Bluebasser86

Not a beetle spin but I occasionally fish a 2" crappie tube on a 1/32oz jighead with a #0 or #1 jig spinner arm. It's a fun little rig to toss and catch about anything with.

That put a really comical visual in my mind, and I understand it completely. I've had days I just gave up on fishing anything that had to be in contact with the bottom, tired of donating my baits.

I'm thinking the new Luck E Strike flatsided squarebill (KJ look alike), is going to be a winner early in the year. The Little John is another really good one. The Bandit Flat Maxx used to be a good one but not sure they still make them.

It's a touchy subject for sure. Fact of the matter is, as long as no laws are being broken you can be upset as you want, there's nothing you can do about it except maybe try to educate them a bit on the matter but more than likely just going to get blank stares back from them.

It just missed us to the north in Nebraska in Iowa. Thankfully, Friday is the coldest day forecast this week and the only day below 50 (47 and of course my day off). I don't care, the water is soft so I'll be fishing regardless!

Razor clams is what we affectionately call them around here. Forget about flipping docks with crossbars once they have zebra mussels on them, it's easier to just cut your jig off and throw it straight in the lake, at least a fish doesn't have to wear it around that way.

I've gained several good friends through BR and we have little weeknight tournaments on local lakes. Not really a club, just an excuse to go fishing!

I used to carry a bag that held 6 3700 boxes and my essential plastics. Bass boats are all equipped with built in coolers and I've never had a boater who wouldn't let me put my lunch and drinks in their boats cooler, although I did have to buy my own ice once because my boater didn't bring any food and had a water jug that he drank out of but that wasn't a big issue for me. I tried to limit myself to 6 rods, which should be enough on pretty much any occasion.

Your situation is exactly why I started making some that were weedless. I used the swinging football head mold and an Owner Twistlock XXX hook so I could rig my trailer up weedless and fish a bladed jig through standing timber without hanging up constantly. It worked out well too.

Dragging a jig. Jigging spoon. Jigging spoon. XRK50 Bladed jig Beaver Those are just a few from this fall/winter.

I like to work a bladed jig very slowly, creeping it along the bottom or over the weeds just fast enough to keep the blade moving, even bumping bottom if possible.

Well this has gotten out of hand. LOCKDOWN!!

What size did you get? The small ones are an awesome site fishing bait or rigged on a small, open hooked jighead.

20-25 pound copolymer, although it is entertaining when it's someone else's rig that's arching across the lake no longer attached to a line because they were fishing with braid and got a backlash

Agreed, another excellent bait. The entire lineup from Duo Realis is top notch if you haven't checked them out.

My biggest thing is I hope they eat the fish they keep. I know so many people that will load the freezer with white bass or catfish, then never touch it again until they throw it away a year later because it's freezer burnt. It's just like they can't bring themselves to put a fish back in the water after it's caught, like they need that freezer full of fish just to prove that they caught them. The good news is, they're the minority anymore around here and most of the fish kept are catfish that are heavily stocked by the state so they're in no short supply.

Some great looking fish!

Wow, that is a crazy big bag on Watkins Mill. You must have really had them dialed in!

If you're looking at the new Supreme XT versus the President, you're looking about about an ounce difference and a 5.2:1 vs a 6.2:1 ratio along with a magnesium frame and carbon fiber handle, both which help reduce weight. I own several Presidents (one more as of yesterday in fact), along with a couple Supremes. Both great reels, just up to the user if those differences are enough to justify $80 difference in price.

Congrats on the new addition and the good fishing! What lake were you on?

The Xcaliber XR50 and XR50 are where it's at!

This was the all orange bait I was talking about.

Small catfish are very predatory as well. They don't turn into predators as they get larger but are very opportunistic their entire lives. They don't prefer rotten, stinky stuff, which is why stinkbait rarely catches big fish and why so many large cats are taken on live or fresh cut baits. My favorite technique to catch channel cats of all sizes is a technique I call bass fishing for catfish, that is very similar to fishing a plastic worm for bass. I've had them destroy hollow bodied frogs, blast buzzbaits, slam spinnerbaits, countless numbers have eating crankbaits, jigs, and plastics, and I've caught so many on my bladed jigs that I can call what it is almost as soon as I set the hook.

Stradic CI4 or Pfluegar Supreme XT would both be fine options.