I launched this evening at my pond to take my 2026 total over 1,000. I did, catching 22, giving me 1,019 for the year. I didn't reach 1,003 until August 3rd of last year, so my bass-catching pace is rabbit zippy. It was gray when I launched, making for perfect fishing:

The Sun slipped through, making for a perfect evening:

And then my pond surprised me. I thought I knew it better than anyone and I believed the bass topped out at four to five pounds, but I cast a T-rigged Senko with a tungsten bullet sinker into an opening in some mid-pond lily pads and I felt what might have been a hit. I swung on it just in case and I thought, "It's the bottom."

And I continued to feel that for about two seconds and then there was a little give. I had lily pad peril in all directions. She snagged one lily pad, but then popped free and this is who I saw in the bottom of my net:

If she were a house built by a little piggy, she'd be the brick one. She was as thick as a bog bass. I didn't get a measurement because I always want to return big bass to the water ASAP. I caught two more well-built bass by casting to openings in mid-pond lily pads beds:

Then I had another soft hit and I set the hook and I didn't have to wonder if this was a fish. She erupted out of the water. She was Krakatoa. She tail-walked along my canoe and then wallowed a sec on the surface. I reached for my net and then she plunged. There were weeds everywhere and I knew if she reached them, she'd free herself, so I applied maximum pressure and the line parted. I'm guessing she weighed more than six pounds. Maybe more than seven. When she jumped, I was close enough to touch her. She looked like a longer version of my thick bass. So, that was a "Whoa!" moment for me because I didn't know that such a bass swam in my pond. @PhishLI has long believed such a bass did and he was right. Now I have a decision to make: Do I start big bass hunting in local bogs like I'd decided to do yesterday afternoon or do I continue fishing my pond, dropping soft plastics between mid-pond lily pads?

Here are some of the other bass I landed:

What beautiful waters to fish. I am jealous. And to have a chance at some big bass doesn't sting at all. Thanks for sharing those pics, and congrats on your season so far.

Alright! Congrats on getting to 1000 already!! Plus, I always love it when you include some scenery pics in addition to the fish pics!

Nice. Glad to know there are some big’uns in there.

What other secrets does your pond hold ? We’ll have to wait until the next episode of Swampy and her magic canoe.

On 6/26/2026 at 8:44 PM, Swamp Girl said:

I launched this evening at my pond to take my 2026 total over 1,000. I did, catching 22, giving me 1,019 for the year. I didn't reach 1,003 until August 3rd of last year, so my bass-catching pace is rabbit zippy.

Gettin them good up there! You’d probably triple that number down here in the Everglades. Sometimes every single cast can get a fish, literally! That’s usually when the water levels are low. The bass get concentrated in small areas that are deeper. Great catches….and numbers 💪

5 hours ago, Zcoker said:

Gettin them good up there! You’d probably triple that number down here in the Everglades. Sometimes every single cast can get a fish, literally! That’s usually when the water levels are low. The bass get concentrated in small areas that are deeper. Great catches….and numbers 💪

Congratulations on hitting 1000! Not a dink in sight!

@Swamp Girl Do you see moose coming down for a drink in the morning/evening? That would be cool. All I see are alligators! 🤣

2 minutes ago, Don51 said:

@Swamp Girl Do you see moose coming down for a drink in the morning/evening? That would be cool. All I see are alligators! 🤣

I wish I did. I have seen drinking deer.