Bluebasser86

I use a telescoping lure retriever. Not only will I get almost all my snagged baits back, but when someone else loses theirs in a tree, I'll be there to get that one too

Not very often. It used to be a great lake but it got LMBV several years ago and it still hasn't recovered.

100% true. The first year I fished buddy tournaments, we never placed in the money and it was the most fun tournament season I've ever had because my buddy and I got along so well and our fishing styles complimented each other so well.

Disengage your reels anti reverse so the reel handle turns backwards. I do this in favor of using the drag but no idea how you would do it to stop a fish from jumping?

A dark colored bladed jig or a dark colored jig are my go to baits in dirty water. Sometimes I'll mix in a squarebill as well.

Hope everything goes well for you so you can get back on the water!

This technique has saved me numerous fish. Like others have said, bleeding or damaged gills is not a death sentence. I've caught fish with their gills having been nearly torn out at some point, but they're still alive and feeding effectively.

I've fished as a co-angler quite a bit and only ever had 1 bad experience. Most guys I've fished with have been great. You really shouldn't fish a team tournament with someone you don't know well. I wouldn't even fish a team tournament with some of my best fishing buddies because we don't compliment each others fishing styles very well because we both like to do the same things.

If I start catching stripers there's a good chance I may not fish for bass I'm going to have fun, and bed fishing is a good time if they'll bite, regardless of size. The FLW guys seem to think that the big fish haven't moved up yet, but that's backwards of the common way of thinking, that the big fish spawn before the little fish. I guess maybe they're just seeing the bucks that have made the beds and the bigger females haven't moved up yet. Regardless, the multispecies guys on OA have been tearing up about everything lately it seems like from bass, stripers, whites, crappies, walleye, catfish, even gar I don't think we'll have to fish overly deep and I think a lot of guys will focus on the river and Prairie Creek area so if we stick to around the dam we shouldn't have it all that bad. Plus a lot of locals are avoiding the lake this weekend because of the tournament so it may actually help to reduce fishing pressure oddly enough.

Welcome!

Welcome! Kirksville, home to one of my favorite little lakes anywhere

IMO, yes. You'd be much better off with a 1000 size on that rod.

Lots of sight fishing Jon was there last weekend and did well despite the wind and tournament.

I'm going to guess it's 1 of 2 things. Either it's because they get all new reels every year and they can swap them out anytime one dies on them, or they just get serviced all the time and never have a chance to fall apart. I'm not saying Quantums are bad reels, but they seem to have a lot of problems. I've owned a couple Accurist and Energy baitcasters, they were decent but I felt like the Energy was overpriced for what I got and it seems like they all started to have problems after the first year.

Have you ever fished a $200-$400 reel? I've fished a lot of baitcasters from $30 to $600+. The Black Max, while not a terrible reel, is nowhere near even the $100 range reels, let alone a $200-$400 reel. The only >$100 reel I'd take a Black Max over would be an Ardent.

I was in school for Criminal Justice for a whole month before I got a call for an interview from the local sheriff's department, been doing it for 9 years now.

I know a couple guys with Smoke baitcasters that are regretting buying them but the rods seem to be nice.

I use to lift a lot. I have no excuse for why I stopped because I have a free gym at work. I never got to where I was lifting too much, 265 on the bench, 375 squat, and 400 something on the DL.

OP you just started a thread about how deadly a beetle spin is last month. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/153909-beetle-spin/?hl=%2Bbeetle+%2Bspin LOCKDOWN!

Welcome! I'll be down in northwest Arkansas next week at Beaver Lake

Welcome!

It snowed in May here last year. We aren't completely in the clear until about late May but I was catching fish off beds yesterday so it seems like they know we're past all that mess.

This one wasn't really locked on, but it was coming back fast enough to keep it interesting. I got it to eat a white trick worm on a shakyhead but she swam around with it so much there was too much bag in my line when I set the hook to get a good set. I think Ryan just got her in a soft part of the mouth and tore out with his Ned rig when she dove under the boat after she jumped.

Try the new Project Z chatterbait, it's much better built than their previous models.

All on 1/2 a ZinkerZ, mostly PB&J (you can sort of see it in that largemouth's mouth), but I also like Bama Craw and coppertreuse. Loving it so far. I've put more hours on it in 4 months than the previous owners did in 2 years