Got the kayak out again yesterday caught 20 fish, various sizes. 4-5 caught on a wacky rig. The rest I caught all on a beast coast 1/2 oz tungsten flipping jig chartreuse pumpkin with a rage chunk in summer craw. I caught 3 fish on back to back cast, figured the deeper point would pay off and it did lol. Fought the wind kept catching them here and there. Decided to look for a bigger fish. Headed back to a small part of spring valley that doesn’t get as much pounding. I saw the cove and couldn’t pass it up it looked way too good. Messed around targeted the tree nobody home looked down the bank and saw a clump of lily pads on a point bingo caught this nice 3.90lb one less than 20 feet away from me. I called it a day with that one. I was definitely happy with that, it’s my biggest fish out of spring valley so far.

First night back out on "my lake" with a boat setup at night in 15 years+

 

Has always been a better night fishing lake for me, and especially so with the Alabama Spots.   Caught a number of fish from about 10-130am, specifically 5 Spots, and then a few smaller Larrys.   Only one Spot was quality and I'd say it was b/t 2.5 and 3lbs.       All other fish were smaller.     Every Spot came off a Zman weedless 3/8th bluegill chatterbait with a zoom twin tail trailer.    The Larry's came off a 8" Berkeley Gulp 8" Junebug Kingworm T- Rigged with a 1/8th tungsten bullet weight.           

 

If Spots got 40-50lbs+, they'd attack/eat humans.   It's always sporty handling Spots at nighttime, they are so darn mean.   

Hadn't been bass fishing in several weeks.  Only had 45 minutes last night but it was time to get back out there.  Unfortunately it was a few days into a cold front and no wind.  Had set myself up to use the buzzbait, got to the pond knowing it wasn't going to be the deal, and decided to make an entire trip around the pond using it without getting a bite.  Switched to the drop shot and first cast got nibbled and missed.  Second cast I found out why I missed lol

 

 

Found a cricket hopping around so I took the worm off and put him on.  Caught a big bluegill which was fun.  Roboworm back on and I sent her back out into the pond.  I don't know how it happened but all the sudden I've got knots and lines everywhere.  Back facing the pond, trying to deal with the knots, and all the sudden the line has pressure ?.  Can't reel so I yanked to set the hook and then hand lined this fish in. 

 

 

Nothing is ever simple but it sure is funny to look back on.  Not even a pounder but it at least made me stop and laugh.  Plus I ended up untangling the line.  Caught another bass before it was dark and I got out of there.  Highlight of the night was seeing an absolutely absurd amount of deer on the evening.  Almost that time of year ?

15 hours ago, Jmurphy87 said:

Got the kayak out again yesterday caught 20 fish, various sizes. 4-5 caught on a wacky rig. The rest I caught all on a beast coast 1/2 oz tungsten flipping jig chartreuse pumpkin with a rage chunk in summer craw. I caught 3 fish on back to back cast, figured the deeper point would pay off and it did lol. Fought the wind kept catching them here and there. Decided to look for a bigger fish. Headed back to a small part of spring valley that doesn’t get as much pounding. I saw the cove and couldn’t pass it up it looked way too good. Messed around targeted the tree nobody home looked down the bank and saw a clump of lily pads on a point bingo caught this nice 3.90lb one less than 20 feet away from me. I called it a day with that one. I was definitely happy with that, it’s my biggest fish out of spring valley so far.

Talk about cookie cutter! Minus that last chunk. That’s some consistency!

Caught 37 this morning, 25 bass and 12 big perch, fishing from a canoe in a shallow pond with beavers.

 

 

45 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Caught 37 this morning, 25 bass and 12 big perch, fishing from a canoe in a shallow pond with beavers.

 

 

Nice! I love canoe fishing 

10 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

then a few smaller Larrys. 

whats a larry in alabama?

3 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

Talk about cookie cutter! Minus that last chunk. That’s some consistency!

 Thank you.For sure, it’s tricky to get the bigger ones at spring valley with all of the pressure it gets but they are there none the less.

16 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

whats a larry in alabama?

Haha, just a nickname we always called largemouths down here......Larry the Largemouth

Couple from this morning.

12 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Couple from this morning.

Dang nice Alabama Spot pal!    Just the way they feel is totally different, like a swimming muscle on steroids.   That one looks over 3lb, bet it was heck of nice fight, and a great strike on that bait

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Nice! I love canoe fishing 

Yeah, huh. I love the quiet, both for its own sake and for sneaking up on Mr. Bass. As I paddled through weeds this morning, I saw bass swirling as they made their getaway, mere inches from the bow because they didn't hear me coming. I even love the paddling and it's, of course, the traditional northwoods fishing craft. I like carrying on the tradition. 

