48 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Fished a little tournament today, a tiny boat tournament open to any kind of boat up to a 16' johnboat with a 15hp motor but only 1 person per vessel. I was in my kayak. Not much experience on the lake and none of what I had was good but I wanted to knock some of the rust off before tournament season starts next weekend. I ran to the shallow end of the lake hoping there would be warmer water and fish feeding up getting ready to spawn. The lake that is normally very clear had less than 6" of visibility. Still, the water was 51* and big shad were flipping, I was hopeful. Almost 2 hours later with no bites, I was no longer hopeful. I didn't know much about the lake, but I know dams of small impoundments hold bass, especially early in the year, so I peddled back to the other end. Working a Biospawn ExoNed, I snagged on the water willows and attempted to work it loose when it suddenly took off. Not sure if it popped loose and the fish ate it or if it ate it off the weeds but I finally had a 15" fish on the board.

Maybe 10 minutes later, I got a little tick, set the hook and started fighting the fish, just for it to come off. Major heartbreak on a day that I knew was going to be so difficult. I fished the rest of the dam and was just about to the end and was finishing a long cast when I felt a light bump right under the boat. I pretty much set and swung in a 13.5" fish, #2 but really wishing I had the fish I lost at that point.

I fished back across the dam, alternating baits, with nothing to show for it. I'd seen 1 fish get caught on a trap and then saw another on a crank. They were obviously eating moving baits too, I just needed to commit. Started flinging around a SPRO Essential Series Hunter 65 squarebill in the Fire Craw color. Really loud and hard wobbling bait, had my new St. Croix LTB glass rod just a dancing. Cranked it down the side of a rock fishing jetty lined with wood and got whacked. Fish was hooked funny and dove into a new cedar tree, had me in trouble for a second but swung another 15" fish into the boat. 

Things were getting interesting but I only had about 1.5 hours left since we were only fishing until noon. I popped into the back of the cut that pier was in and fan cast a bladed jig. Had one knock about a foot of slack in my line and not even touch the hook, how do they do that? 

Went back down the fishing piers where I'd caught my last one and as I was rounding out the last one, another fish just kind of mushed onto my bait. A brief fight and I had the net under a 16.25" fish, again on the SPRO squarebill.

45 minutes left, I needed another bite. Kicked over to the dam again and switched to a Junebug TRD. I'd fished almost the whole dam, made a long cast and had given up on it, but as soon as I went to reel in a fish grabbed it. #5 was only 14.5" but it was a big fish on a day this tough, it was 11:30 when I looked at my phone after the pictures.

I tried for a cull the last 30 minutes but no more bites were to be found. At the ramp, I found out that I had the only 5 fish limit on the day. Only 1 other person had 4, 1 had 3, a couple had 2, a few had 1, and several blanked. Just a brutally tough day, but those are usually the days that I shine on. My buddy Neil had big bass on the day.

 

Since we got done early than normal, I stopped by another lake on the way home and caught a nice spotted bass just for good measure ?

 

 

Footballs ???

Congratulations and well done on your victory! You love to see it ?

Day 2 on the dale. Slow fishing but no skunks. Luckily we had some taters and onions to go with the 2 bass we were able to keep, a 16” largemouth and a little spot

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Day 2 on the dale. Slow fishing but no skunks. Luckily we had some taters and onions to go with the 2 bass we were able to keep, a 16” largemouth and a little spot

Y'all catch smallies that I dream about up there. Pretty fish, looks tasty!

Caught 16 Bass and 14 Hybrids yesterday on Super Fluke Jr.s and 3" Bass Assassins. The biggest LM was 4lb 13 oz and Spot was a 3lber. Air temp low 39 high 65. Water temp 61.9 up to 65.3 in shallow pockets. 

No pictures but I had to put down the finesse spinning rods and the focus was on moving baits...it's officially moving bait season in Southeast Texas...if you have chatterbaits and squarebills get them out and hold on to your seat!!!   Red got them fired up and I was extremely happy to finally catch a fish on a crankbait. There is nothing like catching fish on cranks such a fun bite! 

Starting about 2 1/2 weeks ago things started to happen around here. Temps were somewhat stable then, but last weekend the Arctic Circle dropped on us. We had an over night in the teens, then several straight nights in the 20s. High winds put the reel feel down to high 20s or 30s during some days. Fishing was impossible. Things turned around by the end of the week.

 

My brother and I were hoping to get in a quick boat trip on Friday, but by the time we'd be able to start the winds would be cranking. There was no point in even trying. Getting blown around all night in a flat bottomed Jon boat is no fun at all. Between the weather here, his schedule, and me sending him fish pics, he really needed to get out somehow and get his 1st bass of the year. He went local, and I stayed in my county.

 

By the time I got there I should've just turned around. It felt like a mini hurricane out there with winds whipping and swirling. Water temp at this spot dropped 7 degrees from the previous week, and the nice stain it had then was shocked to crystal clear by the cold and wind.

