paul.

some quality fish right there. good stuff!

multi-species smackdown. heckuva year! if there was pike here, that's probably what i'd fish for 75% of the time. i've always wanted to catch one.

catchin' fish in 34 degree water. that's hardcore right there. nice smallie and i love the ambassadeurs too.

new lake, same ol' result - HAWG! awesome bro.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=zetabait+deadly+swamp+rat&view=detailv2&&&id=C9DB307880843F3CD4BB99881F92739FBC4F3AA5&selectedIndex=1&ccid=zi9cILYW&simid=608037794785984707&thid=JN.dvJu8xC1LVb8gWAepmOlDQ&ajaxhist=0 being dead serious. one of the most deadly bed fishing baits ever if used correctly.

sure. at the time i was a complete novice at sight fishing and very, very bad at it. also, that fish was "in the act" of spawning for a LONG time that day. sometimes they can be very difficult to catch while they are actually in the act. third, i think by nature that was a very stubborn fish. fourth, the nest was covered in lily pads, so i just had to work through a tedious process of elimination (again with a very limited knowledge base) and "learn as i went" rather than being able to make the appropriate adjustments based on visual cues. and last, you tend to lose track of time when you're intensely focused on something. hours literally seemed like minutes at the time. but i knew that i could not come back the next day. it was then or never. and this was the biggest fish i had ever laid eyes on at the time. i just mentally prepared myself that i was in it for the long haul - win, lose, or draw. ironically, that was the catch that really made me fall in love with sight fishing. to this day, it's still my very favorite way to catch fish. had i not caught that fish, i would have probably hated it for the rest of my life. 6 hours is nothing. at that point in my life i had waited 36 years for that fish. what's another 6 hours?

great buddy. great fish. great time. u da man bro!

i'd say about an hour, give or take a few minutes. but that might be a little deceptive because i force myself to study a fish on a bed for at least five minutes before i even make a cast (to try to figure out the best approach to potentially catch her). i think a lot of people shoot themselves in the foot by spotting a big fish on a bed and excitedly firing a cast to it without analyzing the situation. not sure if you wanna count the watching part as actual fishing or not.

Just a hair under 9 Jeff.

LOL. please clarify "expel on her" and i'll be happy to answer your question. never heard that before.

during the spawn (which is where much of the country is right now), i believe that in many ways bank bound anglers hold a distinct advantage over guys in a boat regardless of what type of water you're talking about. the two biggest bass i have ever caught off beds, 12-0 and 12-2, both came while fishing from the bank. in the case of the 12-2, i was about to put the boat in the water when i just happened to notice that big fish rolling around on a bed. i knew that it would be almost impossible to catch that fish from a boat the way she was positioned. so i just left the boat alone and fished her from the bank (for 6 hours in the pouring rain). the only time that i feel like it's a disadvantage to be on the bank is during the summer and winter when offshore fishing is the way to go (and only then if you are talking larger bodies of water).

No, i would never intentionally kill or mishandle a big fish. i said "so long" b/c i put her in a friend's new pond that he is trying grow some big fish in. in her current condition, she is no good to me in the pond she came from. she has "topped out" in growth potential and just creates an unnecessary drain on forage that younger fish with more potential could be utilizing. this sounds a bit harsh but you have to make "tough cuts" like this to have a shot a real giant in a pond. however her genes are still good and i think and she probably has a couple of spawns left in her so hopefully her young will populate my friend's new pond where maybe one day, Lord willing, i'll be able to catch her 11 or 12 pound daughter. honestly, this fish will probably die within the next 2 years. big head, goggle eyes, big fins - all signs of an old fish.

that's some quick thinking right there. very cool story. and great fish too!

i got her - the subject of this post. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/152591-have-you-ever-obsessed-over-a-particular-bass/page-2#entry1727336 i waited a whole year for this fish and catching her today was kinda bittersweet. when i caught her last spring she weighed 10-2 which is pretty nice for a regular old northern strain bass. this year i was hoping she would be over 11. it was not to be. last year was obviously her prime year. now, on her first spawn of the year, her weight is down a little and she appears to be on her way out. just goes to show you can't count your trophies before you're holding them. so i donated her to some friends who are trying to get some good bass in their new pond. though she's seen better days, she still has great genes and probably has another spawn or two left in her. so hopefully her progeny will put a smile on someone else's face a few years from now. on another note, it is quite interesting that this fish spawned in the same location for the least 3 years. not the same general area, but the same EXACT spot. i have noted this trend with other big fish i have been fortunate enough to catch off beds over the past few years. now granted, we are talking small lakes and ponds here, but it makes me wonder if this phenomenon also occurs on bigger bodies of water. she fell for a homemade jig 'n rage bug but she really made me work for her. conditions were anything but ideal for bed fishing - stained, choppy water, late in the day with the sun going down. the only angle i could see her from was still a bad angle that kept me far enough away that i couldn't read her body language, which is the key component of bed fishing. i never even saw the male at all, probably because she dwarfed him. and i never felt him nip or bite the lure either which is pretty unusual since it is often difficult to get a big female to commit without engaging the male first. i had to dig pretty deep into my bag of tricks to close the deal with her. and it had to have taken nearly an hour to get the bite. but when it came and i dropped the hammer, the war was on. even with a 7' 11" rod and 50 lb. braid, she gave a stellar account of herself - one last time. so long big girl. it was nice knowin' ya.

