Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 30 Global Moderator Share Posted January 30 Single digit wind chills, high in the low twenties, freezing guides, and footballs. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User DitchPanda Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 3 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said: Single digit wind chills, high in the low twenties, freezing guides, and footballs. Atta boy...way to keep at it 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: Tis true, it's a well earned nickname....it comes from a place of extreme jealously and humor 😆 You guys are sweet and funny! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User NorcalBassin Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 I feel for everyone with hard water. Been 6 weeks since we were last able to get out and I was going through withdrawals. 😆 Water temps 49-52*. Lake has come up 58 ft since our last trip... just another 150 ft and it'll be full pool! Any fish in January is a good fish. A little better one... And better... Not a big one by any means but it sure was great catching some decent fish. Pops getting in on the action. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 Those are beauties, @NorcalBassin. I worry a lot about the western drought. I check the usdroughtmonitor map every week. No lie. And I've been relieved to see your drought conditions improving. Those two numbers you cited, 58' and 150', are stunning. I'm hoping your coming snow melt will help a lot too. We're supposed to hit 16 below zero this week, but I hope to be fishing again come April and maybe even late March if we get a few warm days in a row. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 4 minutes ago, NorcalBassin said: I feel for everyone with hard water. Been 6 weeks since we were last able to get out and I was going through withdrawals. 😆 Water temps 49-52*. Lake has come up 58 ft since our last trip... just another 150 ft and it'll be full pool! Any fish in January is a good fish. A little better one... And better... Not a big one by any means but it sure was great catching some decent fish. Pops getting in on the action. Awesome fish brother, that fish your pops has looks the biggest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User NorcalBassin Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 42 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: Awesome fish brother, that fish your pops has looks the biggest. Definitely wasn't but I would have been super happy if it was. He has mastered long arming, but I have to remind him to tuck that thumbs up further back or it shows the fish is small or his thumb is a foot long. 😆 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User DitchPanda Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, NorcalBassin said: I feel for everyone with hard water. Been 6 weeks since we were last able to get out and I was going through withdrawals. 😆 Water temps 49-52*. Lake has come up 58 ft since our last trip... just another 150 ft and it'll be full pool! Any fish in January is a good fish. A little better one... And better... Not a big one by any means but it sure was great catching some decent fish. Pops getting in on the action. Thing I love the most about your pics is your dads dirty a.....sorry well worn Iaconelli hat. That's a real fishing hat! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User NorcalBassin Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, ol'crickety said: Those are beauties, @NorcalBassin. I worry a lot about the western drought. I check the usdroughtmonitor map every week. No lie. And I've been relieved to see your drought conditions improving. Those two numbers you cited, 58' and 150', are stunning. I'm hoping your coming snow melt will help a lot too. We're supposed to hit 16 below zero this week, but I hope to be fishing again come April and maybe even late March if we get a few warm days in a row. I'm fortunate to be up in the mountains where even in the drought years we get all the storage water we need to support our little community for the year. The luscious lawns and golf courses in the most arid parts of the state on the other hand... Our snowpack was 250% of normal on the most recent survey, so as long as we don't get a pineapple express to prematurely melt it all in the spring we should be able to get another 40-50ft of water in the lake. At full pool its deepest water is over 580 ft, so even when it's low there's still quire a bit of water for the fish to survive. Should be a good season for both of us on the opposite coasts! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 1 minute ago, NorcalBassin said: I'm fortunate to be up in the mountains where even in the drought years we get all the storage water we need to support our little community for the year. The luscious lawns and golf courses in the most arid parts of the state on the other hand... Our snowpack was 250% of normal on the most recent survey, so as long as we don't get a pineapple express to prematurely melt it all in the spring we should be able to get another 40-50ft of water in the lake. At full pool its deepest water is over 580 ft, so even when it's low there's still quire a bit of water for the fish to survive. Should be a good season for both of us on the opposite coasts! Man, that's a deep lake! I like how you crank your arm back to pose your fish close to your head. Your second fish has the same fish as the fish below. Not thick, but