Took The Old Town out yesterday, first time in a while.

Wasn't exactly fisherman friendly weather, especially for the canoe.

Warm but big southerly winds were a bit much.

Still managed a few on a rattlebait fished like a blade bait.

This one had some 'fall' colors herself . . . .

A-Jay

 

37 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Wasn't exactly fisherman friendly weather, especially for the canoe.

Lol it looks kinda choppy on the water for a canoe!

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Lol it looks kinda choppy on the water for a canoe!

It was but I was kind of determined.

You know the feeling.

A-Jay

11 hours ago, galyonj said:

Short lunchtime sesh. I called my shot with this fish. First time that's ever happened.

 

 

Then later I caught a ride with this guy.

 

 

One last fish to wrap up the night.

 

 

Now I'm sitting here writing a little code and watching the X-Files.

Here’s another view of that fish @galyonjposted, the spro pin tail did it again 

6 hours ago, T-Billy said:

41 in Maine and Katie is fishing in shorts and sandles. Meanwhile, it's 43 in OH and I'm bundled up looking like Hugh from Ice Hole Truckers!!! ?

I'm such a Wuss!!! ?

Lol......you haven't even begun to know what a wuss is in regards to cold weather.    Every year that passes I think Alabama is too cold ?

7 hours ago, PhishLI said:

It's been raining for the past two days, but there was a lull tonight, so I scooted up to take my chances. Walking up to the lake I was struck by the smell of sulfur, and when I shone my flashlight into the water it was a cloudy thick green where it was clear just this past Thursday. Turnover happened quickly, and that means it's going to be tough for a spell, and it was.

 

For 45 minutes I couldn't find anything but a pickerel that hit a swimbait-hook rigged bandito bug on the fall. It shook off quickly, shredded my Tatsu, but I got my bait back. Rain blew in again out of nowhere, so I tied on a G2 Shellcracker for a Hail Mary pass, dialed down my brakes, and bombed that sucker way out over a weedline near a drop off. Cranked it down, crashed it into the weedline, and it got smashed. The fish dove down into the weeds and it felt like I was cranking in a wet, swimming, beach towel. With adrenaline pumping my heart with new PB fantasies I was also resigned to the idea that my rod would snap from the weight at some point, but she held up.

 

Got her in, and the fish was completely engulfed in a huge mop of weeds and going nuts. With no way to lip it with my grippers, I had no choice but to lay the mop with a tail on the ground for an assist. I was not interested in getting impaled by a swim bait treble with an angry bass connected to it. Swirling wind driven rain made the whole process interesting, and I had to laugh at the absurdity of what drives me to do this in the dark. Absurd, but totally awesome. Everything was soaked by that point, so I split. Good times.

 

Big swimbait investment paying off I see ?

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Took The Old Town out yesterday, first time in a while.

Wasn't exactly fisherman friendly weather, especially for the canoe.

Warm but big southerly winds were a bit much.

Still managed a few on a rattlebait fished like a blade bait.

This one had some 'fall' colors herself . . . .

A-Jay

 

A fellow canoeist! You are my brother!

 

Sisterly yours,

 

Katie

 

P. S. - Of course, I love, love, LOVE the color of that bass. 

3 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Big swimbait investment paying off I see ?

I should live so long...

 

The last bass I caught was 2 months ago...

 

...until this morning, when tolerable weather and my schedule aligned again, and I escaped for what will likely be the last kayak excursion of the year.

 

If found these two hanging around the last remnants of green pads, willing to eat a Jackhammer. A couple more got off before I could get them in.

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I should live so long...

 

SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY ?

Been trying to grow my toolbox the last week after getting a new big bait rod.    

 

2 for 2 on the big Swimbait.....both quality fish

 

2 for 3 on the A-Rig......both smaller fish, but did have a big Spot hammer it right at the boat 

Jackall Crank and Jackhammer still putting in work when my arm gets tired lol

19 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY ?

My therapist loves swim baits too. I'm doomed.

On Sunday, I wrote that the "Early bird gets the bass."

 

That was not true at all today. I drove to a pond I love, which is really a river with a dam that turned it into a bog. Unfortunately, there were two cars there with homeless people in them. Considering it was dark and they were parked in a gully and I was alone, I left. If T-Billy or Alex or Eric or any of you had my six, I would have stayed and launched, but none of you were there. Sigh.

