Bass Dude

This site might help....I just did a yahoo search using 'aquatic plant identification'. It pulled up a lot of stuff. aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification

This past weekend on Weiss Lake in Alabama the water temp was 85 and I caught a couple very nice spots in 2 feet of water on a buzzbait---I was very surprised to find those spots up that shallow in that water temp. There was also no current. What have strange bass behavior have you seen this year??

Growing up in the north there always seemed to be battle with the salmon and trout guys versus us "junk" bass fisherman. Also up there, on the Finger Lakes, some the land owners hated that we had tournaments on 'their' lake and fished their docks and all that crap. Now I'm in the south where it's not quite so bad, but you still do hear rumblings of the same complaints. When I say I'm hearing it....I'm not the initial ear that hears it all the time. But from my fellow bass fisherman that hear this, then of course, we all start talking about it while were at the dock, at weigh in, or at our club meeting.

I'm getting tired of hearing all this stuff about how bad bass fisherman. Our boats are loud, we're rude, we steal spots from people, we all think we own the water, we all buy expensive equipment and don't know how to use it...it goes on and on. I'm sick of hearing it...what could we do to change the stereotype people have of bass and tournament anglers??

They're five grain bread is freakin' awesome!!! I get the Italian combo...........OMG I gotta go get me one of those today!!!

I just got a BPS Offshore Angler long sleeve----it's awesome.

I buy crankbaits, especially when I see a good deal. I have a boat and a garage full of cranks....I love 'em. For some reason, I always find Bombers on sale and I just can't pass them up.

I saw the results for the BASS Northern Open and Woo Daves finished in the top 5. First time I've seen his name in years. Where has he been?? He won The Classic and was never heard from again.

I would think you would be able to do that...the only thing is that it will take the heads a long time to get up to the temp they need to be to paint. It's much quicker to use a heat gun to paint. I'm not sure of the actual temp they need to be, at this point, I just go by feel.

Get some 1 to 1.5 ounce bullet weights, a heavy straight shank hook, texas rig a plastic bait of your choice and punch that lure in the cover. Be patient and make sure the lure gets through the weeds, hop it a couple times then repeat.

I gravitate towards lures that are different than what's already out there. It may be a new color, new body shape, or something that gives a little different action from the usual baits.

Rooster Tails are a very underrated lure. I've caught tons of fish on them! As far as other lures to buy: Get a few crankbaits and start building your plastic bait collection!

I didn't really want it and definately didn't need it....now I have to buy a new rod!!! I put in a ridiculous offer and it turns out, that was enough!!!

Have you ever bid for something on EBay when you really didn't want it?? The other day, I just submitted a bid for a reel, thinking I didn't have a chance to win. Then....two days later I got an email that I won it. Oh well....guess I have a new reel coming!!!

I've seen this question a lot... My thinking when I use soft plastics is that I'm going to use baits up, period. Even the Elastech stuff gets beaten up after multiple fish. So, if you want to use plastics...expect to go through some baits and buy what you like and what catches fish. Buy some mend-it or a plastic "welding" tool if you want to make them last a couple more fish, but no matter what you do, you will go through baits. That's why all of us have pounds upon pounds of plastic baits!!!!

It's easier to find fish in the pond simply because there is a smaller area they can move around in. I personally don't think it's easier to catch because you still have to figure them out. I've gone to ponds and been skunked and I've been to huge lakes and have been able to nail 'em. As I stated earlier, ponds are "easier" just because the fish don't have the huge area to move around in, but to get fish to bite....it takes the same analysis on a pond as it does on a big lake. As they say, 'a bass is a bass'-the things you learn on the pond will translate to a big lake.

I work for an optomotrist and you are exactly right. The difference in the glasses are the lenses, the better quality the lens, the better optics you will get. A lot of the higher end glasses are digitally surfaced, like Wiley X, and the optics are mind blowing. The clarity you see is unmatched.

The Shark Knot looks really big and doesn't look like it would work too well used with a t-rig. It looks like the weight would really pound on that big knot or you'll have to use a lot of the head of the bait up over the eye of the hook to cover up the knot. Also, with all the additional tag ends, I would think it would attract weeds. I use the palomar knot for most applications. I've started using the snell knot for flippin' my straight shank hook-t-rigs, which I use 95% of the time. Once you learn to tie it, it's a very easy and quick knot to tie.

Kind of off topic, but Denny Brauer used to do a show called Bass Class. He would go head to head against a non-pro. He would watch and break down the spots they (the non-pro) would pick and fish then say what he thought...like it should hold fish, or he's too deep for this time of year etc. Then Denny would go fish. After he was done fishing his spots, he would go and actually fish the non-pro's spot. At the end they would see who caught the most and biggest fish and Denny would go into more detail on why he thought his or his opponents pattern was better. Sometimes...the non-pro would beat him!!

I think you're risking backlash issues. Not only from the bobber stop on the level wind, but it may also get caught in the line on the spool as you cast. I would suggest staying with the spinning rod.

Are you holding out on us?? Did you get them online or do you "know a guy"?

I am all for buying American. But we all benefit from technogical advancements and it pushes us all to be better. I can almost guarantee that something, somewhere in your Tracker and in your Strike King products was made overseas. The machinery that builds them, some part or something was made over there. There are few things made 100% by American parts and by American built machines.

We all know what amazing lures and techniques come out of Japan. I was wondering why they aren't in the bass boat market....Maybe they are and I just haven't seen them. I'm curious to see what they would design a bass boat like.

I agree on a normal day at the ramp that patience is needed. But...Memorial Weekend is not the time to practice putting in.

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