Tried throwing a buzzbait yesterday morning after being inspired to do so by Pat and Woody, however I didn't get Pat or Woody results 😁

 

I can see a true monster coming up and hitting a big wake bait or buzzbait in 50d water, but the level of confidence to hang with it is the stuff of champions lol.  

 

I'm sure I'll blow the dust off the Whopper Plopper once the Queen gets back on the water, always so confusing then when I don't proceed to catch 50 fish on it like her 😎

Alex, I used it less in 2023 than I did in 2022, remembering how many of you reported that the bass adjust to it in a hurry. Some mornings I didn't use it at all. I used poppers a lot because I fished those as a kid and so there's that tug of nostalgia. When I did use the Whopper Plopper, I kept switching up the size, make, and color.

 

I used the underspin a lot too because the more you use it, the more you catch and the more you catch, the more confidence you have. And I used T-rigged worms more and more. Again, they're nostalgic. 

 

P. S. - You had something like a 55-bass day just a couple weeks back.

 

21 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I can see a true monster coming up and hitting a big wake bait or buzzbait in 50d water, but the level of confidence to hang with it is the stuff of champions lol.  

 

I fished a swimbait last year as big as a bluegill. I think I only caught one on it, but I'm going to use it again this year because I expect that when I do catch something, there's a good chance she'll be big. 

It's not OK to lie, but I suppose it's OK to pretend.   I'm going to pretend I didn't go fishing yesterday or today.   That doesn't smell as bad as the Skunk I caught.   

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I used it less in 2023 than I did in 2022, remembering how many of you reported that the bass adjust to it in a hurry

I wouldn't worry about it in your waters. Those ain't exactly highly pressured bass you're chasing.

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I wouldn't worry about it in your waters. Those ain't exactly highly pressured bass you're chasing.

I agree.  You will know when they wise up to a specific presentation.  As long as its still working, keep chucking it.

25 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I agree.  You will know when they wise up to a specific presentation.  As long as its still working, keep chucking it.

 

Some contrary data: I caught four doubles (two bass on one cast) on Whopper Ploppers in 2022. I caught zero doubles in 2023. Anyway, it's fun to use other lures too.

Only had a few hours yesterday. The lake I went to is mostly all dinks but that's all I've been catching this year so might as well stay close and catch them. Water just thawed back out 2 days ago, 40-42 degrees. Brought 5 rods and caught at least 1 on each rod. Also, every day I'm shocked by how clueless people are. Lady parked directly at the top of the ramp, blocking 1 of the 2 lanes, then went for a walk. I backed down and around her, then walked back up the ramp to take the picture. 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Also, every day I'm shocked by how clueless people are. Lady parked directly at the top of the ramp, blocking 1 of the 2 lanes, then went for a walk. I backed down and around her, then walked back up the ramp to take the picture.

Used to happen on my local lake all the time despite signs saying don’t block the ramps. People come on their lunch break and park right in the middle of the ramp so they have a nice view while they eat. Even had a lady once get out of her car and yell at me for messing up her view when I did what you did and went around her and launched anyway - lol. Or in summer, they back down and park at the waters edge and then let their kids use the ramp as their beach. 

11 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Used to happen on my local lake all the time despite signs saying don’t block the ramps. People come on their lunch break and park right in the middle of the ramp so they have a nice view while they eat. Even had a lady once get out of her car and yell at me for messing up her view when I did what you did and went around her and launched anyway - lol. Or in summer, they back down and park at the waters edge and then let their kids use the ramp as their beach. 

This ladies tags were also very expired, so she's struggling pretty hard at following basic rules it seems like. 

38 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

 Also, every day I'm shocked by how clueless people are. Lady parked directly at the top of the ramp, blocking 1 of the 2 lanes, then went for a walk. I backed down and around her, then walked back up the ramp to take the picture. 

 

30 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Used to happen on my local lake all the time despite signs saying don’t block the ramps. People come on their lunch break and park right in the middle of the ramp so they have a nice view while they eat. Even had a lady once get out of her car and yell at me for messing up her view when I did what you did and went around her and launched anyway - lol. Or in summer, they back down and park at the waters edge and then let their kids use the ramp as their beach. 

