I wanna see everyone's first fish of 26! Haven't caught one yet? No worries I'll be right here waiting when you do. Let's post up them new year lunkers for everyone to see! Here's mine. Lake Hartwell Cold water spot down about 12 feet on a rockpile with a finesse football jig caught -01-08-26.

1/8/26 dragging a 3/4 Oz jig in 35' through rocks. She was almost 3 lb Spot.😁

Not any bass yet, but started the year off with a bang offshore.  I won't have time to bass fish for a couple of months.  The tuna and marlin bite has been hot the past few days.

 

I don’t have any pics.  I went yesterday and caught 18 lmb and smb on Ned rig.  They were from 3-6’ deep in 46° water.

This the first fish but caught 2 that weighed 5 plus latter that day.

39 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Not any bass yet, but started the year off with a bang offshore.  I won't have time to bass fish for a couple of months.  The tuna and marlin bite has been hot the past few days.

 

You Sir, are indeed a fortunate human.

That must have been awesome.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

Florida on New Year's Day.

I got out on 1/1/26 and picked up some taco meat for Pineapple Fish Taco's...

Is it Spring yet?

I look forward to potentially contributing to this thread earlier than usual this season. Normally it wouldn't be until the second Saturday in May when our bass season legally opens. But this year it will be open whenever the ice is gone.

It’s going to be awhile

My first bass of 2026 on a fluke.

This was my first ‘26 bass on New Year’s Day

My first fish of ‘26 was a threadfin and that I snagged on the way to the spot

My story is so sad: Russ's Threadfin shad not only beats my first 2026 fish, but it will continue topping my first fish for many months.

See mine in the "latest catch" thread.

3 lb 15 oz on a chrome blue back Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. More details in the latest catch thread.

1/18/26

66°

Old, wooden, Dalton Special topwater.

We've had cold fronts and the bass are lazy.

Must be nice still being able to throw topwater. That stopped for me about a quarter of the way through November. My first bass of the year was a 3lber on a red strike king red eye shad.

My first fish of 2026 was even a "keeper". On a Ned rig in 2' of water on January 3rd off a long point that has a mix of rocks, mud, wood, with a channel swing.

Maybe a 15 or 16 inch January 8 on a 110 knockoff. Then it got COLD.

On 1/20/2026 at 10:31 PM, little giant said:

Old, wooden, Dalton Special topwater

I have caught a lot of bass on that lure and still cary one in my top water box. One year I made it a point to fish top waters for at least one hour every outing, no matter what. The Dalton Special was my top producing top water that year.

It’s not much, but a few small largemouth kept me from reporting in the multi species section again. Could only get them to bite finesse jigs.

Here’s my 1st official 2026 bass:

I'm finally on the board for 2026! I caught this one on a Texas rig in about 2' of water next to a laydown.

1st time out in 2026 and caught 1 fish on a spinnerbait in 4 hours.

Water temp 49*

Got a few on Tuesday the 10th before tornados and then snow hit us again. One might have been over a pound but it was still good to get the monkey off my back and it was glorious while it lasted.

scott

Finally on the board for the year.