4-year bass summary

[WatterBoy]

Still waiting for ice to go off the lakes here and for bass season to open (3 week from today! ), so I pulled a few numbers out of my fishing spreadsheet this morning so I could take a look at them. 3 pounds and up is what we consider a good bass for the lake our cabin is on, and it appears last year was a good year for us for both size and numbers. Ice was out in early April last year, but it will be at least mid-May this year, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, that does to our numbers this year.

We aren't really fishing many different areas or too many different lures from year-to-year, but the Smallmouth count keeps going up...actually WAY up from what it was prior to 2011. Hopefully that will continue!

          |---2012---|  |---2011---|  |---2010---|  |---2009---|
          Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct 
Total LM   682   100.0   674   100.0   360   100.0   246   100.0
5.0 & Up     0     0.0     0     0.0     1     0.3     0     0.0
4.0-4.15     6     0.9     1     0.1     5     1.4     3     1.2
3.0-3.15    47     6.9    20     3.0    16     4.4    16     6.5
----------------------------------------------------------------
3.0 & up    53     7.8    21     3.1    22     6.1    19     7.7
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          |---2012---|  |---2011---|  |---2010---|  |---2009---|
          Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct 
Total SM   102   100.0    83   100.0    21   100.0     9   100.0
5.0 & Up     0     0.0     0     0.0     0     0.0     0     0.0
4.0-4.15     4     3.9     4     4.8     2     9.5     1    11.1
3.0-3.15    25    24.5    15    18.1     3    14.3     5    55.6
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3.0 & up    29    28.4    19    22.9     5    23.8     6    66.7
----------------------------------------------------------------

          |---2012---|  |---2011---|  |---2010---|  |---2009---|
          Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct   Count   Pct 
LM & SM    784   100.0   757   100.0   381   100.0   255   100.0
5.0 & Up     0     0.0     0     0.0     1     0.3     0     0.0
4.0-4.15    10     1.3     5     0.7     7     1.8     4     1.6
3.0-3.15    72     9.2    35     4.6    19     5.0    21     8.2
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3.0 & up    82    10.5    40     5.3    27     7.1    25     9.8
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Here is a replica mount I had made last year of the only 5 pound bass we've caught up there so far. I caught it on June 19, 2010 using a YUM money hound, and it weighed 5lb 1oz, was 20.0" long and had a 14.0" girth.

[bluebasser86]

That's a terrific replica. A prime example of why I don't understand why guys still feel the need to kill a fish for a skin mount but that's just my opinion. I have a skin mount of a 6.5 that was once my largest bass ever that was hooked deep and dying that already looks faded and dry.
Those Money Hounds are great baits. I just scored half a dozen packs at my local wally world for $1.50 a pack Almost felt guilty walking to the truck with them, almost.

[keithdog]

Mid May for ice out? Boy, I thought we had it bad here with mid April! haha That's a beautiful replica. I bet you can't wait to get out and try to land another one like it! Are your jigs tied on and ready to go? It will be interesting to see what your numbers for the first half of the year are this year compared to past years with the last winter lasting so long.

[bamabassman]

dean, i absolutly LOVE that mount man. awesum. and i know that this has been a LONG winter. heck, it's pretty cool for tis time of year here for us. and RAIN,RAIN...AND MORE RAIN. we might be launching form the yard and we are on top of a mountain,hahaha!