Goose52

WOW! Those will be on eBay soon....

RW - do you fish for stripers too - or just strippers...

Me too!

Exciting and disappointing at the same time! I know that feeling when the line goes slack you know she's gone.... At least you saw her jump and know that it wasn't a big mudfish...

Thanks - it's been fun for a while. However, it's snowing outside right now and things will be slow for a few days...

Outstanding! It's been a great winter for a lot of us so far and I got a 5 pounder just last night. However, snowing outside right now and water temps headed into the 30s - bite will be slow for a few days...

We had 2 or 3 threads on this when the reel was released at the beginning of 2011 - search on "enigma reel" in this forum and you'll find the conversations. Back then, only a few people had actually handled the reels and no one owned one. Several people reported that the braking system was very effective when properly adjusted. Perhaps someone has purchased one since and has some on-the-water experience. In the earlier conversations, I gave BPS kudos for coming up with a new braking concept that might be "beginner friendly" in reducing likelihood of backlash during the learning curve. That's a good thing to get more people using BC reels and could result in increased sales of more conventional BC reels as the beginners transition to more advanced/expensive equipment. OTOH, the inner and outer centrifugal systems gives lots of adjustment options - perhaps something that a beginner may not want to mess with. In a way, the reel truly is an enigma - perhaps an answer in search of a question so to speak. It IS different, that's for sure. Other comments about the reel in the earlier threads is that is has a graphite frame - a negative for most folks, and that it has big lips and is just plain ugly!

For sure - those 30s temps are tough. I have the tools - jigs, soft plastics, suspending jerk baits, etc. but I'd rather crank if I can. I've been lucky to have water temps mostly in the 40s so far and can still pick up a fish now and then with moving baits. Below is a fish from last evening - 21 inches / 5.02 pounds. Snow coming later today with much colder temps for the next few days - water temps will go back into the 30s soon and we'll probably have some skim ice around the edges of the lake and back in the coves. I'll probably be standing on the bank this evening while it's snowing - trying to get another fish while the water is still in the 40s...

WTG - fine looking fish indeed! I'm in Crossville TN and had 46 degree water this evening - ain't it great. Cold front coming in though - not expecting much of a bite for a while....

For some ideas, check out the hardcopy log in the Tools section of this board here: http://www.bassresou...ishing_log.html For more ideas - read through this thread from last week on fishing logs - especially the log attached to post #35. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/95756-good-fishing-logsjournals/ Have fun!

Thanks Robert! Had the bass topped the Tennessee state record (14lb 8oz) I might have splurged on a bottle of Dom DeLuise ...but since it was only 8 pounds, it was the cheap stuff on New Year's Eve! (I know - it's Dom Pérignon)

GREAT video! I'll be glad when my Tennessee water heats back up 30 degrees or so and the bass are that "aerial". Right now, in low 40 degree water, they are mostly just going deep on the fight. I've only had one bass jump over the last 30 fish or so...

Thanks! For the last 3 years, my lakes have been iced over for much of December and January. Not solid for two months, they ice over for a few weeks, ice-out for a week or two, then ice over again. But water temps on ice-out usually stay in the 30s and the bite is poor. I am still jazzed with the quality fish that I'm catching. Not easy though - water temps dropped into the 30s on January 3rd and the bite slowed way down. I had about 6-7 hours of fishing between my last fish on Jan. 2nd and this 4 pounder on the 8th. Still - the usual chance of catching a fish about now would be 0%

Hey Adam - the best place to get an answer would be in the Northeast Bass Fishing forum here: http://www.bassresou...t-bass-fishing/ A moderator may be along this morning and move the thread for you. Meanwhile - surf through that NE forum and see if anyone has posted on that lake...

Thanks for the tip but the link doesn't work for me....

I just read through the entire thread, IMO this was the best answer...

That craw pattern RES done good and got a few more fish after the 8 pounder BUT I'm sorry to report that it was lost in action a few days ago - hung on a stump as I was running it deep across the grass - RIP. No more craw-pattern RESs in inventory... Dang - I should have ordered more baits like you said (craw pattern). I hate to pay full price though and no one has had any sales since Christmas. However - blue over chrome works! In this case - it's a "blind" XCalibur Xr50 - blind since both of the litle red plastic eyes have been knocked off... 20" / 4.3lb - surface water temp back at 45 degrees (after going down to 39 a few days ago). It's still great to have soft water!

Not a lot of fish but the good news is that you got one and have soft water! My lakes here in TN were iced over at this time last year. I did OK thru January 2nd but then had water temps drop into the 30s and the bite stopped for me. Water has warmed back up a bit but I've been getting skunked the past few days - but at least when I cast, the lure makes a splash instead of skidding across the ice

Man - you're rackin' and stackin' 'em in the cold water! I won't get to 45 bass until sometime in February I expect... Keep on 'em!

I was editing my post when you grabbed it - revised post above. Yeah - the whole point is to have data available for the Lakes Committee. I mostly fish private lakes managed by the homeowner's association, with an assist from TWRA (DFG)

Yeah - I record to two decimal places 'cause that's how the scale reads... A little background. When I first moved to TN, I only weighed fish 18" or longer. Then I noticed that the bass I was catching seemed a bit leaner than those I used to catch in FL. So, I started weighing all fish 14" or longer and keep the weights in an Excel workbook that keeps a running average weight. Comparing that data to some of the LMB length/weight data on the 'net shows that most of these fish run under national averages - a testament to the quality (or lack thereof) of the fishery. The local bass club also weighs to 2 digits and retains data regarding average weights. So, my data has the same fidelity as the club data (~ with differences in scale accuracy). In 2010, I actually caught more bass than the entire bass club's catch in their 16 tournaments - thus, I have as much, perhaps more data than the entire bass club. Additionally, I fish lakes that are not fished by the club so I probably have the ONLY length/weight data for those lakes The point of all this is that in the event that our Lakes Committee gets serious about improving the fishery, there will be data available regarding average lengths/weights that may help the committee determine where to put their limited funds. The data may, or may not, ever become useful, but the point of recording the data isn't so much for me knowing that I caught a 1.42 lb, or a 1.89 lb 15" bass, but in having recorded data with fidelity to match the bass club's data. Sorta the same things with photographs. I used to only photograph the largest catches. Then, my Dad (who is 89 and has had to hang up his fishing spurs) told me to start emailing photos of my catches so he could at least remember what a bass looked like. So, I photograph most fish over two pounds plus anything unusual or funny. Doesn't take long to do it and he gets a kick out of it. He also gets a kick out of my statistics and likes to tell his friends my bass count for the year. Then he can tell them...I taught that boy to fish.... There's lots of reasons to keep records and take photos. It's all fun and for me, is not work and doesn't take much time. You mean some of those folks are actually holding the fish out at arms length? And there I thought everyone was routinely catching 8 pound fish. I just thought that they had some strange medical condition that made their fingers swell to 2 or 3 times the normal size whenever they caught a biggun'

Yowsir! Good way to start the year and hopefully made the vacation day worth it. Always good to start with a fish instead of a skunk...

Lot of us have soft water now when often the lakes would be iced-over - ain't it great! Nice fish - congrats on the catch !

Congrats! Now, ya gotta go gunning for a 6 pounder...

Actually - the weather isn't too bad right now. When I was fishing this evening, I cast out and the lure made a splash when it hit the water.............usually at this time of year, you would cast out and watch your lure skid across the ice.............. Soft water is great!