The Perfect Bass

[gim]

4 minutes ago, greentrout said:

Also, told me to cut the line off as close as possible to the hook with a gut hook fish. Best odds for the bass to make it.

That I am not sure of. Luckily I do not gut hook very many bass, so I rarely encounter this. Sometimes you might end up killing one on accident, we’ve all done it. Losing one on accident because you gut hooked it is very different than doing it because you had the fish out of water too long though.

[Team9nine]

No doubt that shorter out of water times are best for the fish, but that said, there are controlled studies with bass documenting no mortality (immediate or up to 5 day delayed) at exposure times of 10-15 minutes. Bass are much tougher than we sometimes give them credit for. Really high water temps as well as high air temps might challenge these results as those extremes weren’t tested.
 

As for deep hooking, studies suggest cutting the line and leaving the hook in instead of trying to unbury a deeply swallowed hook as being the much preferred way to go. There has been some differences of professional opinion though on whether to leave a long tag end or a short one.

[roadwarrior]

         

 

                                               

[learnin]

Thanks for a great post and congrats on a great morning. With those conditions you earned it.

[pdxfisher]

Wow! That was one fat bass! Your catch rate is beyond astounding, especially given the quality of those fish. Color me jealous. I struggled to get to 10 bass yesterday and you are doing that in an hour.  I guess I have to try harder.  Oh and thanks for "taking me along" on your trip.  Usually when people hear voices at my age they call the guys in the white coats

[Swamp Girl]

14 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

Wow! That was one fat bass! Your catch rate is beyond astounding, especially given the quality of those fish. Color me jealous. I struggled to get to 10 bass yesterday and you are doing that in an hour.  I guess I have to try harder.  Oh and thanks for "taking me along" on your trip.  Usually when people hear voices at my age they call the guys in the white coats

 

My catch rate yesterday was higher than normal, a combination of the fall feed and the high water that allowed me to fish faster: Water over the weeds meant I didn't have to hit pockets and pull weeds from my lure. I truly did think about you when I got a sense of the fish's size and immediately wanted to reach for my net, even though I still had too much line out. So, you were there and THANK GOODNESS, because I hate trying to dislocate my shoulder to stretch another inch to net a bass. 

 

However, you've had days of plenty too. I've read about them and loved hearing your tales of success!

[pdxfisher]

Thanks @ol'crickety ! Go team canoe and kayak!

[Swamp Girl]

12 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

Thanks @ol'crickety ! Go team canoe and kayak!

 

There's being bound by blood, which is significant, but being bound by paddling runs even thicker than blood. FWIW, I'd love to paddle a kayak, but they're just too heavy for me. I have shopped them, but they can't equal the size of my canoe (15' 6") and its weight (32 pounds). However, I understand their considerable advantages. 

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

There's being bound by blood, which is significant, but being bound by paddling runs even thicker than blood. FWIW, I'd love to paddle a kayak, but they're just too heavy for me. I have shopped them, but they can't equal the size of my canoe (15' 6") and its weight (32 pounds). However, I understand their considerable advantages. 

I’m bout to paddle my wife’s 90 lb kayak this evening, the boat is wonderful but its a hernia waiting to happen haha

[pdxfisher]

13 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

There's being bound by blood, which is significant, but being bound by paddling runs even thicker than blood. FWIW, I'd love to paddle a kayak, but they're just too heavy for me. I have shopped them, but they can't equal the size of my canoe (15' 6") and its weight (32 pounds). However, I understand their considerable advantages. 

 

My tackle bag probably weighs more than 32lbs The thing I like about my pedal kayak is being able to fish while holding myself in the wind. One of these days it will get too heavy for me. When it does I will hit you up for some canoe advice. Until then I will remain on team "bring way too much"

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, pdxfisher said:

 

My tackle bag probably weighs more than 32lbs The thing I like about my pedal kayak is being able to fish while holding myself in the wind. One of these days it will get too heavy for me. When it does I will hit you up for some canoe advice. Until then I will remain on team "bring way too much"

 

I would love to be on that team! I'm no longer even taking a tackle box. I make do with one utility box. The only thing I won't cut is my six to eight fishing rods. I wouldn't know how to fish with one measly rod! I often cast one rod, then another, then another, then another, and then another. Yeah, I'm a kook. 

 

I love how you can hold your spot in the wind. The wind bullies me. I avoid it, which is sad, because I'd love to fish a wind-battered shore. The very lightness and length of my canoe make me vulnerable. It's like fishing in a kite. 

[pdxfisher]

27 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I would love to be on that team! I'm no longer even taking a tackle box. I make do with one utility box. The only thing I won't cut is my six to eight fishing rods. I wouldn't know how to fish with one measly rod! I often cast one rod, then another, then another, then another, and then another. Yeah, I'm a kook. 

