BiteFiend

True, however when one refers to algae as moss, it is not actual moss.

Moss: Grows on trees. Not in water.

That I will spend thousands of dollars on this hobby. But then again, it's not hookers and blow so that's kind of a win.

Never having fished tournaments, I have never experienced burnout as a result of that. Having said that, I have experienced burnout from fishing before. I lived in Florida for a while and moved back to Nebraska a few years ago. I learned how to target bass while living in Florida and was blessed to live on the coast where I could fish both salt and fresh water. I became very spoiled fishing-wise when I lived there, being able to catch huge bass fairly consistently and being able to fish for tarpon and snook. After moving back to Nebraska, and again fishing our local waters, I became very disappointed with fishing here. I didn't catch bigger bass at all for a while and obviously there are no saltwater opportunities. I became so discouraged I hung up my rods for a couple seasons. After that break, I came to the realization that bass fishing is bass fishing. They may not get as big here nor am I able to catch as many, but they are still here. And I like to catch them. I've been pretty gung-ho about it ever since that break. I do start to get a little burned out toward the end of the season, but I have found that if I take a day off during the week throughout the season to completely disconnect from anything fishing related, that helps. As does taking the occasional weekend off and not fish.

I also like to use it in all the ways you have mentioned. It took me a while to start liking the technique because it's fished so slow. There's no denying that it catches fish; especially when nothing else will. One tip when casting and fishing it horizontally though, is to have the drop (length of line between the hook and sinker) longer than you would if you were fishing it vertically. Doing so keeps the bait up off the bottom better. I usually start with a 24" drop but will shorten or lengthen it depending on what I think will get bit better.

If you live near a Cabelas, definately check out the Cabelas Tournament ZX rods. I have St. Croix rods ranging from the Triumph to the Rages. The SC2 blank used in the Triumph is nothing to brag about. It's a bit on the heavy side and not very sensitive. The Tornament ZX is crazy light and crazy sensitive. Not just for the money but period. I can say that it is twice as sensitive as the Triumph, at least in my hands. Plus, it's on sale right now for $80. I now have 5 of these rods, including the shaky head model. It works very well for the techniques you would like to use it for.

The biggest bass I have caught this summer was on a 7" black and blue BPS ribbon tail t-rigged with a 1/4 oz weight in 8 fow. It was just shy of 21". Didn't get a weight.

It really is a great series. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi stuff but I absolutely loved this series. I felt that all of the actors did a phenomenal job with their roles. Especially Winona Ryder and the children. As a kid from the 80's, it certainly had a nostalgic feel to it. I would agree with the others who said that it is like a cross between E.T. and Poltergeist. Worth checking out, for sure.

Congrats on your PB! That fish is a stud. Also kudos for staying patient and to keep grinding for a bite. I would definitely say your patience was rewarded.

One thing to consider with hollow body frogs is that there will be times that you need to get them out of the slop. A 7'+ rod gives you much better leverage to get them on top of the slop to get them out. As far as the walking action, make sure you are giving the frog about a foot of slack when walking it. Seems like most people prefer an XF action for their frog rod. I myself prefer F, but XF does seem to make the frog walk better.

When I lived down there, my color choices for soft plastics were exactly what geo g said. The only exception being that on days where junebug wasn't getting bit, a different purple color would.

I got a scalp sunburn one time with a mesh baseball cap. The next day I went and got a buff. I wear it under my cap so it covers the top of my head and I pull it up so it covers my face. No more scalp sunburns. This set up compared to a non-mesh baseball cap is much cooler temp wise. Looks kind of silly but gets the job done. Just don't walk into a gas station with your buff pulled up.

Yay, my username is relevant to the topic!! I get a small rush when reeling a bass in that's not dink sized. I can feel my heart beat a little faster, but no shaking, no "oh my gosh" coming out of my mouth, etc. When I am reeling in a bass over 5 lbs (which is considered big around these parts), I get an adrenaline rush; my heart pounds, I start feeling a little shaky, and I breath heavy. I love that feeling. There is no rush quite like it.

Those are some nice fish, congrats! It's nice when you only have to throw a handful of different baits because you have the bite figured out.

Wow, those are some absolute tanks. Congrats on one heck of an outing.

We fished more saltwater than freshwater, but I learned the basics of how to target bass from my grandfather. I lived with my grandparents for much of my childhood and we were fortunate enough to live on a pond. In the pond was a deep ditch that we caught a lot of bass from, which taught me the importance of fishing structure. He also taught me how to flip jigs and live bream into holes in grass and taught me how to feel out the bottom with T-rigged worms. I learned other things from reading books and watching fishing shows like BillDance, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, etc. when I was a kid (pre-i ternet). I learned the most from simply putting in the time and being on the water. Sure, you can learn things from the internet, books, shows, seminars, etc. However putting in time on the water is where one puts what they learned into practical application. You get a feel for what works and what doesn't in the waters you fish. Nothing will teach you more than just going out and fishing.

Dingers and Senkos are heavier than you think. A Medium casting rod with 12 lb or less line will work well.

Just 4 sates for me: Nebraska, Florida, Missouri, and Massachusetts.

The Walmart I went to last week also still had the American made ones. I agree they definitely got the N series right. I always check to see if the colors they carry ever change since the two colors they do carry, I have not had success on in the lakes I fish. I go to the local tackle shop when I am specifically seeking them out since they carry them in a ton of colors. Hopefully the quality and action of the baits doesn't completely go down the crapper.

Were the jugs put in the same area you were fishing for bass or a different area? If the same area, they probably just didn't want a topwater presentation. Fish something else. Maybe something like a 7" black Berkley Power worm. I have caught all sizes of bass in all water conditions with those. If you put the jugs in a different area of the pond, I would fish that area for bass since you caught one there. Most of the time, location imore important than the lure itself.

Wanahoo outside of Wahoo, Ne has a lot of 3-5 lb bass in it. There seems to be some decent spots to shore fish there as well. As far as color, a lot of the lakes in the Omaha and Lincoln areas tend to be pretty murky. Dark colored soft plastics and bright colored moving baits seem to work well. Also, don't over look green pumpkin.

One of the lakes I fish is a smaller, rather featureless lake. Doesn't have ledges, ditches, etc and has only one mini point. In this lake, the bass seem to school up and roam deeper water. If I can run into a school, it's not uncommon for me to catch 20 fish in 30 mins. The best I have done on consecutive casts is probably 12-15.

GPS is helpful on large lakes, but just as helpful on small lakes as well IMHO. I like marking underwater brush piles and rock piles. Those areas dont get hit as much as emergant cover. That alone is worth the extra cost of GPS to me.

Color makes a big difference in clear water, but it's also my experience that color makes a difference in stained water as well. There have been days that I throw a black with blue fleck worm and don't get bit. I put a staight black worm on, go right back though that same area and straight black will get bit. And vice versa. In addition, I also think the more pressured the lake, the bigger difference color makes. Sure location and action of the bait is important but some days color seems to rank a close third.

Thanks. I appreciate the advice.