 

So, I went to another pond and launched in the dark. I caught a fish on my fifth cast with a Whopper Plopper, but over the next 2.5 hours, I could only catch nine more with no pattern whatsoever. There was a gob of lures in the bottom of my canoe that I tried without much success, which was weird, for the conditions were perfect: 56 degrees at 6:00 a.m., no wind, foggy, and occasional drizzle.

 

Then it all changed. It's like someone dropped a goofy roofie into the water, for the bass were suddenly giddy. Slap happy. Not trying to eat my Whopper Plopper, but beat my Whopper Plopper. I caught 17 of them in the next 1.5 hours, but lost at least that many. They put on some air shows too and pulled like terriers. It was like a Bruce Ward Batman episode: Wam! Blam! KaPow!

 

The photos start with a couple of the pond. Then the first fish in the dark. Then some of the 27 I caught. Again, there were no dinks, like Sunday. Weird, huh? Don't the little ones have to fatten up too for the winter? 

 

If Maine bass were a candy bar, they wouldn't be the Snickers. They'd be the Chunky, short and thick. 

 

Phish, I don't own a single jointed swimbait, but seeing the fish you catch with them, I'm going to have one next spring, for sure.

 

Beautiful bass, Alex. I've never fished with an Alabama rig, but I wanna. I think I would catch two or three bass at once with one up here. 

18 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Phish, I don't own a single jointed swimbait, but seeing the fish you catch with them, I'm going to have one next spring, for sure.

That'll be primetime. Work a Bucca BullWake or a G2 in one of your honey holes and you might just draw out the lady of the lake.

19 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

On Sunday, I wrote that the "Early bird gets the bass."

 

That was not true at all today. I drove to a pond I love, which is really a river with a dam that turned it into a bog. Unfortunately, there were two cars there with homeless people in them. Considering it was dark and they were parked in a gully and I was alone, I left. If T-Billy or Alex or Eric or any of you had my six, I would have stayed and launched, but none of you were there. Sigh.

 

So, I went to another pond and launched in the dark. I caught a fish on my fifth cast with a Whopper Plopper, but over the next 2.5 hours, I could only catch nine more with no pattern whatsoever. There was a gob of lures in the bottom of my canoe that I tried without much success, which was weird, for the conditions were perfect: 56 degrees at 6:00 a.m., no wind, foggy, and occasional drizzle.

 

Then it all changed. It's like someone dropped a goofy roofie into the water, for the bass were suddenly giddy. Slap happy. Not trying to eat my Whopper Plopper, but beat my Whopper Plopper. I caught 17 of them in the next 1.5 hours, but lost at least that many. They put on some air shows too and pulled like terriers. It was like a Bruce Ward Batman episode: Wam! Blam! KaPow!

 

The photos start with a couple of the pond. Then the first fish in the dark. Then some of the 27 I caught. Again, there were no dinks, like Sunday. Weird, huh? Don't the little ones have to fatten up too for the winter? 

 

If Maine bass were a candy bar, they wouldn't be the Snickers. They'd be the Chunky, short and thick. 

 

Phish, I don't own a single jointed swimbait, but seeing the fish you catch with them, I'm going to have one next spring, for sure.

 

Beautiful bass, Alex. I've never fished with an Alabama rig, but I wanna. I think I would catch two or three bass at once with one up here. 

You're just like a trophy Bass Katie, they don't get that way by being stupid ?

 

The world is crazy today, and when you get around folks with nothing to lose, it makes it all the more dangerous.    Every person in my life I care about I try to convince to conceal carry a firearm.  

 

Beautiful fish as always, crazy how 99%+ of your fish are blemish free, and a model of health.   You gotta love seeing healthy fish.    It tickles me pink when I catch one with a fat belly, and blemish free.

18 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

That'll be primetime. Work a Bucca BullWake or a G2 in one of your honey holes and you might just draw out the lady of the lake.

Almost bought one of the Bucca Bull Shads today instead of the 6th Sense, my shop has all his baits....even little ones the size of crankbaits.....gonna for sure get one or two of those.   

 

He's a guide over in GA, and I've been thinking about booking him in the future.   He's a true big "Spot hunter" ?

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Phish. 

 

Alex, I always want to think the best of people. However, if something befell me and I became homeless, dozens of people would open their homes to me. That no one will welcome those people in the cars into their homes tells me about their lives of bad decisions. You're right about the homeless having little to lose. I just hope they mosey, but I fear they'll set up one of those tent encampments and take the lake. 

