The BR gang should rent some pontoon boats, follow Alex from a respectful distance, watch, and take notes. I'll bring my binoculars and I urge others to do the same. 

Officer Fashionista, I humbly submit the fact that rednecks don't own appropriate cold weather attire.    If you saw the poundage of layered clothing that comes off you Yanks would die of laughter 🤣

 

 

37 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Officer Fashionista, I humbly submit the fact that rednecks don't own appropriate cold weather attire.    If you saw the poundage of layered clothing that comes off you Yanks would die of laughter 🤣

 

 

 

The high temp today was 24, so I actually wore a winter coat on my walk, but if it's the thirties, I'm good with a vest.

@AlabamaSpothunter killin it! You’re reeling in monster bags while I’m getting a foot of snow dumped on my head. Only a little jealous! Seriously though, way to go! 

#AlabamaHawgSnatcher 

@AlabamaSpothunter

Heck of a way to start the new fishing year.

You are dialed in on that bite for sure.

With so many quality bass there,

I know it must be hard to even think about launching any where else. 

Congrats and continues success.

Time for a new PB I'd say.

A-Jay

 

 

 

                                        

9 hours ago, T-Billy said:

#AlabamaHawgSnatcher 

 

#bassapalooza

 

Tim, in the 1.5 years I've been an active member here, only your 2022 muskypalooza compares to what Alex is doing. And both of you achieved your catches on local lakes with docks and homes. Not O.H. Ivie or Lake Baccarac, but old lakes that have been pounded for decades. 

16 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

From Weds through today, my 20 fish total went roughly 93lbs. 

Insane rally, bro! You must be floating on air. Congrats! 👊💪

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

#bassapalooza

 

Tim, in the 1.5 years I've been an active member here, only your 2022 muskypalooza compares to what Alex is doing. And both of you achieved your catches on local lakes with docks and homes. Not O.H. Ivie or Lake Baccarac, but old lakes that have been pounded for decades. 

Thank you for the kind words Katie. This year should have been even better, but I blew it by making a small change to my rig that ended up being a big deal to the fish. It took me WAAYYY too long to realize the issue, and it cost me a bunch of fish. Lesson finally learned though, and I've started 24 off with a few good ones. Fingers crossed for an epic March.

 Alex is absolutely wrecking them lately. Happy as can be for him, and looking forward to seeing more of those winter sows of his.

As a former musky angler, Tim, what was your change? I do miss muskies, but my heart doesn't. They are a cardiologist's moneymaker when they're thrashing beside my canoe. 

@T-Billy have you totally transitioned over to full time musky fishing?

I make my maiden 2024 voyage today.  I still don't have a handle on the Winter bass but I managed 5.  4 small spots and a nice 17 1/2" Largemouth.  The Largemouth was my first of the day, and first of 2024.   Largemouth was hanging near a creek channel in 30 feet of water.  Spots were hugging the bank.   I didn't fish long.  The wind got terrible.   My phone said 20 mph sustained winds with 35 mph gusts.  The lake was white capping and it was almost impossible to cast.  I tried casting a Red Eyed Shad into the wind and almost took my head off.  Largemouth came on an A-rig.   3 spots on the Red Eyed Shad and one on a Jig.   I've taken a couple vacation days so I'll be back out tomorrow.   

 

Also, fashion police,  just like Alex I have on the same 6 shirts I had on the last time.   

 

Unable to find lightweight jig heads with a muskie worthy hook, I started rigging them on a 6/0 flippin hook with a bell sinker on the split ring as a keel weight. 

This changed the action more than I realized, giving it more body roll and less kick. The musky sure noticed.  It caught fish, but not at nearly the rate I was catching them last year. I didn't even realize the difference in action until I put one on a jighead a couple weeks ago, then it was readily apparent. So... I went to the T-Billy Skunk Works and came up with this.

I modified my Manic Mullet mold's 5/16 cavity to accept a 6/0 Mustad 32850. Problem solved to the tune of a 31", a 40", a 42", and a 44" in three trips under tough conditions since January 1st. 

 

 

31 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

@T-Billy have you totally transitioned over to full time musky fishing?

Pretty much since last August. I'm not done bass fishing by any means, but I'm finding muskie to be a whole nuther level of fun. Having a beast like this rocket up from the deep and smash your bait in the 8, literally at your feet, is HIGHLY addictive.