not skinny. We've gotten so much rain in Maine and that thrills me. There's a bog I tried to fish last year, but couldn't reach because there wasn't enough water to float my canoe. I checked the bog last month and the entry would now float a bass boat, but only if you could lower the bass boat down a boulder-strewn slope. Since then, we've gotten even more snow and rain. So, yeah, we both have a lot to look forward to. Here's that East Coast bass that looks like your west Coast second bass: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User NorcalBassin Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 9 minutes ago, DitchPanda said: Thing I love the most about your pics is your dads dirty a.....sorry well worn Iaconelli hat. That's a real fishing hat! It could use a wash! I bought that for him for Christmas a couple years ago. His best friend passed away from colon cancer a few years ago, and he had an Ike "never give up" sticker on his boat while he was fighting for 7-8 yrs. He was a great guy and it's like part of him his with us... in the form of a dirty hat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User DitchPanda Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 2 minutes ago, NorcalBassin said: It could use a wash! I bought that for him for Christmas a couple years ago. His best friend passed away from colon cancer a few years ago, and he had an Ike "never give up" sticker on his boat while he was fighting for 7-8 yrs. He was a great guy and it's like part of him his with us... in the form of a dirty hat. I'm sorry about his friend- but that is a nice story. Looks like he is with you guys bringing you some luck. Btw never wash any fishing clothing...you may rinse off the magic. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killobet Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Went out to a local lake park near me to try my new set up. Did not disappoint! Made my day Stella scream on a wacky senko🫠 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 11 minutes ago, killobet said: Went out to a local lake park near me to try my new set up. Did not disappoint! Made my day Stella scream on a wacky senko🫠 Nice fish, it's fun catching a fat Bass in front of spectators, really fish in general. Non fisherman I've found love watching fisherman catch fish. Fascinates them the same way it did us in the beginning, the separator is patience.....the vast majority of humans don't have the patience capacity to be anglers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bassman Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Got some productive time on the water this weekend. These were my two best on Sat. Caught a total of six. Sun. turned cold with frontal passage but still did pretty well. Every one was just foot long class but fifteen bites still made for a lot of fun. Dark Sleeper still doing the job. We'll probably ice up this week but spring's getting closer. I can't remember Jan. letting me get out as much as this month has. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 9 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: Nice fish, it's fun catching a fat Bass in front of spectators, really fish in general. Non fisherman I've found love watching fisherman catch fish. Fascinates them the same way it did us in the beginning, the separator is patience.....the vast majority of humans don't have the patience capacity to be anglers. I once had a crowd watch me catch a fish...up to a point, but I landed the fish alone. I was fishing the tailwaters of a dam for crappie. Big, roaring current, but I was fishing an eddy off the side with 4 lb. test. I hooked a sturgeon and it used the current to its advantage. A crowd gathered to watch the fight. Several times, I got it close to the boat, but couldn't land it. Then the Sun set and everyone left, except for the sturgeon and me. When I did land it in total darkness and release it in the water, my arms were so tired it hurt to start the engine and motor back to the parking lot. I feel badly about playing it so long. It was likely as tired as me. Maybe I should write a book, "The Old Woman and the River." Nice fish, @killobet! And nice reel! @The Bassman, do those homeowners ever protest you fishing in their backyards? I've watched YouTube videos where folks challenge anglers for fishing on their turf. Anyway, I see that snow on the ground and am seriously impressed by your bass. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 24 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: I once had a crowd watch me catch a fish...up to a point, but I landed the fish alone. I was fishing the tailwaters of a dam for crappie. Big, roaring current, but I was fishing an eddy off the side with 4 lb. test. I hooked a sturgeon and it used the current to its advantage. A crowd gathered to watch the fight. Several times, I got it close to the boat, but couldn't land it. Then the Sun set and everyone left, except for the sturgeon and me. When I did land it in total darkness and release it in the water, my arms were so tired it hurt to start the engine and motor back to the parking lot. I feel badly about playing it so long. It was likely as tired as me. Maybe I should write a book, "The Old Woman and the River." Nice fish, @killobet! And nice reel! @The Bassman, do those homeowners ever protest you fishing in their backyards? I've watched YouTube videos where folks challenge anglers for fishing on their turf. Anyway, I see that snow on the ground and am seriously impressed by your bass. DANG IT Katie, I read the first part screaming in my head......"She's the old Woman and the River" 😭 Sturgeon and Musky are the two oldest bucket list fish I can remember as a kid. Those were the epic fish on saturday mornings I would watch being caught in distant lands from Alabama. