1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm done for 2022

 

Where have I heard that before…….

 

we look forward to your report for tomorrow morning 

Got out in the SNOW this morning ? but man the bite was on fire. Cranks and bladed jigs did most of the damage. Bites were violent, like trying to take my rod away from me type bites. Not sure if my big fish of the day was also my biggest of the year or second biggest but it was up there. Caught my own mini version of Dottie also. Second bass with that spot I've caught from this lake. Last one was almost 6lbs, so not the same fish either. 

 

 

 

 

                                                   

27 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Got out in the SNOW this morning ? but man the bite was on fire. Cranks and bladed jigs did most of the damage. Bites were violent, like trying to take my rod away from me type bites. Not sure if my big fish of the day was also my biggest of the year or second biggest but it was up there. Caught my own mini version of Dottie also. Second bass with that spot I've caught from this lake. Last one was almost 6lbs, so not the same fish either. 

 

Way to go man, 21lb bag is awesome!   

 

Just these last two days have the fish started to get like you describe......yesterday it was packs of Spots trying to rip the bait from the hooked one, today it was both LGM and Spots that ate a bladed jig right by the boat, as you say......"rod ripping" hits.    So exciting and startles me to death every time.   

 

My biggest might have been close to 3lbs.   Only took 2 rods, no sonar or tackle besides a fanny pack as it's been raining all day.   Being OCD I had to at least see what was going on.   Crappie still holding on the same pattern as well.    These are the patterns that make it so tough when they inevitably stop working.   

 

I was rewarded with feisty fish, and the most magnificent sunset I've seen in my entire life, and I deck handed summers on the Gulf.     The storm and sunset timed perfectly to create a visual that left me stupefied. 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice work @Bluebasser86, I’ve always found that fish bite like sharks in the snow. Only problem is we only get snow 2-3 times a year 

54 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Got out in the SNOW this morning ? but man the bite was on fire. Cranks and bladed jigs did most of the damage. Bites were violent, like trying to take my rod away from me type bites. Not sure if my big fish of the day was also my biggest of the year or second biggest but it was up there. Caught my own mini version of Dottie also. Second bass with that spot I've caught from this lake. Last one was almost 6lbs, so not the same fish either. 

 

You know dude you always do that. I went out today under chilly conditions and caught 6 on a chatterbait biggest being about 2.5lbs. Felt pretty good about it. Then I see your post.

13 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Got out in the SNOW this morning ? but man the bite was on fire. Cranks and bladed jigs did most of the damage. Bites were violent, like trying to take my rod away from me type bites. Not sure if my big fish of the day was also my biggest of the year or second biggest but it was up there. Caught my own mini version of Dottie also. Second bass with that spot I've caught from this lake. Last one was almost 6lbs, so not the same fish either. 

 

What an incredible outing. Whoa and WOW!

 

13 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Way to go man, 21lb bag is awesome!   

 

Just these last two days have the fish started to get like you describe......yesterday it was packs of Spots trying to rip the bait from the hooked one, today it was both LGM and Spots that ate a bladed jig right by the boat, as you say......"rod ripping" hits.    So exciting and startles me to death every time.   

 

My biggest might have been close to 3lbs.   Only took 2 rods, no sonar or tackle besides a fanny pack as it's been raining all day.   Being OCD I had to at least see what was going on.   Crappie still holding on the same pattern as well.    These are the patterns that make it so tough when they inevitably stop working.   

 

I was rewarded with feisty fish, and the most magnificent sunset I've seen in my entire life, and I deck handed summers on the Gulf.     The storm and sunset timed perfectly to create a visual that left me stupefied. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And on the 8th day, He gilded the sky and smiled.

On 11/5/2022 at 11:36 AM, ol'crickety said:

I ended my fishing season like Willie Mays in center field, bumbling and stumbling

Wait a minute... Didn't you just get a wetsuit? I'm looking forward to the report on how they were torpedoing a whopper plopper as it chewed it's way through the skim ice!!! ?

7 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Wait a minute... Didn't you just get a wetsuit? I'm looking forward to the report on how they were torpedoing a whopper plopper as it chewed it's way through the skim ice!!! ?

 

No wetsuit yet, but I did pack dry clothes into a dry bag at your urging and although I never had to use it, I was grateful you encouraged me to do that. 

I almost slept in today and by the time I got myself up and moving, I only had maybe two hours before my day starts. I decided to waste some of it driving to lake ray roberts instead of going to a nearby pond. The drive is almost always worth it, today wasn't an exception. In about 90 minutes I managed two largemouth, two crappie, and a mystery escapee. Added to my 5.7lb fishes, I've caught four or five right around that 5-11/5-13 mark this year. 

15 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

two crappie, and a mystery escapee.

Ah looks fun! Nice crappie! 

45 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Ah looks fun! Nice crappie! 

Thanks! they bit the same chatterbait that caught the big bass lol i had one white crappie and one black crappie. Both excellent sandwich size.

Got 5-6 smallmouth, 2 shellcrackers, 2 channel catfish, a bluegill, and I think that’s it. Sorry @ol'cricketyi still can’t keep track even though I only catch 1/4 as many as you do hahaha. I even tried today. I could see all my toes in 80 degree weather and still couldn’t count that high 

Caught 7 today, all between 14 and 16 inches.   I've learned how to control the weather.  When I took my raincoat off it would start pouring rain.  When I'd put my raincoat on it would stop.   I saw a family of Racoons on the bank but wasn't close enough for a picture.  (at least with my limited photography skills)    I started fishing at 7:30, I was soaked and leaving at 11.   It was pouring when I was loading the boat.  By the time I got home (~35 miles) the Sun was out.    

