So even though I'm stuck fishing considerably further north than Cabela's, I thought I'd take a stab at doing a little bass fishing on my day off last Monday [:p]. After several warm days in a row, I thought I might be able to manage a couple of bass in an afternoon. The last two pics are the same bass, I was pretty excited about that one.[inline "20 inch4 small.jpg"][inline "17.5 small.jpg"][inline "20 inch3 small.jpg"][inline "20 inch small.jpg"]
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Yes I can see why you would get excited.
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She was 21.5". In the heat of the moment, and hurrying to get her back in the water, I forgot to take a girth measurement. As I recalled she looked to be as big around as my thigh just above the knee. That gives her a girth pretty close to her length and the length and girth calculators online put that around 8lbs! Never thought I'd catch a bass that big without traveling someplace warmer [
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Three of the other fish are right around 20". The 4-5lbers don't look so big anymore.
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Wow, that's really a bummer you got stuck fishing such a worthless waterhole [:p][:p][:p]! Recently I've been hearing that the north doesn't have any decent bass but I keep seeing photos that show otherwise [cool]. Those are all great bass and I'm glad to know you released the really big one. Now, I totally respect you keeping the location to yourself (I certainly would), but at least disclose if these were Utah bass or Idaho or other, if you would please, I just gotta know!
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Lets just say I picked up some nice, tasty, (strong) beer at the gas station on the way home [
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I pulled a 26" er out of that pond back in 04. Paddled to shore to pee, casted my worm out before peeling my waders down. Finished draining some high test then squirmed back into my float tube. picked up my rod and noticed my line headed out. Set the hook and saw a flash. Good thing I just went cause I bout went again when I saw the size! Shaking I stretched her across my 20" tape to have her draped across both sides by 3-4 inches. Needless to say I was taking her to a taxidermist along with some gills for a cool mount! Attached her to my fish chain and started the paddle back to the launch. Halfway back I noticed I wasn't being tugged around anymore. Lifted the chain only to find 2 bluegills and a bent clasp. I was completely heart broken. I'd guess that fish was 9-11lbs. Still sinks my stomach to think of it.
I pulled the gills off and dropped the chain for a proper burial. I HATE those cheesy chains!
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I wish i could be a better bass fisherman, those are some awesome looking fish! On a spinner?!?! Didnt realize there was good LM fishing near by. After catching huge SM in EC last year, im hook on catching pigs and will be back for more... I fished this tiny local community pond in PA for years. All we would catch is dink LM. My moms friend joined me one day throwing j11 and j13 raps. I told him there no way there is fish big enough to bite them. I was very wrong. He pulled 3 fish over 5 pounds out right in front of my face within an hour. That pond was no more than a 1/2 an acre. I guess that goes to show big bass can be anywhere if the conditions are right. My brother and i took care of the fish pop. in the pond and
ly, since moving here its turned into a algae filled swamp... Again, AWESOME fish!!
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Nice job Greg!! Man that was some great bass, glad you found some good ones.... Knowing what the four pounders look like, I don't think your picture did justice for that beast... Wish I could have seen that one in person... Later J
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That works for me [fishin] thanks. Lots of great bass water up there.
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No problem. I only keep a few smaller 12-14" fish now and then. I'd never keep that fatty [
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That sucks that you lost that big one after you'd already caught it. It's good to hear they can get even bigger in there. I was kind of wondering if I had any chance of ever beating it, but it sounds like it's a possibility.
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I actually started my love of bass fishing in small ponds in the northeast as a kid. Sometimes I wonder what might have been in some of those places had I been more skilled at the time.
As for spinnerbaits, they're still a relevant bait as far as I'm concerned. I wasn't just chucking and winding randomly. I had a very specific pattern nailed down that caught me all the larger fish in the pics, except for the smallest pictured, that one hit a small flat sided crank. I got about 20 that day, the rest were 12-16" and I caught them on the spinnerbait, weightless stick bait and belly weighted swimbaits. The spinnerbait was the main player though.
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Thanks! It's always kind of frustrating taking pics solo from the tube. Instead of holding them out toward the camera to make them look bigger, you have to hold them out away from the camera, effectively making them look smaller. It doesn't hurt that I'm 6'2" and wear a size 8 1/2 glove [:/] Plus you have little frame of reference. You're right though, she was spectacular to see up close and personal.
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I know what you mean about photos in a toon or tube, they are really hard to get a big fish to fit and hard to add any reference. Sucks when your 8 lber looks like the smaller ones since they both fill the picture frame the same. My cats all look the same from 21" up to my 29" but there is a big difference in the actual fish and bass change even faster per inch of length. But I'm very excited for Ya that's a great trophy for this part of the country. Glad you let her go spawn and live to play another day. Now I hope the drought don't get her. Later J
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I'm worried about the same thing. The reservoirs are already low, I hope they let water into them later like they did last year. I'd hate to see all these big fish die and then have to wait years for the lakes to rebound.
It really is awkward trying to get the pics. I try to remember to turn my hand sideways so it's more true to scale with the fish. When I'm holding it straight out it makes my hand look bigger compared to the fish since it's closer to the lens. I usually forget in the heat of the moment and just try to get some clear pics as fast as possible so that I can release them.
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What's the matter of ya?[
] Where's the 3rd and 4th pic of that amazing bass?
Nice work. You are good at your craft.
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Fine, here you go [:p]
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I thought this one was funny because it looks like it was born without a tail.
Thanks though, I'd say the same of you
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Love it. I need to get bass fishin again. I just bought my son his first bass rig yesterday. So now I gotta go teach him how to use it.[
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Just be careful, it's addictive. I became a full blown tackle junky by the time I was 8 [
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Yes it is, I have 6 tackle boxes/bags full of gear.[cool]
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