Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 8 Global Moderator Share Posted March 8 46 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: Agreed, @MN Fisher. I actually enjoy winter. Viva la difference! My mom lives in Sarasota and she doesn't have seasons. It's hot or hotter. In my 11 years in Maine, it reached 95 degrees once. The low eighties are the typical summer high, but most summer days are in the sixties and seventies. Sarasota gets plenty cold, it only happens when we arrive for a week long vacation tho 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thediscochef Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 21 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: It's already stupid hot here lol, 83 with occasional wind and very sunny skies. Water temps: 66.5 main lake - 70 in the backs of coves Caught about 12-15 on the Buzzbait including a quality 3-4lb fish, and a single on the flashback mini. Left them alone and moved on to look for bigger fish.....you guessed it zero fish. Seeing them hit topwater again, and hitting a bait that I plan to dedicate a huge portion of my fishing time over the next 5 months is a positive step in an otherwise brutal start to my warm weather fishing season. Had some followers and then a fish that blew up that big Shimano flashboost swimbait about 5ft from the boat, scared the life out of me haha. The more I fish big swimbaits, the more I see it should be its own sub category of Bass fishing. It's intimate in a way that other baits just aren't. You might catch your PB on one, but I'm finding just fooling fish on these baits seems to be a big part of the allure of putting in the work with them. So many times they either destroy the bait at the boat, follow it right to the boat and flash when they see it, or you visually tease one into striking from cover. Am I off base with this take @PhishLI, are guys like you more fly fisherman than Bass fisherman 🤣? Lastly, finally got around to fishing the new Berkeley SlobberKnocker and Berkeley Power Stinger 4.25 trailer made for them. It's the most beautiful chatterbait I've seen perhaps when paired together, however it doesn't generate anywhere near the thump and tactile feedback of a Zman Chatterbait, and specifically in my back to back test today, a JackHammer with 3.5 Live Magic Shad. One or two more days without something, and back to the proven Zman baits. Startup speed is way off from a Jackhammer as well. Very pretty bait swimming in the water and the hand, they put lots of thought into this bait/trailer combo. Zman got that magic though it seems. I still haven't found a blade bait that thumps like the Zman does...there can only be one, I guess. Pretty fish! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator roadwarrior Posted March 8 Global Moderator Share Posted March 8 4 hours ago, ol'crickety said: I actually enjoy winter. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 Caught 4 fish today, but one was a 5lb class fish. 3 fish on the Shimano big swimbait, and the ole' Berkeley Slobberknocker is off the board. This Shimano bait is really something else, 3 fish total might not sound like much, but on a day when everything including a Roboworm can't catch a fish, this bait gets three quality fish, and I had at least half of dozen strikes or follows. My budget for a lure is about $40-50 at this time, this is the most expensive bait I own. All the tech, the action, and ultimately the results seem to merit the cost imho. I have high hopes for this bait, it's just a big fish looking bait. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 @AlabamaSpothunter Alex, I love the range of your lures. Of course, the number of fish you catch and their quality is impressive, as is your tenacity, but the number of lures you use to CATCH fish demonstrates your daring and creativity as a fisherman. I hope to emulate you when our ice melts. I bought a LOT of new lures suggested by BR guys. I even placed yet another order tonight. @roadwarrior, at the end of winter, I am so tired of armoring up before going outside that I often go outside without a coat. I went to the dog park today and only wore a vest and fingerless gloves and I'm not the only Mainer who's under dressing simply because we're sick of taking a couple minutes to prepare for cold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 22 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: @AlabamaSpothunter Alex, I love the range of your lures. Of course, the number of fish you catch and their quality is impressive, as is your tenacity, but the number of lures you use to CATCH fish demonstrates your daring and creativity as a fisherman. I hope to emulate you when our ice melts. I bought a LOT of new lures suggested by BR guys. I even placed yet another order tonight. @roadwarrior, at the end of winter, I am so tired of armoring up before going outside that I often go outside without a coat. I went to