Gosh, that was fun!

[ol'crickety]

I launched in the dark and fished a short, winding river that leads to one of my favorite bogs. I have never fished this river in the past because there are heavy weeds about a foot down. I figured there wasn't enough water for bass to hunker and hunt. However, last night, looking at a Maine Game & Wildlife depth map, I saw the river was 7' deep, so I guessed that there might be enough water here and there to hold bass.

 

Well, I was right as my first bass was 20.25" and shortly afterward, I caught a 19.25-incher. I caught 20 bass in that little river before reaching the bog, where I caught another ten. My lures were a River2Sea bone-colored popper, a 12" ribbon tail worm that was T-rigged, a pink Senko that was wacky rigged, a wakebait, and a surface lure with spinners.

 

Paddling back to the car, I decided to fish upriver a little ways and I caught another 15, all on a small, chrome Whopper Plopper and all on the south shore wherever there were trees throwing shade. I think I caught 14 of the 15 in shade. The next time I go, I'll explore that river upriver some more. What a fun morning!

 

For whatever reason, my landing percentage was really high and that's as gratifying as catching 45 bass, which was my total.

 

FWIW, I stuck myself. Again. Sigh. And this time the hook went into the middle finger of my left hand. The other times I was hooked in the thigh. There are a lot more nerves in a finger than a thigh, so it hurt, but what are you gonna do. You just grimace and bear it. 

[Pat Brown]

That second one in the dark is a dandy.  Gorgeous dark green and big bucket mouth!

 

Looks epic!

[ol'crickety]

You have a good eye for bass, Pat. She was more impressive than the longer one. However, I hate the quality of night photos!

[TnRiver46]

Oh no, ol crickety is throwing purple worms now??? I think you were dangerous enough with a whopper plopper, now the bass are just completely SOL

 

nice catches as always 

[ol'crickety]

@AlabamaSpothunter: Alex, I feel like I'll be passing the baton to you and your fellow Southerners shortly, as will @gimruis , and all the MIchigan, NY, Massachusetts, and other northern bassers. To be frank, I'm actually looking forward to winter. I took a beating this summer, with so many nicks and cuts that became infected.

 

On the other hand, I caught 49 bass that weighed four pounds or more, which is the best fishing summer of my life. However, I do not feel triumphant. The big bass humbled me so many times. I only had one break off and I still worry about that big gal, but I lost as many big fish as I caught to weeds. Matted grass under the surface was the worst, but fibrous reeds and late summer lily pads also unlocked my lures and freed many fish. Of course, I lost some to jumping too.

 

However, in the coldest months, I look forward to seeing your big bass and the big bass caught by others in Eternally Soft Water Land. 

[gimruis]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

as will @gimruis , and all the MIchigan, NY, Massachusetts, and other northern bassers

 

I've got about a month and a half left.  The fishing has been really good the past couple weeks here.  It was bad from late July until about mid August because it was so warm.

 

Having an "offseason" in the winter doesn't bother me.  I've lived here most of my life so I know what's coming.  I have other hobbies later in the fall and in the winter.  And I'll be perfectly honest, if it was 100 degrees out in the summer here all the time I wouldn't be fishing in it.  My tolerance for the heat is very minimal.

[Dwight Hottle]

I have never hooked myself unhooking a fish. I always use a boga grip to take them out of the water or net. Then pliers to remove all treble hooked baits. With a boga I have landed fish over 20lbs, no not a bass. It's a full proof system. Just get a float for the boga in case it hits the water. The 15lb boga reads to the nearest 1/4 lb.  

[ol'crickety]

6 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I have never hooked myself unhooking a fish. I always use a boga grip to take them out of the water or net. Then pliers to remove all treble hooked baits. With a boga I have landed fish over 20lbs, no not a bass. It's a full proof system. Just get a float for the boga in case it hits the water. The 15lb boga reads to the nearest 1/4 lb.  

 

I'm going to buy one, Dwight. I can't keep getting hooked. The problem is the new hooks are so sharp that they slide into me like I'm warm butter. My finger is still swore and swollen from the hook. Until the Boga arrives, I'm going to wear gloves. 

[T-Billy]

9 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

The big bass humbled me so many times. I only had one break off and I still worry about that big gal, but I lost as many big fish as I caught to weeds. Matted grass under the surface was the worst,

Try fishing that thick grass vertically, or close to it Katie. Use your heaviest rod and straight braid, 30# minimum. Grass jig or Trig.  I've caught lots of good ones dropping vertically into grass clumps as shallow as 4' from a boat. Your canoe is even stealthier. Watch your landing percentage go way up. ?

[pdxfisher]

Awesome day on the water! Fishing out of a piece of Tupperware has its advantages

[GreenPig]

Great trip. I keep some cheap plastic grippers on the boat and they work fine at keeping hooks out of you, if you already have a scale.

[ol'crickety]

14 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Try fishing that thick grass vertically, or close to it Katie. Use your heaviest rod and straight braid, 30# minimum. Grass jig or Trig.  I've caught lots of good ones dropping vertically into grass clumps as shallow as 4' from a boat. Your canoe is even stealthier. Watch your landing percentage go way up. ?

 

Do you fish vertically into lily pads too, Tim? Just drop something like a weighted Rage Tail into an opening in the pads?

[T-Billy]

You certainly can Katie. I don't fish pads much. I do FAR better in hydrilla, milfoil and coontail. Might be why pads aren't that productive for me, the bass have so many other choices in my lakes. Even when there's tons of bluegill popping in the pads I can't get much going. 

[ol'crickety]

When I fished Monday, that river was full of hydrilla and milfoil. My landing rate was much higher because I was able to wrassle them out of it, as opposed to tough, fibrous reeds, thick lily pads, and whatever plant looks like high, thick, clumped lawn grass, which is the worst of the three. 

[T-Billy]

The more vertical you fish, the easier it is to pull them up and out of the thick stuff. You have more pulling power, especially in that light canoe. It will work best in the bogs with a light wind. Just position yourself upwind to drift over the cover you want to fish and make short pitches. Isolated clumps off the deep edge are high percentage targets and often hold the biggest fish.

[ol'crickety]

8 hours ago, T-Billy said:

The more vertical you fish, the easier it is to pull them up and out of the thick stuff. You have more pulling power, especially in that light canoe. It will work best in the bogs with a light wind. Just position yourself upwind to drift over the cover you want to fish and make short pitches. Isolated clumps off the deep edge are high percentage targets and often hold the biggest fish.

 

You are an excellent teacher, Tim. I understood every word ^here.^ Thank you.