I tapped the BR Brain Trust yesterday about the wisdom of fishing following Saturday evening's cold front. The guys said to fish away, but to fish the sloppiest slop slowly.

 

Well, they were half right. I caught a new PB (22.25" and 6.71 lbs) fishing the worst slop with a bone-colored Whopper Plopper. She jumped, but not a head-shaking, tail-walking jump. No, she breached like a whale or a mermaid and came to the canoe without much fuss. 

 

Then, much like Gandalf, she said without words, "You shall not pass this test," striking weeds three times.

 

I barely had her hooked and barely caught her because I just couldn't get her in the net. She kept adding weeds to her weight. There were so many weeds, too many weeds. I wasn't sure where she was in all those weeds, which were wider than my net. I nearly despaired as she kept diving to gather evermore weeds.

 

In the boat, I removed four big lily pads and literal fistfuls of stringy weeds. 

 

Then, I beheld her and was filled with joy all morning. Still am. I caught 28 bass in total and all were fat bog bass. My beshemoth is the last pic. Note how long she is in the photo. She's my first 22" bass. 

 

As you likely know, I fished smallmouth bass for decades. Smallmouth are feistier, but I think largemouth are the greater challenge because you don't simply fight a largemouth. You fight the bog too. You don't simply hook a largemouth. You often hook the bog too, in its weeds and wood. 

 

Anyway, she's my third six-pounder+ this year, in addition to four five-pounders+ and 32 four-pounders+.

Nicely done.

 

Beshemoth is my new favorite word.

Huge congratulations on a beautiful fish!!! Excellent storytelling as well.

Congrats on the new PB. 

Great job on the catch, Katie.

Congrats!  Yes, sometimes catching largemouth in the salad is more like pulling in "Cousin It !!" 

My son and I are on the water having one of the best days of fishing we've ever had and seeing your story today literally gave me chills!  Congratulations!  So so exciting!

 

(Currently taking a quick water break in the shade and recovering from heat and fishes reading this)

Just now, Pat Brown said:

My son and I are on the water having one of the best days of fishing we've ever had and seeing your story today literally gave me chills!  Congratulations!  So so exciting!

 

Thanks, Pat. I thought about you this morning. You catch SUCH big bass and when you said that the full moon rouses the beasts, well, that gave me confidence this morning and had me on high alert. 

 

Now I can't wait to read about YOUR morning!!!

 

I had to leave the bog at a certain time due to an appointment, but about 15 minutes before I left, the bass started hitting every other cast. Le' me tell ya, it was tough paddling away from that!

 

 

 

 

 

                                             

Wow those Bogs are magical, congrats on the new PB...... that'll likely be short lived. Ha ha

BTW, my previous PB was caught earlier this year and weighed 6.54 lbs. She wasn't as long as this morning's fish. Her weight was in her shoulders and her depth. This was her:

 

 

6 minutes ago, Bird said:

Wow those Bogs are magical, congrats on the new PB...... that'll likely be short lived. Ha ha

 

Gosh, I hope so!!! However, I BARELY boated my six-pounders. I think if I hook a seven-pounder, I'll wave a white flag. 

 

And here's this morning's girl on the bump board. When I pinched her tail, she reached the quarter-inch mark.

 

 

Congrats again on the new pb @ol'crickety,awesome fish!!

That's how ya kick bass!

1 minute ago, Catt said:

That's how ya kick bass!

 

I'm trying, but to be honest, I feel like I just get lucky with the big ones. Their power and their environment mean I lose a lot of them. They use the weeds to pop free. And when the weeds don't work, jumping often does. I keep track. This year, I've landed six big bass at this morning's bog and lost five. In baseball, that's a heckuva percentage, but shooting free throws in basketball, I'm Shaq. 

 

When this morning's girl breached, she confused me. I'd never caught a bass her length, so seeing a bass as long as her breach was a first for me. I knew in the single second that she was out of the water that she was different. I could feel her difference too when I gripped her lip. If I'd wanted, I could have fit my fist into her mouth. 

 

I once caught a 50" sturgeon fishing below a dam for crappies. I had 4 lb. test and the sturgeon had all that current. I've also caught a couple 48" muskies in my canoe solo. And I've caught quite a few pike over 40", but I think these bog bass are my greatest fishing challenge. So much can go wrong. 

 

All ^this^ means that when I put one in my net, I'm euphoric. I know you understand. You all do.

Awesome job and awesome fish Katie!   

 

Fish looks to be just starting the process of packing bulk back on.....bet she's a 7lb fish over the winter.    

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Awesome job and awesome fish Katie!   

 

Fish looks to be just starting the process of packing bulk back on.....bet she's a 7lb fish over the winter.    

 

Thank you, Alex. I miss your posts. Your videos. Your fish. 

 

It's thundering again here. And the rain is cold. I wish I could send some of our cool down to you.

 

 

A big yehaaw on your PB….. are ya walking in the clouds? I know I do when, I break my own PB, I had a smile so big my cheeks hurt for days. 
Congratulations….. consider this a virtual toast. 

@AlabamaSpothunter:

 

Say, Alex, did you notice the tail of the third bass? I know you love those powerhouse tails. 

 

1 minute ago, GRiver said:

are ya walking in the clouds?

 

Heck, yeah! I can't stop thinking about her! This was me when I looked down and saw her in my boat:

 

Outstanding Katie!!! Congratulations!!! 

2 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@AlabamaSpothunter:

 

Say, Alex, did you notice the tail of the third bass? I know you love those powerhouse tails. 

 

 

Heck, yeah! I can't stop thinking about her! This was me when I looked down and saw her in my boat:

 

If I were a Bass, I'd want to live in the areas you fish......your fish are always so pristine and healthy.    

Wonderful.

Awesome! Fantastic! Congrats!?

 

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Fish looks to be just starting the process of packing bulk back on.....bet she's a 7lb fish over the winter. 

No doubt!

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

Awesome! Fantastic! Congrats!?

 

No doubt!

 

She wasn't as filled out as most of the bass from this bog, which are convex. However, she wasn't skinny either.

 

Her head was her most outstanding feature. I think she's an old bass and perhaps not hunting as well as she did for years and years to achieve her length. Maine.gov said that she's likely over 20 years old. 

Awesome catches!