2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Christmas is finally in the rear view

Depends on how you look at it. Only 364 more days until Christmas 2024.

 

BTW I’m glad it’s over too. I turn into a Scrooge for almost 2 months. Lights, shopping, trees, ornaments, and Christmas songs drive me crazy.

Great day, GP!

That's a beautiful winter fish and heck of day @GreenPig nice job!  

 

 

@TnRiver46Third guy is a Meanmouth ha?   Second guy could have fed a starving army of Pygmies 🤣

 

I wonder if Meanmouth could survive in slightly warmer waters....what the full menu of genetic differences exist b/t them and both Alabama and SM Bass.   

I thought they were all pure SMB when I caught em 🤷‍♀️ 

I went all afternoon again. The weather was my favorite: cloudy with just a nice ripple of wind, temps around 70. 
The bite was about the same as the other day except more  of the fish I caught hit baits as they were moving today. Got the most fish on the watermelon seed uv speed worm, but also got a few on lucky strike worms, baby brush hogs, and yum dingers. The first fish pictured was caught right before dark against a dock. The fish grabbed it and went on up under the dock, wrapped around a piling but I kept it tight and eventually got it to the boat. 
All in all, a good , relaxing day - ended up with 12. I may go again tomorrow…

A couple little guys on lipless cranks.  I think red is the deal for those right now.  

 

Got a nice one on the underspin with a little keitech in bass candy on the back.

 

Saw tons of big fish glued to the bank today.  It's looking like we might get a false spring and round of early spawners this week!

 

Lake was trashed as expected (see pic in ‘Photo A Day’ thread). Pretty much an inch or two vis about everywhere. Did find 6”-8” in a couple areas, mostly way back in the ends of pockets far from any deep water wintering areas. Dam had a small area of similar clarity water, but very limited. Will probably move to another rez next trip that I think will have held up better. Did get 1 bass and 2 crappie, but it will be a bit before things start to settle and the bite picks back up, I’m afraid.

 

@Pat Brown That small cut on the left index finger looks familiar - fishing line by chance?

No.  I was holding something stupidly and using a sharp tool at work and sliced into my finger.  Thankfully it was mostly a surface tear.  

 

Fishing line this time of year makes the tip of my thumb cracked and bloody from thumbing the spool on casts in the cold!  

4 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

No.  I was holding something stupidly and using a sharp tool at work and sliced into my finger.  Thankfully it was mostly a surface tear.  

 

Fishing line this time of year makes the tip of my thumb cracked and bloody from thumbing the spool on casts in the cold!  

I will get cuts almost exactly like that trying to snap line wrapped around my hand. Got used to doing it when I used lighter mono on spinning reels & do it out of habit with fluoro & often ends in stinging regret. 🤣🤣🤣

@Pat Brown another report from NC. Two small ones on a jig and a lipless today on Badin. Jig was into a laydown and the lipless was off a ledge. I expected to catch more on the lipless, but I will try Pat’s red. 
 

Here, I am not seeing bass shallow and could not get bit shallow. Bass are still holding off the bank, but pushed up a little in some places. Water is clear towards main lake but transitions quickly to murky and even muddy in creeks. Lots of shad movement in shallow water towards the evening, however.

Lake is blown out from the huge Xmas rains to a degree, but the bite is still really hot.  Now that it's truly winter fishing, the fish seem to eat whatever you want to catch them on.    For me unlike most anglers, I want stained water for the A-Rig, that's when it works best for me.  This was the first day they were really chewing on the A-Rig, had two double ups but both came off.    Caught about 25 fish, big fish was close to 5.     

 

Like last winter, watching schools of 1-5lb fish toss seemingly hundreds of Threadfins in the air for 10mins on some days to all day long on others is one of the greatest spectacles I've ever seen in the wild.   I'm overwhelmed with excitement, and anything that can do that to me as an adult is worth its weight in gold.  

 

 

@AlabamaSpothunter Just tanks, dude. You & @Pat Brown need one of those "On ‘Em" hats. @LrgmouthShad, get one as well.

Alex, you are dialed into those bass. I've got a good feeling that you'll be swinging an eight to ten-pound monster into your boat soon. 

Awwwww shucks it just happens to be getting around to the best time of year to bass fish in NC is all that's happening I reckon!  I'm actually off em plenty - but I appreciate the vote of confidence!  I sincerely hope you catch some good ones when your water gets right for it!  😎😎😎

Yo @AlabamaSpothunter, what left that bass up on the bank? A blue heron ?

