Bluebasser86

Fall here the water temps can range from the high 70's to the high 40's, so my lure selection varies greatly. My favorites are the baits that are my overall favorites, a jig and a bladed jig. I had many trips this fall when I had 2 rods on the deck and those were the 2 baits tied on.

I fish them on a shakyhead, but they are a killer on a Slider head. I think they're just the right size that they still have a bit of a glide or spiral to them on the fall that really seems to get their attention. A good DS bait too.

I fish the similar sized Excaliber Zell Pop on a 6' 2" M/XF casting rod. The XF tip recovers quickly and allows me to really work the bait.

It's an 8" Hudd, so, sort of.

You were right, I was wrong on that one. I still don't feel like the Chiefs are nearly as good as their record shows and didn't deserve to win this game either, but as a lifelong Chiefs fan, I always enjoy when they beat the Broncos, even more so now that I have a BIL who is a Broncos fan

Just wanted to let you guys know the Fishmas Exchange is happening again this year if you're interested. I do it every year and it's always a good time and I've got some interesting gifts from around the country (even a custom built rod last year). The thread is a pinned post at the very top of the General Fishing forum. Make sure to follow the directions to participate.

For those that might have missed it, there's now a sticky at the very top of the page if you want to participate in this years Fishmas Exchange.

I use 10lb Big Game for my 3 main cranking rods. For jigs in those conditions, I use 15lb Pline C21.

This is one of the things I miss about not fishing in an aluminum boat anymore, I could always hear the rattles of my lipless bait and would often hear the "Tick", when a fish struck. Recently stole the old aluminum blue boat from @gardnerjigman and got a very violent reminder of what that strike sounds like.

Are these casting or spinning combos? What size jigs are you fishing and what kind of cover/structure?

Considering that their Black Friday sale runs through Tuesday, I wouldn't get my hopes up.

For anyone that hasn't placed a TW order yet, for some reason the black and blue Rage Craws are priced lower than all the rest, after they discount was applied they were only 2.63 a bag. Some jerk bought several bags, but maybe they have some left

Braid shouldn't ever wrap around your guides unless it's given slack regardless of lb test or brand. It can happen, but it's typically with baits that might have a slack line during the retrieve like bottom contact baits.

I build my own from pouring to tying, so by the time I'm done building them, all I have to do is add a trailer.

If bluegills grew as big as bass, I have a feeling bass would be a lot less popular. I know I'd love to catch some monster gills, but they just don't grow very large here. A 1 pound bluegill is a giant most of the lakes I fish.

I'm getting to where I would rather fish in the cold than the heat. It just seems like the heat brings the idiots out, and as I get older my tolerance for idiots is dwindling quickly. Plus I seem to catch some of my biggest fish of the year every year when the water is cold. The biggest drawback is because of our cold weather, it really limits me to 2 lakes that I can fish during the winter. So if there is any stupid on the water, it's a concentrated stupid.

The President is arguably one of the best bang for your buck fishing reels on the market with a very proven track record, but I understand the desire to try something different also. I have several Presidents and would have no issues with buying another. The only reason I ever buy above the President is if I want something lighter or need a faster reel.

There's some great Youtube footage of old Classics and Bassmaster tournaments. This is my absolute favorite though.

Congrats! 78 pointer is one of my favorites, but it's never caught anything near that size.

Find a friend with a boat instead of buying your own.

That's completely normal, and actually supposed to be a sign of a healthy body of water. It's most prevalent when the water is colder.

First time I was in a boat, I was a week old in my dad's old tri-hull going across a mile wide section of one of the most dangerous reservoirs in KS. First time I went fishing, I was about a month short of my first birthday in the spring of 1987. First time I really targeted bass? Probably when I was about 9 when we moved to Kansas City and I met a friend whose parents took us fishing often at a lake loaded with bass and bluegills. The magic bait of choice was an 1/8 oz red Roostertail and it caught everything in there. I can remember fishing for bass earlier than that, using an 1/8oz RoadRunner in my grandparents pond, but I would have been just as happy with a bluegill or catfish then, because we ate everything we caught then.

I had a pretty good year this year. Lots of big fish, but nothing spectacular. I'd really like to commit and concentrate on bigger fish more, particularly with large swimbaits. Another highlight was my son catching his first fish by himself with no help other than me casting for him. He'll be 3 next month and at least a couple times a week asks if I will take him fishing. It's getting too cold for him to go anymore this year, but I was busy stocking our pond all summer with big bluegill and small bass, which I want to help him take full advantage of that luxury that I never had growing up (a pond in the backyard). I want to fish with my dad more. We both work shift work, so getting our schedules to line up can be difficult, but I need to stop using that as the easy excuse for not inviting my dad more often, even if it means I have to fish for walleye like he likes to do.

I really don't think the water can be too cold for the rig. As long as the water is soft, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Switch to lighter heads, and fairly good sized blades to help with lift so you can really fish it slowly, and it should still be plenty effective. I was catching fish on it on Grand with the water temps in the low 40's, so I know for a fact it will work in temps that low.

I'm in.