Bluebasser86

Bass don't have any comprehension of a baitfish being unnatural in their body of water. All they know is that fish is smaller than me and I could probably catch it and eat it. I've caught lots of bass on trout colored swimbaits in lakes with no trout. One of my favorite swimbait colors is Hitch, even though there are no Hitch anywhere in Kansas.

I know that @Thefrog22 and @Doc-Drew went a week or two ago. They caught some fish but not sure exactly how it went. I really don't have anything to report from LOZ this past weekend. I sucked, like I always do during a full moon. It was bad enough that I went to DOCO just to try to catch some fish on Monday. Wouldn't you know I'd get there right as the state was getting done shocking the lake. That's pretty much how my luck has been this year. It was still DOCO though so I managed to catch about 30 in 3 hours, they were just mainly deeper, or by the piers where they couldn't shock because of bank anglers.

She was bigger than my PB no doubt, maybe even pushing state record size. I've seen one nearly PB from Mozingo as well. There's 2 lakes in Kansas I know of that have DD fish, but the chances of catching them are remote at best.

I like the bigger Shine Glides, Deps 175, and S Waver 168/200. I've caught more fish on the Deps than the others, but I've probably fished it more than the rest. The Savage Gear Glide Swimmer is pretty decent too. I like the Jackall Chibitrel (JDM Gantarel Jr), but I haven't fished it much yet.

Sounds like a pond with a lot of tannic acid in it. They often look like black coffee, but are actually very clear.

Rod socks, neoprene reel covers, and a bungee ball to keep them together. The boat should have a rod strap by the passenger seat to strap them down during runs.

Sounds like it was laying eggs. Big females will often lean to the side to lay their eggs, but there's generally a smaller male there too while they're laying eggs.

They dive slightly. I'm in KS and they're hitting topwater here. As long as you have water in the 50's there's a chance they'll hit topwater.

Most M/H rods would handle the line thru trout, but are probably going to be a little light for the bluegill (5" is 2oz). I have not fished the BPS bait but @Advantage has and caught some fish with it.

Seaguar Red Label is the best bargain fluoro out there.

We have even fewer big fish here in KS, but that doesn't stop me and several others on here from catching fish on big baits. Although they're not big a lot of the time, every once in awhile one of us stumbles onto a good one. It's addicting if you have the patience for it.

I think it was @Dwight Hottle that used to have this signature, "The harder I work, the luckier I get". As with anything, there is a certain amount of luck involved that can't be quantified since we have no idea what's going on in that tiny fish brain. Fishing is big because it doesn't matter what you look like, what walk of life you come from, age, race, gender, ect, everyone can get their shot if they're willing to put in the work.

If you want a bait that is easy to throw and won't break the bank I'd look at something like a 6" Savage Gear Line Thru trout or 5" 3D bluegill, both under $20 and very durable for a soft bait. The Optimum Line Thrus aren't quite as realistic but if you're dealing with dumb fish that don't see any pressure you can get them for under $10 and are also pretty durable but the hooks on them aren't very good. They make some good hard swimbaits that are very affordable also.

Coty and I had a good laugh about that. He just got off the phone with Chris about how it wasn't that bad, I said "Meanwhile, Adam's puking blood in the passenger seat". I'd hate to see his idea of what bad is. I was running 30, just fast enough to keep on plane and not kill us in the process. Only time the BA's boat sees 30 is getting to WOT and coming down from WOT.

I would look elsewhere for a big fish bait. They're pretty small, a good bait for catching a limit, not so much for big fish.

St. Croix Mojos have been the rod that's taken the most beating and kept coming back for more for me. Of course you can always consider an Ugly Stick if you really want something tough. The newer rods like the Ugly Stick Lite are pretty decent. The Lightening Rod Shocks are supposed to be very durable and good rods.

We had to take a fish for the final weigh in on day 1 from Twin Islands to Alohana, so just straight across the main channel. My back still hurts from that ride that was probably only a mile round trip.

I have seen a family of otters decimate a pond. It was about 5 acres and loaded with big bass and crappie. In a single summer after the otters showed up, now you're lucky to catch a few dink bass or a bluegill. I haven't been back since. I would be checking the legality of it though. They're likely considered furbearers in your state and require a special permit to harvest and there's probably a season. The other alternative would be to get a nuisance license so you can remove them.

Barlow's sells the poured, unpainted A rigs in 10 packs for under $20. I bought some this winter and they worked just fine. http://www.barlowstackle.com/Casting-Umbrella-Rig-Lure-Head-Unpainted-P2538.aspx

Everyone in my family fishes, even most of the women. Several hunters in the group as well. My dad and mom fished often when I was young and almost every weekend during the summer was spent camping with family at the lake. Fishing was a means of survival growing up very poor. Now it's my escape and the urge to go is uncontrollable. There is no way to describe it to someone who does not possess it either. I really believe that I was predisposed towards it though.

Don't get into swimbaits if you think a Livingston crankbait is expensive. I have dozens of swimbaits, none of them are expensive in the swimbait world. Most I've spent on one was around $80 for a Deps Bullshooter Jr. It doesn't bother me because I'm using heavy gear and heavy line. I've been fishing them for several years now and of all the baits I've owned, I've lost 3, 2 68 Hudds to snags, and a Shine Glide to a fish and a bad knot. I enjoy fishing them, but I'm more frugal with plastics and cranks that I'm much more likely to lose. Jerkbaits and topwater I have no problem dropping a little more on. I like using them so it's worth it to me. The thing that always kills me, is the guy that will complain about buying a $20 crankbait or jerkbait that could last for years, even a lifetime (I still own the first LC pointer I bought when I was 16, almost 14 years ago), but then they'll spend hundreds a year on Senkos, Keitechs, or Jackall that they know they're going to use/lose and not bat an eye about it.

Night time is about the only time I fish when it starts to get above 90 during the summer. The bass that bite at night versus the few dumb enough to bite in that heat are almost like a different species. Lakes that you're lucky to catch 10 during a full day of fishing will sometimes produce dozens of fish and much bigger ones if you'll venture out at night. No jetskis, wake boats, blaring music, just you and the fish. Man I can't wait for that.

Okay, suggestions have been made, I think we're done here. LOCKDOWN!!

Welcome!

They were a secret for me during tournaments at highly pressured, clear water lakes with weeds in them. Run them through or over vegetation and they're so subtle and realistic that the fish couldn't stand it. That was back when they were 5 or 6 bucks apiece. If you can catch 5-10 fish on one, you're doing pretty good. I've had lots of them destroyed after 1 fish, sometimes even without catching a fish. I used a MH rod and 15lb fluoro and never had an issue with hook ups. Braid wasn't an option because of super clear water (10+ feet), on top of the fact it wasn't ever needed. I've switched to the Optimum BLT (baby line thru), for a more durable and affordable small swimbait option. An even better one for a little more is a 6" Savage Gear line thru 3D trout.