Latest Catch Pics Thread

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, casts_by_fly said:

Nothing big but three bass from a public pond in 40-something degree water in March isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. Especially since they were on a medium light powered bfs-like rig. On the board for 2023.

 

Pretty little guy that's for sure!

[casts_by_fly]

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Pretty little guy that's for sure!

yep. Fin perfect and really dark. Absolutely smashed a black Ned. 

[Pat Brown]

 

I thwarted a chunky bass with a shaky head and a Berkley Morning Dawn Bottom Hopper during a front yesterday and I was especially proud of myself for this achievement!

 

I cast at the copper drain thing at my local pond and she hit real hard on the fall and it was a nice fight.

 

Going out on the boat today for some post frontal pre-spawn bass fishing. Maybe get a good one?

[Jmurphy87]

20 degrees out today with 20 mph winds with gusts up to 35mph. Definitely colder than normal. Guys at the local store thought that I was crazy for going fishing in the snowy cold. Fished maybe 20 minutes and got this one coming across a shallow flat with some a lay down or 2.  I built my tackle for the day at the local tackle shop based off the conditions. 2 blade baits a flat side crank, spinner bait, res 2 tap 1/2 oz in gold black back. I only needed the lipless, gets really cold with no gloves. I am happy caught a spunky chunky little fish in not much time, I think I did okay for the conditions in Michigan this time of year.

[PhishLI]

54 minutes ago, Jmurphy87 said:

20 degrees out today with 20 mph winds with gusts up to 35mph.

Hardcore, man!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 hours ago, Jmurphy87 said:

20 degrees out today with 20 mph winds with gusts up to 35mph. Definitely colder than normal. Guys at the local store thought that I was crazy for going fishing in the snowy cold. Fished maybe 20 minutes and got this one coming across a shallow flat with some a lay down or 2.  I built my tackle for the day at the local tackle shop based off the conditions. 2 blade baits a flat side crank, spinner bait, res 2 tap 1/2 oz in gold black back. I only needed the lipless, gets really cold with no gloves. I am happy caught a spunky chunky little fish in not much time, I think I did okay for the conditions in Michigan this time of year.

Awesome, and amazing we both live in the USA.....easy to forget how massive this country is.    The common denominator is that special green fish, its ability to survive and most times thrive throughout America is incredible.   

3 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

I thwarted a chunky bass with a shaky head and a Berkley Morning Dawn Bottom Hopper during a front yesterday and I was especially proud of myself for this achievement!

 

I cast at the copper drain thing at my local pond and she hit real hard on the fall and it was a nice fight.

 

Going out on the boat today for some post frontal pre-spawn bass fishing. Maybe get a good one?

Nice one Pat!   I like the weird filter thing your phone does on pics.  Blurs the borders, and focuses the center.  

[ol'crickety]

@Jmurphy87, given the conditions, you could call that a 10-pounder and none of us would disagree. 

[Woody B]

I didn't have a good day today but it's kinda comical though.   I'm on vacation next week.  I almost didn't go today.  There was a fairy big tournament today.   I considered going to another lake, but didn't.   So,  I get to the landing, get out of my truck, put my coat on and think "boy something smells bad".  I figured someone bank fishing had left a bucket of shrimp or something sitting around.   I'm all alone except for a guy launching a kayak.   When I won't be in anyones way I just tie my boat to the dock with a long rope, back the trailer in and "send it".  I did.........it ripped the cleat off the dock.  (dock is half rotten).   Luckily kayak guy saw it, grabbed the rope and pedaled it to me.  I offered to pay but he wouldn't accept anything.   I drive away from the landing, but he bad smell doesn't go away.  Last Sunday I was fishing in the rain.  I just threw my wet coat into the back of my truck.  The smell was my coat.  I had a lighter coat in my boat, but I was about to freeze with it on, so I put the smelly one back on.  I had bought a couple Berkley Frittside cranks.  Several people told me they were more durable than the DT6's I like.   On my THIRD CAST  the eyelet pulled out.  This caused a BIG backlash.   (I rarely backlash)   The line on that reel was due to be changed so I just put that reel away.  I tied a DT6 on a different reel and heaved it into the wind.   For some reason I had the brakes on zero.  I got a pretty bad backlash on that one but was able to pick it out.  (did I mention that I rarely backlash?  LOL)  A few cast with it, then I tried my new $42 swimbait.  No luck (or backlashes) with it.  It was pretty windy so a lure that runs close to the surface probably wasn't ideal today.   I pick up the combo with a T-rig.   Somehow during my cast I got the line wrapped around the end of the rod.  I spiked the t-rig and...........got a pretty bad backlash.  (did I mention that I rarely backlash?)   I hate getting skunked but figured someone was trying to tell me to go back home.  I decided that I was going to catch one bass, then go home.   An hour later (and no more backlashes) I finally caught one.  I came home, changed line on the reels that needed it and got our camper ready for Monday.  I'm going back tomorrow and expect to have a better day.   The camper is ready for Monday morning.  I'll leave the boat at the campground tomorrow so I won't have to make 2 trips Monday.  When we come home from camping I'll leave the boat again, the go fishing the next day, and bring it home.  The bass I caught was a nice fat 15 inch Largemouth.  I don't think I've ever worked so hard for a single bass.   

