If I could only take one thing in a survival bag (It's a HUGE survival bag.), I would take Alex in his boat. In an hour, he'd catch enough fish to feed us for a week. When Search and Rescue finally arrived, I would be fat. 

5 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

If I could only take one thing in a survival bag (It's a HUGE survival bag.), I would take Alex in his boat. In an hour, he'd catch enough fish to feed us for a week. When Search and Rescue finally arrived, I would be fat. 

I don’t think there’s going to be a better response than this? I don’t even like to eat fish and my first thought was “Oh He** Yeah” I’m tagging along??

@Eric 26 Eric, with Alex catching and you and I eating, we'll have to tell the helicopter pilot that while we appreciate his attempt at rescuing us, he'll have to return with a C-130 Hercules. 

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

@Eric 26 Eric, with Alex catching and you and I eating, we'll have to tell the helicopter pilot that while we appreciate his attempt at rescuing us, he'll have to return with a C-130 Hercules. 

Heck Katie I’m not leaving until I learn all of Alex’s secrets which means he ain’t leaving either ?.  The only thing that might be better is getting a shot at hanging out with @Blue Raider Bob on his kick a** pond or hanging out with @TnRiver46 catching a variety of fish in his beautiful home state(just keep the skunks to yourself ?) or maybe seeing @bulldog1935 ‘s vintage rod/reel collection in person. ? If I’m going to wish I’m going to wish big?

I guess I don't fish often enough for Eric and Alex. 

I'll make up for it in 3 weeks - I promise. 

20 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

Heck Katie I’m not leaving until I learn all of Alex’s secrets which means he ain’t leaving either ?.  The only thing that might be better is getting a shot at hanging out with @Blue Raider Bob on his kick a** pond or hanging out with @TnRiver46 catching a variety of fish in his beautiful home state(just keep the skunks to yourself ?) or maybe seeing @bulldog1935 ‘s vintage rod/reel collection in person. ? If I’m going to wish I’m going to wish big?

 

Man, oh, man, that sounds great. Keep wishing big, my cyber-pal!

18 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

Heck Katie I’m not leaving until I learn all of Alex’s secrets which means he ain’t leaving either ?.  The only thing that might be better is getting a shot at hanging out with @Blue Raider Bob on his kick a** pond or hanging out with @TnRiver46 catching a variety of fish in his beautiful home state(just keep the skunks to yourself ?) or maybe seeing @bulldog1935 ‘s vintage rod/reel collection in person. ? If I’m going to wish I’m going to wish big?

It would be a grand party to be sure, fishing would be secondary if such a motley crew of like-minded individuals were every assembled.....think of the power we could weld, yet wouldn't due to misguided arguments over braided vs fluoro fishing lines ?

If we were to meet at Bob's, I'll take the first shift of Otter Watch. Say, do we have to buy tickets to attend the T-billy Muskypalooza? 

8 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

I guess I don't fish often enough for Eric and Alex. 

I'll make up for it in 3 weeks - I promise. 

I’m not sure which I’m looking forward to seeing more, the fish or the gear photos ?

11 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

I guess I don't fish often enough for Eric and Alex. 

I'll make up for it in 3 weeks - I promise. 

Dang! Now I'm feeling depressed. All I've got for lunch is a PBJ sandwich. I'll be eating my lunch, staring at this picture, and using lot's of imagination! Why didn't you also send the picture of potato salad, hush puppies, and cole slaw, so I could really suffer?

@Blue Raider Bob

I can't cook them that way - takes Susie's skills

come to think of it...

11 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

If we were to meet at Bob's, I'll take the first shift of Otter Watch. Say, do we have to buy tickets to attend the T-billy Muskypalooza? 

Nope they're free. Fingers crossed that March and April will be as good as November and December were.

12 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

If we were to meet at Bob's, I'll take the first shift of Otter Watch. Say, do we have to buy tickets to attend the T-billy Muskypalooza? 

Otter watch is happening as we speak! Wish I could send a video.

16 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Otter watch is happening as we speak! Wish I could send a video.

Sic em' Bob ?

Bob, I've sent (overnight delivery, of course) you two black labs with lasers* on their foreheads, both powered by Mr. Fusion Minis strapped to their backs. The expected arrival is tomorrow afternoon. You'll have to sign for them.  

