Bankbeater

That's rough. My condolences.

I've seen a bass charge my bait just to turn away at the last second before biting. I've also seen bass run from a plastic bait that was rigged a certain way. Makes me think that some of these bass are a lot smarter than we think they are.

I've had two-piece rods come apart when I cast, but never when fighting a fish. Usually, it happens when I didn't put the rod together when I started using it.

It's a catch! Good job.

There have been a few years when I caught bass in January, and then completely bombed out until April. Last year I was able to get out on the water every month. I didn't catch every month but I got out on the water.

One day when my daughter was little she was looking out the back window watching the smaller birds at the bird feeder. A hawk dove on the feeder and after catching one of the smaller birds, crashed into the deck and the back window. My daughter was upset because she thought they were fighting. We told her the bigger bird was the mama and it was taking the smaller baby bird back home to the nest.

I think of a black marabou jig as a finesse hair jig. If the bass won't hit a hair jig I put on a marabou jig.

Congratulations!

Sorry for your loss. Prayers sent.

I wonder if any of these HS and college teams learn anything about boating safety before they head out on the water? My guess is probably not.

I didn't even look to see when the tourneys were being held this year.

I went by Bass Pro yesterday to pick up a new fishing license for 2024. While I was there I bought a Chatterbait in fire craw. Now I need to start looking at trailers.

Eagles. hawks. and the osprey around here will kill the topwater bite. They will circle the lake for a few minutes and then leave if they can't find any fish. There are always some fish around a beaver dam. Other fish. It depends on the size of the fish. Big fish eat little fish I don't think they worry about which species they're eating. When the sunnies are active and out in the open then the larger predators are not around.

I still have the Rebel Minnow that I fished with 50 years ago down at my Grandma's place. It needs new hooks but back in the day, it would slay the bluegill.

I've never tied lines together. I always use straight mono.

Jig and craw Spinnerbait 6" Plastic Worm Crankbait Senko

I grew up fishing in public parks and conservation areas with my dad. Most of the time we fished for catfish, crappie, or sunnies, but a few times a year we would make the 2 or 3 hour drive to one of the larger lakes and fish just for bass. After a 15 year break from fishing, I got back into it again. By then my dad was strictly a bass angler and I met Mr. Bait Monkey, who greeted me with open arms. These days, depending on the weather and traffic, I might fish locally or make a two hour drive to find bass.

A few years ago the conservation area near me started verifying that you had a PFD before they rented you a boat. If you don't have it with you at the window you don't get a boat. Needless to say, there were a lot of people that fished from the bank.

Most of the time I'll get a bad backlash trying to cast when I should have been pitching. I'll bring the rod back and hit something behind me that I failed to see like a tree branch, bush, or on a few occasions the trolling motor.

I'll cast a crankbait around vegetation and pop it like a popper. I also have pretty good luck casting out a Stanley Ribbit Frog, or a Zoom Horny Toad, on a T-rig and working it back along the bottom.

I have a clear Zara Spook that has been sitting in the tackle box for a few years. I'm going to take that out and try to catch a bass during the daylight hours, not just dawn and dusk.

Most of the time I will just walk it back. If I'm fishing around vegetation I'll stop the retrieve and twitch it a few times to see what happens, then resume walking it. If I'm around really thick stuff I'll let it sit and move the bait by sweeping my rod back slowly, then let it sit some more.

One more vote for the Gammy G finesse.

If the bottom is fairly clear I will drag the bait, but if there are snags on the bottom I will hop it back slowly. I also like to hop it back through the coontail, if I can get away with using a small enough weight.

St. Louis here. Welcome aboard!