First off, thanks to all the BR guys who've coached me in 2022 and 2023, aka PhishLI, Alex, T-Billy, Murph, etc.

 

So, I returned to a quality/not quantity bog. Much of it is 4' feet deep with weeds everywhere. I hooked a 3.48 lb. bass, but mostly caught smaller bass. I could not catch a single bass on the surface. They were hitting a 7" green pumpkin wacky Senko and a paddletail with a weighted-shaft hook. I HATE deep hooking bass, so I was setting the hook sooner rather than later all morning and lost quite a few fish, but that's okay with me. I'd rather lose fish than hurt them.

 

When the big girl hit, at first I was confused. She was just so heavy. She felt like a musky. Then she became even heavier as she burrowed into weeds. I usually lose bass at that point, but I muscled her up and all I could see was a big ball of weeds and her Kim Kardashian big lips. It took about 30 seconds to clear the weeds enough to see her. I weighed her at 6.54 lbs. and considered photographing the scale, but you can see she's a goblin. She was calm in the boat, but when I released her, she flashed her power one more time, which pleased me, for she told me that she was a-okay. I barely hooked her with the 7" Senko. BARELY. I was so lucky to land her. 

 

I also saw an eagle kill a bass and watched the eagle eat its breakfast in a tree. That was also cool.

 

The first bass is the 3.48-pounder. Then the big girl. Then a pic of the bog.

 

 

Nice catching, that is a beast!

Great Job!!!

That bog looks darn near perfect!!

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

That’s a beautiful bass. Not just in size, but appearance. Congrats on the new PB!

 

I agree, that bog looks perfect. Probably a few more big gals lurking about. And I share your sentiment. I lost 4 bass yesterday setting the hook sooner that later on a TR. I loathe guthooking bass as well. Now, the eagle? It’s a dead bass, but he’s the boss lol! 

Awesome, I am so happy for you. I knew that it was not going to be long and you would catch a big one. That bog looks beautiful and serene, that’s part of the reason I go fishing is to escape the madness of this world and to be lost in the serenity of nature and realize that the things that we worry about everyday don’t really matter. Nature provides you just got to slow down and realize it. Congratulations on the new PB.

3 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

That’s a beautiful bass. Not just in size, but appearance. Congrats on the new PB!

 

I agree, that bog looks perfect. Probably a few more big gals lurking about. And I share your sentiment. I lost 4 bass yesterday setting the hook sooner that later on a TR. I loathe guthooking bass as well. Now, the eagle? It’s a dead bass, but he’s the boss lol! 

 

I agree: The eagle is allowed to kill bass because he's the boss. He's also not an ordinary eagle. He's the biggest eagle I've ever seen. I like fishing this particular bog just to see him. He's a pterodactgle. For whatever reason, he let me drift right under his tree.

 

The tree was an ancient, dead sugar maple, which shucked its bark years ago. It was bleached white by time. And I was beneath this black and white pterodactyl in this white tree that looked like it was made of whale bone, and I got to witness its eating. It had one eye of me and the other eye on its delicious bass. 

 

 

Like Murph said, we get to see amazing things when we venture out. 

Thankfully Mr. Boss Eagle did not decide that your PB was easy pickins on the way back to the boat! ??

Great when you catch a PB, congratulations.

Congrats on the pb @ol'crickety!! Beautiful bass!!

Monster! Congrats on the PB. North Country Tank! 

LET'S FREAKING GO KATIE!

 

That's a daygum stud, a slaunchasaurus, a true magnificent Maine specimen!  

 

Congrats friend, I knew you were going to break your PB early this fishing season, and I expect you to break it again in due order.       

Congrats on your new PB. ??

Congrats on the PB. Beautiful fish and a fantastic day.

CONGRATS!!! ??
 

I love hearing about new PBs. Seems like it’s been a while since I last saw one

 

Awesome awesome largemouth 

11 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

LET'S FREAKING GO KATIE!

 

That's a daygum stud, a slaunchasaurus, a true magnificent Maine specimen!  

