PABASS

PA has a weight calculator that states a 19" LMB should be around 3.7# and a 20" LMB 4.3#. It states its a tool for estimation, I caught a fat pre-spawn female this year in my avatar she only went 17.5" and she easily weighed 4.5#. I caught another that went almost 21" and weight 5#1ounce which is spot on with the PA chart, so it depends on time of year and what they ate before you caught them, just like you and I before we get weighed.

This does not make it natural just because they are pressured, again think like a bass, they avoid it. I am not sure if the fish feels the line's vibration, when conditions are muddy even stained, I don't focus as much on my line choice, do you?

I believe it matters, not always, but it can make a difference. I have seen this happen in clear water using nanofill which is white, the fish saw the line not the lure and spooked. I wasn't able to get bit until I hit deeper water that was being muddied up by the spooked fish. In ultra clear water I think it matters or heavy pressured fish it matters but only with certain lures, jigs or shakey heads, lures that the fish get a good look at. The idea of line diameter I am curious what people believe is happening from a fishes perspective, the fish "cant see" the line but dropping line diameter makes a difference why? Smaller diameter means to me harder to see or is it less vibration, both maybe? I believe It changes the action of the lure and the fall rate more than anything else. To the people whom say the bass do not know what line is, you need to think like a bass, of course it doesn't know that its fishing line, but it does know its not a natural part of its environment and will back off.

Another thing that weakens rods is scratches around the blank and improper rod care this will cause a rod to break quicker then normal especially with a bass swing. I have done it, but I don't do it with big fish, typically fish under a #. I recently watched a video of guys swinging in 6#+ bass in FL using a flipping stick, crazy, If I had a 6# fish I be yelling for a net lol...

Confidence is key, a go to bait is only a go to bait because it worked for you in the past. While old is a relative term some of my jerkbaits are 22-25 years old and I still use them today, but I do believe there is always a better bait for the job again confidence.

I didn't start using a jig until a few years ago, until watching you tube videos and specifically Gene's video I just had no idea how to catch them with one. I read a few articles on this site and even spoke with a nice man on the phone and he just recommended I take them to a small pond and I did and pun intended I am HOOKED. I nailed the fish that day, been to this pond many times and while I typically catch a few I had 7 in an hour or so. Jig landed (pun) one of my largest Bass this year. I have to say any lure that catches fish is fun to me, but jigs do rank high with fun factor..

I have some old ones from Stanley which I like and still use have many from strike king but recently I am really digging the War Eagle brand.

I found myself in the past complaining that I hope the fish are biting on lure A, it just came to me that my favorite lure of the day is the one that catches me the fish, simple but true. My last excursion I wanted to catch fish on topwater, buzz baits and pop-rs and didn't want to use jigs, frogs and senkos. Stubborn me used topwaters for over an hour while the boater catches his limit using a jig and a senko. My gut told me fish would hit a frog and I finally changed and caught my limit, now in the past frogs and I have not gotten along, maybe a 50/50 hook up ratio, well I made some adjustments before the trip and it payed missed two fish and caught one I missed using a throwback. The rest of my fish came on a wacky rig senko baby bass color..

All but one of my spinning rods I use 10#Nanofill with 10#-6# Seaguar InvizX, other setup is Mono which is Berkley XT..

My problem with this bait, is it another lure that is trying to catch fish or the fisherman? I don't use the A-Rig, do they work well in muddy and or deep water? I would image though that this baitball will work in muddy and deep water just like other crank baits do, except the fish wont be keying in on the "baitball" and its visuals so it goes back to is it the right tool for the job and when, for 20$ I wont be testing that scenario, but I would image it will work in clear water as expected meaning with visuals but in muddy/deep water there might be better tools to be used. I wish I had time to perform tests like this, Megabass for example looks real, but does the realistic paint job make a difference and when, what justifies its 28$ price tag? I am hoping that the new hardbaits from GY team and there pricetag will allow me to answer some of those questions, is it the action, the color, the profile, the fall rate, the look of the paint, so many variables.

I believe that I know what local lake your talking about and caught my PA PB fish there this year, however this was pre-spawn and I have heard summertime/fishing can be hard there. At least you get to fish you know? Last time I have been on the water was June 2nd . Hopefully soon I can get back on the water, hard to complain when we just purchased our dream house, but I really am hurting to get back out..

A fellow fisherman noted when he catches LMB during spawn especially when males are guarding nest the eyes are red. I typically do not bed fish but the ones we caught this year all had red eyes in different bodies of water while they were on beds.

