Hey Diggyj! The attack on Rice Lake continues!

[alwayscatching]

So diggyj,

I took another trip up to Rice Lake today with my dad. I decided to try to drop shot and not use my typical tubes or use spinnerbaits. I used a 3.6 inch Green Ayu JP Hammer Shad and the bait works great! Ordered them in March and just now decided to give them a shot.
These baits were like MAGIC! I am so happy I made a switch to the drop shot. The pictures below show just the biggest ones we caught today but not the 20-25 fish we caught overall. The first picture is with my dad and his amazing perch he caught using a tube. The next picture are my 2 20 inch exact smallmouth one weighed in at 5.2 pounds and the next was in at 5.4 lbs. The last picture is my biggest one which was really stiff because I kept these fish on ice after we left in our live well. The fish came in at 22 inches and 5.9 lbs. Really a hog but it was hard to get a picture to do it some justice. I decided that it is time for me to enter more tournaments next year and I may be calling on you to come with!

Thanks,

Alex


PS discolor on the fish is from the ice and long day.

 

[BrutemanAl]

nice looking fish , sounds like you had a great time

 

[driftman]

Very nice fish but i think I would have kept the smaller ones for the table

 

[FishingNoob]

Nice fish!

 

[Dugger]

...nice bass! what do larger smallmouth taste like? the same as the smaller ones i am guessing

 

[driftman]

...nice bass! what do larger smallmouth taste like? the same as the smaller ones i am guessing

smaller ones taste better and I was trying to get the message across that large fish should be put back

 

[Dugger]

hmmm I did not see your post, driftman for some reason but for sure keep the smaller for the fry pan. Maybe he is mounting them? Those are primo spawners hence the fishery's future.

 

[alwayscatching]

Hey I am actually going to mount these! These were my biggest smallmouth bass and I haven't mounted any yet.

 

[Dugger]

aha! ok, thought so, that will be one heck of a mount!

what do they charge now for a mounted fish? per inch? and I hear there is a way they do a mount based on detailed photographs. I wonder what that costs.

 

[alwayscatching]

It will go with my 3 Largemouth bass. Finishes off my wall. I will admit I am making it 1 more bass than I wanted it to be but I had such a memorable day I had to keep the 3rd. As for doing a fish fry you typically get great meat off the 2-3 lb fish. I only did 2 fish fries this year and that is as far as it goes.

 

[Dugger]

cool! are the largemouths on the same mount? what's yer biggest of the three?

 

[alwayscatching]

Those are what I currently have mounted. My babies! The one I am most proud of is the one solo. My biggest largemouth ever. Take a guess at the weight! Hint, from the belly to the top of its back is 12.4 inches. Big ol hog! Also, the mounts I have here are the same as what I am going to be using for the smallmouth. It costs me a pretty penny alright.

 

[Dugger]

good lordy! I'd need a scale of some kind in the pic to go by... gorgeous!

thanks for sharing!

 

[alwayscatching]

good lordy! I'd need a scale of some kind in the pic to go by... gorgeous!

thanks for sharing!

The single largemouth was just under 10 lbs.

 

[Dugger]

good gravy! ..... i have 5 lbs to go!

 

[chris f]

nice lmb alwayscatching and awesome mounts, those were well done and look great

 

[alwayscatching]

Thanks FISHCHRIS and Dugger its all about being in the right spot at the right time. I have been fortunate the past couple years.

 

[Dugger]

....I'm still stuck on 10 lb largemouth.... hokey doodle!

 

[FishingNoob]

Those are some beauty mounts always! Not to mention the fish! Holey Moley! I've never heard of largies caught as big as yours! Nice work! It takes skill to find the fish and more skill to get them to bite, it was more then luck. Who say's Canadian's can't bass fish!

....I'm still stuck on 10 lb largemouth.... hokey doodle!

Same boat as you. Guess we are long over to take a trip down South, to hook fish that size. I can read the head lines now, Canadian Archiologist, Dugger paired up with the boys from OFF, catches Florida's/Texas's/Georgia's/Any relatively tropic state record largemouth bass.

I wonder how my medium weight rod would handle a bass that size :unsure:

 

[alwayscatching]

I can give you all details on what I like to use on Rice Lake and where I like to hit them. It is not real secret although I do have some sweet spots for my Largemouth. I was considering trying to get into guide services on Rice Lake but seeing as I live in Markham and work, it would be hard to commit myself. Like I said, if anyone has some questions I have been fishing Rice Lake for a long time and know it in and out.