Valascus

Man...it figures. I just got the '06 model and now they are coming out with the new one. :

I would take that bet. If a Bassmaster Elite Angler tells people at a convention that the lure they are showing today is partially responsible for their level of success, and they show the when, how, and why of said bait that more than %30 of peeps at said seminar would at least try the bait at least once or express some level of interest. I am not saying these are "super baits", but they are highly effective baits and have been for many many people on this website. There is no such thing as a super bait, but there are some baits out there that are well designed and excellent fish catchers. I believe the Fat Ika is one of those baits. I do agree with you that fishing is most definitely a matter of confidence. I throw lures that I am more confident in more often than lures I don't have as much confidence in. Now, that being said, I am also open to suggestions from other anglers. If you do not try new things and broaden your horizons, regardless of your confidence level with certain baits, you will stop growing and learning as an angler. I couldn't speak for RW. He may or may not try it out. If I am not mistaken, he fishes a tube with fair regularity...though that is neither here nor there. I completely understand your perspective on the matter. We just seem to have a difference in opinion. And that's fine. No disrespect meant.

I already have one of those spiffy hats and a t-shirt. I just ordered a sweatshirt and a fishin' towel. Better get 'em while they're hot!

Ok...here we go. Lizards. You should definitely be trying it fish lizards in the body of water you have described, especially if it is a bait that they have rarely seen. It does not matter that the lizard is not native to your area. Bass do not look at ANY bait and think to themselves, "Hmmmm...lizards don't live this far north? Better not touch it." As long as it appears to be prey for them and can fit in their mouth, they will strike at it. How you fish them will determine it's effectiveness. This time of the year, lizards aren't the most effective bait. This time of year I usually reach for tubes, jigs, hard jerkbaits, jigging spoons (which I hate), and stickworms with slow fall rates, a.k.a. senkos. However, the lizard is a HUGELY effective bait come spring time, just a little before and during the bass spawn. They are especially tools for bed fishing for bass. The bass has many natural enemies that will pilfer their eggs, but the biggest three are crayfish (crawdads), bluegills, and lizards. Bass will remove these creatures from the beds very quickly and very aggressively due to their natural instinct to protect their eggs from these predators. Lizards are also effective fished in the summer and fall. During the summer, I like to fish them shallow early, next to your usual suspects as far as cover goes. As the day wears on, I will begin fishing shallows that are closer to deeper water or fishing the deeper water itself. During the fall, the lizard will start to play second fiddle to many baits, namely shad and crayfish imitations, but is still an effective bait. I fish it much the same way in the fall as I do in the summer time, except I spend more time shallow. Now, as far as rigging goes, I will fish my lizards t-rigged with as light a weight as I can get away (sometimes weightless) with in the given conditions and a Gamakatsu EWG hook ranging anywhere from 1/0 to 5/0 depending on the size of the lizard. I may use a bead for my t-rigs depending on water clarity. If the water is clear I will not use one. Normally clear water bass are easier to spook than stained or muddy water bass. The extra noise from the bead may spook them. Clear water bass normally hunt more using sight than sound or vibration detection. If I am fishing beds, brushpiles, or heavy vegetation I will peg the weight. A pegged t-rigged lizard on a bed appears to be nose down on the basses bed, perfectly mimicking a lizard foraging for bass eggs. For brushpiles and heavier vegetation, a pegged weight will come through the cover better than an un-pegged one. I will also Carolina Rig (c-rig) them, though rarely, since I am not a big fan of the rig. I will use the same hooks and size ranges for the t-rig. However, I will use much larger weights. I usually rig it likewise: first I will thread a bead, a brass c-rig weight (about 1/2oz or heavier if I am fishing deeper depths), and another bead onto the line. Next I will tie on a smaller sized barrel swivel. I will then take a length of line ranging from as short as 12" to as long as 48" (I usually opt for about 24"-30" for easier casting) and tie it onto the other end of the swivel. At the end of that length of line I will tie my hook on and then rig the lizard the same way as you would t-rig it. The last way I will deploy the lizard is another good one for bed fishing. That's the dropshot rig (which I am not a big fan of either). When using the dropshot rig I will cast the bait PAST the bed I am targeting and then slowly drag the rig back onto the bed. Then I will just leave it there until the bass gets aggravated enough to strike it. The way I rig a dropshot is: First I will tie on a larger dropshot style hook of your choice (I recommend Stand-Out hooks or Owner Mosquito Hooks). I use a #4 or #6 sized hook. Make sure when you tie on the hook you leave about 12" of the tag end of the line so that you can attach your weight to it. I will use a ball shaped dropshot weight at about a 1/4 oz. To attach the weight, simply thread the line through the guide on the weight, tie a simple overhand knot in the line, and then pull the line back through the guide sliding the line through the skinnier part of the guide. The overhand knot will catch and hold the weight in place. To attach the bait to the hook simply run the hook through the nose of the bait and leave the point exposed. If it doesn't look like you have enough hook to hook the bass, use a larger size hook. Colors and sizes of lizards. I chose my colors and sizes depending on the conditions I am fishing. I will fish lizards ranging from 4" (for dropshots) all the way to as big as 8" to 10" (for t-rigs and c-rigs). Clear water: Use natural colors - watermelon, pumpkin seed, pumpkin, and green pumpkin. If the bass are easily spooked I will use smaller sized baits, usually 5". If they are not I'll opt for the bigger lizards. Stained water: Use darker natural colors or natural colors with a little more "pop" - Chartreuse pumpkin, Pumpkin/Chartreuse, watermelonseed, watermelon candy, green pumpkin, kudzu, watermelon/ chartreuse tail, and watermelon red flake, Plum. Use whatever size lizard you wish here. Muddy water: Use dark colors - black with red or blue glitter, Plum, Junebug, Black. Use whatever size lizard you wish here as well, but I recommend larger lizards since they displace more water and will be easier to detect in poor visibility situations. Bed Fishing colors: When I am bedfishing or sightfishing I will use the colors listed above, but will sometimes use high visibility colors such as white, pink, electric blue, etc. to help see when the fish has taken the lizard into their mouth. There you have it, the lizard...as know it anyway. Good luck!