 

However, I can't imagine a gun in a canoe. A canoe is so wet. Every time you switch sides, you're dropping water in the boat. Then there's the weight: I'm already ground to a nub by what I'm carrying to simply catch fish. Then, when the canoe is over my head, I'd be pretty helpless. However, I'll think about it. 

 

I do love catching healthy fish. Say, Alex, I'm thinking of fishing a smallie only lake on Friday morning, a lake I've not yet fished, but I have scouted it.

Hey @ol'crickety are up you catching those smallmouth in a bog? It’s hard for me to imagine smallmouth being present in that type of habitat. When I think of smallmouth habitat, I think of the Great Lakes, a river, or a big lake with a hard bottom. Not a swamp lol

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Hey @ol'crickety are up you catching those smallmouth in a bog? It’s hard for me to imagine smallmouth being present in that type of habitat. When I think of smallmouth habitat, I think of the Great Lakes, a river, or a big lake with a hard bottom. Not a swamp lol

You are correct. I was fishing a lake today. I only catch largemouth in the bogs. And the lake I fished today, as you could see from the photos, has both largemouth and smallmouth. Whenever I'm over rocks, that's where I catch the smallmouth. 

9 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Lol......you haven't even begun to know what a wuss is in regards to cold weather.    Every year that passes I think Alabama is too cold ?

Big swimbait investment paying off I see ?

It IS too cold! ? When winter hits that is. ?

 

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I should live so long...

 

Need another place to warehouse some lures? ?

 

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

2 for 2 on the big Swimbait.....both quality fish

 

 

What’s the large swim bait in this photo?

9 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Lol......you haven't even begun to know what a wuss is in regards to cold weather.    Every year that passes I think Alabama is too cold ?

I was a bit overdressed the other day, but it's what I had handy. I've been known to sit in the woods from daylight till dark, temps in the teens, waiting for a deer to walk by. I don't often get accused of being a smart man. LOL.

4 hours ago, sdw215 said:

It IS too cold! ? When winter hits that is. ?

 

Need another place to warehouse some lures? ?

 

 

What’s the large swim bait in this photo?

I bought it at Mark's the other day, action is amazing, high-quality hardware as well, however I just had to go back to Marks today to exchange it for another one because the nylon tail flew out on a cast.   Then I get the new one, check it, and it slides right out.   So while very budget friendly, and great in every other regard, be prepared to glue this bait from the jump.  

Duckett Baits BD Shad Slow Sinking Swimbaits - Tackle Warehouse

 

It's got this killer strong magnet that holds a unique front treble tight to the body.   

10 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Here’s another view of that fish @galyonjposted, the spro pin tail did it again 

Man, with all those ropes all over the front deck, I’d be tangled up and likely on the bottom of the lake! It would drive me absolutely bonkers to have to step all around that while casting ?. Whatever works though I guess. 

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

If T-Billy or Alex or Eric or any of you had my six, I would have stayed and launched, but none of you were there. Sigh.

 

Yup. Crackheads and miscreants don't get to dictate where I go. 

56 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

Man, with all those ropes all over the front deck, I’d be tangled up and likely on the bottom of the lake! It would drive me absolutely bonkers to have to step all around that while casting ?. Whatever works though I guess. 

If you get tangled up in rope, just pull on the rope until you are up to the front of the boat! 
 

but seriously my trolling motor broke and the 100 ft rope is to my new (free) cinder block anchor 

 

@Way north bass guy, I bet I could create the same effect with some clever knots and some of those stones you have leftover 

52 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

If you get tangled up in rope, just pull on the rope until you are up to the front of the boat! 
 

but seriously my trolling motor broke and the 100 ft rope is to my new (free) cinder block anchor 

 

@Way north bass guy, I bet I could create the same effect with some clever knots and some of those stones you have leftover 

That makes more sense now! I’ve caught many a fish over the years as a kid with the help of one of my dads “extra” concrete blocks. 8” blocks always worked well, 10” blocks held better, but they were always much heavier to lift as a kid so we stuck with the 8s . A half of a 6” block was just about perfect for a canoe ?

Just now, Way north bass guy said:

That makes more sense now! I’ve caught many a fish over the years as a kid with the help of one of my dads “extra” concrete blocks. 8” blocks always worked well, 10” blocks held better, but they were always much heavier to lift as a kid so we stuck with the 8s . A half of a 6” block was just about perfect for a canoe ?

I’ve always been too scared to try it with canoe but some folks swear by it or a drag chain. I was anchored up in 40 ft with a breeze and current on Sunday, had to use almost every foot of the rope to Sit still