slimshad

Thanks guys. I wear Maui Jims now and they are not too good in the bright sun.

Is the 400 lenses good enuf or should I buy the 580"s?

I recently got to attend a show like this. The ATA show. It is the archery/hunting show that is like the Icast. If it is like that, you will be walking around with your mouth gaping open. I saw alot of my hunting heroes and got alot of free stuff. Stickers, key chains, hats, etc. Have fun and take your time. I found that most or all of the celebrities were cool and loved getting their picture with fans. I would love to do an Icast show. Your a lucky dog!

I bought a camp on a small lake with a slot limit. I can keep six bass under 12". I get my six then fish for fun and bigger bass. A 11" bass is just as good as any other fresh water fish in my opinion. I have never had a fish taste like grass.... I do know the colder the water the better they seem to taste. I will keep a dead fish from a tournament unless others are asking for it. If it is legal to do, I say go for it.

He is good but I have read on other sites that he is rubbing some people the wrong way. I like it. You have to have an edge if you are going to be the best. Plus he is in a Ranger Boat and I love it when a Ranger guy wins in the BASS. Thats what he won on Chickamaga not FLW. BASSfest.

Man the threads on here are crazy. First to the OP, I would go fish and then when all was quiet, I was say man did you guys get checked yesterday by the law? Then I would say yep they came by and said they were going to patrol this area hard for awhile lol. And about Game Wardens, I have two stories for ya. I was by myself when two very young GW's came up and asked me for my license. They were in a huge flat botton jon boat. As they got closer, they were about to run the aluminum boat up on my bass boat. I jumped over and pushed them off with my foot. I yelled and said woooo what the hell you doing. That fired the two up and I thought they were going to pull a gun. I gave them my license and they started to check every little thing on my boat. They said sir you must have the throw cushion availble at all times. I looked at them and said, I am fishing by myself if I fall in who is going to throw it to me? Turned and stepped on the tm pedal and casted. They just pulled away. Next is the best one. I was fishing with a friend in a "party" cove. Hundreds of people swimming drinking and loud music. The GW came straight to us, through all the anchored boats, and said our numbers on the boat did not contrast enough and was going to give us a ticket. So this guys bright red letters on a blue boat was the reason they came over. All the while people 50 feet away were drinking and screaming. I looked at one boat and three girls flashed us. Which was worth the ticket lol. So the only guys that actually pay to do the recreational stuff is the ones that got fined. Yes they have a tough job, but you think they would spend more time on the bad guys.

No Blanks? You must have way better fisheries than we have in southern Indiana. Our club AOY is won pretty much with the one guy that doesnt have a blank. Right now it is down to three guys after 4 tournys. I blanked the last one and took myself out of AOY. I won on the same lake last year.... happens

I have caught numerous 8" fish on 12" worms. Rock bass/warmouths too. Great bait in the summer. I like them around grass also,

The UPS, USPS and Fedex guys all meet at my house for beers. They are going there anyway, might as well stick around for a brewski! Thanks Tackle Warehouse, Ebay, Dicks, Cabelas, Bass Pro, and all the other bait places out there!

I have had to stop and think about the winning thing lately. Me and my partner got on a roll getting paid in 6 straight tournys. Then we struggled and it was brutal. We started bickering and was mad on the ride home. I have to figure out how to balance the competitive edge and ticked off attitude. My partner wanted to sell his stuff and quit fishing. I was like dude we just won money in 6 straight. I think its called spoiled. Anyone have any helpful hints for me. I did take a weekend to go panfishing with my son to get the bad taste out of my mouth. Left all the bass fishing gear in the garage.

Man not alot of tournament guys on here. This part of the forum is a ghost town. I will tell you my findings. I tweeted some BASS pros. Brandon Paulnik responded very fast and said he uses please release me, flip clips and ice. He leaves the water in and no new water. John Crews and Justin Lucas was the same but changes the water once a day. These young guys get it and are great anglers too.

Was on another forum and they asked about hot weather and livewells. I am sure its been a topic before but I thought I would bring it up again since the weather has gotten to a slow boil everywhere. I NEVER bring in "fresh" water during a tournament. I fill up the well and set it to recirc. I then add frozen bottles of please release me water in as the day/night goes by. Taking the cap off and allowing the frozen formula to cool and reviv my fishys as it melts. What do you guys do to keep the water cool and or fish alive.

Thinking about this, I have had a huge breakthrough when I got a swimming pool. Doing drop/swim tests with jigs, texas rigged creatures, worms, tubes, craws, even swimbaits and crankbaits. The pool test can let you know alot about the baits you are throwing.

High blue bird skys have plagued me in tournaments. Let it rain baby!

I like huge flats with no visible cover. Guntersville in Febuary! Digging a lipless or square bill crankbait. Fun fun....

have had many over the years, but this year I had a Jerkbait Breakthrough moment. I figured out the suspending jerkbait. I don't think a cold spring day will ever be the same again for the rest of my life. Went from 0% confidence and 4 in my tackle to 100% confidence and a whole arsenal in my boat! That is a breakthrough!

T-Rig. I can put a 3" tube all the way to a 12" Ol' Monster worm. T-Rig is very versitile.

Growing on me. I do like the fact that you can chose from several different colors. 5 year 500 hour is very bold.

Frogg Toggs for me too. Have my Ranger Boat suit on in my profile pic! For the price, you can't beat them. I have had two suits in 10 years.

Arig will do it. I found that after you hook the first one dont just reel it in as fast as you can. Let it fight and start slow. The second will jump on it then. Sure you loose the fight and feels like a five gallon bucket, but thats OK with me!

I fish them alot in the early spring. I always change the hooks to the short shank KVD hooks. One size bigger. I am usually fishing for bigger fish on Guntersville though. They don't jump much when the water is down around 50. I do use a glass rod that helps me NOT pull the bait away when setting the hook. It helps with fighting the fish also. I would say change out the hooks or really give yours a good sharpen.

My favorite is a lipless crankbait in Febuary on Guntersville. Close second would be a spinerbait bite. The best strike is an ARIG. Like a truck going the other way!

Hawg!

I have caught several junk fish while fishing tournaments. All make the heart beat hard. I have one that stands out. I was on my first trip to Guntersville in 2005. I went out and watched Mirizo catching "Big Momma" on the main lake island during a Bassmaster event. I looked over at the bank and there were some wind break out croppings. We run over and I found some deeper water near grass. I thought wow I bet bass are stacked in here. The very first pitch with a black and blue jig, the line jumped back at me and I was like OH MY GOODNESS, set the hook with all I had. I went to my knees asking for the net. The fight was on. It took me in the grass like three times. As it finally came up and my heart was pounding out of my chest thinking 10+ bass, it was a 15 pound drum. It was such a rush and then such a heart break. I also hooked a 4-5 pound catfish in the back with a rattle trap at Gville. Same story, begging God to let me get this 10 pound bass in lol...

I use the marker. It seems to last longer and it isnt messy.