I caught 11 at my pond this morning and four of them were so fine. I'll got stories for three of the tanks. Shortly after launching at 5:05 a.m., I cast parallel to the shoreline and felt the sharp tap of a bass hitting my underspin with a dark blue Crush City Mayor. I set the hook and the bass posed for a painter of a 1957 Outdoor Life cover, coming completely out of the water, flaring her gills, and shaking her head. If she'd sprayed Godzilla's blue fire, I would not have been surprised. Here she is:

 

 

I was working another shoreline, casting parallel to it. I like to be inches from the shoreline as the bass tuck under the woody bushes along the shoreline, but I miscast and my lure was a couple feet away. Well, I saw a bass dart out from under a bush to snatch my lure. I saw the clear line as it charged. So exciting! Here's that bass:

 

 

With the third bass, I was working dense reeds along the shore. It was both rocky and muddy and SHALLOW, so I felt the tick-tick-tick of my lure striking rocks, wood, and weeds. Then I felt a tick that felt ever so slightly different. I pity new anglers having the learn the difference between a subtle hit and a lure striking a rock. Here's that bass and you can see the reeds behind her. Thank goodness she didn't plunge into them:

 

 

This bass completes my quartet of long fish:

 

 

And this open water bass is pretty nice too:

 

 

As I wrote last year, I am proud of my consistency. Give me a spinning rod and underspin, drop me into a canoe, plop me onto a pond or bog, and I can find a few bass and convince them to hit.

 

Good fishin’ Swamp Girl. You’re more passionate with fishing than a typical woman which is pretty cool to us boys.
 

How is your forage situation in your bogs/ponds? Many of your bass seem lean and going into August they should be starting to add now instead of just regain. Just an observation as I too had lean bass into July, but they’ve mostly started fattening now. Either way, keep getting it done Lady  

2 hours ago, JonB2 said:

You’re more passionate with fishing than a typical woman which is pretty cool to us boys.

 

I get my first cataract surgery on the 30th, so I'm fishing as much as possible before then as I can't fish for all of August.

 

2 hours ago, JonB2 said:

How is your forage situation in your bogs/ponds?

 

It's good, I think. Some of the bass from my pond are crazy thick, like this one, caught this week:

 

 

I like 'em skinny and thick. The skinny ones fight as hard as the thick ones.

 

The bogs I fish grow the thickest bass. Here are three, all from the same bog:

 

Just now, JonB2 said:

Good fishin’ Swamp Girl. You’re more passionate with fishing than a typical woman which is pretty cool to us boys.
 

 Either way, keep getting it done Lady  

 

Too funny! Oh the stories I could tell might get me banned.

 

Swamp girl is the real deal. A true bass fisherwoman.

 

I cant tell you how many women have told me they like to fish. And then.... Never saw a one of them actually do it.

 

I had one gal from Georgia, a Georgia peach tell me she likes to fish. So I took her bass fishin. Sure enough she did not have a clue. Spent her boat time adjusting her bikini, checking her hair and fingernails every 60 seconds. And in 5 minutes she says are you done yet? And she stepped on a rod and broke 8 inches off tip.

 

Do ya think she ever made it out twice? Nope.

 

I think I came up with some new boat rules after that one. Let's see... If she goes the rods stay home. If rods go then she stays home.

 

I have yet to find a better half who really does fish. Probably never will.

 

You go Swamp Girl! Us guys highly approve of women who fish- as noted above.

59 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

I caught 11 at my pond this morning and four of them were tanks. I'll got stories for three of the tanks. Shortly after launching at 5:05 a.m., I cast parallel to the shoreline and felt the sharp tap of a bass hitting my underspin with a dark blue Crush City Mayor. I set the hook and the bass posed for a painter of a 1957 Outdoor Life cover, coming completely out of the water, flaring her gills, and shaking her head. If she'd sprayed Godzilla's blue fire, I would not have been surprised. Here she is:

 

 

I was working another shoreline, casting parallel to it. I like to be inches from the shoreline as the bass tuck under the woody bushes along the shoreline, but I miscast and my lure was a couple feet away. Well, I saw a bass dart out from under a bush to snatch my lure. I saw the clear line as it charged. So exciting! Here's that bass:

 

 

With the third bass, I was working dense reeds along the shore. It was both rocky and muddy and SHALLOW, so I felt the tick-tick-tick of my lure striking rocks, wood, and weeds. Then I felt a tick that felt ever so slightly different. I pity new anglers having the learn the difference between a subtle hit and a lure striking a rock. Here's that bass and you can see the reeds behind her. Thank goodness she didn't plunge into them:

 

 

This bass completes my quartet of thick fish:

 

 

And this open water bass is pretty nice too:

 

 

As I wrote last year, I am proud of my consistency. Give me a spinning rod and underspin, drop me into a canoe, plop me onto a pond or bog, and I can find a few bass and convince them to hit.

 

Katie, not only do we love your photos but how you describe your trips puts us right there in the canoe with you!  !957 Outdoor Life cover.....I LOVE IT!  A great angler and a great writer you are!

Great report and beautiful pictures - the bass and the backdrops! Your pond always looks so magical!

Al, you know those old covers too, don't you? I miss 'em.

 

@FloridaFishinFool: Thanks! Good luck finding a woman who loves dancing...with bass.

 

Thanks too to @pdxfisher!

 

Now I'm waiting to see @JonB2's July 2025 bass. I love to see thick fish!

@FloridaFishinFool: I know two women more die hard than me. One launched her rowboat in snowstorms to troll for muskies and the other fishes every year from the Everglades to my haunts. We're rare, but we're out there. 

I'm not fishing as often as I used to so I'm living vicariously through your posts. Thanks

25 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

I'm not fishing as often as I used to so I'm living vicariously through your posts. Thanks

 

I'm launching Monday and Tuesday mornings, but after that, I'm down and out for all of August. I'm glad you enjoy my posts and I'm sorry I won't be there for you next month.

22 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

 I'm down and out for all of August. 

Nice chonkey bass! 
 

I went this morning and caught 6. All were 12”-13” except for one that went 16”. Once again, I caught bass on a non-stick worm WR, which up until the previous trip had never happened. The others were on a AJ Special and a Rage Craw TR. A bladed jig and a squarebill did zilch. 

7 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Nice chonkey bass! 
 

I went this morning and caught 6. All were 12”-13” except for one that went 16”. Once again, I caught bass on a non-stick worm WR, which up until the previous trip had never happened. The others were on a AJ Special and a Rage Craw TR. A bladed jig and a squarebill did zilch. 

lol! I typed “bladed jig” and it got changed to bladed jig! 

Ok. I guess combining chatter and bait no longer is allowed lol. 

On 7/24/2025 at 9:29 AM, Swamp Girl said:

Al, you know those old covers too, don't you? I miss 'em.

 

@FloridaFishinFool: Thanks! Good luck finding a woman who loves dancing...with bass.

 

Thanks too to @pdxfisher!

 

Now I'm waiting to see @JonB2's July 2025 bass. I love to see thick fish!

@Swamp Girl Katie, old mags, old dogs, old books, old anglers...I love 'em all!

So glad you are back on the water!

43 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

@Swamp Girl Katie, old mags, old dogs, old books, old anglers...I love 'em all!

 

Me too, Al!

 

43 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

So glad you are back on the water!

 

Me too times two! I'm thinking about big bass bogging tomorrow morning. If I go, I'll need to use my canoe's wheels as it's a ways to the bog, over a knoll and through the woods, but I'd like to apply the soft plastic skills I've been developing at my pond.