 

My brother smartly started earlier than I did and stopped up at a little pond near him that's set low and well protected from wind. I was still walking through the woods up to my spot when I received his text. He should've long-armed this one, but a bass is a bass?. About an hour after his tanker text, and while wading in white caps, I got my munchkin on a chatterbait. With occasional branches cracking around me I called it quits. No point in getting clobbered.  Next week...

 

 

 

8 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Caught 16 Bass and 14 Hybrids yesterday on Super Fluke Jr.s and 3" Bass Assassins. The biggest LM was 4lb 13 oz and Spot was a 3lber. Air temp low 39 high 65. Water temp 61.9 up to 65.3 in shallow pockets. 

Well well well! 

Fished in the pond for a couple hours today. Caught a nice Mayan cichlid(sorry no pic), decent bass, and a fish I rarely encounter in this pond...black crappie. I lost a couple too, but I did have an alligator for an audience to entertain ?

Well, kicked off the 2022 bass season.  Took the L but, felt good to get out.  Water was only 38 degrees.  Should have picked a smaller lake.  
 

Buddy and I Went on crystal lake in Montcalm county.  Only action I had was 2 big large mouth at the same time follow my lucky craft 78 sp.  couldn’t get them to commit though.  Than proceeded to get the same lucky craft jerk bait  caught in the trolling motor which, it suspends and couldn’t get it back.  Luckily I bought it in a 2 pack 

13 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

Well, kicked off the 2022 bass season.  Took the L but, felt good to get out.  Water was only 38 degrees.  Should have picked a smaller lake.  
 

Buddy and I Went on crystal lake in Montcalm county.  Only action I had was 2 big large mouth at the same time follow my lucky craft 78 sp.  couldn’t get them to commit though.  Than proceeded to get the same lucky craft jerk bait  caught in the trolling motor which, it suspend and couldn’t get it back.  Luckily I bought it in a 2 pack 

We call those motors the tower of power, used to see bullet boats scream by like a meteor with those on the back . 

19 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We call those motors the tower of power, used to see bullet boats scream by like a meteor with those on the back . 

Yes it is the tower of power.  I fired it up yesterday while on muffs at home.  I’ve got a video and the video does not do the sound justice.  The motor is extremely loud when out of water and on muffs. 
 

my 17 footer will do 32 mph.  It is a 90 hp 1985 merc .  Motor runs great for being 37 yrs old 

1 hour ago, Mbirdsley said:

Yes it is the tower of power.

 

When I think of Tower of Power, I think of this:

 

 

I was able to take the kayak out for a few hours yesterday and this is all I caught. It seemed like I threw everything I had and caught this one on a crappie jig of all things. I havent seen one that the lateral line marking only covered half the fish. I think the weather dipping back to freezing has kept the water a little too cold for the spawn just yet and I was banking on them being shallow.

2 hours ago, Jmilburn76 said:

I was able to take the kayak out for a few hours yesterday and this is all I caught. It seemed like I threw everything I had and caught this one on a crappie jig of all things. I havent seen one that the lateral line marking only covered half the fish. I think the weather dipping back to freezing has kept the water a little too cold for the spawn just yet and I was banking on them being shallow.

Healthy fish, though. What it lacks in length it certainly makes up for it in girth.

My buddy’s dad put the skunk on us both last morning on dale hollow, the fish ate a shad rap.

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

My buddy’s dad put the skunk on us both last morning on dale hollow, the fish ate a shad rap. 

I was also at the Hollow yesterday...Star Point and caught these two largejaws....what makes these a little more special is I caught them on a hand made glide-bait.

1 hour ago, Chris Catignani said:

I was also at the Hollow yesterday...Star Point and caught these two largejaws....what makes these a little more special is I caught them on a hand made glide-bait.

Nice! The Toyota series boys really caught em there this weekend, including an 8-2 

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

My buddy’s dad put the skunk on us both last morning on dale hollow, the fish ate a shad rap.

I was hoping for a better report. ?

18 minutes ago, GaryH said:

I was hoping for a better report. ?

Check toyota series results, they smashed em . I just fish near the cabin and hope for the best haha

 

got a nice fish Friday 

27 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Check toyota series results, they smashed em . I just fish near the cabin and hope for the best haha

 

got a nice fish Friday 

 

 I’ll be hitting it hard in 2 weeks. 

Just now, GaryH said:

 

 I’ll be hitting it hard in 2 weeks. 

I’m not sure how long those birds stick around (loons and terns) but I think they should lead you to the fish. 
 

39 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m not sure how long those birds stick around (loons and terns) but I think they should lead you to the fish. 
 

Beautiful pics…

1st bass of the year . I was fishing for rough fish with night crawlers and was surprised to catch this . The river is high and muddy and I was fishing along a current seam .

caught a dozen this afternoon