The night bite continues to be slow. I got started about 02:00 and by first light just after 05:00 I only had half a dozen bass and this nice eater eye. Best bass was this 3.42#. I also lost a much better eye while trying to turn my light on to net it. That's the second time in two weeks I've lost a big eye like that. They're all getting boat flipped going forward.

After daylight I found some muskie stacked up in the back of a bay, right in the creek channel. 6 follows with two of those buggers nipping the grub off the back of my double 8 spinner. 🤦‍♂️ Grrr...

 On the way back to the ramp I stopped to chat with a buddy. He also moved six fish this morning. Difference is, he put four in the net, with two over 40. He also got a 47 yesterday afternoon.  Thus proving... I suck!!! 😂

@T-Billy, 2 things: 

 

1: I had forgotten that you also catch bass. 😆 

 

2: I know from seeing all your posts and the beautiful muskie you routinely catch that, while you may struggle occasionally, you definitely do not suck. 

I agree with ICD. Tim rocks.

38 minutes ago, IcatchDinks said:

2: I know from seeing all your posts and the beautiful muskie you routinely catch that, while you may struggle occasionally, you definitely do not suck.

Yeah, I do OK. Just a little self deprecating humor there. I tell ya though, those slimy buggers will humble ya. 

 It doesn't help my ego any that the two guys I compare my success with are a full time guide, and a guy who's lived on the lake and muskie fished it for 40 years. I'll have my first full year of chasing them in next month. I'm a wee bit behind on the learning curve compared to those two guys. LOL!!! They're both great mentors to me though. I'm blessed to have their guidance and friendship.

 

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I'll have my first full year of chasing them in next month.

 

This surprises me, Tim. It feels like you've been hunting muskies for much longer.

 

I'm just glad that Tim and @TnRiver46 are catching fish. This thread has been pretty quiet. Too hot to catch bass? For me, its the wind. It won't stop blowing. I'll launch tomorrow evening when it dips to 6 mph, but even that's more than I like. 

 

When I launch tomorrow, I'll only have spinnerbaits and jigs on my line. I made a rare new lure purchase of three Terminator titanium spinnerbaits and they're so pretty, I have to try them, and @PhishLI coached and encouraged me to use jigs, so I'll try those too. Over the last half century, I've jigged plenty for walleyes, but that's a different type of jigging. So, no poppers, Ploppers, or underspins tomorrow! 

 

Can I troll a spinnerbait? I ask because when I cross the tomorrow's pond to reach the area where I'll cast, I like to troll so that I'm fishing every single second. And can I troll a jig? FWIW, I catch some bass every trip by trolling. I've just never trolled a spinnerbait or jig. 

@ol'crickety you can troll both. Yeah thread is a little quiet. We did good in NC but I’ve just been logging my reports in my own thread. 
 

I’m back in TX and Stillhouse Union Grove Ramp is back open. It’s one of the tougher areas for me to figure out but one of my favorites for night fishing. You know what that means 

Rumor has it that @thediscochef’s bank fishing conditions are about to get right, too.

Go get those night bass, @LrgmouthShad! You too, @thediscochef!

19 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I also lost a much better eye while trying to turn my light on to net it.

 

I lost a few fumbling for a light, and still occasionally lose one fumbling for my net.  I use one of these lights and no longer lose fish trying to turn my light on.  This light has a sensor you just wave by to turn it on.  I can pick my arm up, waving my bicep past it to turn it on without taking a hand off my rod.   

https://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Christmas-Waterproof-Flashlight-Repairing/dp/B0B4KJ3MWK/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3RC8FYH9SPAJZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X4FB1XekOcJowkux5Ayim4UW-BPqenb5rDcz0IF0nYOCb6XgWZIrNnWctj68GPsy73p7-08wZl1CCWoZNIAOEBgO-O4q_0AQfPORY6QoVMsQ1NzOkQvYxfgTWCHAkGyg2eiAYv9CXJ5ZxpYvYt031U1zdXjtQmZzYEZfRy9Y29LBDClg5qU0mxevBaYV1qNW548uANvxpsF_G7qZZQCEhTmH0jgOrS6XDz7rslsAhBKBqlc6ZYwQOFOU68GObCS6lKztcGtbIHQsRk5zLXXWfb5mk4mm4DlOfkGFglgJbXQ.1CCRRz1zwV_ZiwyenV1JW4MwwBvWTEFfugdPouwdCds&dib_tag=se&keywords=head%2Bworn%2Blight&qid=1720880112&sprefix=head%2Bworn%2Blight%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-9&th=1

Quick 4lber before the rental boaters ran me off the lake. This fish fell for a 13” worm stitched over main lake structure. Super hot, calm conditions combined with pressured fish  called for a less orthodox approach.

