Always look forward to this thread and noticed nobody started one yet so here goes...lets see em.

:heybaby:

Nice Fish !!!!

George that darter catches anything.

Here are a couple of pics. I got my first fish on a new larger needle that I was working on over the winter. Also my first fish on a variation of the musso maple swimmer I've been messing around with.

Crap! And there I was all happy catching 8" bass.

Those are some quality fish. Congrats. I haven't even made a cast yet.
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Here are a couple of pics. I got my first fish on a new larger needle that I was working on over the winter. Also my first fish on a variation of the musso maple swimmer I've been messing around with.

sick! guess that maple swimmer worked out.

Spotty but finding a few. Slim darter I was messing with over the winter and a slow sink maple needle.

maple needle

Nice fish Frank!

Very nice Frank. I need to ditch Numbskull and start fishing with you.
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The Musso maple style swimmer has quickly become a favorite of mine. The original yellow prototype that I had been fishing is now retired after getting me a new personal best but it’s been replaced in the bag with a copy that will hopefully be just as productive.

Congrats Jay!

Very nice JLH, look at the shoulders on that beast.

holy crap great fish!

That's GREAT, congrats Jay!

Man I am getting sick of seeing all the fish you get.


But on a serious note Great catch
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Great looking plug
Great looking fish
The fisherman..........not so much......but at least better than Paul.
Nice catch

Congrats Jay, that's the 'holy grail' of fish on a homemade right there...

Lordy Lordy... That beast is way over 40 !
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Epic fish Jay!

Great fish J. What an accomplishment catching on a piece of wood formed by one's hands.

Thanks everyone! It was a very special fish, especially coming on a plug that I had built. Felt really good seeing her swim off, maybe we will meet again in few years.

Beggars can't be choosers.
That's a big darter, too.

Beggars can't be choosers.
That's a big darter, too.

If you could catch blue crabs you might be on to something...
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When you're hot you're hot.
Notice how he automatically holds it out towards the camera to make it look even bigger.

What a beast !
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When you're hot you're hot.
Notice how he automatically holds it out towards the camera to make it look even bigger.

Pretty fish...notice how the back hook wasn't a factor even with that beast ;)
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Yup took all my skills to land the beast. My drag was set pretty tight so it only took me down to the backing twice. I doubt he will be hitting any flaptails in the future.
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What a beast !
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Uhhhhh, Paul, I think he was talking about you.

A hair less than half the weight of Jay's fish big one at just 25 pounds, but landed on the first cast ever with one of his maple Musso copies. That plug is now either blessed or jinxed.

Good one. Same area as J's ?
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The Musso maple style swimmer has quickly become a favorite of mine. The original yellow prototype that I had been fishing is now retired after getting me a new personal best but it’s been replaced in the bag with a copy that will hopefully be just as productive.



Beautiful! Pretty work man and on your own! WHAT??? Awesome! Congrats on the release!!

When the bar needs lowering, I'm the guy.

JLH needle making something out of a slow night.

When the bar needs lowering, I'm the guy.

JLH needle making something out of a slow night.

It's great to see the needle is getting fished!

Yeah good catch. At least someone caught something. Been a while since i did something other than practice casting
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not as long as I Paul, I have not caught since last year :(
maybe soon, guess I will miss catching in June as well as May.

George you look thinner than that bass, good going

Here is a nice bass from earlier in July that fell for a black maple metal lip. Hard to believe but this fish was actually a couple of pounds heavier than the one I got back in early June. Fish was released after getting a quick weight and a few pics.

Wow, you got it this year. And without eels.

Hell of a catch
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Thats a monster, Congrats !

It was a funny first half for me. I had a couple of nice fish but my offseason plans never seem to translate into what really happens when he fish show. What I think I will need and build never seem to work out with what they want. The plugs I spent the most time on I didn't end up fishing much and the one that was my best producer was just a prototype I was just planning to mess around with in the canal.

The plug in its mouth is the white one from the first picture. I made it to fish the canal subsurface but it ended up being my best plug all spring Sorry its crappy cell phone pic, wasn't in a good place for pictures.

Highlight of my first half was this darter fish. Its my biggest fish yet on on one of my darters. I think I got those yellow eyes at plugfest 3 or 4 years ago.

The Musso maple style swimmer has quickly become a favorite of mine. The original yellow prototype that I had been fishing is now retired after getting me a new personal best but it’s been replaced in the bag with a copy that will hopefully be just as productive.

Absolute pigs. Well done.
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Here's a 38" fish on a 5" needle.

Early season keeper on green/white swimmer, not caught by me.

Somebody here got 100# fish on his own spook...here's a teaser.

Nice one!

Throwing Timber I would say
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Nice one!

Throwing Timber I would say
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Me too

I just knew u guys would score this week.... Congrats

Wasn't Vic.
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Prof M?

Prof M?


now that I see the plug on my computer, I agree, looks like a Paul plug

but Andy is not telling so just a guess

oh ya, white boots if that is the builder/angler in the pic, white boots I know someone with white boots

It's no "secret" , he has the other pictures and I'm sure he'll see this. I was just happy to be there and see it happen.
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...

And there it is! Nice job Dan.
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Congrats Dan!
That is a hell of an accomplishment
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Awesome.
That raises the bar a bit.