Congrats @Bluebasser86!!! That thing is insane 

...and @Bluebasser86 is going to find a way to catch it!

Right now Clayton is fishing for Great Whites off the coast of South Africa. He's fishing with a Snoopy rod and water wings and said, "I'm afraid that this setup might be overkill."

21 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Right now Clayton is fishing for Great Whites off the coast of South Africa. He's fishing with a Snoopy rod and water wings and said, "I'm afraid that this setup might be overkill."

     Just read where one is pinging off the Florida coast. Clayton can stay in the states if he chooses. Either way, my money's not on the shark!

     If that thing were swimming in my pond, I could follow its wake. It would cure my otter problem! Muskrats too!

@Blue Raider Bob: Clayton's Moby Cat could eat your muskrats! 

 

@Bluebasser86: Clayton, please go catch the kitty again and mail it to Bob. He really needs it. 

 

Great Googly Moogly!!!

15 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

@Blue Raider Bob: Clayton's Moby Cat could eat your muskrats! 

 

@Bluebasser86: Clayton, please go catch the kitty again and mail it to Bob. He really needs it. 

 

Actually, I DON'T want it. I swim in that pond too!    👀

Man Alive! The last time I saw a cat that big it was in a fish tank!

I observe that since Clayton posted his cat, none of us have bothered to post anything. I don't know about the rest of you, but I waved a white flag in the general direction of Kansas and threw all my gear into a dumpster. 

Haven't been out in a few days....cold, snow, grandkids.... so about 3PM, the mercury nudged up over 30 and winds were under 10, I figured I had to get out.   Only few bites before the iced up guides and level wind got the best of me.  Shame, because they were all good ones.  Best 2 were 4.8 and 3.5.

Nice fish @Choporoz!

 

Last winter I had a few morning where I had to battle freezing guides, but Reel Magic and just dipping the rods allowed me to keep fishing.

 

This winter however I've had a few morning where my reels wouldn't work.   I didn't even know that was possible, but as you mentioned the level wind seems to be the weak link.    

 

I will say many of my most epic winter days all started off with freezing guides and gave way to very sunny days in the high 40s/low 50s.      Something about that combo seems to make the bigger fish chew.  

@Choporoz, catching bass in those conditions means you get to add a pound to each, so you caught a cold-adjusted 5.8 and 4.5. 

On 1/11/2025 at 9:14 PM, Swamp Girl said:

@TnRiver46: You had me at " the quarry behind my house."

It’s not exactly quiet and calm like Maine, it’s a zoo for humans most of the year. There were a bunch of people cold plunging in the snow haha. Check out this wild video from the quarry this summer when a cliff collapsed and a resulting tsunami washed people and pets up into the woods 

 

 

15 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I waved a white flag

We've all waved that flag!

14 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Haven't been out in a few days....cold, snow, grandkids.... so about 3PM, the mercury nudged up over 30 and winds were under 10, I figured I had to get out.   Only few bites before the iced up guides and level wind got the best of me.  Shame, because they were all good ones.  Best 2 were 4.8 and 3.5.

I'm jealous!     Not just the fish.....but the big dose of (WANT TO), to get out in it and succeed!  My (want to) needs a caffeine boost and your post just gave it!

First couple nice ones of the year on the fairy wand and minnow.     The 5.14 was caught Damiki Rigging a 1/4oz Deps MIDST/Drift Fry in about 20ft using 2D sonar.    The 5.8 was caught bottom strolling the same Drift Fry setup in about 20ft as well.   

 

That Deps MIDST is a great jighead to use if you want to bottom stroll as it's the only purpose built strolling jighead that incorporates a weed guard to my knowledge.    Really allows you to open up another zone of life to target with your minnow game.  

 

 

Hooray for Alex!

Went with the wife and k9 mango to the quarry from 5-6 pm. Caught one little bass where the water flows out of a cave into the pond. The girls saw lots of birds and scared 4 deer. Fun evening ! 

 

If @TnRiver46 ever decides to teach Living well 101, I'm taking the course, sitting in the first row, and taking notes.

 

P. S. - And I won't be giving "teach" an apple. I'll be plopping a bushel of apples on his desk!

I blanked today but I got to see a cormorant take off and drop a huge deuce right onto the head of a blue heron. That's a catch of sorts. I wish I had that on video. We're due for a huge cold blast this weekend so hopefully some decent fishing comes after that

I'm not sure I've ever seen a bait that's more feast or famine than an A-Rig.    We had a dramatic pressure drop and fast moving front approach yesterday afternoon, and it was like a light switch flipped.   Caught 25.5lbs on the A-Rig in about two hours.  

 

6.11

 

6.8 

 

6.1

7 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Caught 25.5lbs on the A-Rig in about two hours.  

 

Dang, you sure can fish. 25.5 pounds in two hours!

8 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I'm not sure I've ever seen a bait that's more feast or famine than an A-Rig.    We had a dramatic pressure drop and fast moving front approach yesterday afternoon, and it was like a light switch flipped.   Caught 25.5lbs on the A-Rig in about two hours.  

 

6.11

 

6.8 

 

6.1

 

 

That's what I'm talking bout let's GO Alex!!!

Went fishin Friday after work and got some threadfin for bait, they were slowly dying off at 45-46 water temp. Didn’t catch anything from 5:15-6:30 but kept the shad for today

 

Today it was misty rain but not pouring so I went to a different spot. I followed loons all the way from the dock to where I wanted to try. Caught the first fish, a spotted bass, with a tiny fluke on a jighead. Tossed back into the same spot with a dead shad from Friday and something hit immediately, pulled hard then came off. Rebaited, try again and connected with a decent smallmouth. I was thinking this must be the spot but no more action for a while so I moved around, crossed the channel with no luck. Started heading back toward my starting point and got a nice white bass on a dead shad. I decided to toss the tiny fluke/jighead at the bank for a while got a good hit, boated a 19” smallmouth that jumped many times, always fun. Brought the spotted bass and white bass home for eating 

 

 

Awesome fish @TnRiver46

 

Looks like you ate half a SM though 🤣

 

Your stretch of river seems to have lots of those meanmouths.

 

eta:  

 

Thanks Katie and Pat!!!!    Now I'll go another two years of chunking and winding that silly thing until lightning strikes again 😁

58 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Now I'll go another two years of chunking and winding that silly thing until lightning strikes again 😁

 

Nah. You bass whisper. 

 

Beauty, @TnRiver46!