8.04 lbs Virginia. 6” Bull Shad swimbait eater.

My first and only fish to start off 2021 was this 2.8lber that ate a jerkbait. Just happy to have an opportunity to be on the water and land a cooperative fish.  

I'll leave it to @roadwarrior to explain what is happening here, but it looks like he and @.ghoti. caught some toads.

 

 

 

 

ghoti took his family to Disney World for a week and invited me to join them.

The ladies and grandkids wore out the parks, Gary and I fished four days. ToHo

three days, Stick Marsh/ Farm 13 one day.

 

The weather impacted us on two of the days, but we still caught fish. On our

best day we landed 24 bass between us. As you might expect, our four best

fish (that we actually saw) came unbuttoned.

 

4 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

The ladies and grandkids wore out the parks, Gary and I fished four days.

I can't believe you didn't join them at the park instead of fishing!

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I can't believe you didn't join them at the park instead of fishing!

Maybe they did go...and then used a mouse to catch those beasts! ?

Gary's deal is "I will pay for the trip as long as I don't have to go to the park".

So, that's how I get invited!

 

Freezing cold outside today, but that makes them bite a lot of the time, so I had to go. Well, that didn't work out so well for the bass. I struggled for 4 little guys. Got cold and went to the discharge and tried a jigging spoon hoping for a big wiper. Broke off 3 spoons in a row and was positive I snagged another and tried to break it off. Felt like the snag was dragging towards the boat so I put the heat on it to try and lift it up and hopefully get my bait back, then it started swimming. My GoPro died real early in the fight, but it did catch me doing my best trying to break off a monster fish. 

 

Woo-hoo!

Dat's the Ultimate Walmart Girl!

 

That's a classic trying to break off that snag. Great footage. 

My first glide-bait fish. I had zero idea how to fish the bait and was having no luck. I stopped and just played with the thing next to my kayak.  I learned one thing.  “Slow!”  I twitched the lure back with tiny rod movements and quarter reel cranks, and pauses.  Boom!

 

my first bass of 2021. 
 

 

18 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Felt like the snag was dragging towards the boat so I put the heat on it to try and lift it up and hopefully get my bait back, then it started swimming...

Awesome job and can't beat catching a 50 pounder on bass gear! Video reminded me of a recent Zona show where he's trying to break his tube off on a snag and Seth Feider tells him, "You have a fish, idiot." ?

1 hour ago, NorcalBassin said:

Awesome job and can't beat catching a 50 pounder on bass gear! Video reminded me of a recent Zona show where he's trying to break his tube off on a snag and Seth Feider tells him, "You have a fish, idiot." ?

I'm glad I caught at least that part on video. Good to show that everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I wish I could have got the part where I was laying on the deck and handing the rod under that floating cable to myself while fighting that fish though.

1 hour ago, NorcalBassin said:

reminded me of a recent Zona show where he's trying to break his tube off on a snag and Seth Feider tells him, "You have a fish, idiot."

I laughed pretty good at that one! ?

Got out for a few hours after some cold storms blew through the area. Can't remember the last time I saw the lake 50* but luckily a few fish were still willing to play.

 

This little fella hit an underspin and spit up a brush hog... had to feel a lot better after throwing that up.

 

Pops with one of his better ones.

 

My best one of the day.

A work route pond produced again...

It’s not big, but my first February bass is an improvement on my first January bass. I think December is the last month that I haven’t caught a bass. It’s also the first fish on the new rod Santa brought for Christmas. ?

Warmest day in the 10 day forecast for me is 25*, only 1 other day in that span over 20*. Real winter has reared it's ugly head. Bad thing is I can't even go lure hunting because it's snowing too ?

No PBs for me yet this spawn, but got a few good ones. Landed this healthy 6lb 10oz girl this afternoon just after 3 PM today in central FL. She was feeding shallow, got her on a bluegill pattern 1/2 oz Rattlin' Rapala lipless crankbait. I don't like to play fish too long with treble hooks, but she did not want to come in. Had her up to the bank 4 times and she would just rip drag and run back out deep. Finally got her wore down enough to land on the 5th try. Took a quick weight and picture, and she swam off strong!

 

She ended up being the biggest bass of the day (and my biggest of 2021 so far), but right before I left I landed a 7lb 2oz tilapia. That was a drag screamer, too. This is the time of year they get super aggressive and will hit artificials, very fun fight and an underrated game fish IMO.

7 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

...right before I left I landed a 7lb 2oz tilapia

 

 

I was today years old when I learned that tilapia get that big.

1 hour ago, galyonj said:

 

 

I was today years old when I learned that tilapia get that big.

 

They get bigger than that! My current PB is 8lb 10oz, less than a pound away from the IGFA world record. We'll see if I can inch closer to that record this year....

12 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Warmest day in the 10 day forecast for me is 25*, only 1 other day in that span over 20*. Real winter has reared it's ugly head. Bad thing is I can't even go lure hunting because it's snowing too ?

Forecast here for Sunday has a high of -6...yikes

 

National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch through 12:00

tomorrow. The forecast calls for 3/8" - 1/2" of ice. Temperatures are expected

to drop to 11*.