Bluebasser86

I'm always trying to estimate approximately where a lure would drift from popular shore fishing areas. I figure those people are less likely to be able to retrieve a snagged lure, and many are probably not snagged badly, just not in a way that can be dislodged from shore. So they're broke off, and then float up after being snagged for a bit and float to the shoreline on the waves. Some of my best banks reload just like a good fishing spot ?

If you're going to the same spot repeatedly and using the same bait and colors every time, maybe they're becoming conditioned to it and not eating it well. It might take a very small tweak in color or bait profile to get them eating it well again.

My season has been decent. Still a couple months left so we'll see how it finishes out yet. Only caught 3 over 6 on the year and no good smallmouth to speak of, nothing over 4 anyways. Won my first and last kayak tournaments of the year and one little jackpot one in between but had an overall tough tournament season, and still managed to end up in second for AOY in our newly expanded group full of some very good fishermen. Got the family out less than I would have liked to thanks to the ridiculous gas prices, the boat sat at home most all summer. And I caught a drum on a buzzbait, which felt like a pretty big accomplishment.

It's just a cheap Academy H2O swimbait. I gave it to my oldest son to put in his box because he liked it. I added the 1.0 squarebill and Rapala UL crankbaits because they're in perfect condition and they work.

Nothing real exciting this weekend. All the leaves fell at once so anything floating along the shoreline is hard to spot currently. Pretty much find them in the trees or not at all.

Slow float but I barely pause it so it never has much time to float.

It was ugly. It was pretty much Mahomes VS the Titan's D-Line. Not sure how you put up 400+ passing yards and score 20 points, but they did it. I thought Willis looked pretty good until they were in obvious passing situations.

I don't fish deep cranks often, but when I do, it's going to be a 6XD.

I haven't used the MR but I've done well with the 62DR Shad. I've done really well on Table Rock with the 77SP though, they'll move a long ways to eat a jerkbait on that lake. The Megabass Nanahan dives a little deeper for a small jerkbait also. I did really well with one yesterday.

I'm looking at winter arriving at the end of this week. Going to be lows in the teens and highs in the 30s whenever I get out this weekend. It could always be worse.

Welcome back!

Ya'll need to look at my comment on the "Brag about your state's bass fishing", before you do anything crazy ? @ol'crickety I've laid my kayak on top of my boat and hauled it that way, no extra trailer needed. I don't think you'd enjoy our wind in your canoe though. A 15mph wind is pretty light here. Here's the video of some of the fish from our day yesterday.

Got my oldest out for a rare November trip today. The fish were very cooperative, really eating a Duo Rozante and Megabass Nanahan jerkbaits. My big bass of the day was 5.74 on a rock crawler though, only bite I had on it. Fishing with dad is hard.

Got out in the SNOW this morning ? but man the bite was on fire. Cranks and bladed jigs did most of the damage. Bites were violent, like trying to take my rod away from me type bites. Not sure if my big fish of the day was also my biggest of the year or second biggest but it was up there. Caught my own mini version of Dottie also. Second bass with that spot I've caught from this lake. Last one was almost 6lbs, so not the same fish either.

My 7' 5' MH/F showed up yesterday. Hope to get to put it to the test this weekend! It looks and feels very nice though. Wanted it for jigs and T-rigs and feels like it will do that very well.

If you lay the end of the board up on the railing of the kayak so the fence is on the bottom (a slight angle), it allows gravity to work for you and keep the fish pushed up against the fence but not so sharp an angle that pictures are difficult. That's how I do it.

Another 30 minutes before work trip, one of these days I'll catch a big one on this bait. Missed one more dink also. Active with a big rain, and cold front moving in.

Swimbait to me is the big baits, hard or soft. I refer to the smaller Keitech style baits as paddle tails or hollowbodies.

Layers and quality outerwear. Invested in a set of heavyweight merino wool thermals and a Simms Challenger insulated suit. I also get out and walk around sometimes if I do get cold.

My before work trip this morning produced one on the glide. Not a monster but it was a very vicious strike right near the shore that I got to watch so that was cool.

A carolina rig with a 4oz egg sinker and 7/0 kahle hook and a big chunk of fresh cut bait, white bass in this case. This lake produces lots of fish over 50lbs, so these really were just babies for the place we were at.

Spent a few hours Saturday night fishing for blues. No monsters, just 4 fun sized ones.

IMO, yes it is worth the jump from the Victory. The Victory line is very nice, but I can feel the difference with the LTB rods. I have the 7' 5" MH/F on order and have used the 7' 2" M/M a good bit.

New water is getting to be a hard thing for me to find. Exploring is part of what keeps it exciting for me but I've explored a lot of what is available near me.

Well fishing was tough for the high schoolers this weekend, but I did capture a terrific blooper.