 

nice catches love to see them schooling on top like that 

@TnRiver46 I think it initially saw a spinnerbait hanging from a tree, couldn’t resist the urge & jumped to get it & was subsequently attacked by a predator.

Well....I got a twofer this morning:

 

First bass on a Ned rig and a first bass on the Damiki rig..... because well I caught it on a Ned rigged fluke fished Damiki style 😎. I guess a ned-miki?

 

So I'll preface this by saying I witnessed a very very cool thing before catching this little guy:

 

I was casting the Nedmiki out pointing my rod up, shaking the tip and feeling fast enough to keep my fluke just below the surface, occasionally pausing my reeling etc

 

I saw the laydown I've lost a thousand lures in at the mouth of the feeder creek and figured what the heck, make a couple casts past it and see what happens with this silly thing, mind you I haven't had a sniff in an hour of tossing this thing without really knowing what I'm doing....

 

First cast I bring the fluke between the major junction in the wood and a GIANT bass comes out of nowhere and breeches trying to swallow the thing - clearly very reluctant to commit - but I have NEVER seen the big fish come unglued like that EVER on this pond.

 

I make a second cast.  Same exact thing happens again.  The fish rolls on the bait aggressively, breeching briefly and swirls around back to its spot.

 

I make a third cast, this time I see a smaller swirl and feel a thump and set the hook!  

 

I think a school of bass was hunkered down in this wood ambushing shiners and I came at the right time with the right bait and they had never seen anything like it so - don't be afraid to do the Damiki rig shallow power fishing style!!!

 

12 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I sincerely hope you catch some good ones when your water gets right for it!  😎😎😎

I appreciate that thought & I will be trying as soon as ice is off if we ever get any. Still no ice yet but from today on nights are going to be a bit colder than they were up until last night. I think we had a high of 60° on Xmas Eve. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to squeeze in any time to go.

 

13 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yo @AlabamaSpothunter, what left that bass up on the bank? A blue heron 

 

nice catches love to see them schooling on top like that 

Yeah sorry I should have mentioned that......Blue Heron snagged that dude and then kept struggling with it and dropping it, finally flew off without the fish and that's when I grabbed it.     

 

Not sure if it would have come back to eat a dead fish, but those Herons get plenty of opportunities.   Lots of fish I catch have scars from them.  

 

Katie, from your lips to God's ears 😁

 

Thanks Tim!  

Lake Ida Florida, December 24 2023, 2.97lb peacock bass. Caught on 1/4oz berkley squarebull 3.5, nice way to break in my new daiwa ss air reel, a huge upgrade from the slx bfs in every aspect. They were aggressive and plentiful on this day right off my friends dock.

Been on a garbage streak but it happens. Managed a handful on a lipped crank the other day. My friend got me that bait and I finally had the right day to use it. Also discovered the nomad swimtrex max66 3/4oz. Those are excellent lipless cranks, going to be a staple in there with the red eye shad.

Technically skunked yesterday BUT I caught an outstanding lesson, which is better than catching anything shy of a PB. I ran into a former record holder at Roberts. He's a bank fisherman and a d**n good one. He caught a 2lb spot and a 4-5lb LM right in my face (I helped him land the LM and took pictures for him, no sulking here). He very graciously shared a LOT of information with me, I did my best to return the favor but he's got a heck of a resume on that lake. I told him he would fit right in here, has that attention to detail and dedication. Always good to meet good people.

Gonna get back out midday and see what happens

@Bass Rutten Stunning colors on that peacock.

 

@thediscochef Those are the right people to meet when fishing.

@Pat Brown, I always enjoy your stories. You've got the gift.

 

I enjoyed your story too, @thediscochef.

 

44 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Katie, from your lips to God's ears 😁

 

I'm just playing the odds. You're catching those 4/5+-pounders steadily now. At least in Maine, every six or eight four-pounders is topped with a six-pounder, but in Alabama, our six-pounders are your eight+-pounders.

 

Managed one nice one on the underspin.  Looks almost like a spotted bass!  Super defined lateral colors and small mouth.

 

I missed a really big fish on the jig inside of a tree that got me wrapped up and came off.  Felt the head shakes.  Not small.  

 

Missed a fish in the same area as I got the nice one a couple casts later on the underspin.  

 

Not bad for a couple hours before they closed!

 

Saw the mad spaghetti and tried tail spinners and blade baits.  No dice.

 

Gonna try the flutter spoon next time.