1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

@NorcalBassin: I love seeing the different places that bass live. Your lake is so very pretty and I'd love to fish there. I especially love that you fish with Pops. I took my dad into his eighties but then he just became too wobbly to fish from a canoe. I even bought a motorboat, thinking that it might extend his fishing, but he was too old for that too. 

I absolutely dread that day that eventually comes for all of us. I had a similar thought as you when I was in the market to buy a new boat 10 or so years ago, and I went with a multi species boat for the safe and comfortable seating in hopes of adding some more years of fishing. 🤞🤞

2 hours ago, NorcalBassin said:

I absolutely dread that day that eventually comes for all of us. I

 

Yep, for sure.

It was cool, wet, and windy. But I found 5 today.

Confidence on traps and jerkbaits building.

 

Traps are my favorite lure I think. Jerkbait's I'm still trying to figure out, but I'm getting there.

 

Cordell Super Spot here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got this one at the city lake, had a buddy with me, on a trap. 2lb7oz Not the heaviest fish, but he hit hard and pulled drag, a good fighter.

@Bazoo: I don't catch many bass on traps. Wish I did. I've caught a few, but my traps catch more weeds than bass. 

 

@GreenPig: You caught a golden bass. You get to visit Willy Wonka's aquarium!

@Swamp Girl, yeah I didn't either, until I started throwing them a lot. They quickly have gotten to be my favorite.

 

Unfortunately, I lost that trap to a snag... dagnabit.

 5 pounds 2 oz . 
My lake is starting to produce some decent fish again…

 

5 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

 5 pounds 2 oz . 
My lake is starting to produce some decent fish again…

 

 

Drove about 80 miles south to a lake I fish several times a year.  It's a huge numbers lake in the fall, but yesterday the water temps were still 59-60 and the baitfish were still off the shore in the main lake.  I fished the wind and was blessed to catch 13 LM, a striper, and an accidental crappie.  The best was this 5lb 3oz on a lipless crankbait on a rocky, wind-blown bank*.  

*I don't lay fish down.  She darn near laid herself down really hard but I got control of her just as she was going down.  Her tail was already on the carpet so I took this pic to show her fat belly.  She's going to get fatter for the next few weeks.  

 

 

 

As the winds blow to and fro…in-out..up-down the bait and bass go! Not sure what that was, but that’s the current pattern. I see a solid week atleast left more than likely for bass. The bite got a little wonky once we dipped below 60*, but now that it’s cooled to 57* and they’ve adjusted; the bite and fight is there. More aggression, but the fights have been explosive. Big fish have went crazy and when they hit the shallows, look out! 

 

Last trip wasn’t bad, but today was unfishable on the pier as the waves were bouncing off both sides. The wind was punching mostly straight in, so we figured everything might be up further in the channel. We were correct as there was bait in the rocks and big, angry bronze out shadowing them. I only landed 6 today, but 5 were 18-21” or so,  and most were very stout. I had one that would not open its mouth to be lipped properly and was impressive in jaw strength. I also landed a fat little northern that cooperated very well lol

 

 

@JonB2: Given the way you frame your bass, with each bass filling the frame, I have a hard time fingering your 21-inchers. Which one(s) was it? I don't catch many 21-inchers, but when I do, they don't look anything like my beloved 19-inchers:

 

'

 

I actually weighed the one above. It was 6.54 pounds. She had a flat belly, but a big body.

 

I didn't weigh these two, but they had bigger bellies. The bottom one was probably the heaviest of the three, with a big frame and belly:

 

 

Anyway, beautiful bass, guys!

 

Again, they're rare for me. I'll catch twenty-to-forty 19-inchers for every 21-incher.

 

 

@Swamp Girl A couple from the bottom, she wouldn’t stop bending. You can see she’s a good size as is, but there’s still the whole wrist and tail fin curved back. That blind eyed one was also long, just @20”
 

Remember, I live in Michigan and 20-21” smallies are not rare at all. Not everyone gets them and you don’t just walk around banging that size. However, a competent bass angler who regularly fishes smallmouth will hit fish that size at some point. Smallies 17-19” are very common here, inland or Great Lakes

1 hour ago, JonB2 said:

Smallies 17-19” are very common here, inland or Great Lakes

 

They're rare in Maine. I've caught a handful of 18-inchers, but nothing bigger. At least the 18-inchers I catch are bulgy:

 

 

The one above was thrashing like yours. Still, bulgy or not, I'd rather be catching Michigan smallies, which I once did, as they were a blast!

