Johnsfolly

We had a great time and one pastime was coming up with nicknames for these fish. Ham mentioned Swamp Musky already, but didn't talk about BOWFUN! Now these fish are considered trash fish by most folks, but to those of us in love with the thump and strong pull they can be a lot of fun. As Ham mentioned, after catching that crappie in the brush sitting in about 4 to 6 feet of water, I hit it again with the 1/32 oz crappie tube jig and Bobby Garland pearl crappie plastic. That fish hit like a freight train and fortunately ran out of the brush into more open water. That allowed me to actually play the fish using that long pole to wear it down. I back reeled a lot and let the drag work as well when the fish ran, trying to maintain constant pressure. I was also fortunate that the jig caught the fish right in the lip and upper jaw and not in its hard palate where it may have pulled sooner. It was my largest swamp musky to date - 23" and 4+ pounds. My second encounter with the Swamp Musky was in the same lake where Ham had two solid bowfun strikes. This fish hit the bait about 6 to 8 feet from the boat and not more than 30 yards from Ham's strikes. I did not get a solid hook set and the fish swam off. Later as we had circled the banks of this small lake and heading to the channel out to the bayou, I made a cast with the spinnerbait again not more than 70 yards from my last encounter, the bait got smashed. Again I was fortunate to have the hook find the spot just behind the upper jaw and not in the hard palate. After the nice fight my second swamp musky was in the net . Keep an eye out this holiday season for our line of swamp musky apparel and video series !

I now have that fish and a big boatside musky as haunting fish memories of that moment when the hook popped. That was a hard fighting fish on such a light pole. I was trying not to horse that fish and as Ham knows there was a lot of give an take using that little reel's drag, back reeling, and bringing in line when I could. Ham didn't mention that there was only 9 feet of line out when that hook pulled on that fish. Still didn't get a look at the fish, but it was so close. That fish was well above the weight limit of that thin wire 1/32 oz crappie jig.

This made me sad. Story later😟

Pulling out of the driveway. Waldo in the fog😀.

Setting this up as a placeholder for the initial Where's Waldo tour of Texas 2019. Currently waiting to get on a flight to ST Louis then onto Little Rock AR. Will meet up with @Ham and head to Texas pulling Waldo, the new boat. Getting ready for Fish, Fish, eat, Fish, Fish, eat Fish, sleep?... Repeat😀!!! Morre to come...

Those are some nice rockfish (aka stripers). We live in Royal Oak MD which is between St Michaels and Easton on the eastern side of the bay.

I have always considered yellow perch as a northern species. They are pretty common here in Maryland. I do believe that there are some in Bull Shoals. I'm sure that the lakes like Clear Lake or Okoboji north of @FishnDave have their share of yellow perch.

And for perch, I'm talking about yellow perch. Also sauger and saugeye. Not "black perch", ozark perch or brim which are likely green sunfish or bluegill😌.

Congrats on a couple of brownies! Pretty fish!

A Big fan of all his shows. So absolutely loved this finale!

@Quillback and @MOPanfisher are correct, it's a logperch. That is one of the largest darter species in the Ozarks. All darters are related to walleye and perch. That's why it may look like a juvenile walleye in body shape.

They look freaking awesome guys. I love the small rainbows on the mounts! That big girl is still swimming and dining on those stockers rainbows! Congrats again @JestersHK and @fmcbrandon!

I haven't figured out the stripers out here in MD yet. Catch schoolies from the banks and docks but so far nothing big. I do tend to fish more for different fish than devote too much time just on stripers😌. Also a boat would go a big way towards more productive waters for sure.

That's a nice bucketmouth! Congrats! That bass could have eaten all three of the Iowa bass that I have caught all at once😌.

He got by quoting lyrics from all of his songs. That's tha hardest working man in show biz. Give props to that reporter she seemed to roll with his nonsense.

Jeff I probably won't know until mid Nov whether I will be able to get down this year. If I do may need lodging and will need an open boat seat. Been soaking live baits all summer would have to remember how to fish a jig😌.

Saw that Lost Valley Hatchery was constructed starting in 1977. But I read that somewhere. May be fake news😀.

Later in Dec may be better for my schedule. But I am likely going to be a last minute decision regardless of the weekend selected. So get a consensus and I will see if I can work out the travel.

Awesome adventure, great scenery, and great fish! Thanks for taking us along buddy! Maybe next time some of us will actually get an invite !

Awesome trip buddy! Congrats on that topwater bite! Nice striped shiner.

Congrats on a very nice hybrid as well as putting up serious numbers of caught fish! Willing to let us know what you were fishing, topwater, cranks, jigs, etc.?

Hope that you can figure them out RPS! Would love to see some walleye reports again😀.

Can't wait to see that brisket Mitch! I really haven't done much with that cut of meat. Have to give it a try.

Congrats on finding and catching some fish! I know some spots on the upper Current river where I'm sure that the brown trout would tear up a ned rig. Just can't fish that bait in those areas😟.

That's a great highlight for sure! Congrats to you both!