Hmmmm - How to celebrate New Years Eve? Bubbly or big bass? I'LL TAKE THE BIG BASS!

25" / 8.4 pounds. Surface water temp 46 deg. Caught on what was going to be about my last cast of 2011 - right when it just got full dark. She hit the RES on the fall - I hadn't even started the retrieve yet!

Happy New Year to the BR family !

Nice fish. Darn near as big as the trout I caught this morning. Congrats.

Thanks John - a good way to finish the year!

Now, let's see if I can catch anything at all tomorrow to start 2012...

I might take the kayak out on the big lake for smallies. Can't believe I'm saying that, lol.

If they don't cooperate, I know where to find a quick limit of steelies.

I might take the kayak out on the big lake for smallies. Can't believe I'm saying that, lol.

If they don't cooperate, I know where to find a quick limit of steelies.

I bet you're way under 120 water/air temp - suit up and be safe!

Nice fish, Goose! Happy new year.

Probably 50 F air and 40 F water. I teach a cold water reentry class, I know what's up, but thanks. I've even done it the wrong way - supervised, of coarse - jeans and a cotton hoody in 35/30 conditions. Probably the worst cold I've ever felt, but made for a great class.

Nice fish, Goose! Happy new year.

Thanks Shane. It was a great way to finish the year!

Dang Goose you are killing them with that RES! Happy New Years to you and hopefully you'll bring in 2012 with an even bigger one tomorrow!

I hope I get a bigger one tomorrow!

OTOH - maybe my luck is now toast and I won't catch a fish until February !

Beautiful fish. Plenty of time left for some bubbly too

Goose, how ya liking that craw pattern NOW?

Happy New Year.

p.s. I've got an order in for a few of those Red Eye Shads in Crawfish- Silent and Rattling.

I don't even know what to say, man. You're on fire! You know what that means though... after two 6's and an 8, you'll go on a long streak of not catching a big one. :D:D

I went out today and got a skunk. Tried three new ponds that I didn't know about until last night. Missed a couple of good jig bites.

Stay after them until you freeze up!

Beautiful fish. Plenty of time left for some bubbly too

I think I can scare up some sort of adult beverage to celebrate both the New Year and the hawg that closed out the old year!

Goose, how ya liking that craw pattern NOW?

I'm almost ready to believe that color DOES matter!

This is the only craw-pattern RES I have left - I guess I should order some more too. I had two craw patterns a couple weeks ago - one hung on the bottom and was lost. This one spent a day under water when I hung it up but I went back the next day with my canoe and got it back!

I don't even know what to say, man. You're on fire! You know what that means though... after two 6's and an 8, you'll go on a long streak of not catching a big one. :D:D

I went out today and got a skunk. Tried three new ponds that I didn't know about until last night. Missed a couple of good jig bites.

Stay after them until you freeze up!

Hey Hayden - you STILL caught more big bass in 2011 than I did - just trying to catch up!

Not sure when my lakes will ice-over but we have a cold front coming in that will probably drop water temps down a few more degrees. Yikes, I might finally have to abandon the moving bait and start dragging a jig....................which I do poorly....

Beautiful fish, Congrats!

Thank you ma'am !

I think I can scare up some sort of adult beverage to celebrate both the New Year and the hawg that closed out the old year!

I'm almost ready to believe that color DOES matter!

This is the only craw-pattern RES I have left - I guess I should order some more too. I had two craw patterns a couple weeks ago - one hung on the bottom and was lost. This one spent a day under water when I hung it up but I went back the next day with my canoe and got it back!

Hey Hayden - you STILL caught more big bass in 2011 than I did - just trying to catch up!

Not sure when my lakes will ice-over but we have a cold front coming in that will probably drop water temps down a few more degrees. Yikes, I might finally have to abandon the moving bait and start dragging a jig....................which I do poorly....

When the weather is cold just let that baby sit. And sit. And sit. You'll nail a slob soon enough with the jig. Just fish it in a place you know has a pig in ideal weather conditions.

Yeah - that waiting thing ain't my nature - I like to crank

Also, since the boat is put away for the season, these fish are being caught a LONG cast from the bank - out of range of jigs.

Still, I gotta start using jigs and that's one of my goals for next year. I'm trying to figure out what I want for a dedicated jig rod and will try to use it next year...

Drop the coin and get a Dobyns Champion Extreme DX745c! Perfect 3/8-3/4 oz. jig rod.

I'm throwing a jig 50+ yards, but my Premier is "special". Zero spool tension. That distance is way out of hookset range unless I'm throwing braid, but it's fun to bomb a jig that far anyways.

thats an awesome fish goose....happy new year home boy

Nice fish Goose, you did better than me. I was offshore fishing for cobia and caught 1 little blue runner, water was too calm.

Thanks guys and Happy New Year to ya'll !

I'll be headed out as usual this evening. Hopefully, I'll get at least one 12" bass to start the year

Hayden - a Champ Extreme (744 or 745) is one of my candidates - especially since you can get them with a full grip...

Awesome awesome fish there Goose. Beautiful. Like Hayden said, your on fire. I halfway expect to have you start another post with a bigger bass while I'm writing this reply. Great job & Happy New Year.

Awesome awesome fish there Goose. Beautiful. Like Hayden said, your on fire. I halfway expect to have you start another post with a bigger bass while I'm writing this reply. Great job & Happy New Year.

Thanks!

Re a bigger bass...........I just had a front come through this morning and would have loved to fish "the front of the front" BUT - I promised the wife I'd take down the outdoor Christmas decorations this morning. While I was doing that, it started pouring. No telling what the bite will be like this evening when I finally make it out...

I just got a little sick thinking about taking down Christmas decorations. Did that a few days ago, what a beating. My wife put up the decorations and I guess I didn't pay real good attention to all the stuff we had. As I was packing up box after box I just kept thinking where the heck did we get all these santas.

Back to fishing though, it's a bummer that you didn't get to fish this morning though. I absolutely love fishing that front of the front nasty weather stuff. Hope you get a hog tonight as well.