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 4 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: DANG IT Katie, I read the first part screaming in my head......"She's the old Woman and the River" 😭 It's cool that a crickety, ol' Yankee gal and a young Alabama hog hunter made the same leap to Papa Hemingway! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishlegs Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 15 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said: That just might be the fattest 16" bass I've ever seen. Wow! The forage base in your lake may be in trouble with gluttons like that around. 🤣 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted January 30 Global Moderator Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: DANG IT Katie, I read the first part screaming in my head......"She's the old Woman and the River" 😭 Sturgeon and Musky are the two oldest bucket list fish I can remember as a kid. Those were the epic fish on saturday mornings I would watch being caught in distant lands from Alabama. Not too distant, I’ve caught both 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, ol'crickety said: It's cool that a crickety, ol' Yankee gal and a young Alabama hog hunter made the same leap to Papa Hemingway! He was quite the character, I fished down in the Keys a good bit and have been to his home and seen the cats that still roam around with links to his own. Half the stuff I learn about the man, I absolutely love, the other half I absolutely hate. Very complicated man. The Old Man and the Sea is certainly the best long form story I've read, and To Build a Fire by Jack London is the best short story I've read. Both are so vivid you really do feel like you are there. Gotta throw Moby Dick and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in there as well 😎 10 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said: Not too distant, I’ve caught both Luckeeeeee 😁 16 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said: Single digit wind chills, high in the low twenties, freezing guides, and footballs. This post was here for 16 hours without me seeing it, shame on me. Beautiful fat fish! Love seeing that. That Channel is really cool, can't remember seeing red on the ones I catch. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 @AlabamaSpothunter Oh, I love "To Build a Fire" too. Papa Hemingway said that American literature began with "Huck Finn." In "Call of the Wild," remember when the man whispers into Buck's ear right before the heavy sled pull, "As you love me."? That's a perfect quartet of words. Papa had his demons, for sure, but he lived pedal to the metal, from volunteering as an ambulance driver in Italy before we even entered the war to being in a plane that crashed in Africa and then the rescue plane crashed too to hunting Nazi subs with his fishing boat. I too am amazed by the fat bass that @Bluebasser86 catches. They look like little Dots, but Dot fed on fatty trout. What's the forage in your lake, Bluebasser86? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bassman Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, ol'crickety said: @The Bassman, do those homeowners ever protest you fishing in their backyards? I've watched YouTube videos where folks challenge anglers for fishing on their turf. Anyway, I see that snow on the ground and am seriously impressed by your bass. I'm not actually in anyone's yard. And for the most part I have personal connections with people in the neighborhoods I fish. I've made a lot of friends along the way. A little common courtesy goes a long way towards developing good relationships. I always park in common areas like swimming pool/playground lots and pick up trash that I can fit in my pockets. Also, I always fish alone. A quick way to spoil a good thing is to start showing up with other people. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 30 Global Moderator Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, ol'crickety said: I too am amazed by the fat bass that @Bluebasser86 catches. They look like little Dots, but Dot fed on fatty trout. What's the forage in your lake, Bluebasser86? Gizzard shad mostly, so thick you can walk on them pretty much year round. The lake has a very high density of bass, but there's so many shad that they're still very difficult to catch. Funny thing about the Dottie reference, I occasionally catch fish with similar markings to Dottie from this lake. This one was a few years ago, 5.92lbs and just over 20". Here's the video of the fish in the pictures, plus a few more, from yesterday. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted January 30 Super User Share Posted January 30 @Bluebasser86, I don't often get jealous of other fishers' lakes because I love the water I fish, but your lake turns me bright green. Thanks for the video, but the weather in the video confuses me. Were you fishing in a howling fog? If so, I have never experienced that. I've been T-boned by squall lines and lived through a tornado that sunk every boat but mine, but I've never seen howling fog, if that's what you experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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