 

I understand! 😎

Thanks for the explanation, Tim. The details can matter, huh? I love the "Skunk Works" reference. Kelly Johnson is one of my heroes. I work with Lockheed Martin about once a year and am always thrilled when I do. 

 

I admire your fix too. Well done, Musky Man.

Sometimes small details make a BIG difference. It was a super frustrating Nov/Dec for me. I was on fish. I was getting LOTS of follows, but getting bit was a struggle most days. I was having a multiple fish day here and there, just not consistently like last year.

 EVERYBODY is throwing rigs for muskie around here now after seeing my guide buddy's success last fall. I thought maybe that was causing the drop off in my success, but wasn't convinced because he had an epic fall on it again. Out of frustration, late in the day, on my last trip of 23, I put a 4.8 on a jig head, and the light bulb came on the instant I saw it on the first retrieve. I made a hand full of those jigs, and went right back to catching them, in 38 degree water. 

Small change equaled BIG effect in this case. 

Side note: My guide buddy and his clients boated exactly 400 muskie over 30" in 23. Talk about a "Hammer". The man is the definition of that term.

Wow friends, I'm truly honored to have such a group of hammers leave such awesome and kind comments!!!!    I said it last year when I first started posting reports, but to be able to share such exciting and special moments with a group of friends is priceless as the majority of my family and friends simply don't understand why we love these fish so much.    

 

Today was another great day, and in terms of learning as an angler I believe it was one of the better days I've had.     The main reason for this is after months of wanting to learn how to mid stroll, and playing around with it here and there with zero success, I finally learned what it's all about.   

 

Caught 36 fish, with the best 5 going 22.5lbs.   A 5.5 was big fish (red Vault), 4.8 (mid strolled Drift Fry), and a 4.7 (Bucca Burrito) were weighed, and then another pair of 4lb+ fish rounded out the bag.    

 

31/36 fish were caught on this 4" Jackall Drift Fry with a 1/8th Keitech tungsten super round jighead with 2/0 hook.    All of those Drift Fry fish were caught on a single bait that still's gtg.    I'd been wanting these things for months, and finally got my hands on them yesterday.....they exceeded my expectations!     This is the super sneaky bait that Kyoya Fujita used with so much success on the Elites last year, and if you watch Milliken's stuff, he's uses them in some videos but won't ever name the bait. 

 

Tomorrow looks to be the last day in the streak of stable conditions, tom. night into Tues. we could get 2-3" of rain, and almost surely will be getting 40-50mph gusts and possible storms.   I pray to the Bass Gods that it's not a heavy rain and doesn't blow out the water quality.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool-looking bait! Is that a diving lip?

I agree, one of the cooler baits I've gotten in awhile.   The lip makes it roll rather than dive.     

I wonder if those rich people in their mansions ever look at their windows and see a guy in old V-hull landing lunker after lunker after lunker after lunker. 

 

Alex, I know you like baseball comparisons, so know your streak is reminding me of Reggie Jackson's five home runs in the 1977 world series. I remember the Sports Illustrated Cover titled "Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!"

 

So, here's what I have to say about today: Alex! Alex! Alex!

 

I like the Jackall. I've never seen a bait like it. I googled it and it looks like I'll have to order it from Japan. Is that right, Alex?

 

 

Haha Katie, you're replies never fail to make me giggle and smile.   

 

The nicer the house, the less I see the actual homeowners.   They have armies of folks who keep up those properties.    I did have a really nice couple come down one day and give me the phone numbers of a bunch of folks who lived on the lake because they were worried that I didn't seem concerned fishing in storms 😁

 

Yeah those Drift Frys are a JDM bait, but tackle stores in the US get them, they've just been sold out in Japan.    My local store got them in the other day, posted the night before about them......I showed up a few hours after they opened, they were almost sold out already.     If you can't find a pack before the fishing season, let me know and I'll send you a couple.     

 

 

Sometimes it helps to be a little crazy……..

 

got the boat ramp and it started sleeting heavily. No big deal I’ll wait a bit, then it just starts pouring rain. 45 minutes later I finally launch in some decent weather but cold and windy.
 

Had a good day for trophy fish, but they were unexpected participants. Caught some crappie largemouth and drum then something grabs a jigging spoon and just takes all my line. I thought I had some massive carp in the tail but after 20 minute fight it turned out to be a 24 lb 39” striped bass. What a battle, I got some of it on video. 
 

 

 

honorable mention was a monster shellcracker