 

Congrats friend, I knew you were going to break your PB early this fishing season, and I expect you to break it again in due order.       

 

Thanks so much, Alex! According to the texas.gov length to weight chart, a typical Texas largemouth that's 21 and 3/8ths inches long weighs 5.82 lbs. but my girl had linebacker shoulders. Also, you can't see it in the photo, but her tail was shredded. Does this mean she already spawned? If so, I missed out on a gut to go with her shoulders. I'm going back to the same bog this evening. I hope to fish for 2.5 hours. 

 

I actually think I caught a 6-pounder last week, but didn't adjust "My PB" because I didn't weigh her. This is her:

 

Dude I just saw the lure too. That’s awesome. Go big or go home, even in Maine. 

You crushed it

2 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Dude I just saw the lure too. That’s awesome. Go big or go home, even in Maine. 

You crushed it

 

Yeah, 7" is a lot of Senko. It makes quite a plop when it hits the water. And it makes my wacky-hook look tiny. 

CONGRATS! Look at the shoulders on ol' girl, that's a beautifully proportioned fish. Excellent catch and a wonderful PB!

Congrats on the new PB Katie. That's a sweet PB for Maine. 

22 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Thanks so much, Alex! According to the texas.gov length to weight chart, a typical Texas largemouth that's 21 and 3/8ths inches long weighs 5.82 lbs. but my girl had linebacker shoulders. Also, you can't see it in the photo, but her tail was shredded. Does this mean she already spawned? If so, I missed out on a gut to go with her shoulders. I'm going back to the same bog this evening. I hope to fish for 2.5 hours. 

 

I actually think I caught a 6-pounder last week, but didn't adjust "My PB" because I didn't weigh her. This is her:

 

Oh yeah, that's another big girl!  

 

You earned that fish, going to a quality over quantity locale, throwing a big bait vs. a normal one.  You were actually fishing for that particular fish, it didn't just come randomly while you were otherwise Bass fishing.  Those big fish are starting to come more regular for you, you can really see how fast you are growing and learning with green Bass.  Can replicate the amount of time you spend on the water.   Best teacher in the world.   

 

I think if she had a bloody or banged up tail she's at least dropped 1/3rd to half of her eggs.    They say most fish will spawn at least a couple of times during the season, maybe a third as well.  

 

She's got the right frame on her, and I bet with a gut on her she's a 7lb fish.  

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I think if she had a bloody or banged up tail she's at least dropped 1/3rd to half of her eggs.    They say most fish will spawn at least a couple of times during the season, maybe a third as well.  

 

I think you're right. She didn't have that typical concave gut of post-spawn females, but her belly also didn't bulge like some of the girls I've caught this spring. I should have caught her last week, but it's been too windy for my canoe! 

 

I've also throwing a huge Whopper Plopper now. It didn't work this morning, but it worked on last week's big girl. 

 

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement. It means a lot to me. 

5 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I think you're right. She didn't have that typical concave gut of post-spawn females, but her belly also didn't bulge like some of the girls I've caught this spring. I should have caught her last week, but it's been too windy for my canoe! 

 

I've also throwing a huge Whopper Plopper now. It didn't work this morning, but it worked on last week's big girl. 

 

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement. It means a lot to me. 

To me the real exciting takeaway besides getting a new PB, is that it seems you have located a true quality location.  

 

Now you can really home in on this place, chunking those bigger baits, looking for those certain size fish, putting a data set together that reflects where the bigger fish are holding.     

 

Where there's one, there's likely to be more, and bigger ones.....the optimist in me always believes this.    I don't think I've ever caught the biggest Bass in a lake before.

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

and her Kim Kardashian big lips

This cracked me up to where I almost spewed coffee! ? Congrats on your new PB Katie! Awesome looking fish and great work on your part!

Goblin?   Green goblin!!

 

great catch. 

3 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I weighed her at 6.54 lbs.

Fantastic! Awesome! Boom! Love it!