J Francho

Minnesota lakes have shad... How do you know there NO SHAD in them?

I wish I had a dollar for every one of those rumors that is actually true. I'd still be penniless. At least that's how it is around here. Every pond you go to, someone knows someone that pulled a 10 out of there last [insert day, week, year].

What's the forage base? How big a lake? What type of lake?

You don't think the micro guides offset that?

It's probably close to what I'd have a rod builder make for me, if I was using a SCIII blank. Though, I'd ditch the front grip, and get a full rear grip, and use an ACS seat. I've got a lot of Avids, these are nice refresh of a highly regarded line.

I don't get into the lakers too much. I think the last one I caught was through the ice.

It would probably be easier to find a new job.

For all intents and purposes, Lew's, Abu, Flooger are almost the same reels, with slightly different spool and braking combinations. Some models are crackers, some are duds - just like every other brand.

LOL, I know, I know....I got brown trout on the brain. Just a couple more weeks, and they'll be on the spawning run.

Sorry for going off topic...They are my third favorite species, after SMB and LMB. They are the bass of the trout and salmon world: thugs. The fight on that brown was pretty good, I use a 12' UL/slow rod and a centrepin - no gear ratio, me and the fish, with 6# mono separating us. This brown was not weighed, but probably around 14-16. It was a hell of a fight on my light cranker rod in open water.

I can relate to this. I don't experience the "feedbag mode" that all the articles and pros' pitches about fall fishing talk about. Bigger fish seem to get a little more predictable, and less scattered.

find a used Morethan Branzino.

My first time with the club on Erie, and we had like 13 lbs., after making a run to big waters on the Canadian side of the river. We came in a very close second. That's when I realized, no one really wanted to leave the harbor, and most bags would have harbor rats. I decided that weather permitting, I was going to beat them mercilessly on that lake, and have since - twice.So, it was unexpected to do so well with 13 on a world class fishery, but after that, weather permitting, I knew I could win. Both times after, I even invited a couple guys to follow me, and see who can really fish. No one took me up.

That's what NYDEC biologists stated when anglers were pushing for elimination of the black bass off season from Dec. through late June. What it meant to us, that if we weren't targeting beds, then there were still many catchable fish. Remember, this is NY, not Florida, so everyine's mileage may vary.

Thanks for the measurements, Jeff.

Spinnerbaits, jika rig plastic craws, big swimbaits, spook type topwaters.

And OP, make sure you turn off the clicker before trying to cast it.

We talking specks or samonoids? Two COMPLETELY different things.

I think the idea is to have the worm float straight up (or close to straight) with the bullet holding it down. About the best worm I've seen for this are the Roboworms and Power Shaky Worms, but I don't think they come that big.

BTW, some of the big fish linked to in this thread are pretty amazing.

I was just gonna say that SCIII spinning blank might be the ticket.

He's sponsored by YUM, perhaps that's a clue. None of the worms you mentioned, "float."

All were released.... LMB, 7-2, early 2000's in July, City Dump, 10# Powerworm, true Texas rigged. LMB, 7-1, April 2012, mud puddle in CNY, 4" Flick Shake Worm, wacky jig SMB, 5-12, 11/2010, Erie, drop shot worm

I don't generally compare my trout to southern stockies, but this fish is a bug eating stream fish, not a "smoltified" lake steelhead. Not in VA, but if you're willing to deal with the cold, I'll take you out to the ditches in my back yard, lol. And if you want steelies, I can put you on some too, lol. They like spoons.

Are bass more dense than other species? I'm serious....the pics of some large bass always look smaller than other species of fish with similar weights. Shouldn't a 10# bass be at least 25"? Here's what I mean... Here's a 14 lb (33"). rainbow, a 13 lb. pike (37"), and a 9# (28") lb. brown: