This morning was true Northeast Spring Trout fishing weather. 30 degrees at sunrise and light winds. 
 

First day I was able to catch a limit of Trout. 4 on live butterworms and 1 on artificial.

 

When trying to determine if a strip pit has big bass or not, a good indicator to look at is when you flip a jig into a sweet looking brushpile, and instead of a big bass hammering it, a big warmouth jackhammers the thing and tries to pull it back into the tree ?

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

When trying to determine if a strip pit has big bass or not, a good indicator to look at is when you flip a jig into a sweet looking brushpile, and instead of a big bass hammering it, a big warmouth jackhammers the thing and tries to pull it back into the tree ?

You nearly blinded him! Haha. What’s on your line there at the jig? 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

You nearly blinded him! Haha. What’s on your line there at the jig? 

It's a bobber stop to protect my knot in all that wood. 

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's a bobber stop to protect my knot in all that wood. 

Gotcha. I detest bobbers, no wonder I’ve never seen one ? 

58 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Gotcha. I detest bobbers, no wonder I’ve never seen one ? 

You can use them to limit how far your weight slides if you're using a Texas rig as well

On 4/11/2022 at 4:15 PM, hokiehunter373 said:

You can use them to limit how far your weight slides if you're using a Texas rig as well

I have heard tale of this and I think I might even have some but they look different than what’s in the photo

 

I can’t remember what I got but they kind of go inside of a slip sinker. I bought 100 and I use about two a year. Ha ha Ha

Got this hybrid warmouth/Bream while bass fishing at my favorite work route pond. Caught him on a watermelon seed super fluke… Also caught 3 bass around 12 inches on the same… The pic looks more like a ‘gill , but he had a big mouth, even for a warmouth…he even swallowed the whole fluke !

 

On 4/11/2022 at 5:20 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I have heard tale of this and I think I might even have some but they look different than what’s in the photo

 

I can’t remember what I got but they kind of go inside of a slip sinker. I bought 100 and I use about two a year. Ha ha Ha

Peg It's are a rubber thing that goes inside the sinker to stop it. These kind come on a little wire that you pull your line through the stop to get it on the line. You can also get the thread and bead type but I can't ever get those ones to stay tight and my bobber ends up sliding around on my line. 

Chain Pickerel, not the Brook Trout I was after but a good fight.

 

Threw the Whopper Plopper 90 around a bit this evening, forgot how much I dislike it compared to the 110. Had a big head wake come up behind it and thought I was about to get crushed by a decent bass.....SIKE! Turns out tilapia will eat a topwater, too. Ended up with 3 others on a 3/4 oz lipless, as well. I believe I'm up to 66 of these things for 2022.

1 hour ago, Aaron_H said:

Threw the Whopper Plopper 90 around a bit this evening, forgot how much I dislike it compared to the 110. Had a big head wake come up behind it and thought I was about to get crushed by a decent bass.....SIKE! Turns out tilapia will eat a topwater, too. Ended up with 3 others on a 3/4 oz lipless, as well. I believe I'm up to 66 of these things for 2022.

You eating them?

10 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

You eating them?

 

No, but I do have to dispatch them as it is illegal to live release them in FL. The ponds I catch them out of are fed directly by drainage from the roads, and I don't trust the water quality enough to eat from. I don't personally care for tilapia, but if the water quality there was better I would at least fillet them for friends/family or something. I feel terrible wasting them but gotta abide by the law.

17 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

Threw the Whopper Plopper 90 around a bit this evening, forgot how much I dislike it compared to the 110. Had a big head wake come up behind it and thought I was about to get crushed by a decent bass.....SIKE! Turns out tilapia will eat a topwater, too. Ended up with 3 others on a 3/4 oz lipless, as well. I believe I'm up to 66 of these things for 2022.

I wish I could catch one. They arent as numerous up here though.

One pond I fished at was full of em. They bed in April there. I could see great big uns on every bed but they wouldn’t bite worms, bread or any lure . Tried snagging one and couldn’t even do that!

6 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

I wish I could catch one. They arent as numerous up here though.

One pond I fished at was full of em. They bed in April there. I could see great big uns on every bed but they wouldn’t bite worms, bread or any lure . Tried snagging one and couldn’t even do that!

 

That's interesting. I have some ponds where the tilapia aren't super aggressive and are hard to catch, but can usually get them pitching a beaver-style bait into their beds. Traps seem to be my most productive lure for them when they're off beds and back to schooling, jerkbaits are also effective. I've been trying to get more big ones the last year or so. World record is currently 9lb 9oz out of Stuart, FL, my PB is 8lb 10oz and I know the pond holds bigger ones than that. Only managed one over 7lb last year, and biggest one so far this year was just over 5lb, but we'll see.

Big ole crappie wanted my spinnerbait during an hour or so bank fishing excursion. Also got a small bass. Chilly day but this guy was a welcome surprise!

First By Catch of the 2022 Campaign ~

A-Jay

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

First By Catch of the 2022 Campaign ~

That would have been put in my livewell for dinner.

 

Nice catch, A-Jay

By Catch is getting a little bigger ~ 

A-Jay

16 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

By Catch is getting a little bigger ~ 

That's another one for the livewell - there's two meals there.

My son and I hammered um on this weekend.  He took 2nd place in the local fishing derby with his 13 1/4" trout.  

 

 

 

 

Took some bluegills home to boot.  Awesome weekend!

On 4/23/2022 at 11:47 PM, MN Fisher said:

That's another one for the livewell - there's two meals there.

I don't think walleye season is open in Michigan yet.  Not sure about trout.  I'm sure @A-Jay knows the regs though.

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I don't think walleye season is open in Michigan yet.  Not sure about trout.  I'm sure @A-Jay knows the regs though.

You are correct Sir.

Walleye opens up this Saturday and as for the trout rules & reg in Mi, without degree in marine biology, they are far to complicated for this guy to even bother with. #PIA   Although I have the all inclusive license,  I don't target them or keep them.  Bums folks out when they see me let them go.

#freewillie

Btw It’s snowing here right now,

Who else is day time drinking ?

A-Jay

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

You are correct Sir.

Walleye opens up this Saturday and as for the trout rules & reg in Mi, without degree in marine biology, they are far to complicated for this guy to even bother with. #PIA   Although I have the all inclusive license,  I don't target them or keep them.  Bums folks out when they see me let them go.

#freewillie

Btw It’s snowing here right now,

Who else is day time drinking ?

A-Jay

What happens if you are fishing for bass on Friday and catch a walleye? Ive never dealt with seasons before so I don't know any rules ot regs on fishing seasons. 

6 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

What happens if you are fishing for bass on Friday and catch a walleye? Ive never dealt with seasons before so I don't know any rules ot regs on fishing seasons. 

Has to be released.

A-Jay