Seems like MN DNR needs a lesson or two in today's Bass conservation. I hope if anything comes out of Brandon's loss it will be MN DNR wakes up and takes a look at what other states have been doing and the why behind it.

Everyone wants to play the devils advocate, OP did the right thing, we don't know if the person keeping the fish was poor or trying to feed his family what we do know he was breaking the laws and those are the facts.

Bass are optimistic and will eat just about anything they can get in there mouth, here in a local river we have stonecatfish and the smallies love them, old timers here use them for live bait. I have a few ponds I fish that have just LMB in them, no other fish including bluegills the bass are on the thin side, but they still eat, lots of insects, mice, moles, turtles, snakes, other bass...

This is the very reason why I quickly jumped off the LEWs bandwagon, after using there spinning gear its plain to see these reels are not meant to last, when competitors are all charging a certain price for there reels and one company comes in sometimes much cheaper with better features there has to be a reason why, longevity, quality the more time passes the more quality issues will rise, I foresee anyway. My Calcutta 251 bought in 1997 and I still use it today and it performs like it did in the past, my Stradic, purchased in 1996 I believe, still use it every outing it has been abused though by me lol..

When using a leader I tie enough line so the knot is at the first guide and doesn't go through that way the knot never goes through any of my guides.

Why use 12lb to work and land a fish, not trying to be an arse but a PB of 5#s on 12lb line isn't much work to land a fish, unless you tie bad knots, I don't how you would loose the fish. I will add if the fish gets you in wood 40lb braid might not help.. In my youth I used to think this way, however if I lost a 10lb fish because I was using 6lb line I would be very upset, now I have read many stories of large fish caught on light line, but I fish allot of rock and wood. I mainly use 8# mono(Berkley XT) and 10# FC(Seagar Invisx) and braid(Suffix832, Seagar Kazen) and this has severed me well from the bank, but now that I am riding with boaters I see that I need higher test on some of my gear. Its not the fish but the rocks and wood that I didnt have access to on the bank.. OP Keep in mind some braid floats and some braid sinks, mono floats and FC sinks and each has properties that give you an advantage to specific techniques and lures. A single line choice is hard but I would use a floating braid with FC or Mono leader depending on what your throwing. For me and my gear mono is my preferred choice for treble topwater style baits such as pop-rs, I like mono here because it floats and adds some delay to the hook set. For frogs you need braid, I used to miss too many fish with frogging until I changed to braid a no issue now, braid has little to no stretch and you need that with frog fishing. FC works well with allot of baits you mentioned but still has stretch, sinks and you cant buy cheap here or you will loose out, I personally like Seagar InvisX FC. With the braid as the main line you can handle most techniques and when environmental factors dictate it add a leader.

I want to try one of these but the Spinning reel the Lews Speed Spin was such a horrible reel and really threw me off from Lews, why would they sell such and awesome baitcaster and such a lousy Spinnging reel, I shake my head.. What would you say compares to a Calcutta 251, because I LOVE THAT REEL, although I am looking at the low profile reels..

I don't own the models your looking at but own both of the brands, personally I think the Veritas is a lighter, more sensitive rod than the mojo, however I have more confidence in my St Croix concerning quality and longevity. My first Vertias I received I did a complete look over because of stories like the expoxy cracking near the guides, weak points on the rods and general quality issues and I did find the epoxy was cracked in two places, sent it back and received a new one no questions asked and it looks good and is performing well (Almost two years old)one of my favorite setups to fish, have it paired with a Shimano Stradic. I agree the mojo is heavier, personally I would also take a look at some shimano rods in the same price range have been hearing nothing but good about them and I will be taking my own advice because I am also in need of a flipping stick lol..

Cant wait till I get more time on the water to try these swimbaits, have not got a line wet in a month and its killing me and no time in the future as well ugh..

No facebook here

I snell my knots as well while flipping and all it would take is some extra space or another way to design the jig, anyway just surprised its not been done.

I always wondered if George Forman used his grills, I know i do and love it lol... But really sponsors do not limit what there pros can use, should a pro lie about what he is using to catch them on, well that is on them especially now with technology that can take details images on everyday devices(phones). I can see the why, the fished keyed on a chatter-bait but not the manufacture that you represent, you caught them on both but lets say one out produced the other, gray area what are you going to do? Plus my manufactures change with my mood, I grew up with Rapalas as my go to plug, now I am a huge smithwick fan but if was sponsored by Rapala you bet I would represent them in some fashion because those bait take me back and I have emotions tide to the lure. I dont always buy what the pros are trying to sell but always enjoy listening and making my own decisions.

Lol I thought the same looks to be in the 5# range, but I would take that fish all day long and on a frog man I need to go fishing..