The biggest was maybe a 13 incher…

Hit one of my local ponds to see if the fish were biting on the usual stuff or the small stuff.   

 

It was the BFS stuff.  I caught 7 on a Baby Griffon and 2 on a micro jig. All 12 inchers except this guy.

 

 

 

 

 

How do you like that baby griffin? Good plug?

50 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I caught 7 on a Baby Griffon

Sweet!

11 hours ago, throttleplate said:

4 tiger muskie

Those aren’t tiger muskies. They’re pure strain muskies. Actually after closer review, the first may be a tiger but the other three are definitely not. 4 muskies in an outing is still fantastic, regardless.

Got some decent fish today. This is the best I can do when I only have the dog with me. She doesn’t have thumbs. The second one was 1/2 inch shorter, but fatter.

 

Still getting good results on the Wake-Z and One Knocker. These two were 4+ with the biggest 4.5. Also caught several between 2-3 lbs. Any breeze that gets the surface moving is my best friend. Tomorrow's supposed to be gusty which should translate to lots of action. I'm trying to milk it for all it's worth this fall before I'm on hold with knee surgery.

3 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

How do you like that baby griffin? Good plug?

 

I fibbed....  It's not actually a Baby Griffon. I bought one years ago and got it confused with what I actually used today. Which is a Bait Finesse SR-X Griffon.  The Baby Griffon was actually smaller and had a feathered rear treble hook.  

 

The one I used today was great. It was my first time using this particular bait and it is the only one I have at this point but I will be ordering more. It has a medium rattle to it and it also casts really well for a small bait.  

I went out messing with my active target some more today.  I got 6 bass in the boat between 14 inches and the 19 1/2 inch 4 pound 9 ounce LM pictured.  I also had 6 small ones get off.  I was playing with them, moving the boat around, giving them line ect, so I could see the fight on my sonar.   I saw all 12 on sonar, or at least fish in the area that I hooked.  I watched 4 of them follow and take my bait.   Watching them take my bait was not the reason I got active target, but it's cool to watch.  One thing I noticed,  when I pull up to a spot with the big motor, cut it off then deploy the trolling motor pretty much every time some fish swim up toward the boat.  I don't know what species.  I was up river, the water was pretty muddy.   Has anyone else with live sonar noticed fish checking out your boat?

 

 

My new night fishing PB! I couldn’t get my scale or tape measure on him because it was pitch black, but I guess he was around 3-3.5 lbs. I also caught a few more fish, all dinks.

Ultimately luck will always be the biggest factor in fishing imho.   Time on water yields luck, but luck is what can overcome even the greatest Bassmaster, I offer the following short story as proof:

 

At this point your humble narrator has been fishing for almost 3 hours and has yet to catch a fish over a pound......hundreds of cast, countless conversations with himself, nothing of merit to show for all this.    He decides to motor for a long haul, and while passing docks he can't help noticing an older couple fishing while an automatic fish feeder sprays pellets.  Right at that moment the water turns into a volcano of panfish and Channel cats.  Not more than 10 seconds later, the wife is freaking out screaming....."get the net I've got a huge Bass on the line!", meanwhile a nice sized Bass is tailwalking right in front of her, putting on a real show.    Husband runs over with a net and manages to land the fish for her.   At this point you can tell this nice older couple is experiencing something so exhilarating and alien to them, they are completely unprepared for the moment.    

 

I yell to them "congrats on the great fish, do you need any help with a pic or a weight"......both instantly shout back "we'd love that, we are just starting out and don't have a scale".   At this point I'm stoked for them and haul tail to them.    Grab her net with fish in it, take it in my boat, get her a good weight on it, then hand the net/fish back to them.    It was a 4.2 oz fish but was quite skinny.....so it had that big mouth that is so awesome for new Bass anglers.    She caught it less than 5 minutes after starting, walked 30ft out her back door, and used a $30-40 panfish setup to land the fish.   Considering her setup, and likely test lb line, she landed a really nice fish.  She looked at her husband as I was motoring away..."we should buy a lottery ticket after that don't you think".

 

They handled the fish very poorly which made me cringe the whole time inside, but I made the decision instead of "educating" them in their special moment, they'd either continue on their panfishing path rarely catching a Bass of any merit, or they'd get hooked, and hopefully shortly learn how important handling these fish are when you intend to release them.   We've all been there.  

