Streak never stops.....along with the rain. Tropical storm brewing too....fish for 7/18. Got 1 on a shaky head and zoom trick and one on a carolina rig with a zoom lizard, both Junebug color. 

 

 

 

Finally, after a month of obligations and other distractions, I was able to get back out this morning, and was greeted within three casts by this 4.59lb, who could not resist a Duo Pencil 100:

 

Unfortunately, most of its friends had no trouble resisting anything I threw for the next 4 1/2 hours, aside from four others in the 12"-13" range.

 

At one point a juvenile loon showed up and hung around my area for awhile. Eventually a parent (I assume) swooped in, warbling, and promptly escorted it away:

 

 

 

 

On 7/16/2023 at 7:46 PM, Pat Brown said:

Well I'm speechless.  I got a fishing story to tell but I'm sunburned and smitten with how happy I am.

 

Double digit achieved.  Middle of summer.  1:30 pm.  On brush on a point.  Motor oil power worm.

 

Pictures and more to come later when I've processed what just happened y'all ??????

 

 

Wowza!  The power worm strikes again -- congrats!

20 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It took 98" to win last year...

That leaves me out!

15 hours ago, IcatchDinks said:

Went out for a couple hours tonight. The only thing they would bite today was the Mepps inline spinner. Which I hate fishing with because it has a tendancy to gill hook the fish. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Tried to save him. Instead I took him home and ate him. I don't usually eat fish, because I don't really like fish. But I fried him with garlic, salt, and butter, squeezed some lemon on it, and it wasn't too bad. 

 

I've had a bad streak the last couple days: I'll hook massive bass (massive for my ponds.) And then lose them half way through the fight. I hooked two more good ones tonight, and just couldn't land them. Oh well. I know where they live. I'll be back. 

 

Dink #1

 

Dink #2

 

Dink #3

 

Eh. He's not so bad: 

No picture of the one I ate. Bloody fish don't photograph well. 

I guess they get the Mepps too far down before hook set. I've had the same issue, that, and it hooks every limb, rock, and Drum swimming. With that said, it gets bites when my standby TicklerZ doesn't.

5 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

That leaves me out!

I'm not sure I could put that bag together with my biggest 5 this year, let alone a single day.

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm not sure I could put that bag together with my biggest 5 this year, let alone a single day.

 

You underestimate your catches. We've seen what you catch.

 

#bumpboarddon'tlie

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm not sure I could put that bag together with my biggest 5 this year, let alone a single day.

I think you could!

Headed out behind the house for an hour this evening once the lightning let up. Water was flowing well and bass were feeding heavily. No big mommas cruising but lots of little 10-15" bass bunched in together. Got 7 on a watermelon/red senko, then came back in with a 1/10 oz watermelon/red Ned Bug for another 6, which got me the smallest (and biggest) of the hour.

 

Weather Thursday looks promising, if it holds out I'll hopefully be able to hit one of my favorite spots. Fingers crossed the activity is close to this, there are some biiig girls in that spot.

Hey @Aaron_H you are in violation of the haircut policy. Time for a trim.

9 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Hey @Aaron_H you are in violation of the haircut policy. Time for a trim.

 

Surprised it's taken you this long to notice, I haven't had a haircut since Feb 2018 ?

26 minutes ago, Aaron_H said:

 

Surprised it's taken you this long to notice, I haven't had a haircut since Feb 2018 ?

I was only recently designated as the haircut police like a month ago lol

 

Got out this morning about 7-10:30, only boated 3 bass all on a spinnerbait with the best weighing 4-9. Also had one looked 4+ hit and spit at the boat,she was jumping before I even knew she was on. --bonus pic of a 3-5 I caught on a 10" worm last week. (Wednesday? I think).

Another day, another dozen bass. Nothing special size wise except for the hybrid gill/green sunfish - he was 10.75” and bigger than some bass I’ve caught this year ?

 

 

 

Dang @Team9nine that’s a giant gill! 

Fun evening after work, even got a striper with a hellgrammite

 

I hadn't been on the water for almost two weeks. Just had stuff going on. So after work today, I spontaneously decided that I was going to go, and I was gonna take the kayak too.

 

Went out to Stillhouse and fished for 2 hours. Finally got the quality bass I'm looking for. I really like 5+lbers. They just make me happy. So today was the first. Got a 5 even and a smaller one too.

