3 hours ago, The Bassman said:

I'm eating all this up right now but the truth is that they've got this down to a science so it's so much easier than it was just a few years ago. I really do appreciate all the encouragement. Now I have to try to crack the 6 lb. barrier before we lock in here.

 

Humble, too. BTW, I smile whenever I see Kramer by your name.

6 hours ago, The Bassman said:

Now I have to try to crack the 6 lb. barrier before we lock in here.

I like the way you think. I'd be tickled with another six, but I'm really chasing a 7+ for the wall. Possible in my area, but not likely. That's why I set the bar at 7 for a LM mount way back when. It's possible, but 7's are really hard to come by around here. My PB is 6-10. Close, but no cigar. Did you catch your 7+ in Indiana?

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I like the way you think. I'd be tickled with another six, but I'm really chasing a 7+ for the wall. Possible in my area, but not likely. That's why I set the bar at 7 for a LM mount way back when. It's possible, but 7's are really hard to come by around here. My PB is 6-10. Close, but no cigar. Did you catch your 7+ in Indiana?

I fish HOA lakes in the area where I have connections by way of my trade, family, and friends. The 7.22 came on a chatterbait Jul '21. Also caught four others over 6 so it was an epic year. Our @Team9nine actually caught an 8 on New Years eve last year from the same type of waters.

19 hours ago, The Bassman said:

Really nothing special about this bass except for one thing: I caught it just five days after my knee replacement surgery. My doc probably wouldn't be too happy with me now but nothing a little ice and rest won't take care of. Also lost a decent one. Damp, windy weather today with winter on the horizon after this week. I think I'm gonna get my December bass after all for another twelve months of bass award. (Still waiting on my last five)

Doc doesn't need to know and we won't tell!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I had a family gathering on Thanksgiving day where the family lives on the water, so I took a couple of rods in case I had an opportunity to fish. I'm glad I did. Once we had eaten all we could stand, played some games, watched some football, and most folks were ready to take the obligatory nap I decided to head down to the water.

 

It was just after dark, but my ears told me that there was a lot of activity. I heard splashing all around. I guess the fish were feasting too. I had a spinnerbait tied on one rod so I threw it in the direction that my ears told me to. I couldn't see much so I mainly threw to deeper water. No luck on the spinnerbait so I grabbed a black & blue jig. I was just throwing randomly into the deeper water until I heard a large splash behind me in the shallow area. I threw the jig in the direction of the splash, let it settle. I felt a thump, but I thought it was just the jig hitting the rocky bottom so I didn't react. After letting it sit for a second I started to reel, but I felt the line move so I set the hook. It pulled hard so I knew it was a decent fish, but it was so dark that I couldn't see it until I pulled it up onto the dock. Happy Thanksgiving indeed!

 

This was a picture worthy fish so I ran to the house, turned on the porch light, and got a quick measurement, and photo. It was 21 inches, and quite healthy so I'd say around 5.25 lbs. After that I ran back down to the water (as fast as I could in the dark), put her back in the water, and she swam away. Nice way to end a great Thanksgiving day.

 

 

 

                                            

2 hours ago, Fishlegs said:

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I had a family gathering on Thanksgiving day where the family lives on the water, so I took a couple of rods in case I had an opportunity to fish. I'm glad I did. Once we had eaten all we could stand, played some games, watched some football, and most folks were ready to take the obligatory nap I decided to head down to the water.

 

It was just after dark, but my ears told me that there was a lot of activity. I heard splashing all around. I guess the fish were feasting too. I had a spinnerbait tied on one rod so I threw it in the direction that my ears told me to. I couldn't see much so I mainly threw to deeper water. No luck on the spinnerbait so I grabbed a black & blue jig. I was just throwing randomly into the deeper water until I heard a large splash behind me in the shallow area. I threw the jig in the direction of the splash, let it settle. I felt a thump, but I thought it was just the jig hitting the rocky bottom so I didn't react. After letting it sit for a second I started to reel, but I felt the line move so I set the hook. It pulled hard so I knew it was a decent fish, but it was so dark that I couldn't see it until I pulled it up onto the dock. Happy Thanksgiving indeed!