 

 

On the board!

 

 

 

 

Did you actually detect a bite, Bob? If so, then bravo!

17 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

On the board!

 

 

 

 

Proof that the Alabama bass can’t kill all the native spots 

17 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Did you actually detect a bite, Bob? If so, then bravo!

Yep! She slammed it and took off like a locomotive!

Slow at work today, so I hit a work route pond for 45 minutes. Only produced 1 bite and 1 fish on the watermelon red speed worm…

21 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

 

 

 

 

I bet he's going to think twice before showing off in front of the girls again.

I launched one more time because it was driving me crazy seeing all the fine bass and not contributing. Well, it was 39 degrees when I launched and it didn't warm much. I wore a full wetsuit, but I was still cold. I think the bass were cold too, as I skunked for the first 1.5 hours. Then I finally caught four in an eel grass bed. I also caught two thick pickerel. The bass were thick too. I only photographed the first bass because my hands weren't working well:

 

 

All four bass were healthy and looked ready for winter. The pickerel too. It was a gray world:

 

 

When it wasn't gray, it was brown:

 

 

I fan cast a crankbait for open water bass. I also cast a jerkbait and worked a couple drop-offs. I also dragged on crawdad on the bottom. Nada. My only fish were on my underspin in the eel grass and even those bass hit sooooo lightly. Still, it was great to fish one last time and bring my 2025 total to 1451. It was also cool to catch the two picks. I don't catch many picks at my pond and both were big. 

There will be days when the fishing will be better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse.  Either is a gain over just staying home.

 

Water temp was 53.  Caught 6 bass and 4 crappie on a Stunna, 3 bass on a jig n pig.

17 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I launched one more time because it was driving me crazy seeing all the fine bass and not contributing. Well, it was 39 degrees when I launched and it didn't warm much. I wore a full wetsuit, but I was still cold. I think the bass were cold too, as I skunked for the first 1.5 hours. Then I finally caught four in an eel grass bed. I also caught two thick pickerel. The bass were thick too. I only photographed the first bass because my hands weren't working well:

 

 

All four bass were healthy and looked ready for winter. The pickerel too. It was a gray world:

 

 

When it wasn't gray, it was brown:

 

 

I fan cast a crankbait for open water bass. I also cast a jerkbait and worked a couple drop-offs. I also dragged on crawdad on the bottom. Nada. My only fish were on my underspin in the eel grass and even those bass hit sooooo lightly. Still, it was great to fish one last time and bring my 2025 total to 1451. It was also cool to catch the two picks. I don't catch many picks at my pond and both were big. 

Katie, you had a great day and a great year.  1451 is fantastic!  It's hard for us crones and codgers to stay warm in this weather, but we did it!

A few years ago when I was younger and living in MA I would try to kayak fish until Thanksgiving. Then out came the waders until ice. Fished in snow squalls on more than one occasion. Crazy times. Living in FL the past 10 years I am quite cold now when the temperature is below 60. Plus I got old! 🤣

1 hour ago, Lottabass said:

Katie, you had a great day and a great year.  1451 is fantastic!  It's hard for us crones and codgers to stay warm in this weather, but we did it!

 

I look at the photo of you in your coat, Al, and envy you. I went with a full body wetsuit, which can save my life, but is about as comfy as steel wool pajamas. I wish dry suits weren't so expensive! That's a big crappie, Al! I considered photographing one of my big picks, but pickerel don't like to be photographed. 

 

1 hour ago, Lottabass said:

There will be days when the fishing will be better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse.  Either is a gain over just staying home.

 

Love ^this.^

 

1 hour ago, Don51 said:

Living in FL the past 10 years I am quite cold now when the temperature is below 60.

 

Yeah, we adjust to where we live. I wither when it rarely reaches the mid-eighties here. I'm guessing you'd find that temp comfy.