senile1

Congratulations on the PB!

Nice fish!

Nice fish, Jeff!

Pictures can be deceiving but she looks like she could add more weight unless she is on the downhill side and getting ready to die. I suspect she's pretty old.

Great story. At least the fish in your pics are decent!

I thought about that after I posted. It probably wouldn't be that big of a money drain for most of us.

They are rare but Missouri does produce one now and then. And of all things, it was caught by a guy from Texas who already has plenty of opportunity in his own state. http://lakeexpo.com/news/lake_news/monster-largemouth-bass-caught-at-lake-of-the-ozarks/article_b197db4c-f106-11e5-83d4-8b5fb7f698c2.html

There is additional lost money in increased insurance premiums.

I fish some lakes with tons of trees broken off under the water. When the water level is at a certain point I occasionally catch my bass boat on the top of a broken off tree (only at trolling motor speeds) so I understand that scratching your bass boat is a part of getting to where the fish are. However, I agree with the posts above that this is dangerous. I wouldn't do it. Fortunately, for Miller, I suspect he must have hit the side of a somewhat smooth rock. If it had been jagged I think we might have seen a more harrowing result.

Yeah, this thread is a nice reminder for me to add this to my list. The gas struts on one of my compartments won't keep the lid up for any length of time more than 5 seconds or so.

That is a pretty fish! And she has the frame to grow some more.

Nice fish!

There are some incredible fish in this thread. Dwight, maybe it is the way he is holding it but that fish looks like a mutant. I'm amazed it could swim with that gut.

That's a nice group of fat fish!

I would hate to be that guy or girl.

I haven't used it. I have been very satisfied with Sufix Performance Braid, Sufix 832 braid, and all of the Sufix nylon monofilament lines. I have yet to try their fluorocarbon, nanobraid, or copolymer lines, but I am interested in hearing about this line. I see online pricing of $5.99 for 330 yard spools at Cabelas. I wonder if that is an introductory price?

Mike's jigs are good lures. Between Siebert's brush jigs and the grid-iron football jigs, 90 percent of my jig fishing is covered. And he has jigs to cover the other 10 percent as well. There is no doubt that there are other good jigs that are top notch, but Mike just happens to make a great variety of top notch jigs with a price that is hard to beat. As for adjustments, I trim the skirts only slightly and this is more of a confidence thing for me than any necessity. I have a certain way I like my craw trailers to look on the jig. As for trimming the weed guards, I think that the jigs are more weedless if I leave it alone. If I am setting the hook correctly the full weed guard doesn't seem to cause any issues.

You will receive a lot of different answers for that question. Some hate it, some love it, and some use it for specific applications. You have to find what is right for you. I am in the third group. I use it for deep running crankbaits/spinnerbaits/etc and I have one jig/T-rig rod with 15 lb fluoro. My other jig/T-rig rods are braid with fluoro leaders. Fluorocarbon tends to require more work in the manageability department though there are some brands that handle pretty well. It is a great line for getting cranks and other deep running baits to run a little deeper due to its density. That same density seems to make it a more sensitive line as well, though braid with no stretch transmits everything when the wind isn't blowing a huge bow in it.

That's some good fishing right there! Very nice trip.

Nice fish, Big-O! I've been missing your posts of the big ladies.

I've read about sticking the rod in the water and keeping it low and tight to stop a fish from jumping and I think it helps at times. I do this too but sometimes if you react too quickly when lowering the rod and jerk when sweeping away I think it just makes the hole bigger where the hook entered. It has to be a controlled motion. Here's a pretty good article from Mike Long about the subject. http://www.mikelongoutdoors.com/jumping-bass-agony/

Very nice fish, Jeff! Sometimes it pays to ask questions and be friendly.

That's another fine specimen! I'm going to miss your reports. Stay safe and we look forward to when you can post some big ladies once more.

It's 11 acres and should be a quick study, especially from a boat.

I'm glad to hear you are at home. It's tough to miss prespawn fishing. Hang in there, Dwight!