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I didn't have a good day today but it's kinda comical though.   I'm on vacation next week.  I almost didn't go today.  There was a fairy big tournament today.   I considered going to another lake, but didn't.   So,  I get to the landing, get out of my truck, put my coat on and think "boy something smells bad".  I figured someone bank fishing had left a bucket of shrimp or something sitting around.   I'm all alone except for a guy launching a kayak.   When I won't be in anyones way I just tie my boat to the dock with a long rope, back the trailer in and "send it".  I did.........it ripped the cleat off the dock.  (dock is half rotten).   Luckily kayak guy saw it, grabbed the rope and pedaled it to me.  I offered to pay but he wouldn't accept anything.   I drive away from the landing, but he bad smell doesn't go away.  Last Sunday I was fishing in the rain.  I just threw my wet coat into the back of my truck.  The smell was my coat.  I had a lighter coat in my boat, but I was about to freeze with it on, so I put the smelly one back on.  I had bought a couple Berkley Frittside cranks.  Several people told me they were more durable than the DT6's I like.   On my THIRD CAST  the eyelet pulled out.  This caused a BIG backlash.   (I rarely backlash)   The line on that reel was due to be changed so I just put that reel away.  I tied a DT6 on a different reel and heaved it into the wind.   For some reason I had the brakes on zero.  I got a pretty bad backlash on that one but was able to pick it out.  (did I mention that I rarely backlash?  LOL)  A few cast with it, then I tried my new $42 swimbait.  No luck (or backlashes) with it.  It was pretty windy so a lure that runs close to the surface probably wasn't ideal today.   I pick up the combo with a T-rig.   Somehow during my cast I got the line wrapped around the end of the rod.  I spiked the t-rig and...........got a pretty bad backlash.  (did I mention that I rarely backlash?)   I hate getting skunked but figured someone was trying to tell me to go back home.  I decided that I was going to catch one bass, then go home.   An hour later (and no more backlashes) I finally caught one.  I came home, changed line on the reels that needed it and got our camper ready for Monday.  I'm going back tomorrow and expect to have a better day.   The camper is ready for Monday morning.  I'll leave the boat at the campground tomorrow so I won't have to make 2 trips Monday.  When we come home from camping I'll leave the boat again, the go fishing the next day, and bring it home.  The bass I caught was a nice fat 15 inch Largemouth.  I don't think I've ever worked so hard for a single bass.   

Way to stick it out! I’ve worked harder for zero bass unfortunately haha. In fact I pretty much did today 

[Cbump]

Tough day out there but I’m in the lead by 2oz. Supposed to be a little warmer tomorrow. Hope for a better bite. 
Hard to get good pictures as this is a catch weigh release tournament and I was by myself (just buddies from work so we trust each other). Here’s the two highlights. 
4lb 7oz big fish for the day and a smallmouth. 

 

 

Tourney started at 8am and I caught that big one at 807. Lol

[ol'crickety]

Atta boy, Cbump!

 

Woody, you are funny! So funny (Did I already mention that you're funny?)!

[Woody B]

7 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

Atta boy, Cbump!

 

Woody, you are funny! So funny (Did I already mention that you're funny?)!

