Bluebasser86

I have a few old suspending traps that go down about 1-2 feet and suspend. They're a killer over shallow grass early in the year.

$10 launch fee! That's outrageous! It's $15 for a year permit for any state owned ramp here, which there's at least one on almost every major reservoir in the state. Unless I mention something beforehand, I don't expect any gas money. I'm going either way, so I'm not out anything and have someone to help load and unload the boat. Gas money or buying breakfast is always appreciated, but I'm not upset if someone doesn't offer. On the rare occasion I go on a longer, multiple day trip with someone, then I like to try to split it fairly as possible. What we usually do is I pay for the truck and boat gas, my partner pays for the room and food. It usually ends up pretty close that way.

Where are you from? That way we might be able to get some local knowledge to chime in.

Several Bassresource members I'd also like to fish with, Mr. Parks (Big O), would probably be at the top of that list. Had the pleasure of meeting him at the Bassmaster Classic Expo at Grand Lake in 2013 and not only is he a terrific fisherman, but also a nice guy. Lots of pros I'd like to fish with also. I'd really like to spend a day flipping boat docks on Lake of the Ozarks with Denny Brauer. I think I'd enjoy a day in the boat with Mark Zona as well. The guy is a crack up on and off the camera and a pretty dang good fisherman too.

I own 3 pairs of Costa's in different lens colors and they're all great. I've had a few pairs of Oakleys and their quality has always been lacking I've felt. I also had some WileyX's that I liked. They had a pair for those of us with large domes that fit really well, unfortunately they don't float.

It's all part of the strategy. Just because you know a guy is catching fish at a spot doesn't mean you can run over and catch them too. How many times have you been in the same boat with someone and one of you was catching fish while the other wasn't? Knowing someone else is catching them is fun to watch how each competitor handles it and it's funny to listen to them thinking out loud. Since they know each other and know their strengths, they often feel like they know how the other guy is catching fish, and they're wrong a lot. You can tell it really gets to some of the guys. I really like the cumulative weight thing too. Again, it's another decision they have to make. A lot of numbers baits don't account for many bigger fish and vice versa. So they have to make the decision to target lots of fish, or better quality. A guy could spend the whole tournament catching those 20 1 pound fish, just to have a guy that spent the whole time fishing a big jig get on a good spot, catch 3 5 pounders and a 5lb 1oz fish and get beat. I've seen both strategies work but normally it's the guys catching the better quality that end up winning the thing. As for catching a 12" bass not taking any skill, ask Fred Roumbanis how he feels about that sentiment after only catching 1 bass over that mark in 3 periods of fishing. There's been plenty of times when guys struggled to catch any bass at all. Overall, I really enjoy it and I think the catch and immediate release and emphasis on fish care is an excellent idea.

Generally, you mark the fish and attempt to fish it down to that depth. If you don't mark fish you can fish it down to the bottom though. You have to keep a close eye on your line because often a bite is signaled when your line quits sinking before it should. That's what his quick snap, jig hooksets were, a fish grabbing it on the drop. They also miss it a lot, and get snagged occasionally when they smack and miss it but get stuck in the belly or side. I've mainly done it with jigging spoons, but I like the idea of using a flutter spoon to get a slower fall and to get the bigger profile.

Fresh cut shad, herring, or mackerel (or other oily baitfish like carp), are going to be your best options for blues and channels. There's a chance they might eat ground beef/lamb, but there's also a good chance you never hear about people using it for bait. If you do try it, it seems oily/fatty cuts of meat are best. FWIW, I once set a few trotlines in the Kansas River using pieces of venison liver and heart. They sat overnight and in the morning I was not missing a single bait. Not every the prolific softshell turtles or gar had touched it. In those same areas, if I set with shad or cut carp, I'll often have a fish before I'm even finished setting them. Moral of the story, stick to feeding them what they normally eat so you don't waste your time.

