I finally caught a 19-incher at my pond. I've caught hundreds of 19-inch bass at my pal's pond and the bogs, but I never caught one at my pond until this morning. The 19-inchers at the bogs run thick and the bass at my pond grow thick too. Here she is:

 

 

And here she is lipped and gripped:

 

 

Isn't she beautiful!?!

 

I caught four other bass, all thick. I think my pond is about to become a four-pounder factory, as I caught a lot of 18-inch-class bass at my pond this year, like the second one below:

 

 

I was also proud to put this in the bottom of my net:

 

 

This is where the lazy boy littered (Imagine being so weak that you'd befoul such a pretty place.):

 

 

When I launched, by canoe glittered with frost, looking a little like a bass boat. I quit because I was soooooooo cold.

 

But happy.

 

My first 19-incher at my pond!

 

In case you wonder why I get so excited about 19-inchers, it's because they're rare at my latitude. It takes about 20 years for them to reach this size. That's 20 winters under the ice and 20 years of avoiding eagles, ospreys, and Great blue herons. In-Fisherman says that a 19-incher/four-pounder of the North is as rare as a 6.2-pounder of the South. 

 

I'm at 1,397 for the year and I can't fish again until next weekend due to foul weather. Lastly, I saw eagles, ospreys, a heron, loons, Canada geese, and kingfishers. I even saw one kingfisher catch a fish!

Really nice fish. And you are SO close to 1400 for the year. I am excited for you.

 

2 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

Really nice fish. And you are SO close to 1400 for the year. I am excited for you.

 

 

Thanks, Kirtley. It'll feel good to reach 1,400, but it feels better to finally catch a 19-incher at my pond. If I'm projecting correctly, it'll be the first of many. 

That’s a beast - I betcha there’s a nice wad of 20-22” in there also - keep at it 😉👍

7 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I betcha there’s a nice wad of 20-22” in there also

 

I don't think so...yet. I've caught quite a few 20" to 22" bass the last three years, but none at my pond. Something happened to my pond. I know this because it used to contain five-pound bass according to the local guys, but hasn't for about ten years and about ten years ago was Maine's coldest winter on record. I'm thinking there was a killer freeze and it's taken the pond all this time to recover. 

 

FWIW, I fished my pal's pond yesterday evening and met a guy with a house on the pond who visits eight weekends each summer. He said he'd only caught three bass at the pond all summer. I shared where and how I caught them, gave him some lures, and offered to guide for him next spring. He's excited to go fishing with me and I'm excited to take him. 

Maybe so Katy.  That’d be a shame if so!  Glad they’re coming back though.  😎👍

Way more than a ton of bass. That’s a serious bag for a year’s angling! 
 

And yeah, deer grow massive in Maine compared to Texas and Florida, while bass are the opposite. A 19” bass up your way is a trophy. 

We're all sure you'll catch all the 19"ers you can handle next year as well as the numbers you're hoping for.  I'm just fortunate I can fish all year. Now all I need is a new, to me, boat and I'm looking.

41 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

A 19” bass up your way is a trophy. 

 

In most nearby water, I catch one 19-incher about every 40 bass. However, I have caught three to five to nine in a morning, but most mornings, about one out of 40 will be 19".  

 

19 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

Now all I need is a new, to me, boat and I'm looking.

 

Fingers crossed you're afloat again soon, Alex. What kind of boat do you want?

5 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I finally caught a 19-incher at my pond. I've caught hundreds of 19-inch bass at my pal's pond and the bogs, but I never caught one at my pond until this morning. The 19-inchers at the bogs run thick and the bass at my pond grow thick too. Here she is:

 

 

And here she is lipped and gripped:

 

 

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

In most nearby water, I catch one 19-incher about every 40 bass. However, I have caught three to five to nine in a morning, but most mornings, about one out of 40 will be 19".  

 

 

Nice!  I'm always happy to get a 19.  One out of every 40 is about my rate for that size here too recently...it just takes me several trips! (and I need to avoid the dink factories)

26 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

One out of every 40 is about my rate for that size here too recently.

 

That makes sense. Our latitudes are similar.