1 hour ago, Fried Lemons said:

First ice out fish, haven’t had open water for over a month. Bigger lakes are still iced.

Hudd?

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Hudd?

68 special

Got on several nice ones today. They were loving a bluegill Spinnerbait w/5” grass pig trailer and any color t-rigged ol’ monster i put on a hook. Bite was very hot for a little over a hour and then it shut down hard.

2 hours ago, STPC said:

Bite was very hot for a little over a hour and then it shut down hard.

That's what happened to @Choporoz too. Like him, you also landed a big girl. You could fit your fist in the mouth of the bass on the bottom.

4 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

That's what happened to @Choporoz too. Like him, you also landed a big girl. You could fit your fist in the mouth of the bass on the bottom.

The one inhaled a 10 inch ribbon tail. It’s hanging out its gills!

13 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

You could fit your fist in the mouth of the bass on the bottom.

Funny that you put it that way…

1 hour ago, Joedodge said:

The one inhaled a 10 inch ribbon tail. It’s hanging out its gills!

They're all fine fish, but the last one has the distended jaw and bulging eyes, which are features of big girls.

Got the first of the year for me earlier, a small one. He did a self release but was on shore. I didn't feel like diving on him like a quarterback on a football, so let him go back in. Got a substitute picture though of the lure used.

55 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

They're all fine fish, but the last one has the distended jaw and bulging eyes, which are features of big girls.

We all like those big girls!

First bass of early spring for me!

@Choporoz You are so right on those bite windows, and dead on for the 30 minutes lol. Fished from just before 8:00 and started with a brand-new 3/16 oz. Bitsy Bug jig in watermelon with a green pumpkin fluke (brand unknown). Caught three bass in about 30 minutes and bam! That was it until just around noon I casted a green pumpkin lizard nose-hooked on a WR hook and it landed it a blowdown and a dink hit it. Four is better than zero but after a hot start, it just died.

All three came right off that bank. The largest was one I saw chasing something and making a hellacious commotion on the surface.

They're starting to fatten up! Went out on Hartwell yesterday and caught a handful of little fatties. This one actually broke my spinning rod when I boat flipped it. lol I forgot I was using a fairy wand.

@IYAOYAS: That bass has a cool shape.

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

@IYAOYAS: That bass has a cool shape.

Huge tail on that bass!

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

Huge tail on that bass!

That's why them little jokers are so fast. Spotted bass swim like a lightning bolt.

Went for a couple hours yesterday but I didn't get anything except a bluegill. He self released and landed there so I took his picture before flipping him back in.

I did catch this awesome crawdad out of the edge of the water. Got a couple pics and a short video. I read the rules, and I take it posting a link to the video on youtube is verboten?

5 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Went for a couple hours yesterday but I didn't get anything except a bluegill. He self released and landed there so I took his picture before flipping him back in.

I did catch this awesome crawdad out of the edge of the water. Got a couple pics and a short video. I read the rules, and I take it posting a link to the video on youtube is verboten?

That crawdad pic is friggin' terrific!!!!!!

5 hours ago, Lottabass said:

That crawdad pic is friggin' terrific!!!!!!

He looks very angry!

Nice to see everyone is starting to catch, we still have ice on the water here in NJ, I’m going to Fl to visit the mouse for a week next Saturday and will do a 4 hr guided trip out of Fort Wilderness to get my fix and hopefully when I’m back I can get the boat in the water. Put the new registration stickers on, batteries back in the boat,added a second automatic sump pump and a transducer spring back bracket today.

On the board for '26. Some places are still iced in. Found a spot mostly open. Slowly dragging a fluke got the bites.

23 minutes ago, bigbearstroop122 said:

Nice to see everyone is starting to catch, we still have ice on the water here in NJ, I’m going to Fl to visit the mouse for a week next Saturday and will do a 4 hr guided trip out of Fort Wilderness to get my fix and hopefully when I’m back I can get the boat in the water. Put the new registration stickers on, batteries back in the boat,added a second automatic sump pump and a transducer spring back bracket today.

I’m interested to hear about that trip. We lived in Florida our whole lives till 4 years ago. And we’re pass holders at Disney my wife and daughter love that place but I never did fish there.

I have done this trip 3 times prior it’s $495 for 4hrs you can fish off of a pontoon boat with artificials and live bait or they have a few nitro boats they are all artificials. I usually do the pontoon boat so I can live line shiners while fishing with artificial baits. The last time I went we caught so many fish I had the borrow gloves from the guide because my thumb was getting tore up. The largest bass I have caught there was around 5lb and there are plenty in the 3lb range. It’s definitely nice to break up the trip and you get to see the property from a different perspective. All rods and lures are provided but I usually bring a couple of chatter baits and trailers to fish with (black and blue).

19 minutes ago, bigbearstroop122 said:

I have done this trip 3 times prior it’s $495 for 4hrs you can fish off of a pontoon boat with artificials and live bait or they have a few nitro boats they are all artificials. I usually do the pontoon boat so I can live line shiners while fishing with artificial baits. The last time I went we caught so many fish I had the borrow gloves from the guide because my thumb was getting tore up. The largest bass I have caught there was around 5lb and there are plenty in the 3lb range. It’s definitely nice to break up the trip and you get to see the property from a different perspective. All rods and lures are provided but I usually bring a couple of chatter baits and trailers to fish with (black and blue).

Oh wow I didn’t think they would use artificial. Ma that’s pretty cool

Little more than a week ago we had almost 2ft of snow on the ground. Now air temps upper 70's and water 56-58*. Fish seemed to be as confused as we were. 😆

"Tell me you have no idea how you might catch them without telling me you have no idea how you might catch them." I think I brought a record for me 16 rods for a half day trip. Apparently they were wanting whatever #17 would've been.

Pops had a streak of 2-3 trips without a bite, so this one felt extra good.

Can't remember the last time we caught a trout on a 5" wacky senko. Fella was an acrobat jumping a good 3ft out of the water a couple times like it was a steelhead.

Spring is getting soooo close here with an extended forecast 70+ degrees. Sure hope the fish also realize it because we're ready for a return to 40+ fish days!

After piddling around with a plumbing leak from 4 am to 4 pm that involved destroying my ceilings, I got out on the water from 5:30-8. Daylight savings is nice. Got the triple crown of black bass, probably had 6 or so fish, all on purple worm.