Bluebasser86

He was pumped, couldn't believe I caught it either.

So a couple months ago while fishing at La Cygne, which is about a 2,500 acre Reservoir, my son Lake decided to see if this net my parents gave him would float in the 15' deep murky water, it did not, sank pretty fast actually much to the dismay of the misty eyed 4 year old as he stood in the back of my boat. Well Friday I was fishing close to the same area with a 6XD bumping along the bottom when it caught something but didn't feel like a fish. Could not believe when I saw his net rise from the depths, still in good shape even minus needing wiped down. Never would have guessed in a million years I'd ever be able to do that.

A new addition to the family today. Chloe is 10 weeks old, full of playful energy, and really sad that she ate all of her food already.

Hunting, bowfishing, and bait making are my main hobbies outside of fishing. I also enjoy cooking, mostly simple comfort foods, like bacon cheeseburger meatloaf.

That Fury will work. The Guide Select are very nice rods as well. I have one of each and they both work well.

I use them, work perfectly.

Never have been able to figure out what hooks they use but I believe it's the same brand on all their baits. They are extremely sharp though and the ones on their jerkbaits hold fish really well.

I caught my largest bass in Kansas out of a brush pile right behind another boat that had just fished the same pile. The language being shouted across the lake as my BIL netted it for me could have made a sailor blush.

I haven't fished at night as much since my boys were born but I intend to go back to it when they are both old enough to always be sleeping through the night even night. I love night fishing, the solitude being on of the big reasons. The fish I catch at night are ones that just don't bite during the day. The sulk offshore or suspend and shut off completely, then transform into a different animal at night, looking to kill anything that comes close enough. One of the lakes I used to night fish a lot has a reputation of being tough. The guys that fish it often during the day wouldn't believe the pictures I was taking were on the same lake they were struggling to get a bite or two in a day of fishing. I stick with a head lamp for tying knots and unhooking fish, you can probably just carry a high power flashlight for navigation. It's crazy how turned around you can get even on familiar water at night. Bugs are usually only bad for about an hour around dark here, then just stray biters throughout the night. I hate spray so I will wear long sun pants and shirts if possible, sometimes still have to spray my feet and ankles though. It gets surprisingly chilly with the sun being down, I always keep a hoodie with me and end up using it more often than not. Keep gear simple, you don't need a ton of rods or baits at night.

They don't stock any, they just have a very good survival rate in La Cygne. It has the highest density of flatheads in the state for reservoirs last I heard. I've caught them from little 1-2 pounders up to 40 pounds from the lake. Flatheads are really good at protecting their nest, theirs lots of places for babies to hide, and tons of food for them to grow and distract other predators.

Me and Mrs. Blue at the fair. Took the boys to ride some rides and see the rodeo. Got front row seats, probably 6' from the fence, had a couple bulls and steers and 1 bronc hit the fence right in front of us and a lot of dust kicked our way, boys were loving it.

They're not winning the Super Bowl, but for the first time in my 32 years of being a fan, I'm excited about the potential of their QB.

The flatheads wanted to be bass Friday. 6XD, Z-Craw, and YoMomma. Just babies but they were fun.

I always wear mine. When I flipped my yak a couple years ago the water was in the high 40's/low 50's. I'm a good swimmer and trained in survival, but when you're suddenly in water that cold, your brain stops working for a moment. It was a calm day on a small lake when it happened to me, so I was able to flip my yak back over and hop back in without even inflating it and recover what gear I could that was floating around me before heading to the ramp, but it was reassuring when I was in the water to know that I had it on if I wasn't able to get back in or if the cold water started sucking the mobility out of me like I know it was going to if I had to stay in it very long.

I use 10lb braid with no leader a lot, I just tone down the hook sets.

Have several XTs and a Supreme, like all of them very well. They've served me well for a couple years now since I got rid of all my Shimanos. The newer version President baitcaster is very nice as well, have 3 of those too along with a President XT baitcaster.

Nope, have up to 30lb braid on my spinning rods.

Not sure it's really a matter of trying to convert, it's a matter of his gear being too light for the job. I fish a Ned rig a ton with a ML spinning rod and could easily do it (and have) with a L/F spinning rod, but as you stated yourself, an UL rod with 4lb test allows for such little force to set the hook there really isn't much the OP can do if he chooses to fish the UL rod other than accept that he's going to loose a lot of the fish that bite. OP, I love UL fishing, I use mine with tiny jigs down to 1/80oz to catch all kinds of sunfish and creek fish, but even a tiny Ned rig hook might as well be a 5/0 worm hook with your setup. Your best chance is to reel into the fish like a madman with the rod pointed at the fish and then lift, not snap or setting hard, and keep reeling. That should drive the hook and hopefully it will work into the barb during the course of the fight.

I'd rather fish a Plopper because I can cover more water.

I like them during the summer too. I like the Yo-Zuri 3BD Prop.

For sure not a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap since it says "Norman" right on the side. Best I can find they're call a Norman Rattler.

I imagine any taxidermist could make you a replica of a large bass with a picture and some measurements you could find on the internet. I doubt they'd turn down your money just because you didn't catch it.

I don't like it when someone keeps a large bass because the lakes around me hold so few, but there it's legal so it doesn't really matter how I feel about it. I really wish there were more slot limits for bass like there are for walleye up north to protect larger fish and allow anglers to keep the smaller, better tasting fish. Most limits make no sense except in a tournament format because they force anglers to keep larger, spawning fish that are higher in toxins and fewer in numbers.

Green sunfish do this constantly on some of the lakes I fish. On a side note, if you call a sunfish or bluegill a "perch" you're the worse kind of person

Welcome! I don't like lights at night personally. A headlamp for tying knots and unhooking fish and spotlight for navigation, lights out for fishing.