Big turnaround with the weather and some rain got us ice free on the smaller lakes. Felt good to get out after seven weeks. Action was slower than I hoped but still caught a few. This was my best, 2.5 or a little more. All my fish came on my modded Dark Sleeper. I add a tail spinner after the paddletail gets bit off. I've got more altered DS's than paddletails. The tails don't last too long. In stained water I think the spinner versions are actually more effective.

35 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

Big turnaround with the weather and some rain got us ice free on the smaller lakes. Felt good to get out after seven weeks. Action was slower than I hoped but still caught a few. This was my best, 2.5 or a little more. All my fish came on my modded Dark Sleeper. I add a tail spinner after the paddletail gets bit off. I've got more altered DS's than paddletails. The tails don't last too long. In stained water I think the spinner versions are actually more effective.

 

Nice! We opened up over here, too, but I’m not in quite the rush to get out this year as I got to make 5 open water January trips for crappie, so I’m just 5 weeks out since last trip. Haven’t even made a bass trip yet this year, but might try and hit the ponds tomorrow or Tuesday.

It was the first day the local ponds were not iceskating rinks.   I put my new Megabass Super Destroyer through the steps.  It was amazing.  Strangely powerful for how light it is.  It feels like a medium rod in hand but with a fish on it, it is full of muscle and is as sensitive as my NRX. 

 

This was the first fish of the year on a Megabass Magdraft.  

 

Can't wait for open water again so I can get away from the idiots I was dealing with this weekend. Fog I couldn't see 50 yards into but yet I watched boat after boat hammer down straight into it. They must have that high tech GPS that marks where all the boats are on the lake too ?‍♂️ I was idling across and met a boat that was drifting for blue cats along the channel. Had I been one of those other guys, we'd have all been in trouble. Caught a few fish and called it a day, never seen so many boats on the lake before.

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Can't wait for open water again so I can get away from the idiots I was dealing with this weekend. Fog I couldn't see 50 yards into but yet I watched boat after boat hammer down straight into it. They must have that high tech GPS that marks where all the boats are on the lake too ?‍♂️ I was idling across and met a boat that was drifting for blue cats along the channel. Had I been one of those other guys, we'd have all been in trouble. Caught a few fish and called it a day, never seen so many boats on the lake before.

I think covid has brought a lot of inexperienced boaters to the water. I'm all for mandatory boater training. Also, a little common sense goes a long way.

we had a little warming trend last week so i said, “what the heck”. swt in the 44 degree range and circling gulls reminded me it was still winter conditions but i wanted to see if there were any early girls on my fresh brush piles. all i got was this one spottie Thursday afternoon. went out again yesterday moring when a dense blanket of fog rolled in and pinned me down out by an island, where i fished til it finally cleared. i threw a big thumper spinner bait but got blanked. but i was content just being on the water again.

 

One of my fishing goals for '21 is to learn how to fish with a jig. I probably just got lucky, but I caught my first two fish with a jig this weekend. It's nice to know what it feels like to catch a fish with a lure that is such a confidence bait for so many fishermen. Maybe someday it'll be a confidence bait for me too.

We'll give them a shot with the brown fish next week.

Yes, sir! Watching the weather report like...

 

Ice off in my neck of the woods yesterday for most waters. Got the boat all cleaned and ready to go, along with my tackle this weekend. Hoping to get out later in the week. In the mean time, I had to make a quick pass on one of the sub ponds across the street today. Hooked up with 5 fish in about an hour, best fish 3+ lbs.,  so that has me ready to go. Been 5 weeks since the boat was last out, which seems like such a long time ago 

 

 

 

I'd worked things out last week to have tomorrow off. 22* at 7am with 23mph NW winds. WT....Looks like another mean NE spring again.

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Ice off in my neck of the woods yesterday for most waters. Got the boat all cleaned and ready to go, along with my tackle this weekend. Hoping to get out later in the week. In the mean time, I had to make a quick pass on one of the sub ponds across the street today. Hooked up with 5 fish in about an hour, so that has me ready to go. Been 5 weeks since the boat was last out, which seems like such a long time ago 

 

 

 

What on? Gonna be ice out here soon soooo....asking for a friend?

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

What on? Gonna be ice out here soon soooo....asking for a friend?

 

My favorite pond blade bait, the Johnson Thinfisher. Cold water killer, especially if there is a stain to your water. It accounts for a lot of my winter/ice out largemouth every year.

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

My favorite pond blade bait, the Johnson Thinfisher. Cold water killer, especially if there is a stain to your water. It accounts for a lot of my winter/ice out largemouth every year.

 

 

 

Kinda wondered. I've got a few small blade baits to try when my ice comes off.

To all you guys who are able to fish open water right now...I hate you. But I love your pics. 

Couple on a jig finally. The slump is over ?

Boat trip got nixed today, so hit the local sub. pond with a micro lipless and managed to land half a dozen under blue skies and a decent north wind. Cold front lasts through Sunday before we warm again, but might try and get out one more time before then.

 

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Boat trip got nixed today, so hit the local sub. pond with a micro lipless and managed to land half a dozen under blue skies and a decent north wind. Cold front lasts through Sunday before we warm again, but might try and get out one more time before then.

 

Nice fish! We are in that in between time...no open water but ice is trash...I know it won't be long but I'm getting itchy!

21 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Nice fish! We are in that in between time...no open water but ice is trash...I know it won't be long but I'm getting itchy!

 

That's where we were this time last week. All it took was a couple days over 50 degrees and 1.6 inches of rain to clear out the worst of it  

DD from the St Johns river. 

 

 

 

 

Awesome fish @Dwight Hottle

Almost embarrassed posting these latest catches after seeing Dwight's!

 

Things still seem a ways from busting loose here, so I ended up "practicing" with a couple baits I rarely use: A-rig and a chatterbait. Had a slow trip as expected, but it was cool catching a few on those setups.

 

Pretty cool it hit the one bait that stood out from the others just like Matt Allen said they usually will.

 

Apparently it's not just Tennessee where the bass enjoy a jackhammer in fire craw. Absolutely inhaled it on a yo yo retrive.

 

 

12 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

DD from the St Johns river. 

 

 

 

 

Oh man, what a hog! Nice fish!

This Dwight's big un's little cousin! Caught this am.

First bass of the year.  Got him on a spinnerbait in a patch of dead lily pads.