Fishn' Close to Home

Woody cover looks inviting!

I must say, just the other night I figured out that I have about 2 dozen private lakes and ponds to fish within a 30 minute drive of my home...what a blessing! I'm gonna' post a few of them I enjoyed this year, along with some decent fish we got from them. The scene above is another 'new' pond from the summer...bass, gills and pumpkinseeds...

Big and beautiful pimpkinseed sunfish from one of the 'new' ponds.

A great spot for kids of all ages. We caught big seeds up to 9.5 inches, along with some near ten-inch bluegills and some bass to 1.5 pounds. Gotta' hit this place in the spring when the panfish are spawning!

This gem was reclaimed about 8 years ago...nice!

We fished this secluded pond in southern Pennsylvania three times this season, catching bass, gills, channel cats and redear sunfish. Pond was reclaimed and dug out and stocked about 8 years ago. The fishing is good here...

My friend Loren with a fine channel cat!

One of the bigger bass I caught this year!

At yet another small lake, we encountered a lot of quality largemouth bass on plastic worms and surface frogs. No surprise here...we had fished this gem for almost a decade and had always caught and released big bass during the summer. And big gills to boot! Here's the lake and a few bigguns'...

Our old standby pond has produced many big bass over the years. Cool!

Jake shows his beautifully marked 5 pounder!

This one's about four...nice fish!

From an earlier post, Linda with our 'his-and-her' near five pounders!

Then we hit a 'far away' lake...a good 8 miles from the house, for massive bluegills and redbreast sunnies...

10.25 inches.

My best gill so far in 2012...11.25 inches!

Most recently, I got an in to a pair of lakes less than a mile from the house. Variety was the word here, with crappie, channel cats, bass, bullheads , sunfish and more. I even caught my first ever black-nosed crappie! Plus, I managed some excellent bass up to nearly 5 pounds on, of all things, frozen shrimp intended for catfish! Go figure! Oh, we caught some nice channels, too...

Crowded parking lot at the local fishing hole.

My first ever black-nosed crappie!

A big bass on frozen shrimp...are you kidding me?

Lean cattie could have used another meal or two.

Yes...small ponds and lakes, all close to home, all providing excellent fishing for a variety of species. No parking or boating hassles, no entry fees and no really sophisticated equipment needs to have fun and catch fish. Real close to home, blue collar enjoyable fishing.

Way too often, I have been guilty of persuing more than I actually needed, thinking it would make me happy and prosperous. But God always provided me with plenty, and in every way and need. I don't need the big boats, the expensive electronics or the fancy stuff. And in all other aspects of life, He has provided me ...'all that I needed, His hand has provided'. Check out Psalm 128: 1-2...

'Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor:, blessings and prosperity will be yours.'

Thank you Lord! As I get older I hope to embrace this truth all the more!

POND BASS MASSACRE!

Okay, I am really not one to brag about the fish I catch, preferring to call them 'our' catch. And, if my wife Linda was not such a good plastic worm fisherman, well, on some trips, we wouldn't catch any thing if she were not along for the ride. Anyhow, she had a pretty good evening the other week at the local largemouth bass factory. We had fun...

First good evening bass on the frog.

We caught fish on two lures...she used a 4.25 inch Stank X Stix in Camo and I used the 5 inch Stanley Ribbit Frog. Both caught fish, and I picked up some good 'uns earlier in the afternoon when strong winds blew surface algae to one end of the pond, opening up spacious areas for us to cast and catch...

Twenty incher!

All smiles!

The afternoon bite wasn't near as hot as the evening gig. Sure is great to have such outstanding water just minutes from home! Linda caught 11 to my 5 bass on the evening stint, but I like to think that my fish were bigger! With the frog, hookups to strike ratios are low percentage at best. I am getting to the point where I am at about 65 %.

This is how I rig the Ribbit with a #2 offset worm hook for surface action.

This Stank X Stix caught 13 bass for Linda.

Meanwhile, Linda's simple lift-drop retrieve got plenty of strikes, plenty of bass. The highlight of the evening was a double headed of near 5-pounders that she and I landed at the same time! Of course, I think mine might have been just a little bit bigger...

Linda and I each got a hawg as darkness settled in!

And here are a few more shots from the 23 fish that we caught, in only 2 hours, with 10 fish over the 4 pound mark...

Lindas' first cast nabbed this fine 18 incher!

Another afternoon brute!

Had to have it!

Final fish of the evening was this post-dark frog hawg!

So...Linda and I had a great afternoon-evening of bass fishing, a close-to-home adventure that will stand out in our memories for a long time. We thank God every time we can enjoy His creation, together. Yes...the pond was man-made and the bass were stocked, but it was indeed the Hands of the Creator that enabled it to be so, and for us to enjoy it. Praise God and all His Glorious things! After a long, hot summer and a year of many trials, Linda and I enjoyed the glory. Here is what Psalm 19:6-7 says about that...

'It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat,

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.'

                                           THANKS FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS!