Fat-G

Out of power, got the generator running. The wind and rain were pretty bad, but not as bad as Isabel in 2003. During Isabel a tree came through the garage while I was standing in it, pretty scary. There's a bunch of limbs and trees down around town. Thank god my mother has a Mifi... Hope everyone is safe and won't be out of power too long. Probably gonna try and snag a few bass later on if some clouds roll in.

For pitching 1/4-3/8 oz. jigs, a Dobyns 4 power rod is really what you want. It has a good tip for pitching and a shorter handle than what you are probably used to. They balance extremely well. I'll recommend the Savvy 734. I have one, and I pitch with it a lot right now, mostly a 1/4 oz tungsten weight and a Rage Tail. It handles them well, though if the cover is heavy I'll move to a Champion 735c.

In before Irene rests for the night! Wow!

I agree, this is kind of an offensive post. Not trying to he a jerk, but WTH.

Man frogs are disgusting. I would rather get bitten by a snake than touch a frog. No joke. That's gross.

SIX of the funniest posts! Nate I just cracked up for ten straight minutes man.

If can get out trailer, do.

I've gotta admit, there are probably 5 of the funniest posts I've ever seen on this website in this one topic. Props to all of you.

I'm just joking man my 50e is a good reel. We caught 4 tonight one was 9.5

X2 steezy. Couldn't agree more.

Jesus man, he's talking about a Curado! :D

Sweet Beaver is one of my main flipping baits. They produce the big bite as well. Around here, most of the cover is straight slop, so it's a Spro frog or fish somewhere else, though. If it is sparce enough to flip, really any compact plastic will do.

That's a nice looking ride. Hopefully when I'm older, I'll drive a nice truck as well. Any reason for the regular cab vs. extended or four door?

Just realized you were talking about the spinning rod. No experience.

3/8 oz. would be pushing the limits of the rod. 1/8-1/4 would be fine.

You have a lot of great options in the $200 range. Take a look at the Cumara rods, either the CUC-72MH or CUC-X72MH. I have the 7'2 MH/F, and while it's a superb rod for 1/8-3/16 oz. t-rigs, a 1/2 oz. jig is right at the top end of the rod. But, it throws the lighter weights extremely well. It would be a sweet 1/4 oz. shakey head rod. The CUC-X72MH on the other hand, has a really good action for throwing 1/2 oz. jigs, but won't dip down into the 3/16 oz. range very well. I think the power difference between the two models is a pretty large gap. Cumara's are great rods and well worth the money. Very sensitive. Also take a look at the Dobyns Champion rods, specifically the 704/734. I have a Savvy 734 and a Champion 735, and I can honestly say right now the 4 power Dobyns rods are the most versitile rods I have ever fished with. It will handle your worm fishing and jigs very well. I would suggest getting the 734/Full Hand model. It balances better than the split-grips and you'll learn to like the extra length. I like my Dobyns rods way more than my Cumara's, and that says a lot. Both are amazing fishing tools. Edit: FWIW, my Champion 735, which is a pitching and flipping rod, is more sensitive than my Cumara, which is a finesse rod, by a good ways.

Thanks Big-O! The pond that has the healthy catfish/unhealthy bass in it isn't the best bass pond I have. Most of the fish are the same size, three pounds. There really aren't any bigger gals, so I might leave it the way it is and keep it as a fat cat pond!

Great stuff Catt. One thing I've learned is that an ambush point + structure close by + baitfish = a big bass is near. At that point it's just about making ONE good cast with the right bait and presenting it effectively.

Here's another from tonight:

And yes, pond fishing is easier.

One of my best fishing experiences ever happened in a 21' Triton. The pops and I fished on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY for a half day guided trip with Allan Green. It was awesome. He was so excited to actually fish with someone that knew something about fishing rather than the hassles of trying to teach and catch in the same day. The weather was horrible, 75 with blue bird skies in the middle of July, but we made it work. I had total control of the trolling motor, where and how we fished, moving places, lures, etc. I think I was 16 at the time. For that age, on a body of water that I had never fished, mid-summer with horrible weather, I think I did pretty good. I caught a 6.7 LM in the pads on a Horny Toad but threw it back before he could take a picture...he was kinda brewed about that because all the pictures of clients he puts on his site are good for business. My dad had about a 7+ on a Horny Toad in the pads but it broke off right as we were about to net it. It was a great day though, and I learned a lot.

Looks like you taught her how to hold a fish right!

I think location and timing is very important, more so than what bait you are using. If you're in the right place at the exact right time, you'll most likely catch the big fish that is in the area. Another thing is reaction bites. If the fish isn't really hungry, but the weather is good, and you drop your bait RIGHT on her head, she'll most likely bite. Edit: switched to a real computer and not my iphone, so I'll go more in-depth about what I've learned this year and post some picture examples as well. My primary focus this year has been catching bigger fish. I have read a lot on Resource about how to target specifically the big ones, and have learned a lot from various members on here as well. Here are some of the things I have learned. I hope Catt, roadwarrior, and some of the others give their input as well. Like I said before, location and timing are two very important factors. It's kind of a luck of the draw thing, being there in the heat of the moment. If you are at the right spot with a hungry fish, I think bait choice (as long as it's something that the pattern calls for) is not nearly as important as other times, when you are "searching" for a big fish. For example, you pull up to a spot with a laydown tree. If you want to catch the biggest fish that is around the tree, you don't want to rush into your first cast. Take your time, figure out where you think she would most likely be, and make a perfect cast. In a tournament, you want to catch your limit first, and then cull the smaller ones, so you would hypothetically be fishing a reaction bait like a crank or spinnerbait. That is the difference in "trophy bass fishing" and "trying to catch some fish". Here are some fish that are prime examples of being in the right place at the right time, and dropping it right on their head. There will also be times when you will randomly catch a big one, whether it's on a flat or just mindlessly fun fishing, not specifically targeting a big fish. Here are some examples, first one was swimming a Rage Craw down a slope and the other was on a spinnerbait fishing a spring flat. As far as baits go, I have developed a general rule for myself. No clouds in the sky: Finesse. Wacky rigged Trick Worms, small t-rigged plastics, such as the Rage Baby Craw, and shakey heads/drop-shots (though I still need to fish those more to develop a whole lot of confidence in them). Cloudy with sunlight: Ragetail anything works extremely well, as do big worms, big jigs, etc. Overcast: I’m fishing faster, pitching jigs and swimming Rage Tails, Rage Shads are also stellar. Hope this helps, I'll add more if I think of something.

I'll add a couple more. Fishing related: Dobyns Champion rods Dobyns Savvy rods Braided line, especially when I bought Fireline Shimano Citica 200e, I liked that reel more than the e7 Sunline Super FC Sniper Tungsten weights Northstar jigs ***...I spend a lot of nickel there Spro frogs Daiwa Zillion, built like a tank and very, very smooth Shimano Sahara, incredible reel for the money, although mine needs a good cleaning

I think Catt is one of the best and most humble anglers here, I just wish he would post pictures! Roadwarrior, just from reading his fishing reports, has made me a far better angler. He (unintentionally) taught me that I needed to learn the structure of my ponds and fish the not-so-obvious big fish hideouts. I've been fishing that way all year, and I'd say it's working!