Bluebasser86

Part of why I've fallen in love with swimbaits, they'll pull fish from pressured waters where everyone thinks you have to fish finesse baits to even have a chance. Awesome smallie! They love those S wavers If you don't have a Slammer, smallmouths hitting one of those is some of the most violent topwater bass strikes I've ever seen.

I swing smaller fish to my hand but I don't bounce them. Trying to get into the habit of netting larger fish for the health of both me and the fish.

Just be ready for everyone to flock to your newly cleared spots. I like the ponds that are surrounded by tall weeds, trees, and high banks that are too much work for almost everyone to bother with. Once you clear that tall grass it will push fish off the banks because they'll lose their shade and cover of the weeds hanging out over the water and they feeding opportunity caused by bugs falling into the water. I've seen it several times in the lakes around here where the city or county will cut down all the trees and grass to make an area more bank fisherman friendly. Good spots get trashed with worm containers, pop bottles, and cigarette butts, and the fish that don't get caught and kept relocate to different areas. If you're fishing remote ponds you might be alright, but I'd bet you'd be surprised how many people will be at your honey holes once they have easy paths to the water.

Baccarac for largemouth Erie for smallmouth Amazon for peacocks Peacocks in the Amazon would probably be the one I'd pick if someone told me I was going on an all expenses paid fishing trip.

2005 10lbs 2ozs released

Get a Spro Bronzeye Shad, put some braid on your reel if you don't have it on it already, walk your frog like a pro The shad is just a little more streamlined than the Spro frog but it walks really well and really easy.

Nonresident Fishing: $42.50

Chris and Austin won with 5 fish that weighed 9.24lbs and had big fish with a 2 3/4 pound fish. They caught all their fish on bladed jigs. Coty and I had second with 7 1/2 pounds with 5 fish. I think we had the longest fish with a 19 1/4" fish that only weighed 2.49 pounds. Coty caught that one on a baby brush hog. He had another keeper on a baby brush hog and I had 2 of the keepers on a pit boss and 1 on a 100 series bandit. RangerDanger had a keeper over 18" also with a skinny 19" fish that weighed 2lbs 11ozs. We're going to be at Osage State Lake on Saturday September 6th from 6am-noon for anyone interested.

Most of the baits I fish on one sink. Pretty much the only bait I don't fish on one is a tube, and I'm sure they would work too. Baby brush hogs, ribbontail worms, stickworms, finesse worms, beaver baits, boot tail swimbaits, craws, skirted twin tail grubs, lizards, pretty much anything. Very few of the baits I fish on one float.

Use braid and you shouldn't have any problem setting the hook with swim jigs. You'll do okay with fluoro or mono too, you're just going to miss or lose a few more than you would with a heavier rod or braid.

I used one for a few years for a pitching rod, never had any problems with it. Not the lightest or most sensitive rod but I never had any problem catching plenty of fish with it. I sold it a few years ago to a friend who has been using it ever since with no issues.

DSG around here has the old model of Veritas for $50 right now, might want to check that out. I've never owned a Veritas but they feel like nice rods. I own 7 or 8 Ethos and have nothing bad to say about them. If you can find them on sale the lower end Ethos goes for $40 pretty often.

Try a Luck E Strike STX jerkbait. Comes in several of the same colors as the Megabass, looks similar, moves similar, and catches fish just as well in my experience. I've had both, I no longer own any Megabass, couldn't tell a big enough difference between the two other than price. Megabass are super fragile too. Last one I had was one I found, bill fell off during the retrieve, just fell off for no apparent reason. It was a 110 Magnum, a nearly $30 jerkbait. Had I paid for that thing it probably would have spun me out for quite awhile.

Jighead or on a split shot rig with a 1/0 wide gap hook, they're a killer. Like others mentioned they're a great trailer too.

cheap rubber bobber stops do it as good as anything I've ever tried.

They're very versatile for sure, one of my favorite ways to present a soft plastic since I starting fishing them, but there's all sorts of jigheads to present a soft plastic out there that are capable of presenting a bait like a Hard Head jig can, the Hard Head is just kind of a do all head instead of a technique specific bait. You can make a regular swinging football head so the hook is interchangeable. If you have a rusted or damaged hook, cut it off at the eyelet, add a split ring, then a screw lock style hook of whatever size you want.

Grubs, small cranks, or a wacky rig. My wife outfishes me on a regular basis when she does go with me, which is what I hope for every time we go together.

I fish them on a 1/8 or 1/4oz worm nose jighead. Cast them out and start the retrieve when it's at the desired depth, just reel slowly. Very easy to fish and very effective. They can also work very well with a lift, drop retrieve or on a carolina rig.

If you fish tournaments in the spring around here and you aren't using a wacky rig you're donating your money. It's an open hook and fairly light line, it's not meant for snaggy areas. If you need it keep it more snag free, then get one of the weedless wacky hooks. Probably one of the easiest rigs there are to fish and hook up with though. They do tear up easy, but it catches tons of fish at times too.

Always ask first. Some places have no problem with people fishing their ponds, but they like to keep track of who is going in and out in case something is vandalized or stolen. If someone fishes and doesn't get permission they may put an end to anyone using it though. The thought that "If there's no signs, then it's okay," is ridiculous. Do you post Keep Out signs in your backyard? No?? Then it's okay for someone to walk through your yard by that train of thought right? Just because there's no signs doesn't make it okay.

I think the person in the back of the boat has the advantage when it comes to catching big fish. The guy in the front will often catch the more aggressive, smaller fish first then the back seater ends up getting the bigger fish. Being able to completely concentrate on fishing instead of running the motor, watching the electronics, watching for underwater obstacles, and trying to fish, is also an advantage. Fishing open water structure like rockpiles or ledges is one time when the back seater can really take advantage of the boater being occupied with other things. Now if you're targeting fishing and targets are limited the boater has the advantage big time. As far as your buddy moving too fast, I've always looked at it this way. I've done both, back seating it, and owned my own and run the motor. If someone is nice enough to invite you to fish with them, maybe just be glad you're on a boat instead of bank fishing? If he's fishing too fast you might make the request that he slow down a little, it's possible he's not even aware he's doing it, but I wouldn't push it too much if that's how he likes to fish. Having owned a boat longer than I've been without one, it's never hard to find someone else who is just happy to be off the bank.

If Chris can't make it I have a backseater looking for a ride. I'll know after I get off work at 8am if Chris can make it or not, I'll shoot you a text if he needs a ride still.

As long as you can accurately weigh, measure, and photograph your fish then you're fine. Obviously not going to be able to fish as a team that way but as long as you're okay with being a one man team then you can fish it.

These two were caught on back to back cast off the same spot. Pretty close to the same spot on the same day. Then you'll get them with great tiger stripes and some that are almost sand colored.

I had a 7' M/F that would have worked okay for swim jigs but I'd probably go with a MH/F instead. The M/F made a great lipless bait rod though. I had the 6' 6" M/F Mojo as well and it made a pretty good jerkbait, spook, spinnerbait, and buzzbait rod.