 

This was a picture worthy fish so I ran to the house, turned on the porch light, and got a quick measurement, and photo. It was 21 inches, and quite healthy so I'd say around 5.25 lbs. After that I ran back down to the water (as fast as I could in the dark), put her back in the water, and she swam away. Nice way to end a great Thanksgiving day.

 

Nice job. Better than taking a nap. ?

Nice thanksgiving day bronze back

That's a VERY nice one!

25 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

That's a VERY nice one!

Thank you very much 

38 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

Nice thanksgiving day bronze back

A beast 

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

A beast 

 

Heck, yeah. Look at the muscle between the tail and the body. I always look there first. The tail tells the tale. 

17 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Heck, yeah. Look at the muscle between the tail and the body. I always look there first. The tail tells the tale. 

I agree.  I found this area during a high water period then only have been able to make it back there once due to extremely low conditions on the river. I have a foot to foot and a half right now covering the 5-6 rock ledges I need to get over. 

Made it back home yesterday . I worked today but the lake was calling so I answered and got out in late afternoon…

Perfect conditions- low 70s and a slight breeze, partly cloudy.

Ended up with 12- all caught on the black/grape with blue tail 7.5 inch culprit worm. I used nearly the whole pack, because of all the fish that bit the tails off.

 

5 hours ago, Fishlegs said:

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I had a family gathering on Thanksgiving day where the family lives on the water, so I took a couple of rods in case I had an opportunity to fish. I'm glad I did. Once we had eaten all we could stand, played some games, watched some football, and most folks were ready to take the obligatory nap I decided to head down to the water.

 

It was just after dark, but my ears told me that there was a lot of activity. I heard splashing all around. I guess the fish were feasting too. I had a spinnerbait tied on one rod so I threw it in the direction that my ears told me to. I couldn't see much so I mainly threw to deeper water. No luck on the spinnerbait so I grabbed a black & blue jig. I was just throwing randomly into the deeper water until I heard a large splash behind me in the shallow area. I threw the jig in the direction of the splash, let it settle. I felt a thump, but I thought it was just the jig hitting the rocky bottom so I didn't react. After letting it sit for a second I started to reel, but I felt the line move so I set the hook. It pulled hard so I knew it was a decent fish, but it was so dark that I couldn't see it until I pulled it up onto the dock. Happy Thanksgiving indeed!

 

This was a picture worthy fish so I ran to the house, turned on the porch light, and got a quick measurement, and photo. It was 21 inches, and quite healthy so I'd say around 5.25 lbs. After that I ran back down to the water (as fast as I could in the dark), put her back in the water, and she swam away. Nice way to end a great Thanksgiving day.

 

Another SINK FISH ?

 

Nice one brother!   

6 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Made it back home yesterday . I worked today but the lake was calling so I answered and got out in late afternoon…

Perfect conditions- low 70s and a slight breeze, partly cloudy.

Ended up with 12- all caught on the black/grape with blue tail 7.5 inch culprit worm. I used nearly the whole pack, because of all the fish that bit the tails off.

 

Mike, did you realize you were having so much fun catching those beautiful fish you smiled in the pics ?

The main reason I do “selfies “ at all is to give a reference for how big the fish is.

Im so busy trying to get all the fish in I don’t smile sometimes! 

But it’s in there !

Caught 12-15 fish this afternoon.     All but one came off a big Shimano Flashboost jerkbait.   

 

3 high quality Spots with one going close to 3.5.      One nice Spot inhaled a DD crankbait, and while it didn't gullet hook or gill hook it, it got it somewhere right at the back of the mouth and the fish was bleeding quite a bit.    Inevitably this ate me up the whole fishing session.   I can't help but constantly think if that fish is going to make it, if I could have done something for it......I know the Mtn Dew is debunked, but after today I'm going to research finding a product to help with this.     Thankfully this is the first fish since I started back fishing that was a bleeder.      One too many though, kind of makes me sick....oddly I have more empathy for Bass than most humans ?