 

But I rarely backlash.  LOL

[Woody B]

I  had a better day today.  I caught 13, including a 3.92 pound spot that pulled like a submarine.  36 degrees and windy when I got to the lake, but not raining like last week when it was also 36.  6 on cranks (DT6 and Bandit 300) 5 on a shakey head, 2 on an Alabama rig.   I lost 2 big catfish, but I "think" I lost the same one twice.  It or they weren't as big as the 13 1/2 pounder I caught a few weeks ago, but bigger than the average blue, and strong as an ox.   The first one was on a DT6 off a brushpile at the end of a dock.   I got it up next to the boat, and was fumbling to get my glove on.  It done the catfish twist, and got off.  The next cast, a shakey head to the same brushpile was one that looked just like the first one.  (I've caught a bunch of cats on cranks, never on a worm).   It was barely hooked in the edge of the bottom lip.  It twisted off as I was reaching down to get it.   I wonder if it was the same fish.   I got a text from my wife between the 1st one and the 2nd one.  I caught a little feller at the next dock.  First cast I felt something hit my shakey head, I set the hook, and brought back a worm without a tail.  I put another on.  (7 inch, curly tail motoroil)   Same thing again.  Bite, set hook, worm broke off at hook.   I changed to a 5 inch, with a plain/no tail and caught this little guy on the next cast.  I wonder if he was the tail grabber.  Water is 5 degrees colder than 2 weeks ago, and 2 degrees colder than last week.   My boat is at the campground.  Mrs. B and myself are taking the camper in the morning.  I'm off work for a week so I'm going to get some fishing in, cold water or not.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I  had a better day today.  I caught 13, including a 3.92 pound spot that pulled like a submarine.  36 degrees and windy when I got to the lake, but not raining like last week when it was also 36.  6 on cranks (DT6 and Bandit 300) 5 on a shakey head, 2 on an Alabama rig.   I lost 2 big catfish, but I "think" I lost the same one twice.  It or they weren't as big as the 13 1/2 pounder I caught a few weeks ago, but bigger than the average blue, and strong as an ox.   The first one was on a DT6 off a brushpile at the end of a dock.   I got it up next to the boat, and was fumbling to get my glove on.  It done the catfish twist, and got off.  The next cast, a shakey head to the same brushpile was one that looked just like the first one.  (I've caught a bunch of cats on cranks, never on a worm).   It was barely hooked in the edge of the bottom lip.  It twisted off as I was reaching down to get it.   I wonder if it was the same fish.   I got a text from my wife between the 1st one and the 2nd one.  I caught a little feller at the next dock.  First cast I felt something hit my shakey head, I set the hook, and brought back a worm without a tail.  I put another on.  (7 inch, curly tail motoroil)   Same thing again.  Bite, set hook, worm broke off at hook.   I changed to a 5 inch, with a plain/no tail and caught this little guy on the next cast.  I wonder if he was the tail grabber.  Water is 5 degrees colder than 2 weeks ago, and 2 degrees colder than last week.   My boat is at the campground.  Mrs. B and myself are taking the camper in the morning.  I'm off work for a week so I'm going to get some fishing in, cold water or not.  

Awesome Spot, way to persevere. 

[ol'crickety]

Big spot. Not Jupiter Big Red Spot big, but anywhere on Earth big.

[GreenPig]

Caught 8 today at my pond on the lizard. 

[ol'crickety]

@GreenPig

 

Two questions:

 

Is Green Pig your nickname? I ask because it's on your shirt.

 

Do you have a pic of your massive PB?

[GreenPig]

51 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@GreenPig

 

Two questions:

 

Is Green Pig your nickname? I ask because it's on your shirt.

 

Do you have a pic of your massive PB?

No mama, GreenPig isn't nickname. I was just playing around with text on pics on my phone, covering my name on a old company jacket. It's just the online name that popped into my nugget. I used to hunt wild hogs alot, but now I only hunt the green girls. Here's the best pic. Sadly back then I wasn't as well versed with my phone. I'm still amazed it's not blurry because the adrenaline had me shaking something fierce.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

@GreenPig

 

Two questions:

 

Is Green Pig your nickname? I ask because it's on your shirt.

 

Do you have a pic of your massive PB?