@Fried Lemons: How long is that worm???

Nabbed a couple of small bass this morning.  Both of em on the Mepps #5

 

 

@IcatchDinks: It's good to see a Mepps being used. They're oldies, but goodies.

Got in some of what I believe was earlier referred to as squishing (squishing in fishing before a social function) from 7-11:30 today , captured a couple. One Kentucky spot on the besotted popper, also got to use my new seaguar braid. Pretty cool stuff ! That popper is light and I was throwing it quite a ways. The smallie hit half a purple worm on a jighead. Water temp 75 upriver 
 

here’s the line tied to backing via alright knot, it’s pink and yellow like a fly fishing strike indicator 

 

 

7 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

This surprises me, Tim. It feels like you've been hunting muskies for much longer.

I started actually targeting them with the A-rig in the fall of 22, but it was just last August when I started buying muskie gear and fishing for them outside of the cold water seasons.

Ol Monsters have been working out pretty good for me this Summer. Tried to send a few more pics but they won’t go through size feature 

1 hour ago, flatcreek said:

Ol Monsters have been working out pretty good for me this Summer.

I could get by quite happily with a chatterbait, a beaver type bait, and a black 'Ol Monster all summer long.

I went last night/this morning from 2 until 6.   I didn't get skunked.  I caught 1.  The good news is, I've caught at least one 5 pound Bass every month this year.  The only one I got in the boat today was a 21 inch long 5.02 pound Spot.   I zeroed my scale and weighed it twice.   I caught it on my last cast.  (I try to leave on a catch every trip).  I lost decent Largemouth a couple cast earlier right next to the boat.  The LM I lost ate a DT6.   I didn't want to damage my rod boat flipping it, didn't want to lip it and get trebles in my hand, and was too lazy to get my net out.  I had the line in my hand lifting it up, and it flipped and got off.   I caught the Spot on a Seibert Bladed Jig.   I lipped it.   Water temperature was 89 degrees.  At one point the reading on my graph was 89.9.  It will be over 90 degrees today.   

 

15 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I've caught at least one 5 pound Bass every month this year.  The only one I got in the boat today was a 21 inch long 5.02 pound Spot.   I zeroed my scale and weighed it twice.   I caught it on my last cast. 

 

Dang, Woody, you've got style. You fish like this guy walked and talked:

 

@Woody B, that’s a Spotapotamus. Bet you thought you had another monster catfish , I can’t imagine the fight 

I’m not known around here for fishing lakes, largies or using my electronics to target fish. I did however cut my teeth using electronics to catch musky on lakes and in open water settings. No scope needed

Congrats Woody, a 5lb Spot is a really special fish!   

 

Few things meaner in this world than a 5lb Spot, 24/7 murder machines with fins.  

6poundbass and I hit the water today. Nothing big but the numbers weren’t too bad. Ten fish in three hours, seven bass, and three pike. First bass of the day choked a @Siebert Outdoors swim jig. Besotted Lures lipless crank accounted for three bass, and something I haven’t done in a long time is throw a deep diving crankbait. The Besotted Lures deep diver accounted for three bass and a pike. Vibrating jig was the other key lure of the day. 
 

 

Got a couple nice bass today before some buffoons in a couple trailers started making ob oxious racket driving around the road behind the lake and back. It was a great day and both these fish slammed love bluegill and danced on the surface of the water like skipjack. Lots of fun. And got to do it in the company of s really good friend who just got his DD 214 from the Navy and transferring back to civilian life.

I beat the skunk by one. One bass in a morning of fishing. I wasn’t sure how the fishing would be after the hurricane but it was dead. One 12” bass and a few bites that I’m sure were bluegills.