Rattlinrogue

BPS,Cabelas

Mostly people that I take fishing with me are folks that don't own boats,are not really big into bassin',kids that don't get to go often,etc.,so I take 'em to what I think is the best that the lake has to offer.I'm not really worried about somebody fishing the good spots that I find.I'm pretty sure somebody else found it long before me.

I use several color patterns.A red craw pattern,a darker brown w/burnt orange craw,shad patterns in silver/black,silver/blue,chartreuse/blue,and a bream/perch color pattern.

I agree with speedbead.Grabbing a toothy fish by the gill plates doesn't seem like it would do any damage imo,but to grab the gills would most likely mean death for the fish.Travis gave a very good answer...use a net on big,toothy fish that go wild in the boat.

Roland Martin,Ike,Shaw Grigsby also get a mite excited whenever they catch a bass.Everything Martin hooks is"Big fish,big fish,monster fish".And that's the way many(including me)feel.Every time I hook a bass you'd think I'd caught the winning bass in the Classic.Many don't show that excitement,but I'm sure that most who are as obsessed with it as we are, feel that way inside.

On an average day,I'll catch 2-4 bass and many times will limit out(but not all the time).When the fishing's hot,as with everybody else on the forum, the average goes way up.Problem is,most days are average days.

!2 lb Sensation is an excellent choice IMO.I use 10 lb Big Game.

I guess I'm in the "other" category,too.I use Berkley XL,Big Game,Vanish,and Yo-Zuri Hybrid for my various bassin' applications.

I guess TO finally pushed him over the edge.I can't imagine having to deal with a nut case like that day after day.Bill,enjoy your retirement.You deserve it !!!

I'm pulling for Peyton,Tony(you know the two that couldn't win a big game),and the Colts!

I use 8-10 lb test on my spinning rigs.On my baitcasters,I'll fish 10,12,15 test.I'll use 20 ldb Hybrid for flippin'/pitchin'.

There are just so many good Rapala baits.I love the Shad Rap,the DT series,the X-Rap.I would have to say that I've caught more bass on a Rapala Original floating minnow in silver w/ black back than any other hard bait that I've ever used.

Like you,I have a pretty nice collection of Norman DD22's and Rapala DT16's.I really like these baits.They have caught me some bass in the last few years.Also use the slightly shallower version of the Normans deep divers.In my main lake,18 feet is about as deep as it gets.

I used Yum Garlic and switched to Bang Garlic(MAN,is it strong!).I use these scents not as an attractant but to cover up human and foreign scents that might spook a bass.I'd like to try the Megastrike but can't find it anywhere(BPS?).I also mix up my own anise oil based cover scent.

My favorite is a green pumpkin finese worm(I've been using the FLW 6" finese worm which I'm told is a Mann's Draggin' Head finese worm).It is a neat weapon in the arsenal.My daughter went fishing with some of her friends during cool-cold weather last year.She asked me what she should use.They were fishing off of the bank.I had just read an article on the shakey head rig,and I rigged her up with one on a spinning combo.She managed to catch four bass(they were all dinks,but a bass in winter is a good thing no matter what size).Her friends all skunked.She actually caught one on her first cast.I used her as a guinea pig,and it convinced me that the shakey head rig is a good 'un.If I keep this up with all of the "finese" rigs I've learned will have me using spinning rigs exclusively.I've always been a baitcasting,big bait,fast fishing kind of guy,but the finese rigs that I've learned from listening to you guys have really added an extra dimension to my bassin'.

Thanks Sam.I happen to pull for LSU also.I have a son who as a soph started at TE this year.He's 6'4,235 and runs a 4.69 in his best run.He will make the grade(already has a 27 ACT and a 3.25 gpa).He will get highly recruited (he's also mean as hell on the field).His top 3 choices are 1)LSU 2)Alabama3)Arkansas.Just because I made the remark about LSU don't think that I don't like 'em.I was just joking.The Tigers have an excellent program that anyone should be proud of.Believe me,I was definately pulling for the Tigs in the Sugar Bowl.Hopefully,In a couple of years I'll be joining you at Tiger Stadium to watch my son play.Again,thanks for the kind words about my daughter.Tight lines to 'ya,RR.

I don't follow Tulane FB.She got in because she made a 34 on her ACT and got a big scholarship.Otherwise she wouldn't be there.As for LSU,Y'all sure talk some smack for a team that finished 2nd in the West behind Arkansas...LOL!

Not really a prediction,but I'd sure like to see Gary Klein finally win one.Other than him,I'm always a KVD supporter.You also can never count Ike out.

I use Accurists on four of my rigs and love 'em.I've never used the Daiwa so I can't really give you a thumbs up or down on that one,but the Accurists haven't given me any trouble.

I'm only moderately sick,but it's still winter.Could get worse in the spring.

That's AWESOME!Hope you limit out each day.

If I could only pick one,it would have to be the Culprit 7.5 worm in Red Shad.

Strike King flipping tubes,Senkos,Culprit worms,FLW finese worms,3X lizards,and Zoom Brush Hogs.

Nice to see that the big time bass pros still appreciate the fans.I'd bet there are many more just like that.

Bassin'