Bluebasser86

Made the lakes crazy packed here. Looked like a holiday weekend on my days off during the middle of the week. Lots of first timers and people trashing the lakes. It's really sucked.

Bass taste terrible, and I've eaten a ton of them growing up. I wish I liked them, I'd eat a ton of the dinks out of the slot limit lakes. I don't have a problem with people keeping smaller fish to eat, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't hurt when I see the big ones get tossed in a bucket or added to a stringer, I feel the same about seeing people keep big fish of all species though.

This 100%. Fishermen get so excited for the spawn, but spawning fish are so much harder to catch than prespawn fish. They lock onto beds and aren't interested in feeding. Sure they can be coaxed into biting, but if you can't see them, that's a tricky proposition. Postspawn fish can be tough at times, but I'd still rather chase them than spawning fish. OP, your bass are probably spawning just out of sight.

Most of the lakes I fish have an 18" length limit, which is about a 3lb fish, so anything over 18" or 3lbs is a good fish in my book.

Hindsight is 20/20. We all have a well calculated plan for how we're going to catch the big one, but what happens after? Being prepared to quickly weigh, photograph, and release a big fish is something we owe them for giving us the chance to catch them. Those plastic fish grippers tied to a parachute cord are a great way to keep a fish in the water, without having to pierce their lip, run a stringer through their gills/jaw, ect.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome and thank you for your service!

But it's not a guess if I know ?‍♂️?

These guys are who I had aluminum weld my old johnboat when someone ran into the transom in a campground. They did a great job and were very reasonable. http://harrisonmachineandwelding.com/about/

I have several 130s. My first several fish on them were actually smallmouth. I like them more when targeting largemouth but smallies and spots have no issues with them.

This is what I use. They were my Ned rig before I knew what one was.

I've caught them up to 6lbs out of ponds I could cast across, also in the KC area.

I usually get 10-20 fish on one before it's done. Smallies trash them the worst and I don't help by flipping them.

Popping Pad Crasher in cricket frog or sunburn.

Sapphire blue/backwater blue/swampwater blue, all very similar and some of my most productive colors. I make jigs and bladed jigs in thos colors that work great. Beavers from Strike King, Reactions Innovations, and Big Bite Baits (100 pk) are in my boat in those colors. I've got sapphire blue trick works, 10" worms, baby brush hogs, flipping tubes, craws. It's a killer color as a stand a lone.

Must be something you're doing. I use a 4/0 EWG hook and they stay up fine.

40' on Beaver Lake, Arkansas with a TRD and 1/16oz head. Catching spots off a deep rockpile. Took about a minute for it to hit bottom but a lot of drops it never made it to the bottom for about an hour. Wouldn't eat anything else we tried but they were all over that slow falling Ned.

You can let it out behind a boat also, a good way to get tangles out as well.

6' 10" ML/XF LTB with a Tatula LT 2500.

This one and Golden Shiner are my 2 favorites.

Yep, usually more than 1. Same here. People go cross eyed when I say I'd rather feel that thump than catch fish on top but I can't help it.

No it works fine too, I just like the thinner line for extra casting distance.

I tie a palomar, haven't had any issues.