BassinSoldier

The wife and kids have gone to Florida for the whole month of September, so that means I have so much free time on my hands I don't know what to do with myself. For me this past weekend, the numbers aren't like they were a month or so ago on the lake, but the quality has gotten better, which is an OK trade off in my book. I took one of my buddies from my unit that had never bass fished in his life and we got on a good early morning topwater bite Friday. Saturday I parked the boat and went wading into the back of a creek and found some good fish, and some huge schools of stripers that wouldn't bite a thing I threw at them. I'm going out this evening to end my long weekend, and hope to get into some smallies. Here are a few pics from my weekend. Hope ya'll are on 'em too!

Thanks for the suggestions. Yeah I know it ain't the best rig for the thick stuff RW, but ya' know how it goes...Dude can't cast a baitcaster and I'm not gonna spool 50# on my rig that usually handles light jigs, so I kinda' had to make due with what I had that he is able to use. I'll post pics of our trip tomorrow. Well, I'm out the door to the lake!!!

I am taking one of my fellow sergeants from my platoon on a trip to Kentucky Lake this Friday. I am going to lend him my 6'6" MH lightning rod/shimano symetre combo. I plan on getting him on a frog/fluke bite in some heavy grass and wanted to know what lb. test braid to go with on the spinning set up. I don't ever use braid on my spinning reels so it's new to me, but I want him to have it for the heavy weeds and I don't think the 50lb powerpro I use on my frog setup will do so well on the spinning reel. I was thinking maybe 12-14lb Powerpro braid...wudda you guys think? Thanks for any suggestions!

It wasn't my biggest ever, but last Friday night around 1am I nailed the biggest largemouth I have hooked to date on Kentucky Lake fishing boat slips at Paris Landing marina, on a black and blue colorado spinner bait. After a few drag ripping runs I get her to the boat, and like a freakin tard I try to boat swing her instead of lipping her. As I lift her out of the water I realize she is hooked by the just the trailer hook, and in the end of the snout instead of in the mouth. No sooner than I noticed this, the hook popped out and back into the lake she went...Thanks for reminding me. I feel sick again now...

C'mon, you know I'd bust my head open before I spill a beer!! ;D

That's a burmese python, not an anaconda. I do know that the burmese python has been a problem down in the southern part of the state though. Are the monitor lizards bad where you live, too? It's unfortunate that so many people are letting their exotic pets go down there in the glades!!!

Bryan (BassinSergeant) and I had a pretty good day on Kentucky Lake down near Paris Landing. We caught 23 (and one decent striper), but man we had to work hard for them! Most of the fish were caught on t-rigged soft plastics, especially the new rage tail rage hawg. Big-O really hit the nail on the head with these baits! The bass flat out love them!! We also caught a couple on jigs. We were primarily fishing chunk rock and pea gravel points and shallow ledges. If you found where grass and rock came together you usually found the fish. We had a good run at the end of the day when we found some emergent grass in the back of a pocket. The bass were schooled up in there and wearin' the shad out. We threw white flukes in the grass and really nailed them. Here's a few pics:

I know what you're talkin about with the backplay with the shimano bc reels. The "backplay" on the citica and curado is so minimal it is barely there, really, and by no means makes them inferior. Both are excellent reels. That being said, I personally prefer a reel with no backplay at all. It feels more "solid" to me, I guess you could say, on the retrieve and when fighting a fish. Just a matter personal preference, really...

I have the wave killers too and have had the same problem! The Army issues us this stuff called op-drops for our oakleys though, and that fixed them up.

The Culprit worm is what I caught my first artificial lure bass on when I was 5 years old! Red shad all day baby!!! Classic lure still kickin bass!

Gotta love the UL dude! I'm from Jacksonville, FL originally and used to fish some golf course ponds up there with a UL. My best was a 5#er on 4# mono. Such a rush man! Great fish, and I know you had to have had a blast with that epic battle!!!

Beautiful brownie Patrick! Congrats!!!

Word on the street is that Bryan and I will be heading back to the sandbox in April, just a rumor as of now though. Hopefully it stays that way and we'll see you guys again. If not I know it will be a blast. I'm really hoping we'll be home, cuz I really wanna fish Pickwick!

I went out for about four hours with a buddy of mine that I'm teaching to fish with lures. He's a success story of mine, bringing him over from the bucket brigade, but that's a different post. I launched at Boswell near Paris, TN and went across the bay from where we put in. My pond hopper doesn't have a depth finder so I had to do my homework the night before and boy did it pay off! I found a main lake point that comes out from the shore about 75 yards thats in about 5 feet of water and has a saddle in the middle of it. To make matters better, the main river channel comes within about 10 yards of said point. We were sitting in about 20ft. throwing up into 5 feet at different angles. In about 4 hours we had boated over 25 (5 were his, but he had the wrong rod for throwing a jig...he had to have missed or lost at least 10 fish, poor guy). Nothing real huge but there were a few 3 or so pounders in the mix, and it we had a blast! The weapon of choice for the day was a black and blue football head finesse jig tipped with the deadly rage craw. About 3/4 of my fish fell to that. A few took a shaky head after they had seen the jig too many times, and then i popped a couple with a small x-rap that I would burn through that saddle I mentioned. Hope ya'll like the pics!

The rage tail lobsters and craws are my favorite jig trailers now. They flat out work!

Atlanta Braves

Why are you still sitting here!!?? Go get them!!!!!!! Aurora black is one of my favorites.

I saw that worm on day on the lake too. I can't wait to try it out!

Well guys, the deed is done. I just got home and am currently enjoying my percocet 'scrip to the fullest. I gotta say, it really wasn't THAT bad. THe shots were the worst part out of the whole ordeal. The best way I can describe the pain is like being stung by a d**n yellow jacket in the sack. Thanks for all the support and replies! BTW I think I may do that mayonnaise jar thing...That is GREAT dude! ;D

Did he try to lick you after he climbed up in your lap? ;D My shepherd does this but he sure as heck climbin' up in my lap!!!

:-/ Well guys, I'm going to get fixed tomorrow, so I'm gonna be off the water for a lil while. I am NOT lookin forward to this! I'm nervous as ****...

Well I took my new pond hopper out Saturday, and did pretty well. Boat did great and I had pics with my cell phone but my buddy didn't hit save after he took the shots, so the pics will have to wait til next time.

My frog outfit: 6'9" MH zillion rod, 7.3:1 anniversary zillion, 50# braid. I fish frogs quite a bit and this set up hasn't let me down yet.

I agree with plasticman, that the fish NAIL these when they are active. Okeechobee craw is my fav. color. Still love my rage toads and horny toads though.

I have 2 of them. You'll have no problem with a 6'6" rod. These baits really aren't that big so nothing special is needed. These baits do have some incredible action too!