rboat

I am a conservation minded person, as I am sure most of us are. I care for each fish and try to release them quickly and safely. Every once in a while I run into an individual that thinks I am a cruel, heartless person for fishing, even if it is catch and release. They may say things like how would you like a hook in your cheek, ripped from your home and thrown back into it. I try to explain fish do not have a complex nerve network and a brain that is complex like us. I have even explained some people have caught the same fish just a day later with no harm shown to the fish. No matter what you say, they think you are a horrible person. I wonder what they think of hunters? Have you ever run into this? How do you handle that situation? Thanks.

I,m with you @Swamp Girl, It is so hot that if I struggle at all getting the fish unhooked, there is no time for a photo, back in the water they go.

If they raise prices on tackle, I just won't buy anymore. Sorry monkey, you are off my back. Like most of us, I have more lures than I could ever use anyhow.

I have a buzzbait from many years ago. That thing has a giant blade on it. I have never caught anything on it, but it is really fun to throw as long as there is no wind.

I have not fished a buzzbait in a long time. I made need to try again. Normally, if I want that type of presentation, I just fish a spinnerbait high and fast.

I carry all the time. I have a permit, but it is not needed anymore around here and was never needed when fishing. Mine gun is not for the scumbags, though it would help. It is mainly for dangerous animals. I have seen huge gators and water moccasins swim pretty close to my boat. Granted, a small pocket pistol may not do much, but nice to know its there. If any of those critters decided to take a rest on my boat I am afraid I would unload the magazine and probably shoot a few holes in my boat. Like Indiana Jones, I do not care for snakes. Anything that can move that fast with no legs or feet, I want no part of. The gators are normally just curious and will watch you fish for awhile before they get bored and swim away, Unless it is momma protecting some young, or some idiot has been feeding them, then all bets are off. Also, do not catch a small gator on topwater, if your line holds up your combo will most likely not.

Bass, and most fish are not really scared of your boat as long as you are quiet. Some fish spend all summer under boats or pontoons tied to a dock. If you ever watch some of the muskie guys videos, they will do figure eights with a big lure right beside their boat to catch those big fish.

You never know when you might have followers that will commit at the last second. It does happen.

I fish a topwater all the way back to the boat. I have had strikes right beside the boat. I think they attack it because they think it is escaping to safety. I had a buddy who sat his rod down to fish a different rod. He had just enough line out over the boat where the popper was resting on the water right beside the boat. A few minutes later we heard a commotion and splashing. It took a minute before we figured out a bass hit that popper and was hooked. We got him in before the rod went swimming. It was a nice 2 pound bass, so you never know. We had a good laugh at that one.

How often do you check all of your trailer hardware, bunk mounts, roller mounts, leaf spring u bolts and mounts, lug nuts, etc? I know things can loosen up while bumping down the highways and roads. Having anything come loose could be dangerous and deadly. It can be difficult to find some of the torque specs for trailer hardware. I just crawl under and snug everything up once a year. I fear some people never think to check things like that.

I used to carry a huge number of spinnerbaits in plano boxes, but it took up a lot of room and i really only used a handfull. Now I just keep the ones I use in a soft bait binder. It takes up much less space and I can keep a few spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and trailers in it.

My Phins will probably just miss the playoffs again. They will not get real good until they get rid of the GM, Chris Grier. He has the worst record for drafts and trades in the entire league. It also is hard for your team to look tough when the coach runs out and looks like the nerdy IT guy who could be knocked down by a stiff breeze. Cmon coach, would it kill you to hit the weight room with the team? Tua healthy all year

No colors seem to work for me yet, still trying.

As said before, time on the water. Also checking out conditions before launching. Time of day, time of year, has the water level risin or fell recently, water clarity, water and air temp, sky conditions, wind and wind direction, baitfish or any bass action by the ramp, ask others or look in their boat for baits tied on, etc. Any clues before you head out may improve your number of bites that day.

I like our BPS, but unless there is a sale, things are almost always cheaper at TW.

I am no fishery biologist, but I have been around many fish species my whole life, from diving, to working in large aquariums most of my life. Watching fish for more hours than I care to admit. I feel a bass is opportunistic and will eat what it can catch while using the least amount of energy. Schooling bass seem to prefer schooling bait, Large loner bass ambush what comes close to their home ambush area. I do think they prefer shad , shiners, and other minnows if available, do to the lack of spines. They will eat bream and their cousins if that's a primary species in that body of water. Especially if they can use their accute senses to detect one that is sick, injured or has a genetic defect. Sorry kiddos, Nemo would have been someone's lunch do to his "lucky fin." This is all just my humble opinion.

Lots of new fuzzy / tentacle soft lures. I have not jumped on that band wagon yet. Is it a fad, a gimmick or are you all in on it and keeping it quiet?

Which new lure(s) from Icast are you excited to try out? That snag proof zoo prop and the frog factory mongrel look pretty good to me.

For me, it has to be bass jigs. I know they catch big fish, but I have never caught a bass on one. I have zero confidence. It may be where I fish, the bottom is mostly mud and muck and I feel bottom presentations just get buried. I do keep trying and someday maybe that bite will come and I can add jigs to my bass fishing resume.

What I mean by the title is, you hear some people say "a bass is a bass and you can catch them the same way all over the US." Others, including some pros, have different tackle bags for different lakes or parts of the country depending on the tournament trail. For this question, lets stick with just Largemouth and to US waters. So for those of you traveling anglers, are the bass the same everywhere and the same tactics work, or do you have to switch it up from east to west or north to south or somewhere in between? I know there are many variables, rivers, highland reservoirs, lowland reservoirs, natural lakes, ponds, time of year, etc. Lets just say in general, overall, is a bass just a bass where ever you go? I will say they are different from my perspective. I grew up in the northern plains. The northern bass seemed to prefer more spinners and spoons. Now I live in FL and the bass here seem to prefer soft plastics more. It could just be I am seeing things as an older angler, but they do seem different. What do you say?

I can see where it may help you locate a favorite lure you snagged and broke off, but that thing would require too much room on my boat.

Ban FFS! - Go team flogger 🤣 Try that in the deep south and a gator may take your flogger and your head.

I just throw them about mid deck on the boat. Next time I go, I scan the assortment on the deck to decide what to throw. Never had a problem with rust, but most of the salt is probably gone from the first outing.

I normally keep one rod out, just incase I have to wait for the slow disrespecting idiots to clear the boat ramp. If so, my last cast is normally 20 to 45 minutes around the ramp area.

Have you used these? Are they any good? Sure is much cheaper and easier to get.