senile1

Powell uses Fuji guides and Fuji reel seats.

Excellent story, Big-O! That's what it's all about.

I've seen a lot of fish over the years with one eye. For those fish that have lost both eyes I am developing a line of lures engraved in braille that I plan to sell in the future. 8-)

Tackletour.com is reliable. They tend to rate everything from 6 - 10 on a scale of 0 - 10 so the best range is usually the upper 8s to the lower 9s.

I'm with Muddy. I don't keep up with the temps in Northern Michigan but I would be surprised if the water is cool enough to turn over. If there have been no rains in your area, is there a flooded upstream lake that could have released a ton of water your way?

What does the validity of George Perry's world record have to do with how much money would be made by the person who breaks the record?

Great report, George. Beautiful fish!

I like the new one especially because it hides your face better. Seriously though, the picture of the fish in the second one looks chunkier than your original avatar. I would go with it.

I remember a while back you mentioned getting the fish back in the water quickly was more important to you than getting a good pic, and I agree. I also fish without a livewell, but this 15' rope stringer modified with a clip from a metal stringer helps give me time to set up a camera and scale without putting the fish in jeopardy. If I catch a good fish, I just clip him through the bottom lip and put him right back in the water while I get my camera set up the way I like. Only when I'm completely ready to snap the pic do I have to pull the fish out of the water. Too many times I hear stories of people who keep big fish out of the water for several minutes while they try to get someone to snap a pic. I think this is a better solution. I've also heard of some tournament fishermen keeping big bass alive like this for several days, but those guys tend to end up in handcuffs. :-/ : ;D Thanks, Daniel. That's an excellent idea!

Look a little bit closer at the pictures and you will see there is carpet under the tacklebox when it is being measured while there is nothing but aluminum boat under the picture of the fish by the tacklebox. I didn't have a measuring tape with me on the boat so I used the tackle box. When I got home I measured the tacklebox on my carpeted floor so you, my trusted viewer, would have an idea how long she was.

Most of what you need has been said. If you want to fish under a thick mat and there are very few openings you'll need to punch holes in it. For me, the best way to do that is with a heavy jig or a Texas rig.

Thanks, Rod. I've been thinking about that fishing trip also. Work has been crazy for me. I've been putting in 70 - 80 hour weeks. We have too many network installations and not enough people to do them. Amazingly, I have found some time here and there to fish and the Summer fishing has been really good after a bad Spring. Hopefully when things slow down, we can meet up at Mozingo as you suggested before.

Congratulations on your new PB!

Sweet fish. I'll bet he's flying high and can't wait to get out and fish again right now!!

I still have a bunch of Culprit worms in my arsenal. Like Raul, I have some old bags of these worms going back to the early 90s.

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone! 32251: lol . . . I agree, but laying her next to that tackle box was the only way to give everyone an idea of her length. Paul Roberts: The front had passed but the low pressure system that the front was hanging off of was looped around near Kansas City causing overcast skies. Paul, you read my mind. When I caught her I was thinking about how big she would be if she were carrying eggs. This is a pond and the owner invites all of his friends to come and fish it, so the pressure is moderate for it's size. There is usually someone there every weekend.

I was beginning to think I would be stuck at a personal best of 6 lbs 15 oz forever. It has been 19 years since I caught that fish and while I have caught some 5s and 6s since then the 7 lb barrier remained an elusive goal for me. Finally, today, I have put that behind me. A cold front passed through, winds were light and from the east, and the temperatures were in the low 60s. For the first two hours, fishing was just average. I had caught 3 bass that I would estimate were 1 - 2 lb fish on a GMAN 3/8 oz Black/Blue jig. The wind started to pickup so I also started throwing a spinnerbait. I reeled the spinnerbait under the end of a tiny laydown with coontail growing under it and immediately the lure felt as if it were hung up but my drag started to slip and the rod started to vibrate. I knew I had a good fish but she had me wrapped around a stick in the laydown. I was in a 10 foot john boat with one paddle and I had the anchor out in 10 feet of water. I had to hold the rod in one hand keeping pressure on the fish while I pulled the anchor up with the other hand. Once I pulled that off I had to grab the paddle and direct the boat toward the laydown and still keep pressure on the fish with my other hand. The whole time I was thinking "I can't lose this fish." Just as I was getting to the laydown I had managed to pull the fish up to the surface and I could see from her dorsal fin that she was a chunk. She made one last dive before I could reach in and grab her and then a cool thing happened. During her last dive she unwrapped me and when I got her back to the surface I had her free from the laydown and was able to reach down and grab her. My scale gave me varying weights from 7 lbs 1 oz to 7 lbs 9 oz, but it seemed to hang steady most of the time at 7 lbs 5 oz so that's what I'm calling her. And here are the pictures. They aren't the greatest because I was unprepared in this little boat and I had to take them at arm's length.

JacobK, its best to use a livewell for fish in a tournament. If you don't have a livewell, I wouldn't use a stringer. It is my understanding that a stringer damages the fish's gills.

I don't know how I could handle any more fame. : I fish for fun.

Sam stated: You shouldn't be surprised, Sam. Since I have been here you have always been what a good member should be, IMO. Rather than announcing every good deed you perform on the boards you just sit back, on an even keel, responding with level-headed wisdom and fairness to many who have questions. I can't say I've ever seen a bad response from you. Whether you are giving advice, agreeing, or disagreeing with someone, you always do it tactfully.

There are very few things more satisfying than being on the water at first light, when all is quiet, except for the sounds of nature. Living in a large city, I rarely get to experience these times away from the hustle and bustle, except at these early morning times. It's worth losing a few ZZZZs.

When you have a fish hooked under a mat it doesn't matter if your braid will cut through. You still have to pull the fish through the mat. Sometimes the only way to get them is take your boat to them, lean over and pull the matted vegetation away, and pull them out with your hand.

Andrew, you state that you are doing everything the same. Maybe you need to change your presentation or technique. Bass can become conditioned to lures. Give us some details on lures used and how you are fishing them.

My wife and I fished Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma for a few days this spring. The lake was high and very muddy. Black bass fishing was tough. We happened to find some shad busting the surface and got into a school of white bass. We were using the same spoon with a split ring. The amount of white bass she was catching was twice as many as I was catching and I couldn't figure out why. I tried changing my presentation in numerous ways and I still couldn't match her catch. Finally, I asked her to let me see her spoon. When she tied hers on she wasn't paying attention and accidentally tied to the hole in the spoon instead of the split ring. This allowed the split ring to click against the spoon and it gave the spoon a different action. I changed mine to match her's, and, lo and behold, I started catching as many fish as she was. Moral of the story: The best way to attach a spoon to catch fish isn't always the recommended method.

Never . . . . never . . . . never try to sell your boat-towing vehicle before you have acquired a new one. Murphy's Law always takes effect. It's good to hear from you Fish Chris!