 

The fishing Gods rewarded me with a dark, and beautiful 2lb Spot about 10 mins later on a spinning reel setup so all was right with the world either way after that fantastic fight.   I'll take a 2lb Spot over a 4lb LGM no problem ? 

 

As for the second pic, somebody was talking about too small to post pics....I submit it completely free of shame, and with great pride  ?

 

Lots of Deer out today 

 

7 hours ago, FishTank said:

a Baby Griffon. I bought one years ago and got it confused with what I actually used today. Which is a Bait Finesse SR-X Griffon.  The Baby Griffon was actually smaller and had a feathered rear treble hook.  

 

The one I used today was great. It was my first time using this particular bait and it is the only one I have at this point but I will be ordering more. It has a medium rattle to it and it also casts really well for a small bait.  

awesome info, was looking into picking one up a while ago but they go for alot on ebay, very interesting they have a new version, will check it out, have heard very good thing about them, almost have a cult following like the wiggle wart

Been a rough week for fishing. Low temps, lots of wind and cold rain. Got completely skunked Wednesday, and today, even though it was in the low 50's and raining I decided to try my luck. Hooked a good one on a Texas rig creature bait. But he came off right at the bank as I was trying to land him. Zero action the rest of the evening. 

The fishing season for me is winding down. I've got probably a few weeks, maybe a month and a half, left of nice weather and then I'll probably have to put the gear into storage for the winter. I love Michigan, but this time of year makes me feel sad. 

12 hours ago, Woody B said:

I went out messing with my active target some more today.  I got 6 bass in the boat between 14 inches and the 19 1/2 inch 4 pound 9 ounce LM pictured.  I also had 6 small ones get off.  I was playing with them, moving the boat around, giving them line ect, so I could see the fight on my sonar.   I saw all 12 on sonar, or at least fish in the area that I hooked.  I watched 4 of them follow and take my bait.   Watching them take my bait was not the reason I got active target, but it's cool to watch.  One thing I noticed,  when I pull up to a spot with the big motor, cut it off then deploy the trolling motor pretty much every time some fish swim up toward the boat.  I don't know what species.  I was up river, the water was pretty muddy.   Has anyone else with live sonar noticed fish checking out your boat?

 

 

A lot of the pros I watch on YouTube say the fish swim under the boat quite often while using active target 

First time out in over three weeks. Been busy with work and my daughter’s upcoming wedding next month. 
 

Got on the water just after first light. 75% of the pond is covered in algae. The kind that doesn’t cause issues other than staining mono lol. I started with a Whopper Plopper. First cast it got hit lightly and I missed the hookset. A few casts later it hit it again. Not big but still fun. 
Bite cooled off and I switched to a Mann’s blackberry Jelly Worm TR. That was dead. Went back to the WP and started working an area just getting lit by the sun. A few casts were fruitless. I casted it again and as soon as it hit the water it disappeared. No big slurp. It just silently disappeared. I set the hook and had a decent fight. Not big but bigger than the first one. 
Caught three more on a white WR Senko. I’ve kinda given up on the WR this year as the bite has been off. This is a new color, so maybe it helped. 
Nothing spectacular but still a fun morning. Only downfall is my Fuego CT seems to be getting hard to reel. Like it takes real effort to crank in a bait. Gotta open it up and see what the issue is. 

6 hours ago, IcatchDinks said:

The fishing season for me is winding down. I've got probably a few weeks, maybe a month and a half, left of nice weather and then I'll probably have to put the gear into storage for the winter. I love Michigan, but this time of year makes me feel sad. 

Just part of the “off-season” deal living in the north. There’s other things to look forward to in the fall, like hunting season. Make the most of it and get out there before the season ends in a month or so. I plan to.

Alex, I've done a fair of amount of outdoor writing (Gray's Sporting Journal, Field and Stream, Musky Hunter, etc.) and you've got the requisite tone, command of language, good humor, and observational powers to write professionally. If you limit your writing to bassresource.com, that's great too and I'll continue to enjoy your posts. I have a guest from Tennessee for five days and he doesn't fish, so right now, I don't fish. Dang it!