that's awesome. had to laugh a little at the title of your post though. congrats to you and your wife.

now that is awesome. lots of pb's falling this year. glad yours was one of 'em and i bet you are too. did you take a bite out of her tail?

tearin' 'em up! you are really stringing together some great trips.

gillcrackers! a lot of people catch these and mistake them for regular old bluegill. very cool little fish and they fight like champs on lite tackle.

here's a few. i prefer baits/rigs that stand up on their nose. simulates something possibly trying to munch on the eggs when worked properly. most people are not aggressive enough when trying to provoke the bite. they are too hung up on the notion that you have to tease, coax, or finesse the fish into biting. you are not trying to seduce the fish into biting. you are trying to aggravate it into biting. don't be scared to whack them in the tail or side with the bait (as long as it's not something that might accidentally snag them.) initially you want to work the bait when the fish's back is turned to it. many times this forces them to whirl around and look at the bait (which is exactly what you want.) when they do turn around to look at the bait (at least initially), don't do anything. rinse and repeat. many times this game of "i'm only going to move when you're NOT looking" will make a fish absolutely come unglued. how you set up on the fish is crucial. if they can see you and associate you with what's going on with the bait in their bed many times it's game over you need the male to catch the female. many times the female will not engage at all until the male is fired up. catching the male to "get him out of the way" is a no no. keep the bait between the bass and the shallow water part of the nest. an approach from the deep water side cuts off the bass' escape route and makes them more wary. if you are not getting results, come back a different time. in a couple of hours, a neutral or negative fish can become red hot. there are attracting moves and there are triggering moves. some bait movements will get the fish interested but never get them to commit. if you continue with the attracting moves with no real commitment from the fish, try something else because sometimes fish will quickly lose interest in even the attracting movements if you don't find a way trip their trigger and push them over the edge.

if there is such a thing as a "lock" for catching bass off beds it's a live bluegill. make sure it's legal in your state before you try it. when it comes to artificials, i'm with several others here. 90% presentation. 10% bait choice. there are several little tricks you can use to improve your chances with any bait.

Was that you in that old cow pond Long Mike? I'm sorry dude. I've still got your shoes. just kiddin'. seriously man, that was like 30 years ago. i was a kid. i was young and stupid. nobody got hurt. lighten up and you'll enjoy life more.

when i was younger, i used to fish an old cow pond. one day, bored with the slow fishing, i decided to pull out a treble hook and started trying to snag a few turtles to get them out of the farmer's pond. about 20 minutes into my snagging spree, i saw an old man staggering down to the pond with a fishing pole in one hand and a quart of beer in the other. it didn't take long to figure out that he was wasted out of his mind. "whatcha doin' boy?", he slurred. i told the old fella i was snagging turtles. instantly he wanted in on the action. he said he loved to eat turtles and asked if i'd catch him one. i decided to have some fun with the old drunk. i told him i had seen a huge turtle on the other side of the pond and we'd go after that one. he was all smiles as he stumbled along behind me towards the mythical lair of the mother of all turtles. i waded out into the pond up past my knees. i cast out the big treble and started reeling slowly. when i felt the hook catch in a big wad of weeds, i jerked back violently putting a bow in my little spinning rod. "i got it!", i screamed. absolutely giddy with excitement and totally plastered at this point, the old man started whooping and hollering behind me. i reeled the mass of salad as close as i dared, keeping it out of view. and then i suddenly quit winding. "aw man, he's hung up on something down there", i lamented. "i can't budge him, this thing is huge!" right on cue, the guy sheds his shoes and bails off into the muddy water like a man possessed, determined not to let his dinner escape. he wades out beside me trying to peer through the chocolate milk water to no avail. "i think he's right beside me", i whispered. "come closer and feel around with your feet, but be careful. these things bite - HARD," i cautioned. wary but undaunted, and full of liquid courage, the old guy started shuffling his feet around beside mine. i already had my foot in position, ready to strike. as soon as i was sure, i stomped on his toes as hard as i could. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that %$@#*$#% bit me!!!!" he screamed (along with a few other choice words) falling into the nasty water at least twice as he scrambled to escape, now interested more in survival than turtle soup. 3 sheets in the wind, soaked to the bone, and covered with mud, the old guy beat a hasty retreat to his car so fast he didn't even notice he left both booze and shoes behind. i never saw him at my fishin' hole again.

yes! now that's a big ol' fish right there. bet both y'all are tickled to death. two thumbs up.

man that rocks. doubling your pb is fantastic. don't despair. there will be more. and bigger. and you'll get pics of those. i just hope the vine wasn't poison ivy.

great fish Lois! i would have guessed that one at least a pound bigger. those fla. fish are always so dark. living in all those veggies i guess.