Tried for a long time

We all have goals or thresholds we try to improve on as we progress in this game we play. I’ve been looking to catch one of the many CNBG I catch to cross the ten inch mark. I was granted that wish today. It’s a matter of numbers and I just had to keep after it to find one, and here he is.
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This old white boy can’t dance but I sure wanted to today. I could tell he was big but some of the others fought hard too. They get sideways to you and you just can’t move em til they’re ready. Great fun. He wasn’t the first of the day so I’ll go back and start at the beginning.
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This was number one and I can’t think of a better start to any day chasing panfish. I knew it was a cracker just a few seconds into the fight. I had a talk with him and told him that I’d let him go but I wanted to meet some of his brothers and cousins. He didn’t deliver. Fun just the same. The next two came just a cast or two apart. They might have been big enough but I wanted a few good gills for some tacos or sammiches.
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Mere inches from the bank when they hit. They didn’t seem to be any further out today. Got into this giant after that. Snatched him clean out of the water when I set the hook and I didn’t set it hard. This pic is for you chaser.
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Early in the trip this thing made my line come tight, jumped a few times and was generally unruly. I just wanted my jig back and him to be gone.
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I caught a few gills along the way, nice ones all with no dinks today. Here’s a few.
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And then this fool had to stick his nose in and suck up my little jig I’ve been using since last week.
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They’re becoming habitual. This one actually ate the jig and was hooked in the mouth. I figured about 4 1/2lb and a fight to remember. The couple fishing nearby was happy to invite him to dinner.

Overall it was a good day. Fished about 4 hours and caught these fish and a few more. The only real down side was my hat blowing off and dropping out of sight before I could turn around. Mostly overcast conditions made it pleasant. I also started the day playing with some schooling bass that were chasing the schools of Shad that were everywhere. I tied on a #5 floating Rapala and hooked up on the first cast but broke me off on a branch. Retied the leader and put on a #7 Rapala and it took a few casts but I connected again. Never landed him either as he broke me off too. Threw a rooster tail a few casts but only got one short strike on the single hook. Never did boat one of the bass. The ones I hooked and showed themselves while jumping were in the heavy two pound range to three and a half pounds and I couldn’t turn em for nothing. I might try it again in the morning but I’m not setting my alarm. Maybe I’ll see you out there, til then……Skeet

Looks like you had “one of those days “
Congrats !
A ten inch gill is definitely a trophy ! As is that tilapia . And those bowfins are just mean !

What an adventure Skeet. I'm sure you've identified them before but can you ID the 3rd fish and the last one for this northern boy? Congrats on the TEN!

Nice catches. Congrats on the 10 inch copper nose! All quality fish!


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Sounds like an awesome day and congrats on the big CNBG. Good pics

Congrats on some really nice fish!

Congrats. That bowfin looks interesting as well.

Thanks for taking us along sir!

MCG, not sure which ones you’re looking at. Let’s go top to bottom. The good coppernose bluegill, then a redear sunfish AKA shellcracker, then a couple of Warmouth perch ( I think) AKA stumpknocker. Called that cuz they like being around the base of trees. Then comes the monster largemouth and then the bowfin or mudfish. If there was a fish that could be a bouncer, it would be them. They've got teeth and a nasty attitude and I’ve seen them well over 5 lbs. True brutes. The last pic is a blue tilapia ( I think ). They’re an invasive species and aren’t supposed to be returned to the fishery. With their fins so far back they fight like no other. If someone doesn’t take them they have to be dispatched and discarded. Hope I got your answer in there somewhere.

Thanks skeet, the dark green war mouth was the one, tough looking bugger, eh? Tilapia are suppose to be goid eating? Kind of a nasty looking critter, but built for a goid tug on the line. Sure look fun. Those CNBG are just cool.

Thanks. Wild caught tilapia are supposed to be good, never tried one. Don’t like what’s fed to the farm raised ones. These were 3 of yesterday’s bluegill about to be sammiches.
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And yes, the Warmouth are tough little customers. Yummy when they clear about 8”. The tilapia fight like crazy, you just pray they stay in open water.