Bluebasser86

1140 after this mornings trip.

I won't even have 1 drink if I'm driving home, it just isn't worth it. Call a cab, call an Uber, call a friend, whatever, don't steal a loved one from someone else with a dumb decision. I'm not going to pretend I've never made that bad decision. Unfortunately I've been exposed to it a lot growing up so it was "okay as long you drive back roads and side streets", it's not. Alcoholism runs wild through my dad's side of the family. All high functioning for the most part, able to hold good jobs and lead normal lives. Oddly enough, a drunk driver almost killed his older brother, who was actually sober at the moment. I remember my dad getting arrested when I was a kid. I didn't know it at the time, but I remember my mom screaming at him through the phone that she wasn't coming to pick him up and he could just stay there overnight until they let him out, realized what happened many years later. A drunk driver killed a co-worker of mine a few years back while he was stopped on the side of the highway. Seeing his kids at the funeral pleading to see their dad, but the casket was sealed up because his patrol car caught fire and there wasn't much left, an image I doubt I'll ever forget.

It's one of my better colors, but in the crankbaits, not the RES.

Cottonwood seed are the reason innerline rods failed allegedly. The stuff would get stuck inside them and no way to get it out. It's awful to have to deal with and there is no magic way to avoid it. I usually take the same route, avoid the areas it's the worse.

I do the same thing with big swimming worms. Does a much better job keeping them from hanging up while dragging them through rocks.

Are you using a spinning reel on a fly rod or actually trying to cast it with a fly line and reel? Get a jighead with a keeper and skip the glue either way.

Had one grab a musky jitterbug several years ago while night fishing. I hooked him good too. All I heard was a giant splash, thought I had a monster, broke my rod and everything. Line kept going up and up, thought it was trying to jump until I realized it had gone up for way too long and I saw the owl fly in front of the moon and it hit me what had happened. He crashed into some blackberry bushes on the shore and the hooks pulled out thankfully, no idea what I was going to do otherwise.

Savage Gear has some good ones, hard and soft versions. I've done better with the soft versions, one of the only soft swimbaits I have confidence in. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-SVGBTS.html?from=basres There's guys that swear by the golden shiner Shine Glide though. I love my Shine Glides, never done well with that color though. Not surprisingly, most that I know that like that color are in Florida. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-SVGBTS.html?from=basres

It happens fast too. That's why I keep them in the original package and they have a container all to themselves that they're stored inside in the boat.

Welcome back!

Jig-homemade 1/2oz flipping jig. Looks similar to a Terminator flipping jig. Bladed jig-homemade 3/8oz Jerkbait-6th Sense Provoke 106, Strike King 300, or Duo Realis Rozante 77 Spinnerbait-War Eagle 1/2oz white with gold or copper blades

US Boatworks (not KC Boatworks like I said), in KCK does good work and seems to be pretty competitively priced. Not in the best neighborhood but not terrible. Frank's is in Lansing and pretty much the same deal but but in a little better location if that makes a difference for you. I wouldn't take it to Cabela's or BPS unless I had some kind of discount or gift card I could use. Even then I've had them mess up the simplest task so I don't know if I'd trust them to do anything.

Where are you throwing those baits? I'm normally fishing a T-rig in and around cover with heavier line than can be used on a spinning reel. The shakyhead I'm fishing on mostly rocks and more open water with 8lb line typically.

Spinnerbaits yes. Jerkbaits are not a dirty water bait regardless of their color.

My ex-gf before meeting my wife was a beautician and I can confirm this statement. I've had the same buzz cut forever. Get the clippers out every 2 weeks, about 5 minutes in front of the mirror and I'm done.

Everywhere I talked to about having my bearings done was 3 weeks to a month and a half out 2 weeks ago. Bass Pro, Cabela's, Frank's Marine, KC Boatworks, just that time of year that they're all slammed.

I make my own for fishing in heavy rock because they don't drop down in the cracks as bad. Those big worms don't need much weight and kind of glide along on the fall. Most of my fishing is shallower than 15' so I normally put a 5/0 or 6/0 EGW on an 1/8oz head.

I fish it on a spinning rod and 20lb braid...

It's a fun way to catch them, but can also be very frustrating.

Welcome!

Someone caught a large freshwater eel out of the Kansas river in downtown KC today, probably near state record sized. First one in several years that I've heard of being caught here.

I've caught lots of big ones on topwater, especially buzzbaits. Some of my biggest largemouth in my home state have been on crankbaits, despite my disdain for fishing them. I fish plastics the most so it just goes to reason that I'd catch most of my big ones on them, which is the case.

Handful of bigguns? I go out hoping for that one big bite, anything extra is just a bonus. Numbers happen sometimes while searching for the big one, but dinks aren't nearly as exciting as catching a big one.

Spinnerbaits are probably one of the least cost effective baits to make. There's so many components to buy, you really don't save any money.