In your defense, @ol'crickety, you have to drag a canoe and all your gear through the bush to get to where you intend to fish. Slightly harder row to hoe.

11 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

You guys are making me feel like a wimp!

Real wimp! You go out in the pitch black, walk your canoe through the woods, launch well before daylight. I think you're good to go my lady.

@ol'crickety 👆What they said & also deal with hellacious mosquitoes, I’d imagine.

I'm not brave so much as completely hopelessly addicted to the tug....and a little bit stupid 😉!  😂😂😂

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I'm not brave so much as completely hopelessly addicted to the tug....and a little bit stupid 😉!  😂😂😂

All of the above but especially those head shakes before you see ‘em - then you know…..

4 hours ago, Kites R4 Skyfishing said:

@benburkefishing nice fish my man! I'd like to add if I may, that once a fish hits that 5#ish mark its best to keep their bottom jaw in line with their belly rather than holding it at an angle and leveraging their body against it.

 

Once they get that heavy hyper-extending their jaw can damage it. They'll swim off fine and you'll be none the wiser that they actually may have gotten hurt and may or may not recuperate.

Thanks for reminding me of this totally slipped my mind at the time. I was to concentrated by getting a good picture in between the bouts of rain. 

Last trip out for the season at Candlewood Lake in CT.

@Jamesg0418 Nice smallies. Good way to end the season. Have a great trip to FL! If you do go to Stick Marsh/Headwaters area, check out Giuseppe’s Italian off of 512 in Fellsmere. Good food IMO.

No largies today, cold shut them down a bit I think. But a solid day of striper fishing, had 21 total with 4 keepers. Largest was 23" 18/21 came on the A-rig, they didn't want anything else.

Got my first fish on a Ned rig in the freezing cold last night.  It wasn't a bass but I caught a fish. 😎😂

 

 

Then this morning I swung by the pond for the sunrise and nailed a tank on the flashy swimmer largo shad!

 

16 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

It wasn't a bass but I caught a fish. 😎😂

 

Never know what you're gonna catch on a small piece of do-nothing plastic. I've caught 20 lb catfish all the way down to tiny bluegill.

I threw a buzz toad and I caught two fish that each missed it once before taking. This was the better of them. Fishing the nuclear power plant lake on a boat tomorrow, recent reports have some pretty bonkers catch rates so I'm looking forward to a strong numbers day.

2 hours ago, thediscochef said:

I threw a buzz toad and I caught two fish that each missed it once before taking. This was the better of them. Fishing the nuclear power plant lake on a boat tomorrow, recent reports have some pretty bonkers catch rates so I'm looking forward to a strong numbers day.

Squaw Creek?

FM

3 hours ago, Fishingmickey said:

Squaw Creek?

FM

Yessir

Have had to deal with skim ice the past few days. Rain last night cleared it off and let me enjoy a few bites. Just got out about an hour with misty, dark conditions. Caught a few fun size bass and one decent hybrid 'gill. El Nino is supposed to keep us above normal this month. Dec. has been good for big bass in the past.

Got out from 4-5:30, better than raking leaves 
 

Dad & I are going tomorrow. Excluding ice fishing, this will be the first time either of us have been on the water in IN during December. Temp forecasts are favorable for another 10 days. Wind and/or rain will be main factors for us.

So I went to Squaw Creek today. The dynamics of a nuclear power reservoir are interesting all around. The hot water coming from the plant had water temps as high as 82 and as low as 70. But not any lower. The fish we caught were warm to the touch. We had a handful of things working against us, I caught all of three fish in the back seat for the day. Bluebird skies, 10-20mph northwest wind, and practice day for multiple tournaments on Sunday. I think the very first spot we hit was the only one we presented first at. Very high pressure and very little variation in cover. I've never seen that much submerged timber in such a small lake. The high water temps of summer kill off any aquatic vegetation. The only real ripraps are the dam. There's so many tilapia beds the sidescan looks like a golf ball. It's just a funky place, I've never been somewhere like that. It fishes so different, yet the same as my other spots. I also caught my first lipped crankbait fishes so that was cool. I can see why that bite can be so addictive...when the freight train hits that squarebill it's money.