Well, that depends on how aggressive the fish are on a given day. You should ALWAYS line watch no matter what you are fishing with. It is a good habit/skill to learn and cultivate. Anyways, if they are biting aggressively then you will feel the bite and see an aggressive jerk in your line. When the bite is light, the thing to watch for is any unusual line movement, no matter how subtle it may be. Sometimes in mid jerk I have just felt the rod load up on light bite days.

Same exact set up for me...pricey...but without comparison (well very few comparisons). If you are just starting out or have qualms about spending that much money on gear like most folks (and rightfully so), I suggest a Shimano Stradic FH 2500 spinning reel paired with a 7' Medium power BPS Extreme XPS spooled with the same Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultrasoft #6. http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=59174&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse

I am in "Bad Condition", clocking in at a meager 15 points in comparison to a lot of other folks. But as my daughter gets older...I bet I'll get more sick.

Rapala DT series cranks are by far my favorite crankbait. I do get snagged with them, but no more than with any other crank. Some of the areas I fish are just really snaggy...you gotta throw 'em in the nasty stuff if yer gonna get bit. My only real complaint is that Rapala doesn't seem to have any coffin billed cranks. They all have the rounded bill. I also only use the regular DT-series. I don't use the Sure-Set series. I have never tried them, but I can't justify paying that extra buck for hooks that looks like it's nothing but trouble as far as snags go.

I have another reason for not believing that is a 13 lb bass. I look at the eyes. A 13 lb bass in MO would be a very old fish. I do believe that there are 14lb fish in MO...heck MAYBE a 15 or so. But beyond that...no. The point is, a fish that big would be a very old fish and would be showing some signs of that age...namely the bug eyed look. That fish doesn't have that look at all. I find it hard to believe that a largemouth bass in the state of MO grew that large that fast.

Along those same lines is the Terminator Ball Buster Buzzbait.

Boy avid...that's rough. I really feel for you. You have worked so hard to return to what you are passionate about and haven't let anything slow you down. This will be the same way. You'll get through this! Your determination and effort is inspiring to everyone on this site. Who knows...maybe a second opinion says something different and maybe you avoid the knife like LBH said. Keep the faith avid. You are in all of our thoughts and prayers.

I also replied in the Central Forum.

The X-Rap does cast better due to the way it is weighted. But, the Husky Jerk has a better suspending action due to better buoyancy, in my opinion. Both are excellent baits that can be utilized in colder winter waters.

They may not be very popular on the Pro Circuit...yet. And even if they were do you think that either of those two would mention Fat Ikas even if they were using them with any amount of success? I don't believe either angler is sponsored by GYCB. On top of that, why give out a secret about a weapon hat is winning for you? Besides, while they are not popular mainstream baits yet, they are very popular here with many anglers. My only worry is that if a sticky is added about Ikas that it would appear that the site is endorsing a particular brand of bait...in this instance GYCB.