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

Alex, I've done a fair of amount of outdoor writing (Gray's Sporting Journal, Field and Stream, Musky Hunter, etc.) and you've got the requisite tone, command of language, good humor, and observational powers to write professionally. If you limit your writing to bassresource.com, that's great too and I'll continue to enjoy your posts. I have a guest from Tennessee for five days and he doesn't fish, so right now, I don't fish. Dang it!

You're so sweet and supportive Katie, really appreciate the kind words buddy

 

It's gonna feel so great though when you back out on the water, but I know you're going crazy.....you'd fish everyday if you could.

9 hours ago, IcatchDinks said:

Been a rough week for fishing. Low temps, lots of wind and cold rain. Got completely skunked Wednesday, and today, even though it was in the low 50's and raining I decided to try my luck. Hooked a good one on a Texas rig creature bait (no idea what brand. It came in one of those mystery tackle box things). But he came off right at the bank as I was trying to land him. Zero action the rest of the evening. 

The fishing season for me is winding down. I've got probably a few weeks, maybe a month and a half, left of nice weather and then I'll probably have to put the gear into storage for the winter. I love Michigan, but this time of year makes me feel sad. 

Hopefully it will turn around just in time to get some nice ones before the winter.  You still got time

2 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

First time out in over three weeks. Been busy with work and my daughter’s upcoming wedding next month. 
 

Got on the water just after first light. 75% of the pond is covered in algae. The kind that doesn’t cause issues other than staining mono lol. I started with a Whopper Plopper. First cast it got hit lightly and I missed the hookset. A few casts later it hit it again. Not big but still fun. 
Bite cooled off and I switched to a Mann’s blackberry Jelly Worm TR. That was dead. Went back to the WP and started working an area just getting lit by the sun. A few casts were fruitless. I casted it again and as soon as it hit the water it disappeared. No big slurp. It just silently disappeared. I set the hook and had a decent fight. Not big but bigger than the first one. 
Caught three more on a white WR Senko. I’ve kinda given up on the WR this year as the bite has been off. This is a new color, so maybe it helped. 
Nothing spectacular but still a fun morning. Only downfall is my Fuego CT seems to be getting hard to reel. Like it takes real effort to crank in a bait. Gotta open it up and see what the issue is. 

Awesome fish, and thank you for your service!      Congrats on your daughter's upcoming wedding, I guess the bait monkey can't scream as loudly when you got to pay for a wedding ?

After a great morning goose hunt, I opted to have a coffee instead of a nap and get my butt out fishing in the gorgeous fall weather.  My goal was to learn something new - I had my first ever bag of flukes (Strike King KVD Caffeine Shad) and was determined to add another technique to my toolbox.  It was a bit windy, so I decided to hit a small lake that has good numbers.  I could call this place Dink Lake, because I’ve fished it several times and never beat maybe 2#, with most less than 1#. But, I’ve never got skunked there and with the goal being to learn how to fish a fluke I wanted the best odds of some success.  I rigged up with a 5/0 EWG Superline hook with  40# braid on a 7’ MH/f BassX rod.  With nothing to go on except my YouTube diploma, I was happy when one engulfed my bait on my second cast.  I went on to catch about a dozen and feel I’m ready to go after bigger fish, now that I have some confidence in how to fish this bait.  I ended up preferring a Mustad KVD Grip pin 5/0 hook.  
 

Water temps showed 64-65 degrees.  I’m in SE Ontario, Canada.  
 

I had a ton of fun - and slept like a log last night.  Worn out from a great day. ?

 

 

52 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You're so sweet and supportive Katie, really appreciate the kind words buddy

 

It's gonna feel so great though when you back out on the water, but I know you're going crazy.....you'd fish everyday if you could.

Hopefully it will turn around just in time to get some nice ones before the winter.  You still got time

Awesome fish, and thank you for your service!      Congrats on your daughter's upcoming wedding, I guess the bait monkey can't scream as loudly when you got to pay for a wedding ?

The Bait Monkey works solo with encouragement from fellow anglers. He quails in fear at the mere mention of the Wedding Monkey! ?

Friday at the dam wife caught a tiny smallie on a ballhead jig with a blue and white gulp minnow. As the little fish was getting reeled in a pike latched onto it so she got a 2 for 1.

