12 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

38 Degrees, on and off light rain, not a ray of sunshine to be found......wide open bite! 

 

Caught 26 over about 4.5hrs, almost all on the Damiki Vault 1/2oz in Real Shad.

 

23.5lb bag anchored by a 6.2 fish.    Couple of big Spots that couldn't even make the team.     

 

These are two of the most beautiful fish I've caught, just flawless specimens, the pinnacle of health.   

 

 

 

 

Think this is the shortest/fattest fish I've ever caught

 

Come on girl! YESSSS !!!!!

 

Love it Alex! I'm having heart palpitations waiting for you to get the net under her.......whew......now I can relax!     DANG!!!!

@TnRiver46  @Pat Brown @Blue Raider Bob

 

Many, many thanks gents for such kind words, this is the most supportive and positive place for Bassheads, and it's because of folks like you guys!   

Okay, I have to stop looking at Alex's fat bass. Its extraordinary shape has me mesmerized. I still think a DD bass or near a DD is coming for Alex because he's in a groove. Dialed in. Locked in. 

Tried to fish a couple of my usual spots close to home but they were skimmed over. Ended up at this lake that I usually pass on because of its larger size and depth. Actually didn't do too bad with four bites in an hour including these two decent ones. Both were females full of eggs. Spring's just around the corner. Forecast keeps hinting at winter finally getting started over the next week. Should have a couple more opportunities yet.

Quite different conditions from yesterday, 42d/high winds/bluebird sunny skies.   

 

Fished about 6 hrs., caught 21.    Best 5 went about 20.5lbs with a big fish of 5.9 and 4.13 got weighed, 4+ on the 110, and a nice 3lb Spot were the highlights.   

 

Vision 110 caught a few but was quite disappointed they wouldn't fire on it with such great jerkbait conditions.    Damiki Vault continues to dominate the catch count.

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, the first big Buck of winter I've seen, pretty sure this is the same Buck I've seen for three winters now.    He's always an 8pt so maybe it's a different one as I don't know much about Deer biology.    Such a magnificent animal.

 

Alex, buy a lottery ticket tomorrow. And buy one for me too. Please. 

 

Regarding the buck, with that pose, I'd call him a stag. And I want to paint him. 

 

Say, I'm thinking of weighing most of my bigger bass in 2024. I'd like to know what my top five per trip are.

As always Katie, part of the reward of having a nice day or catching a nice fish is getting a reply of yours 😁

 

As far as the lottery tickets go, the smarter move for me is to just book a plane ticket to coastal Maine mid summer and hire you as a guide.    You're the undisputed heavyweight champ of fat healthy fish.    In the next life when I come back as a Bass, I better be born in a Maine bog 😎

 

That Buck was doing very "stag" things to his lady friend 😂

  

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

hire you as a guide. 

 

I'm very expensive. Lots of zeroes! Here is my seven digits per hour rate: $0.000000

I know you wouldn't charge, but to experience a typical "Katie day" would be worth what premium guides charge across the country.   Others who have paid a Bass guide I'm sure would agree.   

 

Your fish, where they live, and the way you fish for them is totally unique.....other than your modern tackle, I could imagine reading your posts in a 1950s era Field and Stream magazine.    

 

The beauty of this thread to me is that it showcases how unique the sport is for each one of the regular posters in it......we're all vastly different in geography and styles for the most part, yet here we all are connected by the obsession over Black Bass.   

14 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

The beauty of this thread to me is that it showcases how unique the sport is for each one of the regular posters in it.

