2 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Joe catching his first 2026 bass sure makes me smile.

lol thank you. They are so cold they barely fought but it was a good morning. probably go back when the suns out and if warms up

1 minute ago, Joedodge said:

They are so cold they barely fought

Yeah, I know how that goes. I remember catching some early 2025 bass that were so cold they hurt a little to handle them. Fingers crossed for you fishing again later today!

8 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Yeah, I know how that goes. I remember catching some early 2025 bass that were so cold they hurt a little to handle them. Fingers crossed for you fishing again later today!

Oh man. I will definitely be trying again later lol

3 pounds , 10z

Are you getting your mojo back @N Florida Mike ?

More like losing the colder weather we’ve had this year.

I haven’t caught a bass in my lake in app. 1 month.

All I can seem to catch is 1-2 fish a week in the church pond mostly, but they are quality !

3 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

More like losing the colder weather we’ve had this year.

I haven’t caught a bass in my lake in app. 1 month.

All I can seem to catch is 1-2 fish a week in the church pond mostly, but they are quality !

Those are quality pond fish!

Went back out it warmed up to 40 degrees and sunny. As soon as I got there wind picked up to a stray 13 with 20mph gusts lol. Threw a bladed jig again and a 1/4 ounce owner underpin with a 4 inch crush city mayor. Channeling my inner @Swamp Girl nor a single bite lol. Stopped at another pond I fish not a bite lol. The first pond has never produced for me after about 10am. But man it’s a good one early. The second pond is usually good any time. But waters still insane cold lol. Good day all in all!

Much nicer day than last week, but much slower. I lost a nice bass on a weightless TR with a Neko Macho, but came back a few minutes later and it hit an A-Jay Special. Caught another on a weightless lizard on a WR hook through the head, and one more that completely inhaled it. The lizard was still on the hook but all you could see was a 1/4” of it. No pic as it took time to get the hook out so I got it back in the water ASAP.

I needed some clear water in my life so I paddled around a highland reservoir for a while, got 4-5 smallies. Fun times , caught all the fish with Bobby garland baby shad on 1/16 oz dart head on 4 lb test

Ice out yesterday. Got some good ones today. Water temp 41. Underspin with a 4 in fluke (thanks for the inspiration Katie @Swamp Girl!). I caught several last fall just before freeze up, today in the same area, channel bank in 6 fow.

Happy to see the eagles again!

I remember you fishing that channel bank last fall, Al. It's still producing beautiful bass.

Russ, you don't just catch lots of different kinds of fish in different places. You use lots of different lures too.

1 hour ago, Lottabass said:

Ice out yesterday. Got some good ones today. Water temp 41. Underspin with a 4 in fluke (thanks for the inspiration Katie @Swamp Girl!). I caught several last fall just before freeze up, today in the same area, channel bank in 6 fow.

Happy to see the eagles again!

Beautiful fish! I hope we stay ice out. Our weather has been nuts this year hasn’t it? You find some real monsters for Iowa!

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Russ, you don't just catch lots of different kinds of fish in different places. You use lots of different lures too.

I’ll even use a spinnerbait when I want to get skunked…..

3-12

5-5

3 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

3-12

5-5

Well done! Quality fish!

@thediscochef: I don't know whether to think of you as the Texas @N Florida Mike or perhaps I should think of @Lottabass as the Iowa Disco Chef. So many hammers at Bass Resource!

3 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@thediscochef: I don't know whether to think of you as the Texas @N Florida Mike or perhaps I should think of @Lottabass as the Iowa Disco Chef. So many hammers at Bass Resource!

That’s the truth

12 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@thediscochef: I don't know whether to think of you as the Texas @N Florida Mike or perhaps I should think of @Lottabass as the Iowa Disco Chef. So many hammers at Bass Resource!

I know at some point my recent run of video game-style numbers will eventually relax. But for right now I am enjoying every bit of it. I think I caught one five pound fish in all of 2025

8 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

I know at some point my recent run of video game-style numbers will eventually relax. But for right now I am enjoying every bit of it. I think I caught one five pound fish in all of 2025

Here's Jerry singing for you:

What makes your streak even more impressive is that you're mostly shorebound. You are dialed into those big girls!*

*Say, since you're dialed into the big girls, what's their number? I haven't caught a bass for months and I'm likely still 1.5 months from my first 2026 fish. Have a little pity for a fellow angler who's down on her luck!

Just now, Swamp Girl said:

Here's Jerry singing for you:

What makes your streak even more impressive is that you're mostly shorebound. You are dialed into those big girls!*

*Say, since you're dialed into the big girls, what's their number? I haven't caught a bass for months and I'm likely still 1.5 months from my first 2026 fish. Have a little pity for a fellow angler who's down on her luck!

I have only caught one decent fish from a boat this year, I am doing significantly better from the bank to this point. I'm just pulling a minimax through the fishiest looking slop I can find and receiving bass as a reward

Don't worry. Before you know it, you'll have your own video game numbers while my thermometer looks like it wants to explode

14 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

I know at some point my recent run of video game-style numbers will eventually relax. But for right now I am enjoying every bit of it. I think I caught one five pound fish in all of 2025

Keep killing it! Ride that train till there’s nothing left. Last year everything for me was a string of 1-2.5 pound fish. And I mean a ton of them. A lot of fun. But I only got one around 5 pounds

I was Killing some time this morning while my wife was at the sauna , caught a nice one just downstream of crackhead creek walking the mud flats

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was Killing some time this morning while my wife was at the sauna , caught a nice one just downstream of crackhead creek walking the mud flats

Nice catch!!!

Went out about an hour. We got a tiny front making it colder today. Next week warms up significantly. Can’t wait for next weekend. Threw a bladed jig and a underspin with a mayor trailer and a lil spike it dye. Had three hits. Got this one. And got to try out the kastking scale my wife and daughter got me for Xmas. Went 1.5 pounds. I’m glad fishing is coming back!

Biggest of 3 on the evo minimax this morning