 

17 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

This ladies tags were also very expired, so she's struggling pretty hard at following basic rules it seems like. 

 

Message sending unit for unoccupied vehicle operators ~ 

A-Jay

15 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

This ladies tags were also very expired, so she's struggling pretty hard at following basic rules it seems like. 

 

Where's a cop when you need one?

That happens about a dozen times per day at the ramps near my house 

You've got to be fairly oblivious to your surroundings if you literally park IN the ramp.  My Grandpa would refer to them as "sh** for brains."

 

I don't encounter that here in MN but people do tend to park their boat and tie it up right IN the access.  Then they go park and no one else can use the access until they've parked and come back to move their boat.  People even do it when there are other designated docks for this and there are big signs on the access docks that say "NO PARKING LOAD/UNLOAD ZONE ONLY."

15 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 My Grandpa would refer to them as "sh** for brains."

Your Grandpa was clearly a very astute observer of human behavior 

and possessed a most colorful vocabulary.

One that I can certainly relate to.

A-Jay

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Your Grandpa was clearly a very astute observed of human behavior 

and possessed a most colorful vocabulary.

One that I can certainly relate to.

 

LOL he wasn't shy about his words sometimes.

 

Another one he often used was "the elevator doesn't go to the top floor" when referring to how stupid people could be.  And once I heard him say "the elevator is stuck between floors" about another person that I'm not going to name.

 

Honestly those are some of my favorite memories of the guy and I hunted/fished with him for years before he died of cancer in 2012.

These genius level humans are unfortunately always very fertile 

44 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Message sending unit for unoccupied vehicle operators ~ 

A-Jay

Lol 🤣 I swear I was thinking the exact same thing after replying to his post.

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

These genius level humans are unfortunately always very fertile 

A-Jay

7 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Lol 🤣 I swear I was thinking the exact same thing after replying to his post.

Someone did it to a friend of mine for parking in a mostly residential area while we fished all night.

Got all 4 truck tires - 

Giant PIA - before cell phones.

We had to walk a Looooooooong way to get to a - 

wait for it . . . 

PAYPHONE !

Didn't park there again though. 

🤪

A-Jay

What is that brass thingy on the tire?   

It's a tire anti-roundness device ~

Otherwise known as a deflator.

A-Jay

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

This ladies tags were also very expired, so she's struggling pretty hard at following basic rules it seems like. 

 

911!

 

 

Did some dock fishing. Lost a lots of tackle LOL, But got a decent fish.

Had a great day because I caught the hardest fighting Bass I've ever caught, and then some.   Caught 8 + 1 Crappie, all strolling the Jackall Drift Fry, a 7.4 that I still can't believe wasn't at least 8+ was big fish.   A magnificent fish in every regard, not a blemish on her, absolute peak health/fight in her.   A fish I feel incredibly blessed to have interacted with.   You just want to thank these fish so much for the overwhelming amount of joy they bring you.   

 

 

Other quality fish 

She took line and took line and took line and all through it, you did a great job of coaching yourself and even sweet-talking her. Gosh, you're a fine angler, Alex. I watch a LOT of YouTube videos and you catch so. many. fat. bass. compared to other anglers and even professional anglers. You remind me of Kristine Fischer in your love and appreciation of these powerhouses. I agree that she looked heavier than 7-4. I watch so many fishing videos that I'm getting really good at guessing weight. Check your scale at home, okay? 

 

I'm getting more and more excited to cast my Jackall Drift Fries!

Thanks so much Katie!   I really did think about you and the conversations we've had about your big fish being so hard to tame on spinning tackle and nearby cover.   I got lucky when she decided to run for 25ft of water instead of heavy cover to side and below her when she was hooked.  Then she just kept staying in the deepest part of that channel.  I think it the graph read 24+ fow when I landed her.   She felt like a big catfish until she leaped for glory.      

 

Recently A-Jay told me about reeling while the fish was running, and once I knew she was away from that heavy cover I thought about what he said.     

 

Between the support and constructive "correcting", this place and more importantly special group of folks will undoubtedly boat you more fish.