He services Bass, he's a Bass mechanic 🤣😂

[ol'crickety]

Thanks for the explanation and for the photo. Clever and funny to paste GreenPig onto your jacket. My screen name is also meaningless. It was the first goofy thing that popped into my head. If you don't mind, I'd love to hear the story of your HUGE green girl. I'll never catch one that big, so I have to live vicariously through those who have. I know about shaky hands. My biggest fish in 2022 was 21.5" and I didn't even photograph it. My hands weren't working and I was in a tiny sit-on-top kayak and I didn't want to tax her even more by keeping her too long out of water, as she'd fought long and hard, so my primary concern was getting her back to her home.

[Bluebasser86]

Spent this past weekend on a very cold and windy Lake of the Ozarks being a boat captain for the Major League Fishing high school tournament being held out there this past Saturday. I didn't make it down to the lake until right after 6pm Friday night, so I got to prefish with them for about a hour. Enough time for me to catch a dink on a jerkbait on my 2nd cast, and then a 4.5 pounder to end the night on a Ned rig.

Water temps were around 44-45 and had a nice stain with 2 feet of visibility most areas we fished. 

 

Saturday morning was very cold and windy. 15-20mph from the NW had whitecaps rolling first thing in the morning, 18* with a feels like temp of 5*. We made a 20 minute run in it to a spot that one of the boys was told by the college guys the day before had a huge school of fish. I tried to talk him out of it, because I hate chasing someone else's bite and depending on schooling fish is so undependable, and this time was no different. There was very few shad and fish in the area. So after about a hour, we strapped everything about down and bounced back down the lake to where we had fished the night before. Our first stop produced a dink on a Ned rig, not a keeper but a sign of life. The next couple stops had nothing but followers on a A-rig. We moved to a cove near the ramp with a little dirtier water around 11 with pretty low spirits. After working 1 side, we were halfway on our way out when Gavin caught a super skinny but just long enough keeper on the A-rig. That got them up and going and 20 minutes later, Lucas caught another just barely keeper on the Ned rig. 2 keepers in the boat in 30 minutes felt like they were putting something together but a hour later, no more bites. So we moved to a spot I suggested on the bridge, and at the very end of it, Gavin caught their 3rd keeper on a Ned rig. There was 61 teams and they were taking 6 to Nationals. With 3 keepers in the boat, things were getting interesting with less than 2 hours to go. They fished down that bank and turned back around, working slowly with 2 Neds now. Right when they got to where Gavin caught the last keeper, I saw his rod twitch and he set into a heavy looking fish. Knowing how big another keeper could be, we all scrambled, just to disappointed when we saw that sad, gray face of a drum hit the surface. With 30 minutes left, we ran to the back of another cove they'd caught fish in during practice. When we got there, Gavin suddenly didn't feel well and stayed sitting down (he ended up with a 102* fever when he got home), so Lucas fished alone at the end. He was dragging a Ned slowly on the gravel when his rod loaded up. It was a heavy fish, fighting slow, looked like the fish they needed, and again, we all got heartbroken by a drum. Gavin pulled himself up and caught 1 more short on the Ned right before time ran out. 

 

At the end, they weighed in 3 small keepers, good enough for 14th out of 61 teams. Didn't make it to Nationals, but they fished through conditions that not many adults would have and caught 3 keepers on a day when only 28 of the teams even weighed a fish. I was frozen, I'm sure they were too, but it's still a great experience. If you ever get the chance to boat captain for some young fishermen, I highly suggest it. 

 

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Spent this past weekend on a very cold and windy Lake of the Ozarks being a boat captain for the Major League Fishing high school tournament being held out there this past Saturday. I didn't make it down to the lake until right after 6pm Friday night, so I got to prefish with them for about a hour. Enough time for me to catch a dink on a jerkbait on my 2nd cast, and then a 4.5 pounder to end the night on a Ned rig.

Water temps were around 44-45 and had a nice stain with 2 feet of visibility most areas we fished. 

