Water is coffee + creamer thick here, below a dam

somewhere might be my only chance 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Water is coffee + creamer thick here, below a dam

somewhere might be my only chance 

Straight chocolate milk here as well.    Almost sunk the S.S. Minnow, took like an hour to bilge out.     Gonna be awhile until fishing is good again sadly.  

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Straight chocolate milk here as well.    Almost sunk the S.S. Minnow, took like an hour to bilge out.     Gonna be awhile until fishing is good again sadly.  

Time to break out the red hot and lava red hot sauce colored Fogy Chatterbaits from Sieberts ! 

Bass didn’t like today’s cold front, but I didn’t blank, either. On the other hand, the crappie bite wasn’t bad (Other species catch thread), so there's that.

 

 

 

On 2/12/2025 at 9:16 PM, Swamp Girl said:

Behold what the BR crew has recently caught:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You guys sure can cowboy.'

 

And for the final beast, drum roll please....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have the smallest bass on this post, but it's honest work and I'm happy to be included alongside the other folks who catch fish for real 

6 hours ago, thediscochef said:

I have the smallest bass on this post

 

Nope. There are a number of us tied for the smallest bass, i.e. those of us who have yet to catch a bass in 2025. 

11 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Nope. There are a number of us tied for the smallest bass, i.e. those of us who have yet to catch a bass in 2025. 

Well you weren't pictured so you don't meet the judging criteria yet LOL

 

We'll wait for the first 75 bass of your season (probably less than two days of fishing) before you have a fish that fits on that post

Had a friend come over and fish from 3:30-6:30 .  Fished hard - they were not biting real good today but we managed 13. I got into a little flurry of activity and got 4 in the last 1/2 hour, including the big fish of the day.  Caught those 4 on the magnum speed worm. This was when we were nearly back to my house, fishing the northeast part of the lake. We each had a fish break our line , his broke 15 pound big game.  Still hunting the elusive big fish.

8 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

We'll wait for the first 75 bass of your season (probably less than two days of fishing)

 

Ha! I wish, but I started slowly last year and expect to do the same this year. It's hard for me to catch bass with the water is still c-c-c-cold! It's even harder when I stay close to shorelines because I don't want to be far from the shore if I were to tip, so I can't fish the whole pond/bog, but since you're often fishing from the shoreline, you might just want to play a tiny violin for my sob story.

 

 

Anyway, come the thaw, I plan to target big bass for once. I caught my PB last spring on a cold day. She was one of three bass I caught that day, which taught me that early spring is more quality than quantity. 

 

3 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

We each had a fish break our line , his broke 15 pound big game.

 

Break your line or cut it? I have pickerel cut my line, but I don't think I have more than one bass in a couple thousand break it. 

4 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

 

Anyway, come the thaw, I plan to target big bass for once. I caught my PB last spring on a cold day. She was one of three bass I caught that day, which taught me that early spring is more quality than quantity. 

 

 

 

Let's GOOOOOOO!    This makes me so happy to read!   

 

I just know a really special fish is in your future again this year.    

 

 

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Let's GOOOOOOO!    This makes me so happy to read!   

 

I just know a really special fish is in your future again this year.    

 

 

 

I hope so, Alex, but if I don't boat one, don't be disappointed in me: It won't be for lack of trying. 

You could never disappoint any of your many fans here including myself Katie!

 

I'm just excited to enjoy your unique fishing journey as always, along with seeing a new specific goal or chapter.   I think it just makes sense to focus on those outlier monster fish during the start of your season, then you have the rest of the season to target numbers that defy logic like every year  😎

 

 

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I think it just makes sense to focus on those outlier monster fish during the start of your season, then you have the rest of the season to target numbers

 

That's my plan. However, come fall, I plan to target big bass again. I caught a lot of four and five-plus-pounders last fall. Summer is when I'll kick back and simply catch bass.

Here where I am in North Carolina, pre spawn is JUST trying to start... But we've been having some cold front coming through ever so often, messing up their schedule...

But even in the cold I managed a few catches.

 

@Swamp Girl We dont have pickerals in our lake. There is a small gar population, but I have never had 1 bite an artificial bait before.

And my friend is a very experienced bass fisherman. I think maybe he had a little nick he didn’t notice . Still, 15 pound big game !! Hard to believe.

20 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Still, 15 pound big game !!

 

Did he get a glimpse of what broke it?

On 2/15/2025 at 8:03 PM, N Florida Mike said:

Had a friend come over and fish from 3:30-6:30 .  Fished hard - they were not biting real good today but we managed 13. I got into a little flurry of activity and got 4 in the last 1/2 hour, including the big fish of the day.  Caught those 4 on the magnum speed worm. This was when we were nearly back to my house, fishing the northeast part of the lake. We each had a fish break our line , his broke 15 pound big game.  Still hunting the elusive big fish.

 

6 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

@Swamp Girl We dont have pickerals in our lake. There is a small gar population, but I have never had 1 bite an artificial bait before.

And my friend is a very experienced bass fisherman. I think maybe he had a little nick he didn’t notice . Still, 15 pound big game !! Hard to believe.

 

Only freshwater fish I've had clean cut me off was a bowfin, lost a pricey lipless to that one. Was also on 15lb Big Game, coincidentally.

9 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

 

 

Only freshwater fish I've had clean cut me off was a bowfin, lost a pricey lipless to that one. Was also on 15lb Big Game, coincidentally.

 

 

I get cut off clean at least 4 or 5 times every year fishing mainlake structure where I catch my biggest bass every year.  It's always 15-20 lb big game and flipping baits and it's always instant and super clean cut on hook set. I was recently told our lakes have a ton of mudfish/bowfin in addition to huge pickerel.  

When I fished northwestern Ontario, we rarely fished for pike, but pike fished for our F13 Rapalas on six-pound test that we used to catch smallmouth. Of course, we also lost some lures to pike, usually two or more everyday, but strangely, the pike we were most likely to land were the 40-inchers and the pike we were mostly likely to lose were the hammer handles. 

BIG BIG

Caught a few more. Still small little guys

 

Good job, Rocky!

On 2/16/2025 at 4:12 PM, Swamp Girl said:

Did he get a glimpse of what broke it?

No. It just parted on the set. I don’t remember seeing him retie all afternoon though , and he caught 5-6  fish.

On 2/16/2025 at 10:51 PM, Aaron_H said:

Only freshwater fish I've had clean cut me off was a bowfin

I have never caught one in my lake in 50 years.

13 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Good job, Rocky!

Thanks! 👊

 

 

 

It's so cold for the bass right now in NC I CANT WAIT for March lol

17 minutes ago, Rocky998 said:

Thanks! 👊

 

 

 

It's so cold for the bass right now in NC I CANT WAIT for March lol

 

I'm just glad that somebody is catching fish and sharing their catches!