the dog park today and only wore a vest and fingerless gloves and I'm not the only Mainer who's under dressing simply because we're sick of taking a couple minutes to prepare for cold. Thanks Katie! We share a very similar fishing mentality I believe having re joined this amazing pursuit of green fish around the same time, and we both seem to be mentor-less sans spending as much time as possible on the water, and the internet, places like here and youtube. Once you can, you'll be fishing like a demon possessed, I believe that was one of my first comments after seeing several posts of yours 🤣 You've been studying for a PHD over the winter, you're dedicating serious time, and effort into this thing even when not on the water. Your results coming soon will be spectacular, that PB in your avatar will be changing! That goes for many other of the regular posters up north, not fishing but still staying in the game and preparing and learning is the mark of a real fisherman. I caught that nice fish 100% because of Ben Milliken video I watched of his last night. Went to bed and said I'm going to the Dam and throwing a Big Swimbait. Honestly the last place I thought to go. Miss a fish, then caught that fish on the 3rd cast once at the Dam, I was like wow, the internet is realz 🤪 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User PhishLI Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 17 hours ago, ol'crickety said: @PhishLI, you catch big fish on Long Island, which surprises me. I would think your lakes would be pounded given their proximity to millions of people. Or are people focusing on beach combing, the city, and saltwater fishing rather than bass? My spots get pounded by casuals, but they often fizzle out quickly and leave. These fish are lure resistant after seeing their billionth lizard and 2 billionth senko. More than that the poaching pressure coming out from NYC by our "friends" from the east is relentless and merciless, so that's the real story in 25-40 acre mill ponds. They've made it tough to catch numbers for those who have a head for bass fishing, and nearly impossible for anyone else lacking that level of commitment or creativity. My wading clique cuts the poacher's live lines tied to tree branches whenever we see them at night, but we can't be there 24/7. They're persistent, sneaky, and have zero regard for our county's C&R policy, or anyone or anything else. The restaurants in the city who buy the fish must pay them well. Last year some casting-net DB showed up and wiped out a shoreline of bedding gills and left huge piles of milfoil on the shoreline to rot, fester, and create a slip-down-the-slope hazard. The silver lining is that my favorite spots have a few deeper offshore holes that nobody can reach, so there's sanctuary. Also, most of the shoreline doesn't suit shore-casters, and most people aren't wise to wading, or unwilling to do it. So, I wade into otherwise inaccessible areas that are loaded with growth, then grind it out. Like anyplace else, figuring out when to be there is key. The gene pool here is solid for size, so if one has learned to read these places, is patient, and is willing work, they're there. I'll never have a "Katie Day" numbers-wise locally, but I'll hook a freight train every now and then, so that anticipation drives me. At the very least, I'm never bored playing the game here because these places force me to think moment by moment. I don't get frustrated easily, so I'm built for this. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 @AlabamaSpothunter and @PhishLI, your latest posts are two of my all-time favorite. They address the preparation and the cerebral aspect of fishing. I love how Alex watched a Ben Milliken video, applied what he saw, and landed a big bass. I further agree about the importance of using your time off the water to prepare for your return to the water. Alex wrote that here: Quote ... not fishing but still staying in the game and preparing and learning is the mark of a real fisherman. I love this too: Quote At the very least, I'm never bored playing the game here because these places force me to think moment by moment. I don't get frustrated easily, so I'm built for this. Staying calm is key. If we're frustrated, our brains' gears seize. I watch other fishers, like Great Blue Herons, and they're so calm. So patient. Watching. Waiting. More watching. Silent, stealthy, fantastic, focused fishers. @PhishLI, what you wrote under this text made me snarl and grind my teeth. I'm glad you're cutting their lines. I once took some kids to fish the famous Fox River white bass run. There's no better way to hook kids on fishing than hooking one white bass after another. It was crowded that day and a guy in a boat next to us was broadcast bragging about no one was going to tell him how many fish he could keep. I have always regretted keeping silent. Poachers are vile. 7 hours ago, PhishLI said: My wading clique cuts