Bluebasser86

It usually has little effect on the bites, biggest issue is it messes with sink rate and also I lose the abrasion resistance of the fluorocarbon and I fish rocks a lot which is a problem with thin braid.

No smallmouth in either, although Quivira use to have pike.

I don't think Lenexa has them but SMP does. I haven't fished the Missouri side in a couple years now.

They're based in California where the restrictions are much tighter. They have another branch in Georgia now I believe where if all your order can be shipped from there, it gets out quickly. I made 1 order, had it in 3 days. Made another order, didn't ship for almost 2 weeks. Best advice, don't order if you're in a hurry. It's still the best place to get everything you need all at once, just might have to be patient.

I'll never understand using shrimp for catfish bait, but folks make catfish so much more difficult to catch than they are.

I use mono backing, whatever partial spool I have laying around, 20lb Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green mainline, 8lb Seaguar Gold Label leader, usually 3-7 feet unless I break it off and don't feel like retying one, then I'll use straight braid.

Yes, a cotton swab does a nice job of cleaning them out while checking for damage.

If you're handy, get on Youtube and look up some DIY kayak carts. A few pieces of PVC and some wheels from Home Depot will have you a a kayak cart made up pretty easy.

I'd take a jig if I could only have 1 bait forever.

My swimbait PB came from a puddle I could easily cast across. She blasted a 7" Slammer deadsticked on the surface. You say you use a Zoom Finesse worm all the time, maybe try something different?? The biggest bass in the pond is likely eating it's smaller brethren, not tiny bugs and worms.

Well it's Wyandotte COUNTY lake, but I guess some people might consider it a city lake. I know of 3 city lakes off the top of my head that have smallmouth, not counting Wyco, plus a few more state lakes.

It's in the city for sure.

Yeah, it's definitely not a secret spot, but that makes catching one like that even better.

Tried hard to get a bass to eat a jerkbait Saturday, only got one bite on it and it was not what I was after, but still fun. I talked with an older gentleman on a fishing dock for a minute as I was going around him. He said he'd got a couple small catfish, and another fisherman had given him 2 crappie he'd caught from the dock before he left, he just needed 1 more fish to make his dinner. I rounded the point and went into the back of the cove just past him, fishing one of my bladed jigs, when it got absolutely wrecked by this thing. I knew exactly what to do with it. Tossed it in the livewell and ran it back over to the dock. The guy said he had caught a big bluegill and now with the big trout, he had a whole fish buffet for himself and his wife. Made my day seeing how happy he was to have it and got to think it gave me some good karma for the big bass bite I got later in the day.

It sounds like carp spawning. They group together really tightly and make a lot of racket in the shallows and swim so closely together that it might give the impression of a much longer fish than what they actually are.

Went out and got my 3rd fish over 7 for the year on Saturday, 7.24lbs. One of only a handful I've caught over 7 that weren't from the power plant.

I personally like St. Croix, but not a fan of the Avid X. I'd suggest checking out their new Victory lineup. https://stcroixrods.com/pages/victory?utm_source=BassResource&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=banner&utm_campaign=VictoryLaunch

Looks like the Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket with an extra hump. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Reaction_Innovations_Pocket_Rocket/descpage-RIPR.html

It's a thinner wire. It's why they have such good vibration and catch fish so well. Also why they bend and break a little easier than other spinnerbaits. It's a trade off I'm willing to make.

Pitboss, Rodent, Rage Bug, Menace, baby brush hog, brush hog, Yomoma.

Fluorocarbon-Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Magworm EWG Braid-Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Flipping Hook

A ned rig works really well but I usually leave them alone when I find one on a bed. It's pretty rare the water is clear enough that I can see them on beds here though.

Strike King purely for baits. Pure Fishing for everything top to bottom.

A lot of it could be timing also. If you have an 8/9 pound fish, that then eats a few 1lb trout as a fish that size is capable of doing, and then you catch it, you've just caught an 11lb bass with an 8lbers frame but that wouldn't matter when getting it certified. The fact that there's not a lot of bass increases the chance of there being a giant since there won't be as much competition.

This is why the really good pros are so good at finding fish that suit their styles. Jason Christie left MLF and went back to bass and immediately won a tournament because fishing for 5 bigger bites instead of a lot of bites suits his style best and he caught them doing what he does best.