Happy Days Are Back with pics

[keithdog]

It's been a rather tough bite the past few weeks. I would put in 7-8 hours casting and have only about 8-10 to show for it, and most would be rather small. But today it finally broke open in a big way. I landed 30 and lost about 10. Most were in the 14-18 inch range. A few were just under 14". I had a nice 4 or so pounder right up next to the boat when my line broke and she made off with my favorite popper. I had just been thinking I should retie that knot. DOHHH It was very calm most of the morning and fairly cloudy most of the day. The lake was like glass up untill around 10AM. Finally a small breeze started, but just enough to ripple the surface. Early on I took 4 off of the Strike King KVD buzz bait. Once the sun started to rise, the buzzbait bite came to a halt. About then, the bass started showing signs of chasing shad. So I switched tactics and started throwing a rattle trap which caught nothing. Neither did any crankbaits. I wanted to try those before switching to topwaters. Topwaters are the name of the game in this lake when the shad bite is on. Right away, the bass started assulting my Excaliber popper. They also tore into my black Lucky Craft popper, a new favorite of mine, and a Baby Torpedo. When they would miss the popper I would follow with the Strike King Caffein Shad, t rigged weightless which they would instantly SMACK. I also was getting a few on the Strike King Rage Tail Shad in areas where weeds were touching the surface. I forgot to include that lure in the photo of the lures I caught them on today. Sorry . Towards the end of the day, the popper bite started to slow, so I started throwing the spinnerbait and the Caffein Shad. Caught one on the spinnerbait, and several on the Cafffein Shad. Things were starting to slow down, and I was hungry and tired with sore hands, so I headed on back home with a few for dinner next week. Something about turning 50+ and you start getting aches and pains I never had when I was 30!!! I know some of the fellas might be turned off with my keeping 5 bass to eat. But these were the first I've kept all year to eat. Probably 95% of the bass I catch swim away happily after being released. But the wife is on vacation next week and made it clear she wanted grilled bass for dinner one night, haha.

[nobass]

nice fish there keith. maybe we all should get up at 330. nothing wrong with keeping some to eat take the biguns so the little ones grow . enjoy the fish fry

[Cavs1123]

Nice fish Keith! Nothing better than a good topwater bite!

[rrw4258]

Good fishin' Keith.... those are somd dandy fish for sure!

Ryan

[Bassboss]

Good deal Keith! Looks like ya really got the bite down to a science. Enjoy them bass now.. hahaha! And we need pics of them after they're cooked too!

[islandbass]

Nice! Glad it's turned around for you. How are you going to prepare the fish?

[bamabassman]

all i read was GRILLED BASS..............HAHAHAHAHA!!! i still hate cha keith. lol!

[bluebasser86]

I love that Xcalibur popper! I've got one in the ghost color with almost no paint left on it it's been hit so many times. A good day for sure!

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by islandbass

Nice! Glad it's turned around for you. How are you going to prepare the fish?

Well, my wife is on vacation this comming week, and her favorite way to make it is grilled. So I sprinkle garlic power, salt and pepper on both sides of the fillet, and grill it in a hand made pan made of aluminum foil, in melted butter. If I can find it, I get a heavy disposable foil sheet with small holes in it from the grociery store made just for grilling fish. It's hard to find though. I usually just poke small holes in mine.

[TennTyrant]

Nice fish, now I have to get some poppers.

[Backwater Charlie]

Wow, what a trip! I consider a good day for me a 4 - 5 fish trip but 30?? that's a trip of a lifetime for me. and I wish I was joking, lol..

[carolina-rig-01]

Sounds like an awesome day Keith. Topwater fishing is awesome! No problem with keeping a few bass once in a while. I don't believe in keeping all the bass you can every chance you get, but there is nothing wrong with keeping a few now and then.

[Z-Man]

Looks like you had a great time out on the water. I love me some top water fishing. Nothing gets the blood pumping better. Bet they tasted delicious!

[bcklash]

That's an awesome day Keith.

[MIbasser]

Great job Keith!

[keithdog]

Thanks. Something I noticed which I had noticed last year was how things woould go in reaction to boat traffic. Last year was the first year this lake had any shad, and so last year was my first experience fishing for bass that were schooling up and attacking shad at the surface. It seemed as though every time a boat would pass by, it would cause the shad to react and soon their would be more feeding frenzys taking place. If I saw a boat approaching, I knew to get ready for some action. Heck, just turning my trolling motor on seemed to get the shad moving again.

[WatterBoy]

Sweeeeeeeeeeet fishing, Keith -- congrats! Bummer about the big one that broke your line and made off with you favorite popper.

Still waiting for the Pop-R bite to get going here. I love that lure.

Dean

P.S. - I had my best outing ever earlier this month -- 25 LM, 3 SM and 2 Rock Bass in 5 hours one morning. Plus my wife added 8 LM and 1 Rock in the two hours she was out with me that morning.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Nice haul KD-V. I see nothing wrong with lake management. Keep chunking and winding!

[BigBassin144]

Way to go Keith. Looks like a good day on the water and a good dinner!

BB

[WaffleJaw]

Great job Keith!!..Sounds like a great day!!...Now when are you gonna slap a casting deck in the 12?

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

Great job Keith!!..Sounds like a great day!!...Now when are you gonna slap a casting deck in the 12?

haha, wish I could. I tried standing on the front of the boat once and the rear of the boat came off the ground. ughhh

[bamabassman]

3/4" plywood decks will even it out if oyu put them front and rear. plus it'll give oyu a better way to fish. been there, done it.

[3dkicker]

Need to counter balance the weight so you can get forward. Add another or second battery.....or bring more tackle