the poacher's live lines tied to tree branches whenever we see them at night, but we can't be there 24/7. They're persistent, sneaky, and have zero regard for our county's C&R policy, or anyone or anything else. The restaurants in the city who buy the fish must pay them well. Last year some casting-net DB showed up and wiped out a shoreline of bedding gills and left huge piles of milfoil on the shoreline to rot, fester, and create a slip-down-the-slope hazard. Finally, when I finally do get to fish again, I've got @PhishLI and @AlabamaSpothunter in my tackle box. One time Phish suggested some lures and I went and bought every suggested lure. Another time, Alex had success with a 6th Sense lure and I bought five of them. And it's not just you two. I'm forever googling lures that BR fishers mention and then watching YouTube videos of guys fishing those lures to see how they working the rod and cranking and the reel's handle. I don't think I'm earning my PhD, as Alex suggested, but perhaps an Associate's degree! One of the lures I ordered last night is a Bill Lewis StutterStep. It looks so different than my other lures that I'm excited to try it. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 11 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: @AlabamaSpothunter and @PhishLI, your latest posts are two of my all-time favorite. They address the preparation and the cerebral aspect of fishing. I love how Alex watched a Ben Milliken video, applied what he saw, and landed a big bass. I further agree about the importance of using your time off the water to prepare for your return to the water. Alex wrote that here: I love this too: Staying calm is key. If we're frustrated, our brains' gears seize. I watch other fishers, like Great Blue Herons, and they're so calm. So patient. Watching. Waiting. More watching. Silent, stealthy, fantastic, focused fishers. @PhishLI, what you wrote under this text made me snarl and grind my teeth. I'm glad you're cutting their lines. I once took some kids to fish the famous Fox River white bass run. There's no better way to hook kids on fishing than hooking one white bass after another. It was crowded that day and a guy in a boat next to us was broadcast bragging about no one was going to tell him how many fish he could keep. I have always regretted keeping silent. Poachers are vile. Finally, when I finally do get to fish again, I've got @PhishLI and @AlabamaSpothunter in my tackle box. One time Phish suggested some lures and I went and bought every suggested lure. Another time, Alex had success with a 6th Sense lure and I bought five of them. And it's not just you two. I'm forever googling lures that BR fishers mention and then watching YouTube videos of guys fishing those lures to see how they working the rod and cranking and the reel's handle. I don't think I'm earning my PhD, as Alex suggested, but perhaps an Associate's degree! One of the lures I ordered last night is a Bill Lewis StutterStep. It looks so different than my other lures that I'm excited to try it. Love it Katie, and you are earning PHD, not an Associate's degree 😎 7 hours ago, PhishLI said: My spots get pounded by casuals, but they often fizzle out quickly and leave. These fish are lure resistant after seeing their billionth lizard and 2 billionth senko. More than that the poaching pressure coming out from NYC by our "friends" from the east is relentless and merciless, so that's the real story in 25-40 acre mill ponds. They've made it tough to catch numbers for those who have a head for bass fishing, and nearly impossible for anyone else lacking that level of commitment or creativity. My wading clique cuts the poacher's live lines tied to tree branches whenever we see them at night, but we can't be there 24/7. They're persistent, sneaky, and have zero regard for our county's C&R policy, or anyone or anything else. The restaurants in the city who buy the fish must pay them well. Last year some casting-net DB showed up and wiped out a shoreline of bedding gills and left huge piles of milfoil on the shoreline to rot, fester, and create a slip-down-the-slope hazard. The silver lining is that my favorite spots have a few deeper offshore holes that nobody can reach, so there's sanctuary. Also, most of the shoreline doesn't suit shore-casters, and most people aren't wise to wading, or unwilling to do it. So, I wade into otherwise inaccessible areas that are loaded with growth, then grind it out. Like anyplace else, figuring out when to be there is key. The gene pool here is solid for size, so if one has learned to read these places, is patient, and is willing work, they're there. I'll never have a "Katie Day" numbers-wise locally, but I'll hook a freight train every now and then, so that anticipation drives me. At the very least, I'm never bored playing the game here because these places force me to think moment by moment. I don't get frustrated easily, so I'm built for this. There is a special place for poachers and trespassers. A Bald Eagle was recently killed and eaten and made major news....sickening. Our Nation's symbol poached and eaten, ironic, sad, frustrating, infuriating. I like my membership I'll end it there. One of the things that attracts me most to the big Swimbaits is that I know nobody is really taking the time, money, etc. to chunk and wind them on my lake and hopefully they fool big fish. Ben Milliken thinks some big fish will only eat a big swimbait. I'd believe it based on how well he's at reading fish behavior on the scope. