Did well today with close to 30 bass in the boat.

This was the best of the day coming on a Jackal kaera red frog.

 

Couple decent ones and a few dinks today. Guess I could have caught some more dinks if I tried my regular baits. Didn't feel like it.

 

 

 

 

 

Went for a short trip with the G-Daughter and got this one one an orange senko right before a thunderstorm sent us home.

I was on the short and stocky bite this past weekend.

Day use area opened up this Memorial Day weekend at Caney Lakes lower lake side in Minden, La. I had to work all weekend and Memorial Day so I got up early and was there by just a little after 6am this morning. Tried my new Prop Frogs but nothing really showed interest in them. That's when I started chunking my trusty ole 1/2oz breaking bream Project Z with a green pumpkin Rage Craw trailer. About 3 or 4 casts later it got smoked by an approximately pound or pound and a half bass(not pictured because it shook off my bait before I could unhook it myself and it hit the pier and flopped back into the lake). Got a few more bites but nothing committing so I tried some other baits. Nothing doing with them after about 2 hours of trying different ones. Went back to my all time fave 1/2oz breaking bream Project Z same trailer and a few casts later this 3lb 4oz hawg annihilated my chatterbait. She gave a little bit of a fight but I got her in fairly quick. Pulled her through the tall weeds on the shoreline and was raising my rod up to grab the line to unhook her when my favorite rod snapped about a foot from the tip. Oh I was so frustrated with that. I'm back to just a spinning and a baitcaster arsenal at the moment but at least this big girl didn't get away. Finally inching closer to a new PB and I believe it can happen in this part of the lake. There was lots of big splashing going on and I saw a few big bass in there. Soooooooo can't wait to go there again. Think I've finally found a good spot. Just sucks it's only opened from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. I'll just have to go there as often as I can in that time frame. ?

Went to visit a friend, and swung by a lake on the way back.

 

Cool place, and here's my "I got skunked" pic.

 

 

 

Just kidding. Caught a few walking the banks.

 

 

 

got my new PB 10.52 Saturday

@MichaelCopeland I think you need a new scale. Lol. 

 

You get measurements on that hog!? 

Not a bass, caught a lot of little dinks out of my in-law's pond this weekend too, but my greatest catch caught these cats this weekend all by herself.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Yeajray231 said:

@MichaelCopeland I think you need a new scale. Lol. 

 

You get measurements on that hog!? 

Not sure about needing a new scale, but I probably shoulda weighed her again. She was feisty and kept flopping out of my hand. She also did that while weighing her, so it's probably not truly accurate. I didn't want to keep her out of the water any longer than I already had so I didn't weigh her again. Didn't get any measurements unfortunately. Forgot I had a measuring tape til after I'd already released her.

On 5/29/2018 at 5:36 PM, Yeajray231 said:

@MichaelCopeland I think you need a new scale. Lol. 

 

You get measurements on that hog!? 

Yeah, I was thinking the same, unless he's 5' tall or something. 

 

On 5/29/2018 at 6:49 PM, MichaelCopeland said:

Not sure about needing a new scale, but I probably shoulda weighed her again. She was feisty and kept flopping out of my hand. She also did that while weighing her, so it's probably not truly accurate. I didn't want to keep her out of the water any longer than I already had so I didn't weigh her again. Didn't get any measurements unfortunately. Forgot I had a measuring tape til after I'd already released her.

She isn't overly fat but not paper thin either. A 3lb fish around here will typically be in the 18" range. I'd guess your fish somewhere in the 20-22 inch range and closer to 5 pounds than 3 pounds. Regardless, congrats on nice fish no matter what she weighed. 

 

@MichaelCopelandI totally agree with blue and yeajray here. Your fish is not even close to 4 lbs. I know because the past week I caught a lot in 3.5-4lbs range. I think 5 or may be close to 6 lbs.

Congrat let call this fish your PB at 5.5lbs shall we?

12 hours ago, MichaelCopeland said:

 

Now that's what I call a Bucketmouth!! Grats Michael!

A 4 1/2 lb'er from over the weekend - from the fight, I thought it was going to be way bigger. It pulled off drag and made more than one run. 

