Got on the water today around 4am and the conditions were perfect for a big bite. Water clarity around 2-3ft, barometric pressure dropping and there was a light rain with wind blowing in from the south, Moon phase almost full. This place is a small lake and very heavily pressured, but known for the occasional DD class fish. The fish have recently been spawning so I knew there were bound to be some prespawn females left. Tied on a 8 inch Magdraft with a belly hook on 20lb co-poly line and started throwing it out. Used it on and off for about an hour in between catching fish on a spinner bait.

Then, between 5 and 6am, I was fishing the main big rounded and shallow point in the lake which divides two spawning bays. I was on the wind exposed side of it where there's a noticeable drop off from the shallow point into about 10-12ft of water. Chunked the Magdraft diagonal out over and past the drop off, let it sink a few seconds then slowlyyyy reeled in. Turn, turn, turn, and right as its coming over the transition there was just a solid and heavy THUNK. Not super aggressive but just one good thunk and then nothing. Second guessed for a moment reeled in some line and felt the aliveness of the fish and thennn. SNAP. My line broke off on the hookset. A heartbreaker for sure. I didn't use the chance to feel the line after because I was PO'ed lol. I don't know if it was a bad San Diego jam knot or abrasion after throwing the Magdraft around Rip-Rap earlier in the trip. I will not know how big that fish was but it felt like setting into an absolute unit. The line broke very early in the hookset so I'm kind of leaning towards there being some knicks in the line. Either way gonna be checking up more on my knots and line more often!

Was able to still pull out some fun ones though to make up for the loss!

13 minutes ago, RenzokukenFisher said:

A heartbreaker for sure.

I'm heartbroken for ya.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

I'm heartbroken for ya.

The solidarity helps :'( Grateful to have connected with the fish though and put the puzzle together. Hopefully the fish will forget it ever happened by next week hahaha

56 minutes ago, RenzokukenFisher said:

The solidarity helps :'( Grateful to have connected with the fish though and put the puzzle together. Hopefully the fish will forget it ever happened by next week hahaha

It's a gut punch. She'll be waiting on you.

Went out Sunday during the sunrise. Water has warmed up some but it was a cold morning and my first time dealing with ice on the guides. Managed to catch a few working the ned rig like a minnow with a slow reel.

Birthday bass.

Happy birthday! That's a very nice looking gift you're holding @Dwight Hottle.

Dwight the Conqueror!*

*And a birthday boy too!

Happy birthday @Dwight Hottle !!

69 and partly cloudy almost no wind to speak of.

I reminded myself today why I don’t fish spots in the wildlife area without doing on the ground scouting first. I thought I would have a pleasant paddle up the creek to get to the pond.

Started out like this

Then it became this

Which meant I had to do a lot of this

After I finally got launched back into the pond I fished around a couple pockets before catching them in the second one I tried. Got 6 all together.

A 20”

An 18”

The rest were all 12-15”

All 6 caught on a 1/2oz bladed jig in white/chartruese. Besides the rough portage it wasn’t a first canoe trip of the year.

Also I found this and I really want to know how the heck the got it back there after I struggled manhandling my canoe through the woods.

@bp_fowler; Gosh, I miss adventure fishing. However, I'm glad you're still doing it, BP! Beautiful bass and great job meeting the challenges to reach them.

Fished today from 5a - 12p and caught 13 on the T - Rigged TRD, Nikko Hellgrammite, and Leech. Tried power fishing and they weren't having it. Waters 68. I'm looking forward to the Shad spawn bite.

@GreenPig: GP is out early and at 'em kind of guy, my kind of guy!

Always a surprise when I run into a smallie while chucking a big bait for largemouth.

I could've gone fishing in a speedo on Wednesday, but it's spring in the north, so spring does what spring does. It's crazy. Brrrr.

I'll take rain, evil NE winds, and cloud cover over fishing under a nearly full moon which is typically a bust. Two shake-offs and a blown hookset, but then I got a solid one the 6"ZedMan Swag LT. Hit at the end of a bomb cast and fought like nuts. Even went airborne a few times. Cool. My hands were frozen, so I called it a win and slid on outta there.

@bp_fowler Love the story, love the pics, love the bass. I'm glad you got the guts and the strength to make this adventure happen and thank you for sharing it!

6 hours ago, PhishLI said:

My hands were frozen

I remember a couple times last Spring when I had to quit because my hands quit working. The good news in Maine is that my pal's pond has thawed. I have yet to check my pond because I don't think I can reach it yet. You might remember that the plow guy pushes all the snow up to the edge of my property and it turns to ice and is a long time melting. It's so depressing to drive there and see the wall of ice between paradise and me.

Good Friday was good to me. Took a last minute day of work when I saw the wind forecast. Went to the big lake figuring for some topwater smallies, but of course the water was 43 degrees when I launched and the wind was blowing 5-10 (not the 2 mph forecast). I made a go of it, but after 90 minutes I was cold and so were the fish. Packed up and went to the other lake nearby that’s 15’ low and it was 52 degrees and zero wind which was much better. I motored to a finger and as soon as I slowed down the Xplore lit up with fish and bait everywhere. Did the jig and minnow thing for a bit and managed a couple 2# crappie so left those fish and started cranking the rock banks. First cast was a 3# largemouth. I picked and poked my way around the lake with crankbaits, lipless, and a spinnerbait (there was some wood around) and caught 3 largemouth and 2 nice pike. I decided to go back where the bait was and see if anything on the FF was bass. Didn’t catch a bass but did manage a few more 2# crappie (they were everywhere) and a 7# hybrid. A dozen fish after the start I had was more than enough for a nice day.

Man do I hate it when a pike inhales a treble hooked lure like that. You need a jaw spreader to remove it.

@gim - it was a red eye shad and he hit it right at the boat with maybe 6’ of line out. I saw the whole thing disappear in a blink and I thought it was a goner. The only thing stopping the fish from inhaling it further was that the rear treble that caught on the outside of the mouth. The front hook was burried in the tongue. I barely got it out (again, rear treble saved me) with my pliers (need to get a set of extra long now). So not only did he slime everything, he bled everywhere on my basically new carpet.

After a long spree of both kids snagging the overhanging tree limbs, we finally managed to make a cast in the right spot.

It was a special moment because this is my youngest’s first ever bass. It was caught on a sleeper lure—a 5” black and blue senko.

We are also fishing a bit cleaner. I only got clubbed in the head once with a 1/8 oz ned jig and got a puncture through my rain gear. Compared to our last outing, I’d say we are heading in the right direction.😆

43 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

So not only did he slime everything, he bled everywhere on my basically new carpet.

I can't even tell you how many times I've experienced that

"Took a last minute day of work when I saw the wind forecast. Went to the big lake figuring for some topwater smallies, but of course the water was 43 degrees when I launched and the wind was blowing 5-10 (not the 2 mph forecast)"

I always find that what ever the wind forecast is for there, add at least 10mph to it😀

Great call on the move, nice catching on a cool variety.

I've only been out once, nothing to show for it.

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

So not only did he slime everything, he bled everywhere on my basically new carpet.

And that's why that A-Jay guy uses a silicone mat while unhooking fish. It catches whatever and that goes over the side. Helps keep the front deck from looking like a murder scene.

😬

A-Jay