Please share your 2023 20 lb. bag.

[Swamp Girl]

@keagbassr's 20 lb. bag yesterday reminded me of my two goals for 2023: One was a 20 lb. bag and the other was a 100-bass day. I might have achieved the first goal two times, but I don't think I'll ever have a hundred-bass day again (I had many when I was younger.) simply because I no longer have the energy to fish all day. Here are five bass that might have exceeded 20 pounds, one of two times I think I surpassed 20 pounds. I say "might" because I didn't weigh any of them, but I weighed a few fish through June and July and developed a fair sense of what four, five, and six-pound bass look like. I'm guessing that the following five bass weigh, in order, 6 pounds, 5 pounds, 4.75 pounds, 3.5 pounds, and the fifth one, although not fat like the first four, is long enough to put me over the top. They were all caught on a foggy morning in late August:

 

 

If you caught a 20 lb. bag, please share your five and if you don't think my five surpass 20 pounds, please feel free to opine. 

 

 

 

 

[keagbassr]

@ol'crickety looking at all your posts  over the last year or 2 ,I'd say you've done it 20+ times easily??,

[TnRiver46]

5 for 20 in the same day? I’ve never even come close 

[thediscochef]

I don't think I've ever caught more than like 12lb in a day, I think the most I've ever caught in a day was like 15 or 18 dinks and it took the whole day LOL

great job accomplishing your goals, those are a couple experiences I would love to have someday

[Bird]

I had a 3 for 18 couple years ago but never 5 for 20.

 

Floating our river growing up, 100 fish days were the norm, mostly Smallmouth.

 

 

[Blue Raider Bob]

18 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

5 for 20 in the same day? I’ve never even come close 

I'm with TnRiver46 on this one. Never been close unless I can count Drum.

4 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I'm with TnRiver46 on this one. Never been close unless I can count Drum.

     I fish about 50 times a year and keep pretty fair records of what I catch. My five biggest of the year so far weighed 16.8 lbs. They are all Smallies and Spots. Haven't caught a 3lb LM all year. My biggest five all time would be just over 25 since I've kept records.

 

[galyonj]

If I'm limited to counting bass only, I don't know if I could have a ten fish bag that weighed 20 pounds this year.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Congrats Katie, that's a real accomplishment.

 

The ability to catch 15-20lb bags consistently and do so on diverse bodies of water is the hallmark of a professional Bass angler in my book.    

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that I've almost never hit a 5-20lb bag junk fishing.   On the other hand when I figure out a really good pattern, and start fine tuning, I can get multiple 20lb+ bags in a week.    Again this goes back to professional Bass anglers, and their ability to almost always "pattern" the fish, and then dial in from there to find the quality 3-5lb fish.    

 

I didn't start getting 20lbs until I started selling out to patterns, and dialing them in. 

 

The Blue Supermoon was my last at 5-23.5.    The night before I should of had 25+ but decided to not net a 5+ at the boat and lost it.    Still ended with 20.5, which made the rare occasion of getting back to back 20lb sessions........now imagine doing that 4x in a row, and making it average 25lbs......and then you can get a Century Club belt ?

[Swamp Girl]

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

On the other hand when I figure out a really good pattern, and start fine tuning

 

I fail to do ^this.^ I'll catch a nice bass on a lure and immediately switch to another lure. I'm just curious about what they'll also hit.

 

7 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

On the other hand when I figure out a really good pattern, and start fine tuning, I can get multiple 20lb+ bags in a week. 

 

^This^ level of consistency is stunning. 

 

7 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Congrats Katie, that's a real accomplishment.

 

Thanks, Buddy!

 

1 hour ago, keagbassr said:

@ol'crickety looking at all your posts  over the last year or 2 ,I'd say you've done it 20+ times easily??,

 

Ha! I wish. Say, keagbasser, post your five. Please. I think it'll be cool to see how different 20 lb. bags look.

[thediscochef]

If we're talking best five of the whole year I break the 20lb mark at fish #3, best 5 go 34-4. I've been disappointed at the lack of consistency this year but I also have been limited in some ways I wasn't last year. My main point at Roberts has been fishing different, the Texas Parks policy enforcement changes regarding night fishing within the state park haven't helped either. I've caught fewer bag-size fish but they've been bigger. Such is the nature of bank fishing 

[Swamp Girl]

7 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

If we're talking best five of the whole year I break the 20lb mark at fish #3, best 5 go 34-4.

 

You catch bigger bass than I've EVER caught, but you're right about your inconsistency. I don't think that's your fault. I think it's your lack of reach. Sure, you can outcast anyone, BUT without a boat, you can't follow and find the bass when they mosey from your shore. 