 

So true! I think about @king fisher, who fishes upland reservoirs that have the equivalent of Pebble Beach's water and sand traps in the form of barbed wire and nets beneath the surface. And then there's @Zcoker, pushing into the great swamp, swarming with gators and pythons, and catching giant bass. And then there's @WRB, who fished Castaic and Casitas at their carnival-like peaks...and thrived. There's @A-Jay up north, catching and catching and catching small jaws with big jaws, bass so big I'd be thrilled to catch one. And @Pat Brown, who fishes with his kid, but still catches DDs. And guys like @The Bassman, @Team9nine, and @Woody B, they just keep catching and catching and catching too. @Dwight Hottle, of course, catches both giant largies and giant smallies. And @TnRiver46, who's happy catching everything, has landed a dozen or so 20"-plus smallies this past fall. Then there are the FFS guys who read those glowing screens like a witch would read bones and both bits of magic are beyond me. And the wide list goes on and on and on.

 

You and I are a lot alike, Alex, in that our boats are pretty simple and small. And I see you alone on the water, just like I am, for you're fishing in the winter and I'm fishing in the rain, fog, and dark. So, when I watch your videos and see your old boat and hear how happy you are to touch these beautiful bass and release them, I think, "Brother."

 

32 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I could imagine reading your posts in a 1950s era Field and Stream magazine. 

 

Tomorrow, I'll photograph and post some of my old magazine covers. I have some more than a hundred years old, but my favorites range from the thirties to the fifties. 

I always cherish the opportunity to get three generations together on the boat. Even better when we catch some fish!

 

Pops with the first of the day with netgirl on deck.

 

Of course she had to show us up right after 😆

 

And again...

 

I was able to come across a few spots of my own.

 

Even the trout wanted some of the underspin...

30 minutes ago, NorcalBassin said:

I always cherish the opportunity to get three generations together on the boat. Even better when we catch some fish!

 

Pops with the first of the day with netgirl on deck.

 

Of course she had to show us up right after 😆

 

And again...

 

I was able to come across a few spots of my own.

 

Even the trout wanted some of the underspin...

 

I always love seeing your multi-generational posts -- you all have exactly the same smile!

Never finished the report from the 1st I guess. Caught fish from my 3rd cast of the morning until the end of the day. Water temps from 41-43.5. Ned, flatside, and rock crawler did most of the damage. All small fish, but over 40 of them kept me busy.

 

Only had two work stops today so I got to fish a while. Got my first bass of 2024 with a purple worm on a jig head, fitting

 

then I anchored up for a while trying to jig up some white bass, not much action. Got into a current seam and vertical jigged 5-6 drum with a small paddle tail bait and finally one white bass. I then tried a deep eddy and it was loaded with fish but I only got one crappie and dropped another of similar size. Couple bluegill sprinkled in 

Beautiful mixed bag as always @TNRiver46!   Variety is the spice of life, not too many watersheds have more variety for an angler than the TN River.   

 

Getting a fish feeder for the dock in a cpl. months, gonna be on like donkey kong.....straight back to 8yr old me...Gils and Kitties 😎

 

 

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

 Got into a current seam and vertical jigged 5-6 drum with a small paddle tail bait and finally one white bass. I then tried a deep eddy and it was loaded with fish but I only got one crappie and dropped another of similar size. Couple bluegill sprinkled in ...

 

 

"River Roulette", baby! You never know what you're gonna get! 

Seemingly very favorable conditions and what at the time seemed like a relatively small change in the pattern I've been on led to a day I'll never forget.   I believe that small change was trying out the red Vault, with a secondary aspect being I also received STX-38 Zo Wire Size 6s, the absolute perfect hook for this bait.  

 

Fished 7+hrs, edited for 6.....turned into a 27min video 🙃  

 

A true 50 fish day, right on the nail, it's like the Bass Gods gave me the 50 and then said now go home.    

 

27lb+ bag.....7.6 and 6.4 weighed fish, with 3 easily in the 4-5lb range.  

7.6 fish 

 

6.4 fish was super cool with the black spot tail and again so short and fat for relative weight chart metric.   

 

The bait with upgraded hardware and my new favorite thing in the boat....the most magical lure retriever I've ever used.    Thing has freed these Vaults 20-25x now.    I'm sure they won't work perfect for everything like big A-Rigs, or maybe even single hooked baits, but for 2-3 hook treble baits, thing is incredible.  