Not a single day but a buddy and I had a terrific 4 day fishing trip to the White River below Bull Shoals, Bull Shoals, and Beaver Lake a few years ago. We caught brown and rainbow trout, walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, stripers, white bass, and wipers. I caught new PB's for Brown Trout, walleye, and striper. Probably had a new PB spotted bass too but I didn't weigh it. My buddy caught his new PBs for Striper, smallmouth, and wiper. It was just an incredible trip and we seemed to catch fish everywhere we went.

I bought some because of that reason and I'm hoping they'll be more durable. I've been very impressed with their Wild Thang 8.5 and their Skinny cutter 110, so I have high hopes for the Pitbull and Diggers.

The strip pits are mostly in SE Kansas in the Mined Wildlife Area. They're a lot of fun to fish and, if you know which ones to fish, you have a shot at some of the biggest bass in the state. http://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Fishing-Locations-Public-Waters/Southeast-Region/Mined-Land-Wildlife-Area

I don't believe they post any videos of the recent episodes. I can't find anything more recent than 2015 anyways.

That's a frequently used technique on Table Rock where Watson fishes often. It's one of those deals that if you can find the magic dock and get them firing, you can fill the boat in a hurry. I've gotten into some decent schools down there doing that, but never the numbers he was catching. I think Chapman could have made it interesting if he'd have found that rock bank he was fishing at the end a little sooner. It was just too much ground to make up by the time he got on that.

My best days was several years ago (before my camera carrying days unfortunately). I was all alone on a cold January day on a power plant lake in Kansas not catching much when couple seagulls started diving off a shallow point. I didn't have anything figured out so I motored over and saw a few shad flicking and a couple small swirls under them. Figured they were white bass so I fired a Strike King King Shad across the point. A short ways into the retrieve, a 7lb 2oz largemouth slammed into the bait. A few cast later, one over 6 crushed it, then the wipers joined in. By the end of the day I had a 5 bass limit that went 30lb 2oz with a 5lb "small" fish, plus 40 wipers over 4 pounds, all on that King Shad. This is what the bait looked like after 1 day of fishing it (with new hooks added).

No, it's a Garmin Virb Elite.

Welcome!

The two are interchangeable here, just like soda and pop are used interchangeably without anyone looking at you funny. Regardless of what you want to call it, I plan on being there at 8 with GJM and probably a few other unsavory individuals.

The color of mine sets it apart from the others. Don't see many orange bass boats out there. If the color doesn't give it away, this fool lounging around on the back deck will (the dog, not my son, yet anyways).

I make my own, a jig cost me about a quarter since I don't even have to buy the lead. I'd rather break it off than bother using my lure retriever to get it back unless I'm running low on a productive color. Plus, if you use a plug knocker around zebra mussels like we have, it just means you get to lose that and your jig.

Finding baits is a hobby of mine. I found a little more than 2 3700 boxes full of baits last year. I've been off to a pretty good start this year with 26 baits so far, including a Jackall MC60 and Molix Vario. Most excited to find an old, discontinued Mann's Loudmouth III though. Use to be my favorite crank but haven't seen on in years. It's already been sent to get new paint to be put into service. I find a couple dozen sexy shad Strike King cranks every year in various versions of the bait. My best day was a day on Table Rock 2 years ago. I found a SK Burner, War Eagle, Wiggle Wart (pre rap), a 100 Pointer, a 100DD Pointer, and a Megabass Vision 110 magnum. There's sort of a trick to it and just having an eye for it I think.

That is sweet! And anything that prevents holes being drilled for a necessary item is worth it.

I'm guessing they have to be like that or risk showing some kind of favoritism towards the angler they're paired with. Kind of like how NFL officials aren't supposed to high five a player or show anything that could be construed as cheering for a team. Watson was fishing a BPS Nitro spoon is what I've heard, so a generic flutter spoon. The guy is a riot for sure, he even had my wife laughing, who has about the same sense of humor as the officials do when I'm watching fishing shows.

Nice fish! What bait were you fishing?

I move quite a few post as well. I'm probably a little OCD about it, but I like things where they belong.

They're a nice bait that moves well, not sure they're anything real special yet though.