 

On 5/29/2018 at 9:52 AM, Gundog said:

I've never had a fish take the hooks deep on this type of bait. Almost always get one hook inside mouth and the other outside. Maybe its because they swipe at it more than try to inhale it. I also work it with a steady cadence so that might have something to do with it. But you do have to take care when removing those hooks from the fish more than a frog hook. That's why in the pic I've got the bass by the back. Don't want to get my hands anywhere near a treble when its imbedded in a bass. 

I just got the Strike King version of a spook. I was expecting it to walk like a frog, but nope. It's amazing. Definitely my new favorite topwater...

10 hours ago, JustJames said:

@MichaelCopelandI totally agree with blue and yeajray here. Your fish is not even close to 4 lbs. I know because the past week I caught a lot in 3.5-4lbs range. I think 5 or may be close to 6 lbs.

Congrat let call this fish your PB at 5.5lbs shall we?

Yeah I wish I'd had time to weigh her again. My first thought before ever putting her on the scale was a new PB about 5lbs worth. Was pretty surprised to see 3lb 4oz on the scale. As far as calling her 5.5lbs, I'd love to, but without an accurate reading I'll just call it a tie with my PB. Don't want to cheat for a new one...lol. ?

Don't worry you will catch many more. Your new PB is coming soon. I see the future LOL.

“Biggest” and hardest fighting 3lb bass I’ve ever pulled in. Black/blue Dinger on all the fish I caught today. 

 

 

 

@MichaelCopeland Hawg! ?

On 5/29/2018 at 8:05 PM, MichaelCopeland said:

?

 

 

I agree with the others that your scale gave you a false reading. Congrats on the big fish. 

Finally!  Broke the ice with my first smallie of the year on Tuesday.  2.5 lb chunk

 

2 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

I agree with the others that your scale gave you a false reading. Congrats on the big fish. 

I'm gonna test my scale out today on something that won't be flopping around. My girlfriend suggested to put a full thing of sugar in a bag and weigh it. Should weigh to within +5 or -5 grams of the actual weight of 4lb bag of sugar.

6 hours ago, Catt said:

@MichaelCopeland Hawg! ?

Thanks! Cool thing is is there's more that size and even bigger out there. Sucky thing is that area is only opened through Labor Day weekend. Just gonna have to get out there as much as I can before it's closed til next Memorial Day weekend. ? 

18 hours ago, JustJames said:

Don't worry you will catch many more. Your new PB is coming soon. I see the future LOL.

Well I tested my scale and it was accurate on the weight of the 4lb bag of sugar. Thanks @JustJames for the encouragement and positive thoughts. I, too, believe it's coming soon. ?

On 5/29/2018 at 8:05 PM, MichaelCopeland said:

Day use area opened up this Memorial Day weekend at Caney Lakes lower lake side in Minden, La. I had to work all weekend and Memorial Day so I got up early and was there by just a little after 6am this morning. Tried my new Prop Frogs but nothing really showed interest in them. That's when I started chunking my trusty ole 1/2oz breaking bream Project Z with a green pumpkin Rage Craw trailer. About 3 or 4 casts later it got smoked by an approximately pound or pound and a half bass(not pictured because it shook off my bait before I could unhook it myself and it hit the pier and flopped back into the lake). Got a few more bites but nothing committing so I tried some other baits. Nothing doing with them after about 2 hours of trying different ones. Went back to my all time fave 1/2oz breaking bream Project Z same trailer and a few casts later this 3lb 4oz hawg annihilated my chatterbait. She gave a little bit of a fight but I got her in fairly quick. Pulled her through the tall weeds on the shoreline and was raising my rod up to grab the line to unhook her when my favorite rod snapped about a foot from the tip. Oh I was so frustrated with that. I'm back to just a spinning and a baitcaster arsenal at the moment but at least this big girl didn't get away. Finally inching closer to a new PB and I believe it can happen in this part of the lake. There was lots of big splashing going on and I saw a few big bass in there. Soooooooo can't wait to go there again. Think I've finally found a good spot. Just sucks it's only opened from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. I'll just have to go there as often as I can in that time frame. ?

Congratulations on your new personal best bass.

Little Hawaiian smallmouth on the fly, also a new species for me. (Hope this pic shows up, I’m still having trouble posting pics)