Bluebasser86

Having a boat is awesome, but I can't get my boat into a lot of places so it isn't everything.

light line is key, nothing heavier than 4lb, 2 is best for me. Kind of scary throwing a $6 bait on 2lb line though.

I just like the potential for a truly giant fish. I've caught plenty of little fish in my life, they're fun, but now I'm much more interested in catching big ones. It can happen on any cast out there and like you found, that one bite can make the whole day.

I had the same issue with this one, 50lb scale wouldn't even get it off the ground before it was bottomed out. Mine T-Boned a bone colored 168 Swaver. I was guessing 60-65, I'd say yours is probably in the same neighborhood.

Great fish! That Ol' gal isn't missing any meals. I look at the stack every day on the way home from work and think I should go there on my day off and keep going somewhere else. Now I have guide trips starting to pile up and obviously not a great option for novice anglers so I probably won't see it for another month unless I go on a Thursday after I get off work at 8 and miss the topwater bite.

Again, OP has stated he has no interest in KastKing, his choice and that's fine. We're not debating it further here. Post were removed. If you don't have a suggestion of a reel for the OP other than KK, move along.

New? They were one of the best baits for me on my trip to Table Rock last year. 3/8oz Underspin or 1/4oz jighead for me.

It's a LMB, plain as can be. The tooth patch thing isn't 100%, and LMB dorsal fins do connect, just not as noticeably as a spotted bass but to what degree is going to vary by each individual like on any animal. The rough scales are a dead giveaway to a spotted bass though. The cheek scales on that fish are the same size as the ones on it's body and it's lacking the rows of dark pigment below the lateral line that are clear signs of a spotted bass also. Could it be a hybrid? If the 2 co-existed in the same body of water then there is a chance, but nothing about that fish says spotted bass to me.

No, a properly rigged worm should not cause line twist.

1. As soon as you think you've figured it out, you blank. 2. Elephants eat peanuts 3. The worse the weather, the better the fishing 4. Big fish show up when you least expect them, always be ready 5. Don't be afraid to fail 6. No such thing as too shallow 7. See #1

Pretty much the same for me but the Bug I like better as a jig trailer or bladed jig trailer than the rodent.

Would have been other marks on the fish if it had been another animal too. There would be puncture/slash wounds from a bird. The lack of other marks and clean cut and removed gills makes it obvious it was a human.

Don't feel bad, my Royals have a strangle hold on last place and show no signs of giving up that spot. Once they trade away Moose and hopefully Duda, they'll really be in the basement. So goes the highs and lows of a small market baseball team fan. Still not as bad as I remember them being as a kid. Right now they at least look like they belong on the field, they're just not as good as the other team most nights. Growing up, I remember them being comically bad, like they rounded up the team from the parking lot before the game (and they might have, not like anyone would have known any different). Hopefully in the next 3-4 years their prospects will be maturing and coming together like the last group did in 2014 and 2015.

OP has already stated he isn't interested in KastKing. No reason to go on suggesting them as it's just going to turn the post into a big argument of who is for or against them.

I love fishing jerkbaits, so I have several jerkbait combos. They all serve as rods for other techniques also, but they're most of them are jerkbait rods first. small jerkbaits in wind or with light line; 6' 8" M/F Ethos/Pflueger President 30 8lb Seaguar AbrasX Small jerkbaits I want to make turn sharply without moving far 6' 2" XF/M Avid/100B Curado 10lb HI-SEAS Grand Slam small to average size jerkbaits 6' 3" MF/M Fenwick smallmouth Elite Tech/100B Curado 10lb HI-SEAS Grand Slam all around jerkbait rod 6' 8" M/F Ethos/50B Calcutta 10lb HI-SEAS Grand Slam large jerkbaits 6' 10" MH/F Ehtos/Helios 12lb Seaguar InvisX

The Teckel or Toadrunner isn't going to work fishing mats if they reach the surface, best to just stick to a regular frog then. If the mats are thick, especially if there's lots of moss, I like a regular frog. If there's lots of holes, I prefer a popping frog because they're easier to work in a small hole and call fish out with little pops but they walk side to side so they don't move far. Black, white, and brown are the only 3 colors I really feel you need. I've had my best luck with Booyah Padcrashers and Popping Padcrashers.

Cast out, let sink to desired depth, reel in slowly. Not the most exciting baits to fish but they are effective.

I went fishing last Friday and caught over 50, including 2 over the slot on a lake that rarely gives up any "overs". The fish have to eat, up to you to find out where and on what. I don't particularly care for fishing crankbaits, but I'm sure you'll notice what the first and biggest fish in the pictures has in her yapper. The days weather; Fri 13 HI/LOW 102/75 Not many clouds out that day either.

That really makes it clear, planned on keeping it but couldn't catch enough to make it worth keeping, so they dumped it by the ramp. You're right, scummy move for sure. I doubt it would have been too difficult to find someone else to keep it.

Contact your state and see if they will come sample it. Kansas does it for free if you sign up for the walk in fishing program, where you pond basically becomes public for that year, but they also will stock it and manage it as needed for the year it's signed up. Your pond probably needs bass removed and baitfish added, but to what degree would be better for a professional to decide. You risk causing further problems trying to guess and do it yourself.

You already have a thread open for this question in the Rods, Reels, and Line Forum. LOCKDOWN!!

It's a smallmouth bass, looks like someone cut the gills out to keep it and decided not to so they threw it back in the lake.

Wait until you have one hit a topwater. I've never seen an explosion like every time a channel cat hits a buzzbait, like someone dropping cinder blocks in the water. This one wasn't on a topwater, but my bladed jig was just below the surface when it exploded on it. They were corralling bluegills against this shoreline, just like bass do, and my bladed jig was almost this cat's next victim.

I think part of what makes this sport so great is you can make it as complicated or as simple as you wish. We have members like @Team9nine who are more into understanding the fish and keeping tackle simple, and have tremendous results in doing so. We have lots of folks in the middle of the road that like having some of the new gadgets, but don't go too crazy. Then there's guys that have the biggest, fastest boats and limited run JDM rods and reels just for the sake of having them. I can't say that the guys in the fast boat catch more fish that Team9nine catches with his pocket of baits and single rod and reel from the shore, because the fish don't care who you are, what you do for a living, what your views are, all they care about is that thing is close enough for me to catch and looks like food. I think things like Midwest Finesse are a prime example of bass fishermen needing to make things too complicated. It's a technique based in simplicity and frugality, and now you can buy all variations of heads for it that almost all go for a dollar or more apiece, a lot of them not even fitting the simple guidelines of what makes it MWF fishing (a TRD on a 1/4oz head isn't a Ned rig, it's a jigworm). There's all sorts of expensive "Ned" worms out there now that only last a few fish. It's a small thing, but I think it's funny how we manage to make even something so simple into something so complicated and expensive. Is it more expensive for no reason? Not really for no reason, those fancy toys serve their purpose, but they're not a requirement. Just like a guy doesn't need a Corvette or other fancy car to get to work, but I think there's probably not many out there that wouldn't do it if they had the money to throw away. Me personally, I'm stuck in this constant battle of not really needing anything, but man that new bait coming out sure does look cool! I've downsized a lot of gear, still own more than I could ever really need, but it's doesn't feel out of hand like it use to. I use to find baits that appeared to be years old that I have no idea when or where I got them. I like both sides, being able to grab a rod or two and shove a couple bags of plastics in my pockets and walk the banks, and I also like tying on a $200 swimbait onto my custom built swimbait rod in search of a single bite I probably won't get that day, and we think the fish are hard to understand ?