Pictures are a 16 incher.  It had part of a crawdad (crawfish, creyfish) sticking out of it's gullet.   

 

Electric fishing again today, but atlas after several weeks without a 5lb+ fish I got one today.

 

A super rare day when I got Katie numbers, somewhere I'd say around 20 Bass, and 5 big Crappie.   Biggest was 5.3, several solid 3lb fish, and at least half dozen 2lb class Spots.    

 

This is the biggest fish I've caught that was offshore chasing shad like the 1-2lb school sized fish.

She hammered a 6th Sense Crush Flat 75x in Shad Scales.   She burned the drag so much I thought it was another dang big Cat.    This is the second big fish I've pulled off this bait in the last 2 months.    The other was a 5.8.        Great affordable bait that produces.    

 

 

Spots.....

 

 

                                             

I'm thrilled for you, Alex! That big bass is big from its mouth to its tail. I'm also thrilled that it was so powerful. I love when they take line. Hey, thanks for the lure tip! 

 

Woody, the drought-stricken folks of California, Kansas, and Utah will pay you big bucks to arrive and doff your raingear.

 

Tririver46, that smallmouth looks like an Olympian. All muscle, no fat. Or an NFL wideout. What helps me count is that I'm in the boat by myself and on the lake by myself. There's no one to distract me. 

 

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm thrilled for you, Alex! That big bass is big from its mouth to its tail. I'm also thrilled that it was so powerful. I love when they take line. Hey, thanks for the lure tip! 

 

Woody, the drought-stricken folks of California, Kansas, and Utah will pay you big bucks to arrive and doff your raingear.

 

Tririver46, that smallmouth looks like an Olympian. All muscle, no fat. Or an NFL wideout. What helps me count is that I'm in the boat by myself and on the lake by myself. There's no one to distract me. 

 

 

 

 

It was a fast fish! I was alone in the boat today but there were 7,400 yachts and pontoons again haha. Pretty leaves and 80 degree sunshine will do it, still seeing 65-67 degree water 

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

It was a fast fish! I was alone in the boat today but there were 7,400 yachts and pontoons again haha. Pretty leaves and 80 degree sunshine will do it, still seeing 65-67 degree water 

It was over 80 here today and the water temps were as high as it's been in weeks, I saw 68 at one point.   Shellcrackers are awesome, I don't need to tell somebody like you who enjoys eating fish that though.   Very feisty fish too. 

 

This weather is supposed to hold for a couple of days, has me excited, but that's usually when the pattern dies lol ?

 

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It was over 80 here today and the water temps were as high as it's been in weeks, I saw 68 at one point.   Shellcrackers are awesome, I don't need to tell somebody like you who enjoys eating fish that though.   Very feisty fish too. 

 

This weather is supposed to hold for a couple of days, has me excited, but that's usually when the pattern dies lol ?

 

Yes sir! Just got done eating it with the 2 catfish mmmmm. I caught a similar sized shellcracker in the morning but I let it go, didn’t know I was going to luck into the cats 

Little fella but I'll take topwater for as long as I can from pretty much any fish.

 

 

This little fatty hit the 175 like a freight train.

Got my oldest out for a rare November trip today. The fish were very cooperative, really eating a Duo Rozante and Megabass Nanahan jerkbaits. My big bass of the day was 5.74 on a rock crawler though, only bite I had on it.

Fishing with dad is hard.

 

47 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Got my oldest out for a rare November trip today. The fish were very cooperative, really eating a Duo Rozante and Megabass Nanahan jerkbaits. My big bass of the day was 5.74 on a rock crawler though, only bite I had on it.

Fishing with dad is hard.

 

You're on a roll catching giddy kitty sized fish.  

 

I don't know what it is, but once they hit 5lbs they just feel so special.   

 

That handsome young man is truly blessed if he enjoys fishing, I can't imagine having a dad who was a diehard Basser.   Lucky young man!  

During the 5 months of drought we had here there was rarely wind either, so when wind was in the forecast I was always amp'd up. Sadly, the wind rarely came at all no matter what was in the forecast. It was weird. Fishing here is a grind in good times, so without a few positive elements in play it can be brutal.

 

The drought is well over now, and they said we'd have good wind on Friday night, but no, it never came. Deja vu all over again. Luckily the poachers showed up with their mega-candle-power headlamps which prompted my early exit.

 

Southern winds were kicking nicely all day on Saturday, but that was no guarantee they'd hold up through the night. By some miracle the wind stuck around, then cloud cover rolled in nicely to counteract the giant beaming moon that's been hanging over the lake until 2:00 am. Joy!

 

I scouted out a few of my more productive areas in search of baitfish clinging to the shore, but found little. The floor of the lake is now covered in leaves, so it was really hard to tell. What I did find was that the trout stocking agency had been back and dumped in about a zillion 6" Megabass Magdraft sized trout. They were everywhere. This isn't good for bass fishing in the short term as it's hard to compete with a bunch of dumb and very eatable farm fish, but they grow the big ones, so we bide our time. The chance of catching a plus-sized bass around here is real, so grind or no grind, the anticipation is ever present. If pals are around when that happens, it becomes an even bigger event.

 

It just so happened that I ran into one of my best wading buds who's been missing for most of the year due to life issues, so we ended up doing as much BSing as fishing. Other than one smack on a Bullshooter that missed the hooks, he just couldn't find the bite, and he's one of the most fishcatchingest hombres I know. I ended up with some short fish, and even though they just slurped my wake baits they fought hard afterwards, so it's all good.