The pike and muskey are very aggressive at the dam.

Last week the big girls attacked our stringer of walleye getting their teeth into a walleye.

Wife grabbed the stringer and pulled it up with the muskie hanging on thrashing its tail and then finally wife got the stringer in minus muskey.

Dont mess with the wifes walleye.

This friday a big muskie was hanging out 8 feet in front of her most of the day watching the stringer of walleye and chasing her fish she was reeling in.

 

21 minutes ago, The Baron said:

After a great morning goose hunt

 

21 minutes ago, The Baron said:

I went on to catch about a dozen

Blast n’ cast!

1 hour ago, The Baron said:

After a great morning goose hunt, I opted to have a coffee instead of a nap and get my butt out fishing in the gorgeous fall weather.  My goal was to learn something new - I had my first ever bag of flukes (Strike King KVD Caffeine Shad) and was determined to add another technique to my toolbox.  It was a bit windy, so I decided to hit a small lake that has good numbers.  I could call this place Dink Lake, because I’ve fished it several times and never beat maybe 2#, with most less than 1#. But, I’ve never got skunked there and with the goal being to learn how to fish a fluke I wanted the best odds of some success.  I rigged up with a 5/0 EWG Superline hook with  40# braid on a 7’ MH/f BassX rod.  With nothing to go my except my YouTube diploma I was happy when one engulfed my bait on my second cast.  I went on to catch about a dozen and feel I’m ready to go after bigger fish, now that I have some confidence in how to fish this bait.  I ended up preferring a Mustad KVD Grip pin 5/0 hook.  
 

Water temps showed 64-65 degrees.  I’m in SE Ontario, Canada.  
 

I had a ton of fun - and slept like a log last night.  Worn out from a great day. ?

 

 

Although they’re all nice. That last picture could be a postcard, ?Do they even make them anymore ?

It really sucks having to miss 2 weeks of fishing, but that's life, and with wind and clouds in the forecast I just had to go even though I was dead tired. Might've hit the snooze button once or thrice, but I shook off the leaden feeling and hit the road.

 

Got going quickly when a cannibal yellow perch ate my yellow perch wake/crank. The cooler water had the pickerel on a rampage, and they were determined to steal my Jackhammer, but I stayed lucky. I was able to unhook them all without touching them, thankfully. I wasn't in the mood to get slimed.

 

Then the skies parted, the wind died down, the sun came out strong, and the bite went bye-bye. Over the next hour I only managed to nab one small greenie on a Jackhammer, but then the clouds returned in force with even more wind than earlier. It was a short-strike-athon for a while throwing my usual plastics, but I got things going again bombing the Livingston Bullnose straight into the wind. Thank you Zillion SV. Got one small guy, then nabbed a solid chunk that fought like crazy and nearly ran me into the pads. Trebles and pads are bad news even with heavier braid, but I only had 15lb Tatsu on this rig. I avoided that test, and was happy to get him in. Good times, and no skunk. I'll take it.

20 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

It really sucks having to miss 2 weeks of fishing, but that's life, and with wind and clouds in the forecast I just had to go even though I was dead tired. Might've hit the snooze button once or thrice, but I shook off the leaden feeling and hit the road.

 

Got going quickly when a cannibal yellow perch at my yellow perch wake/crank. The cooler water had the pickerel on a rampage, and they were determined to steal my Jackhammer, but I stayed lucky. I was able to unhook them all without touching them, thankfully. I wasn't in the mood to get slimed.

 

Then the skies parted, the wind died down, the sun came out strong, and the bite went bye-bye. Over the next hour I only managed to nab one small greenie on a Jackhammer, but then the clouds returned in force with even more wind than earlier. It was a short-strike-athon for a while throwing my usual plastics, but I got things going again bombing the Livingston Bullnose straight into the wind. Thank you Zillion SV. Got one small guy, then nabbed a solid chunk that fought like crazy and nearly ran me into the pads. Trebles and pads are bad news even with heavier braid, but I only had 15lb Tatsu on this rig. I avoided that test, and was happy to get him in. Good times, and no skunk. I'll take it.

Something is wrong with your pics, the sun is shining