 

Bass are so weird, y'all. I threw a worm the most, because that's what they've primarily liked recently. For this trip, I brought 3 bags of worms and one spinnerbait. I should have brought two spinnerbaits. It's what they wanted. I actually broke off a great sized one and I think it was because I missed something in the line. That kinda hurts, but I ain't gonna beat myself up about it. This was just a spontaneous trip to make myself feel better.

 

Still so much I want to say, but I'll try and keep it brief. That 5lber was the absolute spunkiest bass I've caught. It leapt 4 times vertically out of the water. Just directly upwards, y'all. Head pointed to the sky. It thrashed in the boat a ton and left my left thumb bleeding. 

 

Okay last thing. That 5lber and the one I broke off were really really shallow, and the water is 90 degrees or just under in some places. I was still structure fishing.

Caught nine fish today. All on either the spinner or a gold spoon. Not like I didn't try other baits. They just like flashy stuff right now, I guess. Also, because I shut the tip of my main bass rod in the car door, I was using a five foot ultra light with four pound test. Even the dinks I caught felt like monsters! 

 

I love Michigan sunsets. It's views like this that remind me how glorious it is to be alive:

@LrgmouthShad, that LMB laying on the kayak looks like it’s about to bite your hand off, don’t end up like Chubbs 

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

@LrgmouthShad, that LMB laying on the kayak looks like it’s about to bite your hand off, don’t end up like Chubbs 

??? 

 

She left a mark. I hold ‘em by the side of their mouth out of habit. Downside is holding em like that can get me tore up sometimes

Maybe one day I’ll catch one big enough to bite my hand off 

On 7/17/2023 at 8:43 AM, hokiehunter373 said:

This year I have not wanted to slow down and fish a TR, WR, or jig much.  Having to post these dinks after @Pat Brown pig may make me change that lol.  The pond I fish has become flush with algae and the fishing is tough.  Just been wanting to fish fast and enjoy the blowups in the limited time I have.  Got out for about an hour last night and wanted to start in the mucky corner.  Buzzbait was a disaster in there so I figured I'd work under it and try the sleeper.  Caught this little guy on the 1st cast.

 

 

That was it for the sleeper.  One thing I've learned about this pond is they don't like white buzzbaits but that's all I've got right now til I restock.  It wasn't getting it done so I switched the trailer to black and blue.  Instant success

 

 

Stuck 3 on that until the sun was down and the bugs were up.  Dragging a worm next time!

 

 

Back at it last night for another hour and a half.  Started off with the PopMax.  0 interest in it and then broke it off.  Switched to the buzzbait.  Wasn't much happening until I ran it by this tiny little stick protruding from the water in the middle of the pic below.

 

 

Zoomed in

 

 

Tiny fish but just showed they hang on to any little piece of cover they can and I enjoyed that.  I had 0 action anywhere else until I bumped that stick.

 

 

Finally figured I'd tie on the TRig and get to work.  Got out my assortment of worms and was ready to rip some lips!  Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived.  Cast after cast of not even a nibble.  Switching worms.  Switching colors.  Then I was stupid and careless and got quite possibly the worst birds nest of my life.  The kind where you just put it away to deal with at another time.  The kind that make you question why the heck you even go out and sweat your butt off while getting eaten alive to catch some stinky stupid tiny fish.  Yeah, I wasn't very happy with the evening, but figured I should fish on so I switched to a wacky worm.  Caught another little one.

 

 

Fished it a bunch more and was not having much luck.  My dog was not pleased with me that he only got to smell two tiny fish lol so I told him I'd get him one more.  Finally got one that, while not much bigger, put on a much better fight.  Peeled some drag and felt some head shakes.  It was fun and took away the evenings frustrations.

 

 

I won't be able to get out many more times this year.  Starting to coach our high school football team, plus my sons flag football team, plus hunting starts in about 50 days... who's counting?!  Hoping I can just get the kids out once more at least.  Good luck to everyone else this summer.  Keep catching giants, and most importantly, having fun!

I'm certainly getting very very excited for hunting season but probably not for the same reasons you are ???

 

For me personally fishing gets really fun in October ???

Same here but it’s December not October 

23 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Same here but it’s December not October 

I’m considering taking Sep and Oct off from fishing to hit the ground running Nov

Well now that’s just crazy talk