One eyed willy, but proof catch N release works 

Alex, you use soooo many different lures to catch your fish. I admire that. I also admire your caring for a bleeder. I'm the same way. I don't hurt many fish, but when I do, it eats at me. 

13 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Caught 12-15 fish this afternoon.     All but one came off a big Shimano Flashboost jerkbait.   

 

3 high quality Spots with one going close to 3.5.      One nice Spot inhaled a DD crankbait, and while it didn't gullet hook or gill hook it, it got it somewhere right at the back of the mouth and the fish was bleeding quite a bit.    Inevitably this ate me up the whole fishing session.   I can't help but constantly think if that fish is going to make it, if I could have done something for it......I know the Mtn Dew is debunked, but after today I'm going to research finding a product to help with this.     Thankfully this is the first fish since I started back fishing that was a bleeder.      One too many though, kind of makes me sick....oddly I have more empathy for Bass than most humans ?

One eyed willy, but proof catch N release works 

That’s a purty lure ya got there! I’d mount that sucker over the fireplace if I had one. ?

11 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Alex, you use soooo many different lures to catch your fish. I admire that. I also admire your caring for a bleeder. I'm the same way. I don't hurt many fish, but when I do, it eats at me. 

Thanks Katie!   Being absent from the sport for so long, and now as an adult without a mentor I'm getting to start over in a way.    Being a novice has it's benefits ?

 

I knew you'd get the bleeder feeling, we share a deep respect and admiration for these special fish....big and small alike.    Hard not to take it personal when you want these fish to return in as good of shape as possible.   

16 minutes ago, ScottW said:

That’s a purty lure ya got there! I’d mount that sucker over the fireplace if I had one. ?

The Flashboost on these Shimano baits is really neat.   They cast like a bullet and suspend very nicely.       $5 cheaper than the gold standard MegaBass jerkbaits as well.  

 

A dozen Spots didn't tear up the finish that badly, but the nice ones bent the hooks a bit.    Something to think about given its size and the size fish it will catch.    Typical insane sticky sharp Japanese hooks.     

 

$20 for a bait is a lot, but this one imho is worth it if you need a high quality jerkbait  

@AlabamaSpothunter

 

We're in the same shoes, Alex. As a kid, I fished largemouth.

 

As an adult, for a couple years, I was musky obsessed, but other than that, I was fishing for smallmouth in Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, the Wisconsin River, the Mississippi River, and a dozen or so lakes in northwestern Ontario. Total finesse fishing.

 

Then, this past summer, for the first time in 50 years and after five years of caregiving without fishing, I started fishing for largemouth again. It was like running into a high school sweetheart at your high school class's 50-year reunion and being smitten again IF my high school sweetheart had become an enormously complex person in that half century. Bass fishing has become enormously complex, as you know. There isn't a day at Bass Resource where I don't google a lure or technique that someone mentions. 

 

I'm slowly adapting to catching largemouth with modern techniques, but I've got my decades of finesse fishing for smallmouth always nudging me. I'm an old dog, but I'm slowly learning some new tricks.  

2 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I've got my decades of finesse fishing for smallmouth always nudging me. 

Me too!!! ? 

 

There are largemouth where I fish but I don’t encounter them nearly as often 

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

Made it back home yesterday . I worked today but the lake was calling so I answered and got out in late afternoon…

Perfect conditions- low 70s and a slight breeze, partly cloudy.

Ended up with 12- all caught on the black/grape with blue tail 7.5 inch culprit worm. I used nearly the whole pack, because of all the fish that bit the tails off.

 

 

Weather was so nice today. You did better than me, brother! I managed 10 bass, a bluegill, and a 6lb tilapia but none of my bass were worth a picture. Nice job.

36 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Me too!!! ? 

 

There are largemouth where I fish but I don’t encounter them nearly as often 

 

 

Finesse family, that is.