 

I bought the lasers from this guy. He seemed reliable, but he did charge me a million bucks:

 

29 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Bob, I've sent (overnight delivery, of course) you two black labs with lasers* on their foreheads, both powered by Mr. Fusion Minis strapped to their backs. The expected arrival is tomorrow afternoon. You'll have to sign for them.  

 

I bought the lasers from this guy. He seemed reliable, but he did charge me a million bucks:

 

Katy you already know what we are feeding on this farm, you've seen the pictures. I'm not signing for two more mouths! Heck I just got rid of this one! Just don't suggest the labs to my daughter 'else I'll be stuck with 'em. Lasers and all!

@Blue Raider Bob

If you have any friends from Louisiana, otters are enough like nutrea. 

anything is good after a day on the smoker

@Blue Raider Bob

 

I hear ya, Bob. Labs are big eaters. So, let Emmy tame the otters and they can live with you. Otters don't eat as much as labs and Glenda will love having otters running and pooping in her house.

 

BTW, my standard consultation fee is - $300 because my advice is the worst.

12 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

@Blue Raider Bob

If you have any friends from Louisiana, otters are enough like nutrea. 

anything is good after a day on the smoker

Carefull!!! Yer gonna get @Catt riled up with that kinda talk. 

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

@Blue Raider Bob

If you have any friends from Louisiana, otters are enough like nutrea. 

anything is good after a day on the smoker

Dang!   I'm saving this picture for tomorrow's PBJ at lunchtime.  Please tell me there's some apple pie somewhere round there!

Went back down to the pond again this afternoon in between loads of laundry (wife can’t climb the stairs) and managed to catch this fella on a weighted 3/0 hook with a Big Bites Baits Russ Lane - Coontail Worm in Hematoma (who comes up with these colors??) on a medium power spinning setup that made the fight well worth it. Beautiful skies again but the winds gusting up to 22mph made the mid 40s feel like low 20s for this southern boy. ?

I slow retrieved it as slow as possible to tease the lethargic bass into going for it and it worked! Wish I had more time but I’ll take what I can get.

Edited January 26, 20233 yr by ScottW
Typos - R - Us

Took yesterday off after a heavy rain and cold front, lake was still up a couple feet today, and the wind won the day in the end.   Outside felt temps were 38-44, and water temp dropped a few degrees to 50.   Brutal wind, that type of wind and surface conditions where you still feel like you are on the boat hours after on land.   

 

5 fish, one really nice Spot, and one little fatty that made giggle.   2 on the Flashback Mini, and 3 on the Blade bait.    

 

The day was not lost however as I was able to get a follow up data point on the Blade bait in regard to mud flats as I went to another location with a similar mud flat and caught the nice Spot, and then decided to try and use the electronics in deeper water with it, and to my surprise I was able to catch one like that.      Nothing on the A-Rig, finesse football jig, or Jerkbait.      

 

You can't always tell what's what on the electronics in regard to predator activity on bait balls, but when you get both predator returns inside the balls, and the shape of the ball reflects said predator fish diving in, it's usually a surefire indicator that fish are actively feeding.      I want FFS so badly lol.  

 

Note the difference in water clarity.....one pic is from deep main lake body water, the other was at the mouth of a creek.  

5 minutes ago, ScottW said:

Went back down to the pond again this afternoon in between loads of laundry (wife can’t climb the stairs) and managed to catch this fella on a weighted 3/0 hook with a Big Bites Baits Russ Lane - Coontail Worm in Hematoma (who comes up with these colors??) on a medium power spinning setup that made the fight well worth it. Beautiful skies again but the winds gusting up to 22mph made the mid 40s feel like low 20s for this southern boy. ?

 

Look at that chunky boy ?   Love to see it, they are eating good on something in your pond.

 

Same weather, SAME WIND ?

3 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Note the difference in water clarity.....one pic is from deep main lake body water, the other was at the mouth of a creek. 

The 2nd pic is what our pond looks like. Would love it if it were clearer but not happening.

3 minutes ago, ScottW said:

The 2nd pic is what our pond looks like. Would love it if it were clearer but not happening.

Wonder how much the heavy winds for 48hrs has to do with besides rain alone.   Seems to me that it might take longer for it to "settle" with such heavy surface commotion from the winds.  

 

I can fish in any kind of conditions sans strong wind.    At about 15-20mph winds I got to use speed 5 on the TM and that just drains it, not to mention the boat is essentially a sail with those high gunnels.   I want to pull my hair out fishing in the wind, I hate it with every fiber in my body ?