Bass interference

[Chrisper4694]

Decided to get back to targeting NJ LL salmon again the other day after work. surface temps were cold, it wasn't quite as overcast as i hoped but it was plenty cloudy. thought it was going to be a good 2-3 hours whacking salmon before dark, but the bass and pickerel had other plans.

I literally couldn't keep these green carp off my stuff. I was on the bait and just kept hoping the target species would get on a few times but it wasn't meant to be.

Had a 5 bass limit of 17-19" fish in under 2 hours, bassmasters here i come! I thought bass fishing was supposed to be hard hahaha

here are a few samples of the bassfest. also the last pic...that fish must've jumped on my lure to save his life from a toothy monster haha

[thmyorke1]

That bass needs some stitches! Braid and a barbless straightened out hook will do lol.

Nice fish, hope you stay on the LLs

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

That bass needs some stitches! Braid and a barbless straightened out hook will do lol.

Nice fish, hope you stay on the LLs

have to get back on them before i can stay on them hahaha, didn't catch a single one....not even sure they were there in the zone i was fishing. I had bait balls with fish over 50-70' water and nothing but bass and pickerel coming up barfing herring. tried around different areas but only found action there.

[AndyS]

I'm calling a time out, roughing the Basser !!

[Jigman13]

:d:d:d

[NorthJerzyG]

Always love catching the target species, but I never mind some by-catch!! Nice fish!! What were the temps like and how did they fight?

[Lard Almighty]

You just caught more largemouth bass by accident than I have in the past month. Guess I should take up salmon fishing if I want any more largies before ice-up.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by NorthJerzyG

Always love catching the target species, but I never mind some by-catch!! Nice fish!! What were the temps like and how did they fight?

surface was 53, they fought pretty well.

Lard, just throw some rapalas and spoons out over the herring schools in deep open water apparently that's the bassmaster secret haha

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Lard Almighty

You just caught more largemouth bass by accident than I have in the past month. Guess I should take up salmon fishing if I want any more largies before ice-up.

He was fishing in a lake loaded with landlocked Alewives,,, Whenever they are present in a lake almost all the resident "fish eating" species abandon their natural life styles.. In other words we know that LMB and Pickerel are ambush predators by design and are typically near weeds and cover.. Atlantic salmon are stream fish.. However put them in a lake with suspended clouds of fatty baitfish, and they go where the food is, following the bait fish in open water and keying on them, to the exclusion of everything else... Bass and Pike are caught in the Finger Lakes 60 feet down over 250 FOW.. Thats not where they were designed to be, but when they key on Alewives they act exactly as the trout and salmon do, and stay with the bait... bob

[icebadger]

nice bass chris. that is a nasty scar on that fish wonder if that fish got away from a cormorant or a really big slime dart?