@TnRiver46, yer lucky ya didn't get yer leg tore off by a grass carp!!! 😂

Boy did these feel good. I was looking at dry storeage due to a long a persistent heat pattern of 90 degree temps with 80%+ humidity, however we had a weak boundary layer move in over night that cooled things enough to where i could fish for a couple hours.

 

Got the half pounder and 25-30 minutes later got the channel cat, then an hour after that I caught the 16" 1.7 lb bass. No giants by any means, but after the last 4-5 trips were skunks with nary even any nibbles, it felt great for the line to go tight again.  The bigger of the two bass cost me a pair of jeans as when i stooped down to lip it, there was an immediate RRRRRRRRRRRREEIIIIPPPPPPP along the inseam that created a huge hole. 100% worth it though.

 

Also, i believe i hooked into a rather large grass carp as something took 20 lb braid straight out and popped it like it was nothing.

4 hours ago, BluegillsTightlines said:

Boy did these feel good. I was looking at dry storeage due to a long a persistent heat pattern of 90 degree temps with 80%+ humidity, however we had a weak boundary layer move in over night that cooled things enough to where i could fish for a couple hours.

 

Got the half pounder and 25-30 minutes later got the channel cat, then an hour after that I caught the 16" 1.7 lb bass. No giants by any means, but after the last 4-5 trips were skunks with nary even any nibbles, it felt great for the line to go tight again.  The bigger of the two bass cost me a pair of jeans as when i stooped down to lip it, there was an immediate RRRRRRRRRRRREEIIIIPPPPPPP along the inseam that created a huge hole. 100% worth it though.

 

Also, i believe i hooked into a rather large grass carp as something took 20 lb braid straight out and popped it like it was nothing.

 

Nice!  You were due!

Quick after work session to get the skunk off a new rod. Good thing they only wanted a worm today.

Got out around 530 this morning and hit a nice predawn walking bait bite. Caught 7 on that, the surface noise died down so I went to a different spot and caught two nice ones on a dropshot. This dude in his bass club jacket rolled over and spotlocked where my lures were landing (he saw me land the first good one). Our lures collided midair which was annoying. But on that same cast I caught another out from under him. I've said this before. But if I'm on a good bite and you mannerlessly roll up on me like that trying to pick one off, one of us is gonna leave with hurt feelings and it's probably not gonna be me. Just talk to me, and we can fish the same spot.

The resort that the wife and I were visiting allowed me to bank fish their little shallow pond.

Was sight fishing with a Jackall flickshake in Cola...... only saw 3 and caught them.

An angler in a boat should generally concede the stretch of shoreline that the bank basser is fishing. The only exception would be the angler in a boat is fishing there first. If you have a boat and you can't go off and find some bass, your fish finding skills need upgrading.

 

I took my sister on a paddle this morning to my pond. I didn't fish much, but I caught a bass on my first cast. Then I paddled her to the wetlands and told her how a cast inches from the shoreline with a parallel retrieve can also catch bass.

 

"Let's see," she said.

 

So, I caught a bass on that first attempt.

 

I took her to a laydown. Again, first cast.

 

Then I took her to my big bass spot and failed to catch a bass on the first AND second casts, but caught one on the third.

 

But we mostly just paddled.

Just out having some fun! 

First cast curse was real today, got this guy on a bfs swimbait and that was it for about 2.5 hours.

2nd (and third) fish doubled up on the Karashi, thought it was a big striper at first with the way it was shaking around. Broke me off at the bank and I lost the 2nd fish but I got the bigger of the two and he still had the lure so win win.

Destroyed my first set of Karashi hooks, poor lure did not like 2 fish at the same time.

couple dropshot dinks to wrap up the morning

Fished some pretty thick hydrilla this am on Guntersville. Managed to grab this guy (a touch over 2), and it felt like I hooked into a shark. Look at the pic of the hydrilla and you’ll understand why…

5 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

An angler in a boat should generally concede the stretch of shoreline that the bank basser is fishing. The only exception would be the angler in a boat is fishing there first. If you have a boat and you can't go off and find some bass, your fish finding skills need upgrading.

It's always first-come first-served at the public lake, but I will happily share water with anyone who wants to be friendly and have some manners about it. I've been focused on having a better attitude about it this year, I've had multiple times where I get rolled on but we're chill about it. It can be a good experience if you make it good. But this guy didn't even want to say "hi" back to me. I wasn't even casting long, I was maxing about 30 yards with a spinning rod lol

18 minutes ago, Smirak said:

Fished some pretty thick hydrilla this am on Guntersville. Managed to grab this guy (a touch over 2), and it felt like I hooked into a shark. Look at the pic of the hydrilla and you’ll understand why…

that is the grass that dreams are made of. i wish my lake could grow hydrilla instead of the invasive milfoil

5 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Just out having some fun! 

 

Hey, with that attitude, you should join the Susky Team!

