My brother pulled a 7 pounder out of a local lake a couple weeks ago. He said he’s going to take me there next spring. It’s a 30-ish acre private lake, and I can not wait. We have a trip set for the 'Zarks in October so I can get my bull-blue fix again. Pics will be forthcoming.
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I’m looking forward to the pictures!! I’m probably going to set some jugs tonight or tomorrow for a couple big snapping turtles that live in our pond, if I have luck I’ll be posting pics of them lol
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Ah, you reminded me of my youth again. We used to go to Bull Shoals lake because my Grandpa knew a lodge owner. He would set out a trot line with cotton baits (cottonseed cakes) at night. Next morning he would pull in carp as big as me!! He was going for cats so he would curse those monsters and toss them back. But that sort of memory really stays with you. Massive fish!
And it reminded me that Jeremy Wade did an episode of River Monsters from the Ozarks because the cats are so huge. Yeah, I said I love fishing, didn’t I?
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Bull shoals is on my bucket list, one of the few lakes you can pull the black bass trifecta, catching a keeper size largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass on the same lake lol
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You would love trying for a murray cod in the lake here
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I’m edging ever closer to getting a pontoon boat. Always wanted one for more frequent family fish-n-fun outings but just haven’t been able to pull the trigger. This thread has me going though! Usually we go with my brother and take turns going out on his bass boat, or staying dock and shoreside. It would be great to have a little bass barge to hang on and fish, BBQ, etc…
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I’ve wanted a pontoon with low profile floats and no rails on the deck for bass fishing, they need much less water than a bass boat to float but have better stability than a jon boat, perfect for shallow water flipping and pitching with heavy line:)
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I’ll confess, I would prefer a Skeeter or some hot rod metal flake 250HP bass boat, but no matter how big a one you get, you ain’t fishing 6 people in one! And, well, $$$$$$$$!!!
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Freakin’ gorgeous shots man. Would love to hit that!
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That’s a crazy ass fish lol
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Yeah, brand new 22 foot ranger with a 250 goes for 70 grand, not even tricked out that much either lol. My bass boat is a 15.5 ft mastercraft that me and my dad redid the fiberglass on 10-12 years ago, we also increased the front deck size while we were at it lol but to be honest I use the kayak or canoe far more often. I fish by myself a lot and the little boats get me on the water and fishing a lot quicker, and I can fish water that doesn’t get as much pressure. Last I checked here in Indiana we are in the top ten states with registered boats and in the bottom 10 states for public fishable water, so the bass here are well aware of what most baits and techniques look like lol the biggest lake in the whole state is only 10,000 acres
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Here’s my bass boat, excuse the weeds lol I don’t feel like weedeating in the heat so it’s grown up a little, haven’t even registered the boat this year, just been using the canoe or kayaks
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Late 70s if I remember correctly, Johnson 115 lol
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Back when I still lived in SW Michigan, I had a 17’ Dolphin Expedition canoe. It was an ugly faded yellow color, but I loved that thing. I could get on creeks and streams and even lakes that boats couldn’t access.
I went out by myself a lot and had to throw my spare tire in the front seat as a counter balance because of the trolling motor and battery in the back with me.
A canoe gives you so many more options if you can do it. Just the solitude and freedom of being on water with nobody around is an awesome feeling. Now if you catch some nice fish there too its even better.
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Nice, my canoe is a 16 footer and I just use a paddle lol you should try a fishing kayak, they have more stability than traditional kayaks and you can get into places canoes can’t even go lol the only problem with the kayak is if you hook into anything bigger than bluegill or crappie the kayak actually moves when you set the hook, causing a little slack in the line which translates to lost fish, I about set the kayak on fire before I figured that one out lol. I don’t mind getting skunked but I absolutely hate losing fish, now I only use the kayaks for panfish unless I have an anchor.
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I live in S. California now. There is very little fresh water here, and the few lakes around are so crowded and crazy that its hardly worth the effort. They are so artificially managed that its just not the same to me.
It took me a few years to transition to saltwater, but once I did I really liked it. I see people using the fishing kayaks in the bays and they look pretty slick.
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Nice boat @Fishaddict420! We were crazy poor growing up. Always wanted a boat but no way was even a cheap jon boat in the budget, ever. Eventually a few of my siblings grew up and moved out, and there was a little extra budget room. Dad finally bought a 1960’s Mark Twain runabout they he ‘converted’ to a bass boat. By convert, I mean made a bench seat out of plywood and mounted a seat on the bow on the deck. This thing was small party vessel, not a fishing one. Hard as hell to fish out of. High sides and very little room. And you had to climb over the windshield to get to the bow seat. It was really, really lame. But it floated so we used it! Naturally, it died in the middle of Mark Twain Lake one time and I baked redder than a lobster waiting for someone to come along and drag us to the landing.
But you know what? Good times.
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Good times indeed! But here is my problem… One, I lack the funds to buy a water-ready, nice, turnkey boat. Two, I lack the time (and most of the funds) to by a fixer-upper. So, until one of these two missing ingredients is found, I shall stay on the shore and on the dock and watch the boats sail by, a little jealous but not enough to drown anyone.
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So, you are a boat enabler? 
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Definitely an enabler. Seems I keep finding myself perusing pontoon boat websites. If I find just the right deal… 
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