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User GreenPig Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 Caught 17 Spots and 2 LM today 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 9 Super User Share Posted March 9 Just now, GreenPig said: Caught 17 Spots and 2 LM today GeorgiaSpothunter is a more appropriate screenname I say 😎 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 Well fished, Green!* *I know it's presumptuous for me to call you by your first name, but I simply can't address you as Mr. Pig. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Team9nine Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 Been slower here the past few days, but getting a handful each day; Neds in the calm areas and jerkbaits in the wind. Seasonal cold on tap for the next week, so things probably won’t pick up a lot. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktho Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Got a decent one for the after work special. 3” swing impact does it again. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 4 minutes ago, Ktho said: Got a decent one for the after work special. 3” swing impact does it again. That's a toad good sir, not a "decent one" 😁 20 minutes ago, Team9nine said: Been slower here the past few days, but getting a handful each day; Neds in the calm areas and jerkbaits in the wind. Seasonal cold on tap for the next week, so things probably won’t pick up a lot. Nice ones, quality fish for sure.....the more I fish the more I desire quality over quantity except if I have a topwater on 😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktho Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said: That's a toad good sir, not a "decent one" 😁 Nice ones, quality fish for sure.....the more I fish the more I desire quality over quantity except if I have a topwater on 😄 haha thank you appreciate it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 28 minutes ago, ol'crickety said: Well fished, Green!* *I know it's presumptuous for me to call you by your first name, but I simply can't address you as Mr. Pig. He's a greedy pig when it comes to Alabama Bass....call him what he is, shame the man 🤣 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottW Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 1 hour ago, GreenPig said: Caught 17 Spots and 2 LM today Now see what happens when you take that ‘Georgia’ hat off? 🤣 😜 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 Today is a great day to be fishing. @Team9nine, those are bigger than your typical bass, aren't they? That's a beaut, @Ktho~ I'm going out fishing now too while some of this great day remains, but first, I have to buy an auger. Will a Whopper Plopper work in the hole I'll drill? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted March 10 Global Moderator Share Posted March 10 3 hours ago, GreenPig said: Caught 17 Spots and 2 LM today Spot man strikes again 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 3 hours ago, GreenPig said: Caught 17 Spots and 2 LM today Nothing runs like a Deere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User N Florida Mike Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 Got out for a couple hours this evening. First hour - nothing on various baits. Then I got a small one on the UV speed worm. I got over into the cove I like to fish right before dark, and switched to a 10 inch red shad culprit worm. Got 3 good fish in 25 minutes… 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Strain Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Was testing the drag on my new 23 Airity spinning reel yesterday - 6lb Tatsu leader on 10lb 131 braid…. Fish weighed 7.56 🤘🏻 I was smiling INSIDE 😉 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User AlabamaSpothunter Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 8 minutes ago, Dan Strain said: Was testing the drag on my new 23 Airity spinning reel yesterday - 6lb Tatsu leader on 10lb 131 braid…. Fish weighed 7.56 🤘🏻 I was smiling INSIDE 😉 better update your avatar, great fish! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User PhishLI Posted March 10 Super User Share Posted March 10 1 hour ago, Dan Strain said: I was smiling INSIDE 😉 Yes, we can see that🤣 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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