Lost Hawgs

[Guest]

Was doing some pan fishing today and lost my first pig of the year. It was a high 3 at least maybe even up to 5. Darn those little plastics with the mini hooks. It was still a good fight. Twice I thought it was coming up to jump, but she just didn't manage it in the cold water then for no reason it was unbuttoned.

Hey just because they are not in season doesn't mean that I can't enjoy catching them and prefer to let them go myself rather than a "long line" release.

[Chev_trucks501]

Hey Bass,

I caught a 4.5# too the other day. Took a crappie minnow and a small crappie jig. Was a great fight, never jumped but took a lot of line. It was fun...Can't Wait for the opener.

Happy Fishing
Chev

[EBass]

Nice story. I can't wait till I get my first pig of the year.

Later,
EBass

[Guest]

My younger brother who lives in FL and isn't much of a fisherman called me last night. When I was down there last year I brought him a couple of medium bass spinning outfits to use. He has decided he wants to learn how to catch some of the intercoastal fish and his wife likes to catch and eat fish. They really haven't had much success so far; just a couple of small stingrays.

They had been fishing for a couple hours with "chubs" and were without a bite. My sister in-law and the neice headed to the car. My brother decided he would stay another 15 minutes and put the last 3 chubs on the hook. Shortly after he cast out; he felt a fish bite. He said he set the hook and the next thing he knew the rod was bent in the shape of a C and the drag was screaming. He has never had this happen as that he hasn't really ever gotten anything bigger in his life than a 3 or 4 lb bass or northern. He said his reaction was to say "Holy dump" and try an yell for Kim who was already at the car.

The line was just flying off the reel and then the fish tail walked trying to throw the bait and he got a real good look at the headshakes. It was a Tarpon that he estimated at 60-80 pounds. (I can't say I've ever been hooked into a fish that big).

The medium weight bass gear and 12lb mono were not about to stop that freight train. The line kept screaming off the reel until he was just about spooled; he grabbed the line to keep from getting to the end of the spool and the fish broke the line instantly.

Man was he hyper about it. He said he doesn't care if he ever catches another little bass or pike again and doesn't know how I can fish for such little fish when there are things like those Tarpon to be caught. I talked to him about beefing up the tackle and it kind of sounded like that Tarpon caught him as much as the other way around. I think this was the making of a fanatic. Which is good, because then I can go down and visit hopefully he'll have things figured out by next spring.

[Bobb-o]

got my first pig yesterday, she took a chartreuse crappie jig tipped with a worm. Ended up measuring 19". Beauty of a fish, too bad i forgot the camera. I cant wait for bass opener at my cabin to see how many 20"+ fish i catch this year.

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"There are many stages to a man's life. In the first stage, he is young and eager, like a beaver. In the second stage, he wants to build things, like dams, and maybe chew down some trees. In the third stage, he feels trapped, and then "skinned." I'm not sure what the fourth stage is."

[Guest]

I've been practicing my flipping, pitching, and roll casts out on the lake front since even before the ice was off the shoreline.

Tonight I got out a hookless Zara Spook to check on performance of my other reels and to start exercising the casting muscles. On my first cast I was surprized by a 3-4 pound bass just annihilating the spook as it was about 10 feet in front of me. I wish I would have had hooks on the thing because that fish was hot and had some size. I also had a hit from a pike.

I assume since the lure is without hooks that I can't be said to be targeting anything. So nanner nanner to the prudes.

[fishface5]

Whatever turns your crank dude.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

You can always say that you’re targeting strippers with that spook. Al they can say then is to try something else. Been there done that.
C&R~~~~>’)))))><

[Guest]

Next time I see a CO I am going to ask about fishing a lure without a hook. I am not sure that could really be considered fishing. Casting yes, fishing I'm not so sure.

[BIG ISLAND DUDE]

I was up in marcel mn, last week crappie fishing at my favorite lake. I was using a no snag lindy rig and a small minnow in 13-18 ft, I caught a couple small crappies. Right before dark I landed my first Hawg of the year, 20in-4.5+ lbs. It was a great fight and really got my blood boilin.

First Hawg, Calm Waters, Sunset, COLD BREW--IT DOSENT GET ANY BETTER!

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I never vote for, I alawys vote against

[Guest]

Tonight I was out on Platte fishing for Pike; I am totally serious, I was really fishing for what I thought was pike only. On "The Openner" I caught 10 pike in this area and zero bass.

I got over into the area where I got all the fish and my spinnerbait just stopped. I was not surprized to get hit but I was quite surprized when a couple of seconds later a big old mug was head shakin and tail walking. She ended up to be a thick 19.75" maybe not quite a 5er but close (many people would peg a fish like this at 6). My biggest one of the year so far with multiple chunky 18 to 18.5 inchers The next five fish were all pike and I didn't get another whiff from a bass no matter how much I willed them to bite.

I have noticed that when I have gotten bass so far this spring they have rarely been males, with the one exception being a certain spot at Wapo where they were nearly all males. I'm not complaining as that I prefer the big gals.

[Lunker]

So far this year I've caugth a 4lb 19" and a 18", caugth the 19in on opener on a leech, the 18in a few weeks earlier on a minnow. Can't wait till the season opens!

[Guest]

Went to Mille Lacs to shore fish for eyes tonight and only brought in one fish. A 19.75" Smallie loaded down with egga. I wish someone would have been around to snap a pic or two.

It seems like the past couple years I get about 1 big smallie and that is it. Hopefully that isn't it for the year. I do plan to actually fish for them quite a bit which I have not really done.