@TnRiver46: Man, you know how to live. It's clear from your posts how much fun you have with your friends and all the many places you fish and the cool fish you catch. If someone were struggling to squeeze all due joy from life, rather than therapy, I'd suggest you. Hanging with you.

On 9/21/2024 at 5:52 AM, Swamp Girl said:

@thediscochef: night fishing, a new pal, and a burger made of brisket and bacon? No wonder you're pumped!

 

 

How? What was the fight like? Where did they hit? They say pictures tell a thousand words, but I'd trade some of your photos for a few more words. 

 

 

Both fights were pretty epic. The 5 lber hit a little closer in so I didn't have to work as long, but it still made 3 aerial jumps before I got it in.

 

7 lber was about 30 feet out and I had to really work for that one. It took drag and I had to let it tire itself a bit. Reeled up and down like fighting a carp. It did two very big runs and 2 jumps right before I got it into the net.  Bit a Mike Iaconelli 90mm gilly blue gill swimbait.

Thanks, @BluegillsTightlines! Such exciting catches. 

4 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

@TnRiver46: Man, you know how to live. It's clear from your posts how much fun you have with your friends and all the many places you fish and the cool fish you catch. If someone were struggling to squeeze all due joy from life, rather than therapy, I'd suggest you. Hanging with you.

You are too kind ! I appreciate that. Having fun is better than not having fun 

One nice one on Lake 13 this morning out of 6.

 

 

Shooting for 3 more kayak trips over the next month before I hang it up for the season.  Realistically, any more than that would be a bonus.

 

Yesterday's weather was 90's with 5-10 MPH wind from the South. Caught 7 bass, 7 bluegill, and 6 crappie. Water temps were 72-75 degrees. Not a bad day. 

 

Woke this morning to north wind 15-20 MPH, air temp 55 degrees, a cold front had moved through over night and dumped a little rain. Was debating...then checked my fishing logs...I got in to fish last year around this time with similar weather and water temps. So I ventured forth...

 

Glad I did. Worked the spinner-bait in the shallow trees just off the creek channel. Very nice 20" LMB hammered the gold / bluegill colored SB...weight in at 4 lbs. 1 oz. 

 

Five more on the sheet ranging from 12-15". 

 

A good day!

 

Some pics from Friday evening and Sunday morning I forgot to drop in here

 

think that last one is a meanmouth

 

also saw sturgeon continuously sucking on the side of a dam Saturday evening 

 

2 day report.  I struggled yesterday to get 5.  All spots, all between 14 and 16 inches.   Things started really good today.  I caught 3 in the first 20 minutes, but couldn't shake the sharp pain in my right side, so I headed back home.   The pain started last night, but I was able to get comfortable and sleep good.  I thought I could fish through it today.   It feels like a kidney stone, but with no other kidney stone symptoms.  I think it's trapped gas.   When I pass gas the pain goes away for a few minutes.   Biggest from each day pictured.  

 

 

I'm thinking a good thought for you, Woody.

 

Some good looking brown bass, @TnRiver46.

 

Nice one, @DaubsNU1!

Stuck a fun sized fish casting around purtis creek for a bit. Good old red eye shad. Cold front tonight means topwater cove in the morning 💯

8 hours ago, Woody B said:

I think it's trapped gas.   When I pass gas the pain goes away for a few minutes

Hope you feel better soon buddy. 

Easily my best weekend since getting back into bass fishing this August.

 

-Friday Night, No pics. Bright and sunny at first. Caught 6 right next to the ramp; fish were going nuts on the shad. Burned through a brand new package Green Pumpkin Rage Bugs pitching around some lily pads and brush piles, but alternated with some Crush City Ned BLTs which mostly caught smaller bass but still worked.

 

-Saturday. Back to the tackle shop for more Green Pumpkin Rage Bugs. I need to just order a case of these things in the three colors I use.  Tackle jokes with me that I have become their best Bass customer LOL. After my son's soccer game I head over to the neighborhood pond before some college football. Fishing is amazing, I even catch a pig of a crappie. I catch some good ones and then get caught in a lightning storm. But the fishing is so good I hunker down in the woods for 30 minutes. After that the fishing is even better. Still alternating between Rage Bugs and a Ned. But I lose what looked like a 5lbr on the Ned.

 

-Sunday. It pours all night. The shop gave me a solid tip. So I follow through on plans to get to a seclude and inconvenient bank. I get soaked navigating through super tall grass and woods. WORTH IT. I arrive on the bank and the scene was just.... epic. There are large bass jumping clear out of the water on shad. I even see some enormous wipers feasting way out. There's also seagulls, some sort of diving bird (maybe cormorants?) who are not pleased to see me and two bald eagles just feasting on small fish.  Immediately I start landing fish on black and blue Rage Bugs. Nice three lb bass at first. Then I lose my jig rig and decide to throw a spinnerbait for *** and giggles. And boom the biggest fish of the day. A weighed 4 lb bass with a 5lb body. After that I pick up a few more good ones. The birds then gave up and the bite kind of quit.

