senile1

Beautiful fish, hawg caller.

Glenn, if I ever leave these forums I'll change my screenname to senile1_ex-member.

I t-rig weedless with a 1/16th to 1/4 ounce weight depending on the conditions. I use a 1/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. Stick it in the tail a quarter inch or so, bring it out the bottom and then poke it back through between the eyes and nose of the bait. I crawl it along slowly most of the time.

The 2.5 inch crawbugs have been out for a few years. They are a good bait.

47

Welcome, FunnyFish.

I agree that I would put out the welcome mat for people if I have a method to deduce that they are new to the boards. As for introductions . . . . . . When I joined I didn't introduce myself. I don't see why it is a big deal, one way or the other. I believe most people have good reasons for doing what they do, so I have no reason to fault them for it.

Are we discussing excitement or desirability? I desire to fish more than any other sport. If I hook a hawg then the excitement rises to fever pitch, similar to hanging on the edge at that last shot that beats the buzzer, or that last "Hail Mary" pass that wins the game. But when I'm not hooking a hawg the feelings I get from fishing are more desirable to me than the feelings I get from other sports. I feel one with nature which is a rather pleasant euphoria. I think that when I was younger, I probably enjoyed playing football and baseball as much as fishing. But, truthfully, I really can't remember.

Agreed. If it's a friend who is a regular in your boat, I have to ask you guys what kind of friend he/she really is if he/she isn't offering to help out. As for guests, you invited them. You pay the tab. If they offer to help, great.

I agree with all that has been said. BASS/ESPN has to grab the ball on this and run with it, making the appropriate changes. However, I also have an issue with the anglers involved, as Matt Fly suggested. Should there not have been an outcry from the anglers to the organizers after the first day? What person with any knowledge of livewells doesn't know that carrying sacks of this size could very well be detrimental to the livelihood of the fish? I would think that most anglers of this caliber know when to fizz their catch as well. BASS has the ultimate responsibility to make sure this doesn't happen again. But tournament anglers have a responsibility too.

Strike King Elaz Tech worms last longer than any worm made.

Nice post, George. Sounds like you guys had a very good "slow" day.

Dom, I always took any comments you have made about Shimanos as jokes and good fun . . . . like the text below your avatar. I always think of Blazing Saddles when I read that. "Badges?! We don't need no stinking badges!"

I still have a Shimano Bantam that's more than 30 years old and It still fishes like new. Not trying to argue or defend, just stating a fact. All of the major reel manufactures make awesome reels nowadays, but for some reason, fans of other brands seem to feel a need to attack and degrade Shimano reels. I honestly don't understand it. Ronnie Well put, Ronnie. Like others, I like Shimano for the reliability and consistency. My first Shimano was also a Bantam and it was a reliable tool for years. I would agree that some manufacturers are right there with Shimano and some are making products that possibly surpass Shimano's quality. But Shimano has never let me down. The competition among the manufacturers will only lead to better reels from all of them in the future.

Nice photos.

I have to second that. That run of 30 and 40 lb plus sacks that fourbizz has going on would up the ante on what I would spend to catch fish like that.

I really don't have an answer for this. I haven't really got into the swimbait craze yet, but if I do I guess I would be willing to spend 20 - 50 dollars on them. That would seem to be the range for a lot of them that I see on the Tackle Warehouse website. I can't see myself spending much more than that. For most of my lures I rarely go over 8 bucks, except for a few Lucky Craft baits. Like LBH said in an earlier post, I don't buy anything to impress anyone, but I would assume that a lot of you are the same. If I thought a lure was exceptional and would give me a leg up, I might be willing to pay a little more for it. I haven't really seen a lure that is that far above the others though.

Matt, nice fish!!! You may have just won the state vs state contest. I was thinking it would take at least a 70 percent to win it. You're there, buddy. There's still a month to go but that's a nice hawg.

I'm really a late adapter when it comes to using swimbaits but all of the video clips I have seen display this very thing. The angler quickly works the fish to the boat.

Smithville Lake.

Two forty lb plus sacks in what? A week. I'm running out of exclamations.

Glenn, you keep upping the ante on the quality of the site. Great stuff!

In my area, Dick's selection is minimal so I would be willing to pay a higher sale price to get exactly what I want.

Sorry, I'm so late to congratulate you, fourbizz. That's some awesome fishing, Dude. And that 42 lb plus sack has me completely awestruck. You definitely have perfected your skills, my man.

I don't get to fish for spotted bass very often due to a three to four hour drive to reach their waters. The Missouri record is 7 lbs 8 oz from Table Rock Lake. I've caught some 3's but these are some beasts that he's catching in this article.