Night Trip to the Q

[stripernut]

Fished the Quabbin last night and the fishing was hot! Most were LM in the 4+ range, but none breaking 5lb. The night was hot and muggy and the mosquitos did not let up, but not so bad I needed to break out the head net. Wildlife was very active with lots of owls hooting, loons making a racket, whippoorwills calling and I even got snorted at for like 5 min. by a deer. I took a pic of a impressive spider, photo does not do it justice, the web is about 8-10' across! Glad it was up high, hate to walk in to that in the dark;



One thing that bugged me last night was a bass I found along side the entrance road, it had been thrown to the side when some one decided they no longer wanted it. I don't think any bass is worth killing, I don't think they taste that good, but it is legal, so to each their own. But to kill a trophy and then waste it, is a real shame! Here is a pic, a real nice fish... A real waste. Keep in mind I wear a size 12 4E boot;


Here are a few pics of some of the bass I got, they all had a spawned out look;

[bogtrotter]

I like the spider web shot - - even if the photo doesn't do it justice.

Too bad about the abandoned bass that you found.

Nice shots of the ones you caught though.

[Baitbucket]

Nice job getting out and getting fish!

Thats the second bass ive seen thats been discarded like that. I hope this is something someone is doing intentionally.

[lowaccord66]

Ncie trip Allan.

[steve01987]

Those are some nice bass you caught. That's really messed up someone discarded one like that, it should still be out there swimming.  I don't usually have too much luck at night.  I wonder if I should be using dark colored plastics

[Ryan51993]

Those are some nice bass you caught. That's really messed up someone discarded one like that, it should still be out there swimming.  I don't usually have too much luck at night.  I wonder if I should be using dark colored plastics

Have you tried top water at night? For me its the most fun and the most productive besides live bait.

[stripernut]

My own side by side tests with topwater and color at night have convinced me that it makes little to no difference what color you use. The darker the night makes a clear difference in catch rates.

Although from time to time I will fish something other for bass at night besides topwater, its success rate and shear fun, keeps me throwing topwater!

[lowaccord66]

Moon was out last night and the only surface feed was white perch.  Oh well it was a nice night.

[steve01987]

My own side by side tests with topwater and color at night have convinced me that it makes little to no difference what color you use. The darker the night makes a clear difference in catch rates.

Although from time to time I will fish something other for bass at night besides topwater, its success rate and shear fun, keeps me throwing topwater!

No But I should, thanks...do you use the weedless frogs over the lillys, or the non weedless frogs and poppers in open water?  Im gonna try a lil of both

[stripernut]

Open water not weedless, over pads weedless. Over the pads I use a hollow frog style with no cupped face or no legs, I don't want anything the "catches" on the weeds. The color really does not matter, 99% of the time the bass does not even "see" the frog it is just going after movement. I laugh every time I see the great paint jobs they give the "frog", with an angry "look". As if a bass will ever see the top of a frog and even the few times one jumps out of the water and comes down on a frog from above, does anyone think that the bass will change its mind on eating the lure because it had happy eyes and not angry eyes? Like I always say, "Most lures are made to catch anglers not fish". Most of the time I am fishing open water or weeds, if I am in a boat with both around I fish two rods.

[westernmas]

Open water not weedless, over pads weedless. Over the pads I use a hollow frog style with no cupped face or no legs, I don't want anything the "catches" on the weeds.

Funny you mention that.  I fished thousand acre swamp about two weeks ago and had something take both skirts/legs right off the body of the frog.  I've never had that happen before.  I guess I'll hold onto the lure as is and see what it does.