On 3/22/2024 at 7:09 AM, Aaron_H said:

Managed to cull two tilapia as well, both on the jerkbait. One was decked out in spawning colors.

happen to me as well.

So many great photos, guys. 👍🏻

 

We’re still stuck in winter water temps here.  I snuck out today on Lake Ontario, looking for some early pike with the backup plan being the early catch and release bass season.  Sadly, the sunshine they promised never came and it was very cool on the water.  The surface water temps on the main lake were the same as two weeks ago (35F) and the back bays that were up to 42-43F on March 8 were only 37-38F today after a cold snap last week.  We didn’t even try pike fishing.  I was going to try a big rock flat area for smallmouth, but with a SE wind the rollers were not to my liking in a small aluminum bass boat.  So, we went for a boat ride up the Cataraqui River to have a look at where we’ll be slaying big largemouth in the summer. 😊🤞🏻

 

So, no fish… but I own a boat and was out on the water for the third time in March.  If it was only 20 degrees warmer… 

 

 

Had a great day yesterday with almost 22lbs, all on the whacky rigged senko.   Also included are a couple good fish I caught on Saturday and Sunday.....all on the whacky rigged senko.    Over the last two weeks I've blown through about 6 packs of yamasenkos, and countless O Rings/cross over rings.   Today though I tried the VMC Crossover Ring in #4 and might have finally stopped hemorrhaging senkos.  Still need the VMC Cross Over pliers because these things are near impossible to get on the bait.   

 

There's a nod to you Katie on the second fish in the video 😁  These fish on a pixie wand crank up the adrenaline level to 10.

 

6.6 

 

5lb 15oz

 

5lb 14oz

 

5 

 

Lastly I caught a Spotted Bass and it had what looked like a few eggs coming out, and sure enough they were.    These are two individual Bass eggs.

 

 

 

Bass + Weeds = Heart Arrythmia for Me for Sure

 

More beshemoths for Alexander the Great! Imagine how many tourneys Alex would have won with the bass he's caught his winter and spring. He'd be the new KVD.

 

 

Thanks Katie!   If only they held derbies on my home lake 😆

 

Had a Bass boat in college and shortly after and fished the big public lakes some but then life happened and never really got to scratch that itch.  

 

I think that's my next goal, after 20 months of learning how to Bass fish again, I want to expand my universe and learning opportunities.  I really want to fish a tournament.....I'm thinking it takes the adrenaline factor to the max limit.    

On 3/26/2024 at 1:56 PM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Aaron, I'm surprised you haven't gotten a hair citation! Obviously, gimruis is out fishing! But beware...he will return!

 

The haircut police is burned out for the moment.  I've spent 4 of the last 5 days shoveling and blowing snow here.  Don't have the energy even though it's an obvious violation.

You have so many ways to catch bass, Alex, and you've developed such skill at playing them that I pity the fool who fishes against you. Plus, you've caught so many big ones that you've got Encyclopedia Basstanica in your brain. The complete set. 

 

With all of this said, I think it illustrates how proud we all are of @Bluebasser86, and what he did at his recent Bassmaster Kayak Classic. 

 

We already knew the hammer he was, but doing so well in an event like that really solidifies his hammer status.   

 

 

11 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

The haircut police is burned out for the moment.  I've spent the 4 of the last 5 days shoveling and blowing snow here.  Don't have the energy even though it's an obvious violation.

 

It's lousy here too, Gimruis. There's still ice on everything and we're supposed to be wet and gray for 14 of the next 15 days. We'll have to live through Alex and the other hammers. Luckily, Bass Resource has more hammers than Home Depot. 

Alex, you put on a great show, dancing with those fat girls.

2 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

Alex, you put on a great show, dancing with those fat girls.

 

Whenever Alex's girls ^jump,^ he gets a little nervous, but they don't get away. 

@GreenPig  Thanks friend!  I'm learning with every fish at this point on the spin pole, but I really appreciate how they allow me to connect more with the fish.

 

It made me realize how desensitized I was to the magnificent fight of these creatures on 16 and 20lb FC mainly.   

 

Give me a 13-14lb green pig on one and you'll hear me scream from GA 🤣 

6 hours ago, ATA said:

happen to me as well.

 

Nice! I've culled a couple hundred of these in the last few years. My best year for them was 2022 with just over 100 of them culled. I overwhelmingly get them on lipless cranks and jerkbaits, but I've caught them on topwater, senkos, jigs, chatterbaits, etc. I still have people who don't believe me when I talk about how aggressive they can be and how hard the big ones fight, a lot of guys think you can only get them by pestering their beds or by bowfishing.

 

33 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

The haircut police is burned out for the moment.  I've spent the 4 of the last 5 days shoveling and blowing snow here.  Don't have the energy even though it's an obvious violation.

 

You might have a cardiac event if I posted a picture with my hair down

4 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Whenever Alex's girls ^jump,^ he gets a little nervous, but they don't get away. 