10 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Yeah, huh. I love the quiet, both for its own sake and for sneaking up on Mr. Bass. As I paddled through weeds this morning, I saw bass swirling as they made their getaway, mere inches from the bow because they didn't hear me coming. I even love the paddling and it's, of course, the traditional northwoods fishing craft. I like carrying on the tradition. 

I’ve had many memorable trips on my old aluminum, some even in the ocean 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve had many memorable trips on my old aluminum, some even in the ocean 

I'm thinking of fishing for striped bass in our harbor in my canoe, but I'm a little scared. I've caught 40"-plus musky and pike in my canoe, but a striped bass, fighting the tides all day, is like a 35" river smallmouth.

5 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm thinking of fishing for striped bass in our harbor in my canoe, but I'm a little scared. I've caught 40"-plus musky and pike in my canoe, but a striped bass, fighting the tides all day, is like a 35" river smallmouth.

it can be done! this one was from 2019, The current was moving about 3 miles an hour and I was drifting some cut skipjack herring. Something bit and I handed the rod to my buddy, not realizing he couldn’t crank a bait caster with his left hand. Also a barge was coming down River at us at a pretty good clip so I was paddling backwards for all I had while he was fighting the fish. I think it weighed in about 16 pounds. 

 

and My cousin caught a 42 pounder from his kayak

 

 

 

Holy-moly, Mr. 46!

Pretty stable weather and water conditions over the weekend. Saturday was a trip to a "stingy" pond, the one I tend to fish most and that gets some other regular pressure. Was able to swing on 8 or 9 fish there, and they all looked healthy.

 

 

Monday was a return visit to the pond I hadn't fished in several months. The bite was still good, and a pass and a half yielded 23 bass, though nothing of too great a size. Lots of healthy adult fish though that bodes well for the ponds future.

 

 

Tuesday was a visit to another pond I hadn't fished in several months. Was expecting similar conditions to the previously mentioned pond (stained water, treated weeds), but was surprised when I walked up to see very clear water, and decent weed growth beyond the drop-off, though the shallows look like they had been treated. I hadn't brought the finesse gear, but still managed 9 bass and a bonus channel cat for my efforts. Fish were strong and healthy, and I'll either wait to return when the wind and clouds are in, or bring the finesse outfit instead.

 

 

 

19 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm thinking of fishing for striped bass in our harbor in my canoe, but I'm a little scared. I've caught 40"-plus musky and pike in my canoe, but a striped bass, fighting the tides all day, is like a 35" river smallmouth.

If you set your drag properly, and take your time, you will be surprised at the size of fish you can land from a canoe or kayak.

 

11 minutes ago, king fisher said:

If you set your drag properly, and take your time, you will be surprised at the size of fish you can land from a canoe or kayak.

 

I follow that guy ~ 

And those jumps are IN-SANE !!!!!!!!

Wow.

A-Jay

Caught 6 this afternoon trying out my first fish finder....and I can honestly say two fish came because of the new Garmin.   It's crazy catching a fish out in the middle of a 500yd section of lake.   I knew where to look in a general sense because about a decade ago a gent who was a real fisherman showed me the place, and was using a fishfinder.     I always said if I get my own boat on the lake again I'd find all the offshore honeyholes, and start making new ones with PVC structures

 

Only one went better than 5, the next best was likely in the 3lb range (two fish pics).....3 others in the 2lb range, and then finally a true peckerhead sized one.     The biggest came off the fat free fingerling in threadfin pattern, and another smaller one, but the other 4 were taken off a 6" Roboworm rigged on a Spot Sticker hook.    Finesse and cranking were the only hits, struck out on the chatterbait, and didn't have quite enough battery to start throwing a spitting image to quality fish that were busting big balls of threadfins at the surface.   Almost went back out with a paddle....it's truly a sickness

 

 

Very cool seeing the side image stuff....in the image below you can see the overflow drain at the dam, where I've caught a ton of fish 

 

 

Nice haircut @TnRiver46!

I have put almost 20 hours in on fishing the Sleeper Gill with no fish.  I was ready to give up, then this happened.

 

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Been meaning to get a Zorro shirt...classic.

I've not been fishing nearly enough, but I managed this little guy on a lipless last night. The guys in the Tuesday Night Tournament at Ray Roberts Isle du Bois need to figure out how to stop killing fish at weigh in, I keep finding dead fish 3-5lbs after each of their tournaments. A solid chunk floating up on the boat ramp last night. Sickening. At least take it home and eat it. Literally anything other than that.

 

The other photo is the best sight I've seen all summer.