 

 

Got out for around 3 hours with a friend. Ended up with 10 or so on various baits. He brought his drone and got some cool footage.

Been a crazy summer and 2 months since I last fished and 3 months since I last fished with my dad. He has a new hip on the horizon in November but felt well enough to get back in the boat.

 

On cue, Pops caught a "Papa fish" as the girls call it. 😆

 

The itty bitty LM's were loving the free rig with an OSP.

 

Nice Spot saved the day.

@Pumpkinseed Lizard: You caught the Hunchbass of Notre Dame.

 

@NorcalBassin: Thinking a good thought for Pop's surgery.

 

@N Florida Mike: Those drone shots are cool.

 

@Woody B: How ya feeling, Woody?

Got back a couple of days ago from a solo camping trip on the Delaware River.

Arrived last Monday and by the time I set up camp didn’t have time to launch the kayak.

So fished from shore off the campsite for a hr and was able to land 3 small Smallmouths.

Launched the next day on the river and got 14 Smallmouths, took a while to get on them but changed to drifting the current in 7’ of water over gravel with a Nikko Hellgrammite on a 1/8 ned head was the ticket.

Next day I headed to a lake I never fished, got a Largemouth and small pickerel right away, and that was it for the day, did lose a good one on a drop shot though.

Next day back to the river again, but couldn’t get any kind of consistent bite, wound up with 6 Smallmouths.

The last day I wanted to launch at a site that the road to has been closed all year for repairing the road, it was supposed to be opened on Monday, but now they said it would open on Friday, so I waited till after 9am to go there. Well the road was still had the road blocks up so it was now a change of plans.

I decided to take a ride to a reservoir I had only fished once a couple of years ago.

Wasn’t on the water till 11am, water had a 10’ visibility tried fishing relatively shallow for a while and got nothing. Spoke to a couple different guys on boats and they said it was real slow, they weren’t getting anything either. Fished a little more and couldn’t find anything, so I decided to head back to the ramp fishing along the way.

I figured let me check the 28’ to 32’ line on the way back since nothing was happening shallower.

Still miffed that the road to the other launch was closed, I probably looked like the kid walking down the dirt road with both hands in his pocket kicking rocks along the way.

I finally saw a good size bait ball with some stuff on the bottom, so dropped down a drop shot in a hail Mary attempt. I hook up and it’s a good one, pole bent down into the water and drag going off.

Have it on for a good while until I finally able to see it, a big Smallmouth and I even said out loud “don’t jump”    I was able to land it and it was the biggest Smallmouth I’ve gotten in many years.

Fumbling around for my camera for a quick pic, it shook around and I lost my grip on it and she swam away. Perseverance saved my day, made a great ending to a great trip.

Got back to the campsite and spoke with the lady at the office, she said NPS finally opened the road at 1pm  

Sorry for the long post.

Got out in light rain today, no wind.

Caught only 3 bass but lost a really good one on a Zara Spook.

Did put another Snakehead in the live well though.

Found this guy in a local pond...

 

 

@4n2t0: That's a BIG bass for Canada. Change your PB. It's more than four.

Beat the storms this afternoon. Back to the numbers lake but no wind and heavy cloud cover had the bass suspended high off the bottom and not in a good mood. Was able to piece together 27 today on a combination of cranks and shad-shape soft plastics. Overall quality was up, though I lost the best fish right at the boat, unfortunately. 
 

 

 

 

 

On 9/24/2024 at 7:38 AM, Swamp Girl said:

How ya feeling, Woody?

Doctor said kidney stone.  I got an injection and a prescription.   When I've had stones before the pain would come and go,  but movement or what position I was in had no effect.  I can wiggle around and get pain free, but when I start moving it's really bad.  I'm a little better this afternoon.   They're missing me at work.   I'm sure when I get back I've have some problem vehicles to fix.  

4 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I'm sure when I get back I've have some problem vehicles to fix.  

 

That's the worst thing about staying home: There's extra work when you do return.

 

Sorry you've got a stone, buddy, but I'm happy to read that you're a bit better. The bass in your lakes are all wondering where you went.

Great pictures, everyone!

 

I've been having a heck of a time getting anything of decent size lately. Been catching a bunch, but nothing really over 3#. Finally got on some bigger ones my last few trips out. Got this first guy prooobably on my last punch bite of the season. The others have been on jigs. 

 

The end of the season is closing in, which makes me incredibly sad. Still have another 1.5 months left or so. Every year at this time I tell myself I'm moving south. 😅

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had to return to my pal's pond to flip the canoe with rain coming. While there, I fished the last 1.25 hours of light. Caught eight with a spinnerbait and popper. All the same size. Only photographed the last four, as I was hoping for something bigger with the first four. When I realized it was going to be a Same Size Night, I thought, "I better photograph something!":

 

 

I think we're finally in fall down here. Car said 54 when I got to the lake this morning. They weren't where I expected them to be but I eventually got into some. Only stuck the one, but had probably six or seven misses which is a positive sign. I don't think the giants are quite up with them yet but we're not far from that