[gimruis]

I haven't done it by myself this season.  I can think of one day in late May that I did it with my Father though.  All of these brownies were pre-spawn footballs in the 18-21 inch range.  This was my best day of smallmouth fishing in 3 years.

[Darth-Baiter]

i got the 20lb bag done this years.  

 

and there is no way i catch a 100 fish day.  not happening.  not on my waters.

[Mike L]

19.7, 22.98 and a 26.66 in 3 tournaments so far fishing as a co angler. 
2 on the Big O and 1 on Istokpoga. 

Lucky enough to start strong but as the weather got hotter I got colder.
Came close a few more times but haven’t gotten a full bag since. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[MIbassyaker]

My top 5 for the the whole year is about a pound or two shy of 20, but I haven't weighed every bass.  I've caught 2 bass over 4lb this year that I know of, and might have cracked 5 for 15 once or twice, but that's it. Pretty sure I have never had 5-20 in one day by myself.

 

100 fish day?  eh, I got 20 a couple of times.  

[MN Fisher]

I think my best five for this year might top 12# - lots of smaller ones has been my forte'.

 

Best numbers day? maybe 5... (whines)

[keagbassr]

6 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

keagbasser, post your five.

@ol'crickety if anyone wants to see mine from yesterday they could just blip on over to the latest pics thread. But since you asked I went into the 'archives'?, and pulled one up from 2017. These 5 went 22-02.

[12poundbass]

Are we talking about the early years of BASS tournaments where 10 bass were weighed? I’d get to 20lbs then. ?

[Way north bass guy]

I’ve had 20lb days, and 100 bass days quite a few times over the years, but not this year, at least yet anyway. Hardly even been out fishing the last few months, between work, and projects around the house. But there’s still time to get into some bigguns, and numbers, especially around here, as the fall is one of the best times here for both of those to happen. 

[Swamp Girl]

45 minutes ago, keagbassr said:

@ol'crickety if anyone wants to see mine from yesterday they could just blip on over to the latest pics thread. But since you asked I went into the 'archives'?, and pulled one up from 2017. These 5 went 22-02.

 

Well, drop my jaw!

 

[A-Jay]

 Fishing for smallmouth here,

I have Never had a 100 fish day, nothing even close.

20 lb bags is a different story though, had a few of those.

Usually takes 5 fish but I've done it a few times with 4. 

Although I've come close, I haven't been able to make it happen yet this season,

but there's still some time.

The previous two season were better.  

Best 2022 bag of brown bass came in May ~  27.92 lbs.

That one included two over 6 lbs.

A first for me.

Best 2021 sack came early April ~ 28.16 lbs

I struggled in 2020 especially when compared to 

May 2019 ~ I recorded my heaviest one day 5 fish smallie bag to date ~ 29.46 lb.

My personal Holy Grail would be to eclipse the 30 lb mark.

I think about that a lot, especially during the long, cold, hard water winter.

Either way, I dusted off and added my video efforts

that recorded these most special days on the water. 

https://youtu.be/o9xew3tWuuU?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/zIqCmH_52IQ?feature=shared&t=387

https://youtu.be/3OXnPQs0bqQ?feature=shared&t=60

A-Jay

[Susky River Rat]

What’s this fishing in 2023 you are all talking about? Maybe if I get the boat by fall I can get a 20lb bag of smallies

[txchaser]

I live in Texas, so it probably needs an extra five or ten pounds. A six pounder that far north is a monster. 

 

Best day so far this year was two over 8, one over 7, some other bug-eyed monsters that were smaller than the 7 that I didn't weigh. And like @AlabamaSpothunter said, it was very much pattern fishing. Specific extra deep crank on points. 

 

If I had put everything away and just fished that pattern hard, I think I would have picked up a few more bigs. I can't help myself to try and learn and see what else they will bite. But if I'm catching fish in the 7-8lb class I need to stop fiddling and start fishing. It's a tough trade though, because there's so much learning by messing around. 

[Swamp Girl]

8 hours ago, txchaser said:

I can't help myself to try and learn and see what else they will bite.

 

Ah, we're the same. Most of the time, I'll catch a bass and immediately switch rods. I can't help myself.

 

8 hours ago, txchaser said:

Best day so far this year was two over 8, one over 7, some other bug-eyed monsters that were smaller than the 7 that I didn't weigh.

 

Chang my mind. We're not the same. ^You're beyond my ken.^

 

[T-Billy]

I've been close a few times, but haven't cracked 20# yet. The windows where it's a legit possibility are few and far between in the waters I fish.