12 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Seemingly very favorable conditions and what at the time seemed like a relatively small change in the pattern I've been on led to a day I'll never forget.   I believe that small change was trying out the red Vault, with a secondary aspect being I also received STX-38 Zo Wire Size 6s, the absolute perfect hook for this bait.  

 

Fished 7+hrs, edited for 6.....turned into a 27min video 🙃  

 

A true 50 fish day, right on the nail, it's like the Bass Gods gave me the 50 and then said now go home.    

 

27lb+ bag.....7.6 and 6.4 weighed fish, with 3 easily in the 4-5lb range.  

7.6 fish 

 

6.4 fish was super cool with the black spot tail and again so short and fat for relative weight chart metric.   

 

The bait with upgraded hardware and my new favorite thing in the boat....the most magical lure retriever I've ever used.    Thing has freed these Vaults 20-25x now.    I'm sure they won't work perfect for everything like big A-Rigs, or maybe even single hooked baits, but for 2-3 hook treble baits, thing is incredible.  

 

 

13 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Seemingly very favorable conditions and what at the time seemed like a relatively small change in the pattern I've been on led to a day I'll never forget.   I believe that small change was trying out the red Vault, with a secondary aspect being I also received STX-38 Zo Wire Size 6s, the absolute perfect hook for this bait.  

 

Fished 7+hrs, edited for 6.....turned into a 27min video 🙃  

 

A true 50 fish day, right on the nail, it's like the Bass Gods gave me the 50 and then said now go home.    

 

27lb+ bag.....7.6 and 6.4 weighed fish, with 3 easily in the 4-5lb range.  

7.6 fish 

 

6.4 fish was super cool with the black spot tail and again so short and fat for relative weight chart metric.   

 

The bait with upgraded hardware and my new favorite thing in the boat....the most magical lure retriever I've ever used.    Thing has freed these Vaults 20-25x now.    I'm sure they won't work perfect for everything like big A-Rigs, or maybe even single hooked baits, but for 2-3 hook treble baits, thing is incredible.  

That is definitely a good day, I have not ever thought about changing out the hooks on those. I have the small red one I think 1/4, hard to go wrong with a blade bait.  I always enjoy seeing your reports this time of year when it’s starting to freeze over up here. I look forward to your next one.

Hey, @Jmurphy87!

 

Right now, Alex is casting. What story of glory will he have to tell this evening? Don't forget to tune in. Same BR channel. Same BR station!

 

We've all become Robin to Alex's Batman, struggling to keep up.

 

@AlabamaSpothunter Keep the lid on those STX Zo wire hooks. We don't want to lose our advantage.😀

Thanks so much for the kind words and funny gifs guys and gal!!!!    

 

Great day, we had a moderate steady rain overnight in which the outside temps were about 10d higher than the previous weeks' worth of nights, so to me it qualified as a "warm rain" which has shown to be among the best times to be on the water during the winter these last two.

 

Caught 32 + 2 big Crappie.......22lb+ bag, big fish was a 6.8, and a 5.15 got weighed as well.   Another close to 5, along with numerous 3+ fish rounded out today's bag.   Same pattern as the last 4 days......First hour after Dawn I'm throwing the Vision 110 at visually surface breaking fish, then I move on to the Vault where it does the vast majority of catching.     

 

I like to use the BASS derby benchmarks in my fun fishing, and I've always thought one of the coolest things in the sport was the guys who earn Century Belts (100lbs+ over a 4 day event).     From Weds through today, my 20 fish total went roughly 93lbs.    In the past, 75-80lbs would have been my best.    

 

My luck will surely run out on this deal, until then I'm going to ride it as hard as I can, and put it away wet each evening 😁

 

 

 

Big fish 6.8

 

Other weighed fish 5.15

 

@AlabamaSpothunter the Fashion Police suspects you’re sleeping out there at night since you appear to be wearing the same shirt every time.