I have always heard a few things about what happens to ya when you go into the drink when it's that cold. 1st of all, you should check to make sure the ice you are fishing on is stable enough to handle MORE weight than you plan on exerting upon it. Better to be safe than sorry. Check the ice again after drilling your hole through it. Make sure it maintains it's integrity. 2nd of all always pack for the just in case instance. Like some peeps have already said, pack extra blankets, towels for drying yourself if ya go in, some sort of heat source (firewood, kindling, portable heater), some way to ignite said heat source, an extra change of clothes from your skivies all the way to your coat, a cell phone that is kept off your person (so it doesn't get wet if ya go in) so that you can call for assistance if necessary, and extra rope to help pull yourself out with. If you are fishing alone make sure the rope is secured to a stationary object that can bear your weight, and is tied to you with enough slack in the rope as to not cause injury upon a fall. 3rd, never ice fish alone. It's always good to have a buddy with ya in case ya go in. BUT, make sure your buddy keeps his/her distance from the ice you fell through since it has probably lost it's integrity. If they get too close they could end up in the drink with ya. Make sure they use a rope to help pull you out. 4th. Things to remember if you go in. DO NOT PANIC. When you fall in your body will immediately try to gasp due to the temperature shock. It is hard to do, but fight the instinct to do so...your life may depend on it. Try your best to keep your head above water to minimize this from happening. Water that cold in your lungs will kill you quickly. Try to keep your wits about you and do not use more energy than you need to to stay afloat. Water that cold saps the bodies energy VERY VERY quickly. Try to get a firm hold on a stable piece of ice at the edge of the hole you fell through. Remember to try to keep your legs moving, but do not kick furiously as you will waste energy needed to remove yourself. This is where having a buddy who can throw you a rope come in very very handy. While grasping the rope, use your legs and kick as hard as you can while pulling yourself with your arms. If you fail do not continue to kick. Regain your composure and prepare for another attempt. When you do get out, remember to crawl on your hands and knees since the ice below you could be unstable and crawling distributes your weight better and lowers the chances of it giving way under you. 5th. Get out of all wet clothes as fast as possible, get dry, warm, put clothes back on, and call medical help, no matter if you were only in the water for a short period of time. A thorough medical examination will make sure no water has gotten into your lungs and will identify any symptoms of hypothermia.

Here are some pics of a few more fish in the 13 lb weight class off of Fish Chris' website. 1st pic is 13lbs 11oz. 2nd pic is 13lbs 5oz. 3rd pic is 13lbs 2oz.

I remember when fourbizzle made his first posts on the forum of his night he had with a buddy of his. He had caught a 13lb 1oz fish, which was his new PB. I think this pic pretty much puts this one to bed as BS in my head. No way that fish is 13 lbs 4oz. I just don't see it. Looks too skinny to be 13lb just judging by that pic.

I am not a CA Big Bass Guy, but I will be one of the first to be dubious on that 13lb 4oz fish just on looks alone. I mean look at some of the recent Varner bass Doghouse caught and do a side by side comparison. The fish this dude caught doesn't look that much bigger to me. He also didn't list any type of measurements or take any other pics at another angle to better show the dimensions of the fish. Who knows? Table Rock could definitely hold a new MO record fish in her waters, that's for sure. Disclaimer: I am definitely not a big bass guy. Heck, I haven't even broken the 5 lb barrier yet. But I have seen enough pics form some of our hawg huntin' boys we have here.

I would second that. Since I have been here the Ika has come up just as much, if not more sometimes than the senko or any of its knockoffs. There are a TON...and I mean a TON of threads concerning it. A search for the term Fat Ika will turn up most of them, but having a sticky with the different rigging methods, techniques, most successful colors, etc. etc. would help a lot of newer folks.

I use a TON of different trailers. I will use beaver style baits, spider grubs, single tail grubs, brush hogs, pork chunks, paca craws, YUM! Crawbugs, ZOOM! swimmin' chunks and super salty chunks, the tail end of used up worms, Joe's Jig Trailers...heck, anything that looks good on the business end of that jig. I think my biggest downfall in trailer selection is that I don't really mix and match enough color wise. I generally like to match my jig and trailer colors.

I use Jig-X right now, but am considering changing over to Booyah for a few reasons. More color choices and combinations, they cost less, are easier to find, come in different varieties of jig (grass, spider, finesse), and are still very effective jigs.

Ooooooooooh...denial. Isn't that a symptom? ;D

Nah...that ain't RW. He wears The Guidewear from Cabelas as LBH pointed out. Though those smallies are beasts. I know it's not him, but he kinda looks like a younger, fatter Rick Clunn.

I look at this one the same way as a lot of folks who have posted already. Red hooks aren't any more expensive than nickel finish hooks. I don't know if red really does trigger more strikes, but I do know since it isn't any more expensive, and it MIGHT give me a little better edge, I'll go ahead and use red hooks instead of nickel finish.

I was recently flipping through my most recent BPS circular and came across BPS version of the Horny Toad. The BPS Humpin' Toad...yes...that's right folks...the HUMPIN' Toad. As I sat and read the name over and over I couldn't help but laugh and think to myself "That has to be one of the worst names for a bait I have ever seen." So what other baits do you guys know of that have bad or funny names? Another one I can think of off the top of my head is the Cotten Cordell Gay Blade.