 

I love how you can hold your spot in the wind. The wind bullies me. I avoid it, which is sad, because I'd love to fish a wind-battered shore. The very lightness and length of my canoe make me vulnerable. It's like fishing in a kite. 

 

Have you tried a wind sock or two? I use those some times to help keep me straight in the current when I am in a cross wind. They weigh next nothing but can help quite a bit. 

 

I can't fault you on rods. I bring 8 in my kayak and look like a dang porcupine on the water.

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, pdxfisher said:

 

Have you tried a wind sock or two? I use those some times to help keep me straight in the current when I am in a cross wind. They weigh next nothing but can help quite a bit. 

 

I can't fault you on rods. I bring 8 in my kayak and look like a dang porcupine on the water.

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but a wind sock would just foul on weeds where I fish. There's six feet of water, but four to five feet of that is weeds. 

[pdxfisher]

6 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but a wind sock would just foul on weeds where I fish. There's six feet of water, but four to five feet of that is weeds. 

 

 A cylindrical anchor (PVC pipe filled with cement) would be easy to raise and lower in the weeds or a grappling hook on a few feet of line to grab the weeds would work (but probably painful to disentangle). In the past in situations like yours I used a small mushroom anchor. That held well but was messy to retrieve. 

 

However you have probably already thought of all these kinds of things and more

[padlin]

I have 2 lengths of 1.5” pvc filled with bird shot that help, sometimes I use the light one, sometimes the heavier, and occasionally both. I use 4 cleats, and can anchor via the one that gives me the position I want, more or less. It’s not perfect, but at least I can fish most of the time. 
 

I’m impressed, 6 to 8 rods in a canoe, best I can manage is 3.
 
 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, padlin said:

I have 2 lengths of 1.5” pvc filled with bird shot that help, sometimes I use the light one, sometimes the heavier, and occasionally both. I use 4 cleats, and can anchor via the one that gives me the position I want, more or less. It’s not perfect, but at least I can fish most of the time. 
 

I’m impressed, 6 to 8 rods in a canoe, best I can manage is 3.
 
 

 

Padlin, how do you plug the ends of the PVC pipe? 

 

To manage 6 to 8 rods, I have to be disciplined. Everything in my canoe has its spot, determined by trial and error. Even with my system, I still get the occasional tangle. 

 

7 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

However you have probably already thought of all these kinds of things and more

 

Not at all. I appreciate the ideas and I'm mulling them. 

[padlin]

3 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Padlin, how do you plug the ends of the PVC pipe? 

 

PVC end caps, used SS hardware. After losing 2 mushrooms to the stumps, these have lasted 4 or 5 years so far.

8 and 12”

 

[Swamp Girl]

3 minutes ago, padlin said:

PVC end caps, used SS hardware. After losing 2 mushrooms to the stumps, these have lasted 4 or 5 years so far.

8 and 12”

 

 

Thanks! Those are cool. I didn't even know that there are PVC end caps. Where did you learn to tie that knot?

[padlin]

10 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Thanks! Those are cool. I didn't even know that there are PVC end caps. Where did you learn to tie that knot?

An old book from my 1st canoe, many moons ago. The hitch knot is nice for attaching the painter to the truck when needed although I tie the tag end to itself as opposed to how they show.

 

[pdxfisher]

I used to know a lot of knots but most of the time I now just use an improved clinch knot. Even with rope it works as long as you use fewer turns. Not as pretty as your knot @padlin but it has held my 10lb pyramid (for winter fishing for sturgeon) for over 10 years without slipping.

[Swamp Girl]

3 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

I used to know a lot of knots but most of the time I now just use an improved clinch knot. Even with rope it works as long as you use fewer turns. Not as pretty as your knot @padlin but it has held my 10lb pyramid (for winter fishing for sturgeon) for over 10 years without slipping.

 

D-d-d-do you fish for Columbia sturgeon out of your k-k-k-kayak?

 

Thanks for the knot, @padlin!

[pdxfisher]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

 

D-d-d-do you fish for Columbia sturgeon out of your k-k-k-kayak?

 

Thanks for the knot, @padlin!

 

I fish the Willamette for sturgeon. Here are a couple of examples from a while back:

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

29 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

 

I fish the Willamette for sturgeon. Here are a couple of examples from a while back:

 

 

 

 

For an encore, do you wrassl' griz?

[Swamp Girl]

@pdxfisher, you make me feel not just like a pansy, but a field of pansies. I struggle with bass and you catch Krakens!

[pdxfisher]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

@pdxfisher, you make me feel not just like a pansy, but a field of pansies. I struggle with bass and you catch Krakens!

 

Well, I just want one day out here like one of yours out there! It is a shame that the bass you catch are so big they are hard to get in the canoe

 

Sturgeon fishing is a lot of fun in the winter after the bass stop biting. It is a workout when you catch a good one but it is a lot of sitting around waiting for a bite.