22 minutes ago, slonezp said:

I've caught them on jerk baits

 

Biggest cat I ever encountered was on Guntersville. No clue as to the size. I snagged her in the back prefishing for a tourney. Might have gone 50lbs if I had to guess, maybe more. I fought the fish for 45 minutes because I wanted to get my jerkbait back. She rolled at the boat and I lost my bait. Biggest one I ever landed was on Erie. Channel cat maybe 25lbs.

  

Dang.....45minutes is pretty epic for a freshwater fight for sure.   I believe it though.  I haven't caught one in decades, but as a kid I fished specifically for them lots.   I'd say my biggest was 10-15lb Channel.    That size is one heck of fight, couldn't imagine a 50lb blue or channel.

Cat from California aqueduct 

Here are some pike that I caught today! I caught one of them on a spinnerbait, and I caught the other one on a small Rapala X-Rap. Bigger one was around 22 inches, and the smaller one was probably 18 inches.

Went out to chase some pike this morning on a lake that is not known for numbers, but has some big fish. It’s a very large, super deep and clear lake that’s very rocky and more suited for lake trout, but has a descent population of big pike. 

Third cast of the day and this guy raced out from under a laydown and sucked in a Berkley Power Swimmer right by the boat. It’s so fun to watch those huge gills flare out in gin clear water when they grab it. 
It was a very healthy, fat 42”er. Had one more smaller one follow to the boat and that was it for pike, so I hit a couple offshore humps with a drop shot on the way back in and caught a bunch of fat little smallmouth. 

Bait stealing size ~

But not today.

A-Jay

A trophy class bull Kansas Redfish that ate my ned rig and took me on a fun 5 minute ride before coming to the net. Never really rolled like they typically do, thought it might be a little flathead instead. 

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

A trophy class bull Kansas Redfish that ate my ned rig and took me on a fun 5 minute ride before coming to the net. Never really rolled like they typically do, thought it might be a little flathead instead. 

Forgot that they were in fact related (croaker family). A spot on the tail might gain it more respect, though.

14 hours ago, The Bassman said:

A spot on the tail might gain it more respect, though.

Or a bullet through the head.

4 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Or a bullet through the head.

They make great cutbait for catfish or livebait if small enough. They're pretty popular table fare around here also. Larger ones are almost solely fish/crustacean eaters, just like their saltwater cousins, so I suppose they may be decent eating. 

half-shell fillet on the grill is about the same as javelina on the smoker - you won't know it from prime rib.  Brush butter on the side down plus Prudhomme's Seafood Magic

honestly, I never cared for huge redfish fillets until my buddy Josh showed this

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

They make great cutbait for catfish or livebait if small enough. They're pretty popular table fare around here also. Larger ones are almost solely fish/crustacean eaters, just like their saltwater cousins, so I suppose they may be decent eating. 

They're freakin delicious if you blacken them.

 

 

 

 

pan-blackened redfish is even better on Louisiana-size redfish fillets. 

Slot fish here are too big to pan blacken well, and grill blackening of skin-on half-shell fillets is our feast. 

 

3 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

pan-blackened redfish is even better on Louisiana-size redfish fillets. 

Slot fish here are too big to pan blacken well, and grill blackening of skin-on half-shell fillets is our feast. 

 

That looks good, but I'm talking about freshwater drum (Kansas Redfish). Relatives, but oddly, one is a popular table fish while the other is shunned.

you already got your like on the gaspergou photo, which I said you couldn't tell it from prime rib with a half-shell grill. 

On 10/12/2022 at 2:33 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

A trophy class bull Kansas Redfish that ate my ned rig and took me on a fun 5 minute ride before coming to the net. Never really rolled like they typically do, thought it might be a little flathead instead. 

 

It's like reeling in a cinder block. I love catching them.

First striper I’ve caught in years, and without a doubt the tiniest ?

3 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

First striper I’ve caught in years, and without a doubt the tiniest ?

Thats intersting..a river?

3 minutes ago, MassBass said:

Thats intersting..a river?

Yeah, the Hudson. Big ones make their run up the river in April-May and all congregate around this area. Little 10-18” fish are here year round. I’ve never caught one this tiny though. 

17 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Yeah, the Hudson. Big ones make their run up the river in April-May and all congregate around this area. Little 10-18” fish are here year round. I’ve never caught one this tiny though. 

Must have hatched in the Hudson?

5 minutes ago, MassBass said:

Must have hatched in the Hudson?

Yeah, and surprising for it to be that size this time of year. From what I understand they spawn in spring up here, so you’d think a fish born this year would be bigger than 1.5”, but striped bass are not my expertise either lol 

On 10/13/2022 at 10:02 AM, bulldog1935 said:

pan-blackened redfish

I had that once after some saltwater fishing in Tampa. It was very good. I don’t get to eat fresh saltwater fish very often so that was a rare treat.

The dawn bite was brief but fun. A couple of ounces short of 14lb

Mrs B and myself caught 15 bass Saturday and 10 Sunday  None of them were big enough to brag about, so this 12 1/2 inch Crappie got it's picture posted.   We weren't crappie fishing.  She caught it skipping a 1/4 ounce Red Eyed Shad under a dock.   

 

34 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

So that is a Zander? Looks alot like a walleye, but either way it's UUGGEE!!

Don't know much about Zander

and haven't ever caught one or even seen one.

I do bump into a few walleye now & again.

(ok, a lot)

A-Jay

 

 

12 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Don't know much about Zander

and haven't ever caught one or even seen one.

I do bump into a few walleye now & again.

(ok, a lot)

A-Jay

 

 

I've caught one walleye that weighed about 5lbs and if at the time I would have known they were good eating I would have kept it. Never caught another one since though. 

 

But if there is a fish, A-Jay has a pic of him holding a big one!!!