskie. I haven't been suffering alone. Everybody around here has struggled mightily this month. I'm hoping this warm front puts them in a better mood for the next few days, but I'm not really expecting it to. We'll see......🤞

Well, weatherman was 0-2 this weekend. Supposed to rain most of Saturday and all of Sunday, it did neither except some overnight. I went fishing near the house today and forgot to check wind, it was 20+ with gusts over 40…… 😂 

 

I found and island to hide behind out of the wind and caught a nice fish with a crankbait. It hit once and I missed it, second time hooked up and the bait was completely engulfed. Seviin reel st croix rd and seaguar 33 lb braid . I went up a little further and the water just kept getting muddier. Went back to where I caught the first one and got another nice LM with a worm that a fellow member gave me . The water just kept getting even dirtier as time went on so I left my protected island and headed back for the truck. My oh my what a ride, I could only go 7-8 mph and I think I lost a few teeth 

Saturday I paddled some and hung out with my buddy and his dogs on the dock. Caught 3 little ones and found a pair of goggles in the water 😂 

 

Thought 2024 was a wrap but I guess 2 last dinks needed catching

NYE. Last day of 2024. Yesterday was gorgeous with a high of 80°. But it was our 36th wedding anniversary. And truth be told, I was not tempted to go fishing lol. Today is bluebird skies but much cooler and breezier. About 54° when I launched the boat. Not getting a bite on anything. Swim jig, topwater, chatterbait, Texas rigged Zoom Trick. Not even a Senko TR. Then I put a green pumpkin Rage Bug on a 3/0 EWG as a weightless TR and finally, two bass decided they would eat it. Not big, but 7 other anglers were fishing and these were the only two fish caught, so I’ll take that with a smile. Not a bad 2024 and a good way to close it out!

 

Took my last trip of the 2024 season last Saturday. Weather was nice, fishing was pretty decent, but I've been drug down by crud that my kids brought home from school right at the start of winter break. Done a good job avoiding it, but it finally got me and I've been feeling it for about a week now and after 4 hours on the water, I was wiped out and cold despite the unseasonably warm weather. Still managed to boat over 30 of them, including one fairly nice one to wrap up the season. Ned rig caught all but 3 or 4 of them.

 

Pair of smalls on the last day of 2024. Caught on the shade line of a bluff. Bite died once the sun got too high in the sky.

 

I got out the last hr and a half of the day, so stayed close to home. Temps in the mid 70s . Enough breeze for a nice ripple on the water. Caught 6. Most were relating to eel grass edges. Caught fish on speed worms, dingers, and flukes. 
Biggest fish was a little tank. He crushed the june bug dinger a few feet from the grass bed. The bed runs probably 400 feet continuously- the pic shows part of it at the end.

It was a good way to end the year. Got a warm feeling approaching my house. Any of y’all are welcome to come fish if you’re in the area!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!’

Highs hit the mid 60s here today, but the price to pay for that was the SW winds gusting 25-35 mph. Still had to go though - might be a while before we see any temps close to that again. Changed to a murky water lake with 46-47 deg water and caught 4 small keeper bass and a handful of crappie. That’s a wrap for 2024 fishing.