BassinAssassin171

I don't know of any better a visual way to determine sex, but I have been told that if you stick a coffee straw in the anus and it goes straight up, it's a male, if it goes in to the side, it's female... however I don't advocate probing bass either. It's a tough one but it IS much easier during the spawn

Well I'm not ABSOLUTELY clueless, I know how to fish one, but it just doesn't seem to produce on the lake I fish. I fish every time like I would fish a tournament: I won't fish something that doesn't work because I need my limit. I guess I should just slow it down and practice... the problem is... my buddies have NEVER outfished me on the lake and I'm afraid that if I practice while they are with me they'll steal my bragging rights! > I'll get over it though

Anybody know of some Atlanta area amateur tournaments? I've been wanting to do one for some time but I don't want to join a club or anything. I don't have a boat, but I got my gear

I know this is embarassing but... my biggest weakness is... a jig. I know that sounds atrocious but I just do a lot better with other stuff on water that guys are fishin jigs in. I don't have many bass I can say were caught on a jig and I'm definitely going out to practice jiggin a lot more along with drop-shotting which is a relatively new technique for me. Any suggestions on particular baits or techniques I should use in my practice?

I had a LOT of success this winter with tight wobble cranks and rattle traps: Especially the traps. I was catchin fish in 20 degree weather with snow and ice on the rattle trap

Hester, I see what you mean, but that pretty much ties into temp... sorta. The sunlight can warm deeper waters if they are clearer so the bass will spawn deeper, sooner, when the water is clear. I'm saying most of this from personal experience but I have read many articles about it... not many of them touch on water clarity though

Temperature has more to do with it than anything. (and yes they do spawn in about 1-15 ft. but normally about 1-3 or 4 ft.). Clarity has a little to do with it, but it affects more whether you can see them on the bed or not. You will often catch spawners that you can't even see, while others you can sight-cast to easily for hours... they can just see YOU more easily though. Bass usually spawn once water gets up into the 60's, but at some point, no matter WHAT the temperature, the WILL SPAWN. They have to and the instinct will just push them onto the beds.... many bass spawn at different times. If you see a bunch of bucks in the area, those bass are early to prespawn. If you see a female cruising and just a few or one buck, you're almost there, they might still be very skittish. If the female doesn't move off the bed too far at your approach, GO FOR IT

Anybody know of any good tournaments in the Atlanta area? I don't have a boat but I have plenty of gear and want to start hitting up some of the amateur tournies in the area

WOW!!! Amazing day right there! I'm comin out there man! Great fishin and good report and pics. Keep up the good work

yeah I do need to put it on speaker or something at least... haha. That tail gets some great topwater action like you said, though I haven't tried it yet, looks like it would be fun

well I'm still a newbie I guess but I thought I'd tell about my outing on Monday anyway. We just got through a cold front down here in GA and it had just warmed up again, but it was windy with a bluebired sky. Nothing would touch the rattle trap that had been workin so well in the cold so I tied on a black/blue sparkle Gary Yamamoto Swim-Senko. The little paddle-tail on the classic Senko has some nice action. I rigged it weightless and they tore it up. Caught 10 1 to 2 pounders, decent for my lil 10 acre pond. I missed a bunch more while I was trying to fish and talk on the phone at the same time and still more that just weren't hittin it too well. Great day, had 20+ fish potential if I had been in the zone instead of on the phone

wow that's really cool. spinnerbait?!?! never thought a flounder would hit that... yeah same question: they spawn or is the population waning?

Bass don't always necessarily have a "home." Depending on the season, conditions, and even, according to recent studies, the personality of the fish. Some fish wander while others choose to stay in familiar waters. A bass will usually return to its general area of preferance, but it takes a long time for the bass to get reoriented and find its way back. It takes about 20 minutes for a bass that was pulled off a spot by a lure (following and not striking) to give up and return to the spot, so you can imagine what it might take to return after being released

Hey guys, I'm new on the forum and I was just wondering if any of you knew of any good Atlanta area bass tournaments that I should enter. I've been wanting to enter one for a long time but I don't want to join a club because I can't get too involved. I don't have a boat but I have plenty gear, any tournament in the Atlanta area would be nice.. not toooo far away. thanks