My buddy caught 10 and that's closer to what we came for. I enjoyed the guide he hired; did the guiding part right. We left happy albeit maybe a little disappointed in the catch rate, but the more controllable parts of the experience were done right. And that's what that's about in my mind

 

I'm still more comfortable at roberts than I have been anywhere else and I can't say I see that changing any time soon

First bass of December caught tonight and a nice one caught just as sun went down on the zoom super fluke.

 

 

Also caught two monster crappie and a bluegill on the lucky craft pointer as well as a small bass!

 

 

6 hours ago, RipzLipz said:

Dad & I are going tomorrow. Excluding ice fishing, this will be the first time either of us have been on the water in IN during December. Temp forecasts are favorable for another 10 days. Wind and/or rain will be main factors for us.

Wind and rain should not be a problem today but tomorrow's another story. Hope it works out for you. I'm focusing on ned rig since wind will be light. Show us a big one and enjoy time with your dad. I might have never been a fisherman if it hadn't been for my dad taking me.

I was going to stay home today.  The forecast was for rain all day.  I'm not against fishing in the rain but I've got an infection in my left eye.  The rain came in later than expected so I went for a couple hours.   I caught 5, 4 spots and 1 LM,  all between 14 and 18 inches.   The first was on my 5th cast at 7:46.  the last, on my last cast at 9:48.  As I've stated before whenever time, and conditions permit I catch a bass on my last cast.  That leaves me super excited for the next trip.   The first one,  my first December 2023 bass was kinda strange.  I saw a couple (bass looking) fish on sonar under a dock.   I skipped a shaky head under the dock, and the bass hit it while it was still skipping.   It sounded like someone threw a concrete block in the water.   After that I tried a buzz bait a little but no takers.   3 were on a Shaky head, the other 2 on a Bandit 300.   2 were at docks, the others in and around lay downs.  I was surprised to find them as active as they were.  Water temperature is down 5 degrees from last week.  (54 according to my transducer)  I've got my boat under the carport.  I'm going to do my 300 hour service stuff later today.   

I should have stayed home. There was an ongoing event which prevented me from going. Sad thing is I knew about it beforehand but it completely slipped my mind. All I was paying attention to was the weather forecast. 🤬🤬

2 hours ago, RipzLipz said:

I should have stayed home. There was an ongoing event which prevented me from going. Sad thing is I knew about it beforehand but it completely slipped my mind. All I was paying attention to was the weather forecast. 🤬🤬

Really sorry about that Tim. Now they're saying that the rain should clear out by noon tomorrow, albeit windy. We're going to have lots of opportunities in the short term.

11 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

Really sorry about that Tim. Now they're saying that the rain should clear out by noon tomorrow, albeit windy. We're going to have lots of opportunities in the short term.

Not a huge deal, just ticked at myself for not remembering. Wednesday looks promising for now. I will go then if forecast holds. Not like I/we have been on fire as far as quantity but you never know when Mrs. Muffintop is going to be feeding & that’s what I am usually targeting. Addicted, 100%.

 

Appreciate the previous comment you made regarding my dad. Think he had me on the shores of Lemon with a spin cast when I was 3, just casting with a split shot & no hook. Kept asking if I was getting a bite. I think I believed a keeper was a species of fish until I was 5-6.🤣

 

I blame him for the gateway drug & he’s been present when I’ve caught many of my larger fish including my first PB over 6. Panfishing in the strip pits spoiled him & he’s not as patient as he used to be - fishes way too fast & if they’re not biting quickly, he is quick to give up. I will fish all day or late into the night for just one big bite.

@Woody B Well done, sir. A quick 5 & back home for the rest of the day.