I finally felt what it was like to be Katie on those first two fish, and both times your name went through my mind 😁

 

Both of them were seemingly inches from getting in the weeds.   

I've caught a lot of big bass on spinning rods and a lot of big bass on baitcasters.

 

Where I'm casting these days, gonna have to be a baitcaster - Alex, the bait monkey fully and completely applauds your choices regarding rod, reel and line, knowing full well that breaking off means more money in his pocket, but he and I had a talk and as long as I keep throwing my baits into trees and heavy vegetation, we're good.

 

Got my first frog bass of 2024 and Jake got his biggest frog bass yet yesterday on a nasty muggy drizzly cold day where we caught the snot out of them.  Best 5 would probably tick 20 lb for the day which is pretty insane for my lakes.

 

 

I also caught my PB crappie on the spinnerbait which also caught the big bass for the day!

 

Bizzbaits 3/8 oz tandem Tn Shad color with no trailer.

9 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Today though I tried the VMC Crossover Ring in #4 and might have finally stopped hemorrhaging senkos.  Still need the VMC Cross Over pliers because these things are near impossible to get on the bait. 

 

22lbs. is a great day! 
 

I tried the VMC crossover rings last year, and was quite happy with them. 

@Pat Brown: Twenty pounds from one of your ponds??? Man, oh, man, BR is sure stocked with bass whisperers. Jake is growing into a bass magnet like his daddy. 

Myself and Mrs B are back from camping.   I'm off work through Monday so I'll fish some more.  I didn't catch them like I wanted to while camping.  I averaged a Bass an hour, but the biggest was a 17 inch spot(pictured).   Mrs B went out one time, but didn't fish long due to the cold and wind.   Dolly (our Yorkie) went out with me several times.  She get's really excited when I catch a fish.  She love to lick them.  She thinks she's a BIG dog, so I tell her the fish are all big, even if they aren't.  She thinks the one she's licking in the picture is a 5 pounder.   

Alex, hats off for mastering spinning gear.  I can't do it.  I simply can't cast accurately.   I have arthritis in my right trigger finger, perhaps that's part of the problem......or just my excuse.  It doesn't bother me shooting.    I use wackys with a bait caster all the time.  I'd estimate that 1/3 of what I caught, including my biggest was on a wacky.  Weightless Bizz Baits sassy stick.   Most of the others were on a spinner bait.  (don't tell Tnriver)

 

To the haircut police.  I don't want to cause any more stress.  I'll try to keep my hat on.  

 

 

 

Dunno how I skipped over this thick beauty that was part of our banner day yesterday in my post but here she is!  Another tank on that bizzbait spinnerbait!

 

13 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Had a great day yesterday with almost 22lbs, all on the whacky rigged senko.   Also included are a couple good fish I caught on Saturday and Sunday.....all on the whacky rigged senko.    Over the last two weeks I've blown through about 6 packs of yamasenkos, and countless O Rings/cross over rings.   Today though I tried the VMC Crossover Ring in #4 and might have finally stopped hemorrhaging senkos.  Still need the VMC Cross Over pliers because these things are near impossible to get on the bait.  

 

I've been using 3/8" clear heat shrink tubing for years on my wacky rigged senkos. Extremely cost effective, matches any color worm, hugs flush to the bait, and the durability is phenomenal. I paid $15 for 50 feet of it back in 2017 and I'm not even close to the end of the spool.

 

No special pliers needed!

@Aaron_H, what shrinks the tubing?

23 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@Aaron_H, what shrinks the tubing?

 

It's heat shrink tubing, so just a lighter held near it for a couple of seconds will shrink it. I find the best way to get a tight fit is to stretch the senko a little bit as I'm applying the heat so it shrinks to a smaller diameter. The 3/8" tube diameter is perfectly sized to slide over a senko.

Amazing day Pat!   20lb sacks = cracking the code 😎

 

@The Baron   Thanks friend!   Overnight I tried to pre rig a few more senkos with the #4s......first two broke so back to the drawing board.   Wish there was a size b/t #4 and #5.  

 

@Aaron_H  Thanks for the excellent tip brother, think a trip to Lowes is in my future.   

 

@PhishLI  gave me some excellent advice as well, he crosses over two orings so I'm going to give that a try as well. 

 

Thanks Woody!   I hear ya on the spinning gear, until I catch a fish on them they tend to drive me nuts many days.   I know I could reduce some of those headaches running braid to leader.   Gonna have to get a second setup so I try that out.  

 

Wish I had a fishing companion like Dolly 🙂

25 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I hear ya on the spinning gear, until I catch a fish on them they tend to drive me nuts many days.

 

As someone who used spinning gear 99% of the time, I just can't relate. I can hit the pockets with my spinning rods. I guess the credit goes to decades of using them. 

16 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

As someone who used spinning gear 99% of the time, I just can't relate. I can hit the pockets with my spinning rods. I guess the credit goes to decades of using them. 

I feel you, I started with spinning tackle and I was proficient with it before I ever touched a baitcaster