CWB

Any recommendations for sunglasses the fit over regular glasses? I have a good pair of clip-ons but they do nothing on the sides. Thanks.

Wow- Looks bigger than you!

Gotcha. My wife isn't much of a moviegoer but she actually cried at the end of Big Fish when all the people he met throughout his life, that everyone thought were imaginary, came to his funeral. Still can't believe I did what I did. "Only" $1500.00 but for me way back then, it was alot. Wait, that's still alot today. Could get a few nice set-ups with that. Seriously, she's far and away the best catch I ever made. (just don't tell her)

Another hawg! Same shorts though.

???? That's one of my all-time favorite movies.

Simp- We got all the fish on Crankbaits believe it or not. They were hitting them so good that there was no reason to switch things up. Plus a crank is easier to fish in the winds we were getting. I was tempted to put on a tube or drop shot but after the Laker and Steelhead hit, no way was I switching. Keep me posted on the fishing down by you. We definitely need to plan a Crab or L.O.E. trip this winter.

OOPS. Fixed.

Nice hawg Eddie!

This wasn't exactly a prank but I have to share it. On the night I proposed to my wife, we were out in the boat fishing. I had put a bottle of Champagne in the livewell while she was in the house and had the ring in my pocket. We went out fishing after dinner as we always used to. Then I got the bright idea to put the ring on my line and reel it in and say "look what I caught" She thought I had a big bass but upon seeing the ring broke down in tears and said Yes. Looking back that might have been the stupidest thing I ever did. What if a pike grabbed it and bit it off? Oh well, it all worked out as we've been happily married for 18 years and married for 26.

Nice! (both)

That last one is a hawg! How big was it? On the HJ12? What depth? Any Smallies? I think you need your photographer back there.

WTG! Nice one. They keep you warm on a cold day for sure.

Looks like it was worth the wait. That's a hawg!

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes. It truly was a birthday I know I will never forget. Good to see you back and getting your usual biguns Chris. No, we didn't keep the Lake Trout. Alot of people do keep them and I've heard they are pretty tasty smoked. After the fight it gave me on 8lb. line, The thought of keeping it never entered my mind. Couple quick pix and back she went. I thought I had ahumongouss smallie on but it never jumped and bulldogged the whole way in. Nearly every smallie we caught acted like a Tarpon and skyrocketed right to the top after hooking them.

On the setups I use with braid, I use mostly Power Pro. I spool on enough backing to allow for about 100 yds. of the braid. Then I tape the backing down with electrical tape completely around the spool. Tie the braid over that and pull real tight. Never had a slip. Just spooled up a spinning outfit with 20lb braid and am going to try this with a leader for finesse/shakey heads and see how it works. This has enough backing to allow for more braid, just in case. Good vid on the albright knot.

Good points Glenn and JF. Milfoil is the prevalent weed around these parts, mixed in with alot of others. Areas where the milfoil transitions into broadleaf cabbage are hotspots. Lots off moss and "scum" that seem to be magnets to whatever you throw too. A worm with a bullet weight won't even make it through that stuff. Glues itself to the weight and the hook. If I hit a "weed" with a crank, my first reaction is what JF pointed out, try to let it back up out of it. if I start up again and it's fouled (unless a fish grabbed it) I try ripping it free. Most times I just blaze it back in and pull the gunk off and make another cast. A few time of this and I'm using plastics or moving.

X2 Not everyone fishes tournaments or lakes that hold bass in open water or have rocky areas, stumpfields, etc. which is where cranks excel. In my area, if you are not fishing in the weeds or at the edge, you're not catching anything. (Docks hold lots of bass also and can be cranked but skipping a bait underneath seems to work better and alot of docks are in the middle of weeds which only makes them better) Very little in the way of deep structure. Bowl shaped natural lakes are the norm. Cranking deep weededges can be productive but your still going to be picking gunk off your bait. A worm or jig is a better choice here IMO unless you are searching for fish and have enough patience to drag in a fouled lure every couple casts. Once you've found them, switch to a more weedless presentation. If I do find a rip-rap area, I'm all over it with a crank. Everyones favorite bait will most likely vary based on the body of water and how they like to fish. I'd rather fish a frog or Rage Shad on top over the nasty stuff myself but fishing this way works in my area, not to mention it's pretty exciting. For tournament fishing on larger reservoirs, or where you can successfully fish it, a crankbait possibly is the "best" bait.

I'm with Marty and Raul on this. I love throwing crankbaits and the bites that result, but most waters I fish, I'd spend more time taking weeds off them then fishing them. Ripping a crankbait when it contacts weeds to shed them is not all that effective IMO. Might depend on type of weed though.

I was impressed with the quality of the pictures too. He was also good with the net, except for one steelhead that decided to shoot straight down right before netting him and tangling the lure in the net. I sure hope he let's me come back next spring.

Try a heavier hook like a Gama Superline or go to a weighted hook like the Falcon Bait Jerker, which you can get with as little as 1/32 oz. weight. Use as little weight as needed to keep the bait running true at the speed you desire.

Not too shabby for the first time! I bet that Tarpon was a blast. I gotta get down there.

Nice A-Jay! What bait is that hanging out of it's mouth?

Got away for a weekend of Smallmouth fishing out east last weekend for my birthday. Weather was pretty cold but fishing was pretty hot. Within 5 minutes of starting to fish on Friday, my birthday, I had one in the boat close to 5 lb. Nice present! Caught several between 3-08 and 5-10 Friday. Best two: These were 5-10 and 5-08 Saturday was even better. Within 2 minutes, I had my P.B. Smallie in the boat. 6-04. 22" X 16" girth. Best 2 of the day: 6-04 and 6-00 My best 5 on Sat. were easily over 26 lbs. The bellies on these things were unbelievable. Bigger than mine! The smallest fish we caught were just under 3 lbs. Also had some fun with a couple Lake Trout: Right around 16 lbs. Lots of fun on 8 lb. line! Had a Steelhead probably over 10 lbs on but after 2 long runs and 3 crazy jumps, he got off. All in all I'd say this was one Birthday I will remember the rest of my life. Big thanks to my buddy who let me catch the big bass but he had the big fish of the trip, a beautiful 16-08 Lake Trout.

WTG Big guy! Slobs as always.

If I'm not mistaken, Daiwa's are mag brakes and Curados are mechanical. I know I'm gonna be doing alot of practicing this winter. I use a 200E7 with 2 brakes on and adjust the tension to suit. Thumb plays a huge role as most have said, especially with quiet entry.