 

Saturday morning was very cold and windy. 15-20mph from the NW had whitecaps rolling first thing in the morning, 18* with a feels like temp of 5*. We made a 20 minute run in it to a spot that one of the boys was told by the college guys the day before had a huge school of fish. I tried to talk him out of it, because I hate chasing someone else's bite and depending on schooling fish is so undependable, and this time was no different. There was very few shad and fish in the area. So after about a hour, we strapped everything about down and bounced back down the lake to where we had fished the night before. Our first stop produced a dink on a Ned rig, not a keeper but a sign of life. The next couple stops had nothing but followers on a A-rig. We moved to a cove near the ramp with a little dirtier water around 11 with pretty low spirits. After working 1 side, we were halfway on our way out when Gavin caught a super skinny but just long enough keeper on the A-rig. That got them up and going and 20 minutes later, Lucas caught another just barely keeper on the Ned rig. 2 keepers in the boat in 30 minutes felt like they were putting something together but a hour later, no more bites. So we moved to a spot I suggested on the bridge, and at the very end of it, Gavin caught their 3rd keeper on a Ned rig. There was 61 teams and they were taking 6 to Nationals. With 3 keepers in the boat, things were getting interesting with less than 2 hours to go. They fished down that bank and turned back around, working slowly with 2 Neds now. Right when they got to where Gavin caught the last keeper, I saw his rod twitch and he set into a heavy looking fish. Knowing how big another keeper could be, we all scrambled, just to disappointed when we saw that sad, gray face of a drum hit the surface. With 30 minutes left, we ran to the back of another cove they'd caught fish in during practice. When we got there, Gavin suddenly didn't feel well and stayed sitting down (he ended up with a 102* fever when he got home), so Lucas fished alone at the end. He was dragging a Ned slowly on the gravel when his rod loaded up. It was a heavy fish, fighting slow, looked like the fish they needed, and again, we all got heartbroken by a drum. Gavin pulled himself up and caught 1 more short on the Ned right before time ran out. 

 

At the end, they weighed in 3 small keepers, good enough for 14th out of 61 teams. Didn't make it to Nationals, but they fished through conditions that not many adults would have and caught 3 keepers on a day when only 28 of the teams even weighed a fish. I was frozen, I'm sure they were too, but it's still a great experience. If you ever get the chance to boat captain for some young fishermen, I highly suggest it. 

Cool write up. I loved the line “the sad gray face of a drum” I might have that etched on my gravestone hahaha

[ol'crickety]

Mr. 86 isn't just a good fisherman. He's also a good man.

 

Good writer too, as Mr. 46 already observed:

 

14 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

sad, gray face of a drum

 

[GreenPig]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

Thanks for the explanation and for the photo. Clever and funny to paste GreenPig onto your jacket. My screen name is also meaningless. It was the first goofy thing that popped into my head. If you don't mind, I'd love to hear the story of your HUGE green girl. I'll never catch one that big, so I have to live vicariously through those who have. I know about shaky hands. My biggest fish in 2022 was 21.5" and I didn't even photograph it. My hands weren't working and I was in a tiny sit-on-top kayak and I didn't want to tax her even more by keeping her too long out of water, as she'd fought long and hard, so my primary concern was getting her back to her home.

Absolutely. It's was February 11th 2017 at 4:33 pm and I was fishing my 1 acre ponds after feeding the cows. I quickly fished my way around the pond to and old pine that had fallen in, while throwing a 130 Whopper Plopper. As it plopped past the tip of that pine she struck at it and completely missed, but I could immediately tell she was a big girl. I stood there for a moment and decided to not cast to her again with the WP. I walked back around the pond to my side x side and swapped rods. That particular rod had a 5 & 3/8" BPS Stick - O in Black & Blue on a Gamakatsu EWG 5/0.

Armed with the weightless worm I started fishing my way around the pond again. I figured in doing so, it'd give her time to reset and calm down. I caught three or four small fish on my way back to the old pine. So there I was 25 minutes later and 15 yards away from her, I hoped. I pitched the Stick - O to the tip of that old pine and it immediately start heading out to deeper water. I swung on her and connected, she pulled a few feet of line and managed to get her head above the water, pulled a few more feet of drag and then basically just came on in to the bank. From hooking her to lipping her was maybe 45 seconds. 

It's a special pond that I'm blessed to be able to fish/manage. That little pond has produced a 7 lb 6 oz, 8.99 lb, 9 lb 1 oz, 9 lb 9 oz, and the big girl.

[ol'crickety]

Wow, GP! WOW! Your account literally gave me chills and I'm so happy that you get to fish such a pond. You wrote "ponds." Are there two? Three? Amazing that such big fish come out of such little water. Incredible genetics and growing conditions.