Got this lil chubbers this evening. 3/16 sniper jog and a missle baits d bomb as a trailer. Slow hopped/drug on the bottom. Got a lil sickness on her tail. Feel like she had a funky upper jaw too. Caught two other little ones before leaving. 

Not often my daughter will come fishing with me. But lil lady got one today on a watermelon red swimming yum dinger. First one she’s ever hooked and caught all on her own with a lure. 

Tried to load pictures but they kept loading sideways.

 

      Between scorching sun where I hid under an umbrella, to dark clouds and thunderbursts that challenged my courage, I managed to gets lots of smallies.

     There is a two mile stretch of the Cumberland river a few miles below the Old Hickory dam that is my go-to. The current is usually about 1-1.5 mph and that is perfect for my style of fishing. I toss a soft plastic (Ned Rig) on the rocks, and bounce the lure as close as I can to the bottom on the retrieve, as I drift with the current. I hang up often but I have learned to deal with this in a fun way. When I have to troll against the current, towards the banks to retrieve the hang up, I toss a Gitzit swim bait parallel to the shore. This is a killer, as the smallies just can't pass it up. The combination of the current dragging Ned, and the stationary tossing of the Gitszit made for a memorable float. Caught about thirty yesterday afternoon until Mother Nature intervened and ran me off the river. They were still biting as the lightning inched closer, and the wind picked up. Rain I can stand, electrocution I cannot!

I fished alone this morning, the first time in a couple weeks that I've done that. It was a little creepy because a paddleboarding woman was murdered near here a few days ago and some are thinking that New England has a serial killer, as other women have been found murdered in the woods and on the water. I go slowly in the woods, stopping a lot to listen. And I have my military-grade pepper spray and knife ready, but it's still creepy.

 

Anyway, I caught 21 this morning, which is average for July, my hardest month. I'll start with a dink:

 

 

But I mostly caught 3.0-3.5-pounders, as well as smallmouth up to 17 inches:

 

 

I caught them on a Rage Bug, an underspin, a wacky worm, and a walking bait. 

 

On 7/12/2025 at 9:47 AM, Bird said:

 

 

 

That bass looks like he just got back from a hard days work.

 

Smoking a cigarette with a dip in.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

I fished alone this morning, the first time in a couple weeks that I've done that. It was a little creepy because a paddleboarding woman was murdered near here a few days ago and some are thinking that New England has a serial killer, as other women have been found murdered in the woods and on the water. I go slowly in the woods, stopping a lot to listen. And I have my military-grade pepper spray and knife ready, but it's still creepy.

 

Anyway, I caught 21 this morning, which is average for July, my hardest month. I'll start with a dink:

 

 

But I mostly caught 3.0-3.5-pounders, as well as smallmouth up to 17 inches:

 

 

I caught them on a Rage Bug, an underspin, a wacky worm, and a walking bait. 

 

Katie, that is so scary. Wish you carried something stronger than pepper spray, like a Glock. Glad you got to fish though. Hope that insane creep gets caught soon. What a devil.

On 7/12/2025 at 4:18 PM, Smirak said:

 

 

I don't think I've ever seen weeds like that?

 

Is it like that top to bottom?

 

How do you even fish that?

 

Heavy punch?

 

Looks like someone threw 1,000 Christmas trees into the water!

1 hour ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I don't think I've ever seen weeds like that?

 

Is it like that top to bottom?

 

How do you even fish that?

That's the norm around here too, but way worse, right up to the top. How to fish it? Stout rods, straight braid, heavy baits, and patience.

Throw in Spatterdock just for fun.

@PhishLI: In your situation, I suggest a bunker buster bomb dropped from a B-2, followed by a finesse lure like a Ned. 

On 7/11/2025 at 8:37 AM, TnRiver46 said:

 

@Swamp Girl, maybe you can disguise yourself as grass the way @TnRiver46 does so they can't see you.

 

Seriously...be careful. That's scary. The husband/dad in me says maybe it's best for you to fish with someone until they catch the murderer. If you can't do that, please make sure someone knows where you are.

2 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

I don't think I've ever seen weeds like that?

 

Is it like that top to bottom?

 

How do you even fish that?

 

Heavy punch?

 

Looks like someone threw 1,000 Christmas trees into the water!

It’s top to bottom in many places. That particular cove was top to bottom until about 10’ from the bank. It dropped pretty sharply there and the weeds didn’t make it all the way. Then, it dropped to about a 20’ depth and it’s just a soft bottom there. 
 

I don’t fish thick hydrilla often because I don’t know how to fish it. However, since I got the grass piece, I’m throwing it everywhere in the hydrilla…

4 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Katie, that is so scary. Wish you carried something stronger than pepper spray, like a Glock.

 

I second this. Stay safe out there. 

1 hour ago, Fishlegs said:

If you can't do that, please make sure someone knows where you are.

 

Will do. I invite all you hunters to Maine...for a manhunt!