75 bass + 1 PB pickerel

[Swamp Girl]

I enjoyed bassing this morning at a pace I haven't experienced since fishing wilderness lakes in northwestern Ontario. I couldn't get a bite on the surface for the first two hours, but landed 31 lmbs on my Keitech with an underspin. Then, with the Sun up, they started hitting the surface and I caught 14 on my Whopper Plopper. After that, it was a mix of the Keitech and Whopper Plopper. See the zombie weeds in the second and third photos? That's where the lmb were. I also caught a PB pickerel that I didn't photograph because pickerel are bonkers, but I'm guessing she would have been a new state record. She was so fat and heavy and the state record is only 6 pounds, 13 ounces. She was beautiful too. I was not willing to kill her to merely have my name in a record book. 

 

16 of the bass were smb, all lean and long like river fish. I included one smb photo so you can see their build and their gorgeous striping. 59 were lmbs, many in the 2.5 to 3.5 lb. range. What a fun morning. The dinosaurs were sure on patrol: two eagles and two ospreys. 

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 minute ago, ol'crickety said:

I enjoyed bassing this morning at a pace I haven't experienced since fishing wilderness lakes in northwestern Ontario. I couldn't get a bite on the surface for the first two hours, but landed 31 lmbs on my Keitech with an underspin. Then, with the Sun up, they started hitting the surface and I caught 14 on my Whopper Plopper. After that, it was a mix of the Keitech and Whopper Plopper. See the zombie weeds in the third photo? That's where the lmb were. I also caught a PB pickerel that I didn't photograph because pickerel are bonkers, but I'm guessing she would have been a new state record. She was so fat and heavy and the state record is only 6 pounds, 13 ounces. She was beautiful too. I was not willing to kill her to merely have my name in a record book. 

 

16 of the bass were smb, all lean and long like river fish. 59 were lmbs, many in the 2.5 to 3.5 lb. range. What a fun morning. 

What an EPIC Day!!!

Congrats and keep it up! You caught more quality fish in one day than I will catch all year.....make that years!

[gim]

That is a lot of fish catching.

[CastingClinic]

@ol'crickety You're living in a dream I once had.  

[Fishlegs]

Wow! 75 in one day?! That's a good year for some. Congrats on a great day! 

[Swamp Girl]

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That is a lot of fish catching.

 

Yep. And I feel pretty good, but I was losing more bass at the end, which told me it was time to quit.

 

Bob, you'll come up here one day. I'll be the canoe's engine and your net girl and you'll have such a morning too. 

 

I'll say, "Cast there."

 

And you might say, "Into that thicket?"

 

"Yep."

 

And you will and the thicket will explode. 

[Swamp Girl]

I forgot to share that it'll reach 68 degrees today, which is our high temp for 2024 so far. That's why I think they were so active. It's also going to reach 68 tomorrow with a south wind, so I'm going fishing again at the same pond. 

 

I did hook one bass that I think was big. She took drag and peeled free. @txchaser coached me to cast 180 degrees from where bass are hitting in case a big girl is hunkering in deeper water, so that's what I did and that's where she was. 

[GreenPig]

Excellent 

[pdxfisher]

I can't believe you had enough strength left to write up your report! What a great day!!

[NorcalBassin]

Congratulations on the exceptional day!

[Pat Brown]

I agree about the weather - I woke up early for today.  They were CHEWING yesterday and I got a feeling about this morning. 

 

Absolutely bonkers smash fest and gorgeous fish!  Love giant pickerel!  They're the only Esox that we get a lot in NC - super pretty and good fighters.  Wish they didn't take y'all's lures as often but I enjoy them!  Some very nice bass in there for sure!

[Jmurphy87]

Congratulations on the great day on the water, that definitely looks like a good time.

[Dwight Hottle]

Take a day of rest do you font burn out. That’s a great day for sure.

[MIbassyaker]

Unreal!

[roadwarrior]

 

 

                                                            

 

[bp_fowler]

[Swamp Girl]

10 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Take a day of rest do you font burn out. That’s a great day for sure.

 

You're Nostradamus, Dwight. Fishing this morning was a bridge too far. It's taking all day to recover. I won't fish again until next week and then only one morning at a big fish pond and perhaps two two-hour evening sessions at my quantity pond where I've a canoe waiting for me. Not having to carry a canoe makes a big difference. 

[IcatchDinks]

You are a great angler, @ol'crickety. We bow before the presence of greatness. 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

5 minutes ago, IcatchDinks said:

You are a great angler, @ol'crickety. We bow before the presence of greatness. 

 

 

 

What's weird, ICD, is that right now I'm using pretty much two lures: a Keitech with an underspin and a Whopper Plopper. The Keitech is catching the most bass by far, about 70/30 versus the Whopper Plopper. I've tried other lures, but right now in Maine, the bass want those two lures. Come summer, I'll add a popper, wacky worm, squarebill, and T-rigged worm, but for now, I'm a two-trick pony.

 

Apropos of nothing, here's my top 2024 bass and all-time PB again, caught on a Keitech. She fought like a log and thank goodness for that, otherwise I might not have boated her. The photo is horrible, but I get so nervous with big bass in my canoe. I just want to return them to the water ASAP. She was 22.25" with a big back and belly:

 

 

 

[IcatchDinks]

16 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

for now, I'm a two-trick pony.

If those two tricks keep working, I say keep using them. 

17 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I just want to return them to the water ASAP. She was 22.25" with a big back and belly:

 

 

 

That bass is stupid fat! What a chunk! And I feel the same nervousness about the big ones. I only got one pic of that nice pike I caught the other day because I wanted to make sure I got him back in the water ASAP. I didn't realize I'd only snapped one photo until I was going through photos of the trip later that day. 

[Swamp Girl]

@IcatchDinks: My well-oiled and well-designed system of handling bass immediately rusts and seizes when a big girl comes over the gunnel.