Mattlures

I read some good and some bad advise in this thread. I controll the situation when fighting big bass. Sometimes I loose the controll but I quickly get it back by making adgustments. I do not like playing out a big bass. Big bass are arguably the most skilled fighters of all fish. Not the strongest and they dont last that long but they know how to get away and they will if you give them the oportunity. If I feel I can turn them I do and I crank them in hard. If I have to let them run, I will but I dont like it. For practice find the biggest fish species you can and go catch them on an ultralight. I have landed many 10+ lb carp on 4lb test. It teaches you how to play out a fish. Of course big bass are different and should be fought differently but it is still good practice for most fish species. BTW I have never landed a 10+ bass on 4lb test. I have landed a 7 but there was nothing for the fish to break me off on.

Both. I react to them.

I start with my ultimate gill but I dont always finish with it. I also use a jig and sometimes a small minnow type bait. I start big and agresive and adjust as needed to small and subtle. Glasses. I use Keanon's but I dont like spending that much money on glasses. I found mine on the web on clearance. I love them. They are yellow which I believe are the best color lenses because the make everthing lighter and the greens are a little greener(if that makes sense) The only problem is they can make your eyes tired because they are soo bright.

I specifificaly remember weighing a bass that measured 24x18. It weighed 8lbs 10oz. Your fish would be right around 9lbs.

My biggest was 7 lbs 14oz and 26 inches long. It was in poor condition when I caught it. I dont think it grew up with one eye, I think it declined from loosing an eye.

fourbizz I looked through their gallery pics and they are indeed incredible. That is what taxidermy should look like.

you are correct Roger. But not only do you have to pant, if you do a skin mount you also have to prepare the skin correctly and then you have to mount it in a natural pose. Those are both difficult things to do. Most guys who do skin mounts fail at one of those 3 key aspects. Whith a replica it is mostly the painting. Both methods can be done well. both can also look bad like the mounts I posted. It just bothers me when I read the adds and they say stuff like 20+ years presional experience! and then you see their work looks like a first attempt.

Love sight fishing! however it can be VERY humbling. to see a big bass that simply will not take the bait. I am a good sight fisherman but I dont win every battle. some fish wont even let me fish for them. Most of the ones that do let me fish for them and stick around I can get. But sometimes I loose. Probably the biggest frustation is the wind. Wind is very bad!

Those animals are bad but they also aper to be very old. Most taxidermy that use actual skins,(fish or animals) look worse the older they get. Taxidermy is not the time to try and same money

WRB sent me a pic of his replica that was beautiful but I cant find it. Right now on ebay there is a very nice looking mount. Looks natural and corect. BTW I have absolutle zero afiliation with the seller. http://cgi.ebay.com/Largemouth-Bass-Taxidermy-Fish-Mount_W0QQitemZ170470000331QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27b0cdc6cb When you look at a mount in person you should say wow. You shouldnt be thinking something doesnt quite look right. It should look like a real live fish. If it doesnt then its not good. Also I emailed the guy who claims his mount is the 22.8 WR. He says that dispite what I have read that George Perry did not eat his fish, insinuating that his mount was cast off of a mold from Perry's fish. Wow that is prety bad.

Chek out these fish. I see these all th time on ebay. I figured I would post this to show you guys how bad skin mounts can look. Replicas can also look bad but I dont think they can look as bad as these skin mounts, and these are freash!! The sad thing is the taxidemist says he has been a profesional fultime taxidemist for 38 years. WOW and just for fun I found a bad looking replica that the guy is advertising as the world record at 22.8lbs ???? I feel sorry for the poor customers who dont know any better

Thanks fellas!

Great fish, thats a cool looking lake

Ok so I am out bed fishing the other day and I find a good one. I toss my gill in there and she is sitting about 2-3 ft away. The male is irate. He is thrashing the bait like a dog and his toy. Its prety funny watching him. After about 10 minutes you can see the poor guy is getting frustarted. But lookie here the Mrs is starting to get agitated too. COOL! I know its coming soon now but as I bring in my gill I get snagged on the only branch that could get me. NO!!!!!!!!So with my bait still hung up I grab another rod. This one has a billed sinking hard gill on it. Not exactly my first choice for bed fishing but It I figured it was close enough to the soft gill that she had just nipped at. Soo I toss it in, let it sink about 10 ft past my target and then I bring it in right towards her face. When I get about a foot away I let it drop right towards her mouth. What did she do? what could she do? Well out of defence she opened her mouth and sucked it in! 10lbs 11 oz. Lake Jennings

5lbs 10 oz

Process of elimination. Start on top and big. Then go on top small. Middle and big then middle and small. Bottom and bid and then bottom and small. If all elese fails split shot a night crawler. Big top=wake bait /swimbait Small top=buzzbait/popper Big middle=swimbait Small middle= spinnerbait/slow crank Big bottom=Big worm small bottom= small creature. If you find one of these that is working you can substitue the bait for something similar if the fish get wise to you. Also in general the hotter it is, the better your chances are at a topwater. The colder it is usualy means very slow on the bottom.

I generaly have at least 3 rods rigged for bed fishing. I start with one of my gills. I also use a jig and a small bait. Sometimes a splitshoted minnow type or a drop shot minnow typ bait. I do not like long baits that can easily bi picked up without getting hooked. Worms, lizzards, etc I feel are poor choices for bed fishing.

Hmm I was think backwards. See here the tilapia cant servive a colder winter. The trout cant survive the summer. If our lakes would stock tilapia as soon as the water gets warm enough and continued to stock small trout then the bass would be gaining weight just about every day. The tilapia we do have are in Imperial valley and the Salton sea. I believe they are the mosambique(sp)

the nutritional value of tilapia is very similar to rainbow trout. That is why those Mexican bass get soo big and fat. Imagine if one of those Mexican lakes stocked little trout in the winter. Oh Man that would be scary. Raul your budy is a stud. That is a hellofa fish!

nope i dont want to tip my hand before I am ready. Besides the post wasnt about the bait. I was just having some fun and I knew the angle of the pic would throw some guys off.

She weighed 11lbs 11oz. aguy on another forrum got it right.

Caught another good one over the weekend. The date on the pic is wrong I keep forgetting to set it. Caught at my favorite lake again. Lake Jennings. Prototype bait How much does it weigh? (yes I weighed it)

I need you in my boat as my hired photagrapher. Your pics are perfect.

The fish has a big ol head. It could have weighed more if it was eating better. Congrats on a fine fish

I wasnt picking on you, I am serious. I am not sure what is decieving about that picture. What am I missing?