Big Bass Chaser

I like the Costa glasses, but I prefer the Oakleys for durability. I've had the same pair of Oakley Polarized Gas Can sunglasses for about 4.5 years. While they are slightly scratched, they have been to hell and back and lived to tell the tale. I'd say the Costas with the right lenses might give you a 5-10% advantage over the Oakleys. The rootbeer/amber color lenses from Oakley are great in all light.

Jackall Flickshake Worm, 4.8" and 5.8", nose and wacky Roboworm Straight Tail small beaver

If there are still longer weeds, weightless wacky Jackall Flickshake worm. If the weeds are shorter, same worm, dropshotted wacky or nose hooked.

Out here in California, I've found a predictable morning and evening bite, and its been tough in between. Cranks for those willing to chase, drop shot for those that aren't has been productive for me.

I've yet to catch a fish above 5lbs out of clear water, catching multiple in one day is awesome. Beautiful fish, great job!

XCalibur XrK 1/2 & 3/4 oz Yozuri Rattl'n Vibe 5/8 oz (change the hooks to Owner size 4) Both are great producers for me (especially at this time of year). I like the Red Eye Shad, but I've had trouble with them running true out of the package a couple of times and you also need to change the hooks. I'll take the Rattl'n Vibe over the Red Eye Shad every day of the week, and sometimes the XrK over both.

Lipped : Rapala DT 6 in bluegill Lipless : Yozuri Rattl'n Vibe in 5/8oz in baby bass

I use the Megastrike attractant on jigs and unscented plastics, I also use Gulp attractant. I feel Megastrike is good and lasts a long time, Gulp is great and lasts a very short time. So if I am soaking overnight I will use Gulp, however if I am applying it right before I cast, I use Megastrike. I have not used any of your soft plastics, I currently use Berkely, Zoom, Reaction Innovations, and Jackall (because the Flickshake worm is awesome). I generally try new things out where people have good days fishing in similar settings online or from local word of mouth. I have never used your hardbaits either.

As always, beautiful fish, great story. Is that a 4/0 EWG and what looks to be about 15lb flouro? I ask because that's what I fish in a similar circumstance and I have slightly more confidence in your skill, hah.

Congrats on attributing a standard summer pattern to Brett Favre! Let's see how much he has left in the tank, I am guessing first 8 games he'll go 15/4 TD/INT and the last 8 will go 6/6. No man can beat age.

A football jig shines where it won't get buried by weeds and has rocks to bang into. Almost all of my bites come near rocks or timber. I tend to favor natural colors. Flipping jigs in heavy weeds or floating wood as they come through the cover better. I tend to favor dark natural colors. I fish swimjigs along weed lines, drop offs, and where I can kill it into openings in weed beds. I like at least a little white or chartreuse in my swim jig to really get their attention.

My lakes have produced good sized LM (4-7lbs) and great sized SM (3-7lbs) this year, which I think may have been caused by all the rain? I have a feeling that come fall I'll have my chance at a few giants.

I am still waiting for a good reason to fish cranks on a slower than 7 to 1 reel. I can reel slow just as effortlessly. I fish a Curado 200E7 on a 7' Lamiglas cranking rod. When the fish runs at me I'm picking up line a whole lot faster than a 4.2 to 1 reel.

Beautiful fish, great catch. P.S. I don't know how good it is for the fish to touch their gills like that.

I know of a 11lber caught on a 3/8oz football head jig w/skirt that had a 5 inch senko rigged wacky as trailer. Was done to decrease the fall speed and worked.

What Raul said. I just experienced this the other day at my favorite 25-30 foot visibility lake. Walked down close to the water to see the structure/cover and undoubtedly the local bass saw me and I saw them, cast to them for no bites. Came back 20 minutes later and I was casting to the edge of the cover I had seen while standing 15 feet from the water, two bites and two fish.

At rest there are people who believe the Rage Craw has more action than a Crazy Legs Chigger? I'd like to see a youtube of that in someone's fish tank for verification.

So only .05% of the time you peg? Even in heavy cover? Throw a lot of 65 lb braid?

On the fall : Netbait or Ragetail At rest : Chigger Craw Crazy Legs

I lost my first non-dink fish today for the first time in a while. I was very disappointed because I feel I should have retied. However, it was probably a 3-4 lb fish on 6lb test (my finesse rig) that dove into heavy weeds, I lost it when the line snapped shortly after getting it out of the heavy weeds. Oh well, sometimes you get the bear...

I usually say "Fish on", however if I reel down before I set the hook I often make something up on the spot. Today on a jig bite as I reeled down I said "And here we .." and then "GO!" when I set the hook. Also caught one on the crank and I believe I said "Ohp, there's one."

I'm in California. I've only been back into bass fishing for the pass year and a half, but I've had a better summer the last in both size and numbers. I attribute that to understanding bass, the bass in my lakes, and my lakes better. Although its been a colder year and pushed the spawn out a bit, the fish seem to be where I expect them to be.

I have sharpened these hooks after the tip has caught on rocks before, but I've never had problems with dullness out of the package. Also, there's no question that for baits that aren't very buoyant the stand out action helps. I do often use Owner mosquito hooks for smaller offerings and wacky depending on the bait.

Raul keeps mentioning tail-less grubs and I keep thinking that simply can't be. It doesn't look remotely like something you'd think a bass would want, but then neither does a senko.

WHERE? I like InvisX but it's generally 21-24 dollars around me. I use the 15# a lot (3 rods).