Turtle135

Just some more fuel for the fire. I use Trilene XT in 14 and 17 pound test. I am pretty sure the 14 pound test breaks closer to 20 pounds so to some degree I am combating the stretch inherent with monofilament by using line that tests out at 20 pounds. The 3 baitcasting setups I carry around on my kayak with Trilene XT on them handle everything from jigs to crankbaits to spinnerbaits. I do change out my line fairly frequently, at least twice a month.

that is an amazing fish, that belly is unreal, congrats!

that's the way to start the season! nice largemouth!

nice largemouth, congrats! p.s. - I usually catch my largest bass of the year on 1 or 2 fish days, hardly ever on "numbers" days

homemade 3/8 ounce football jig (black & blue) back on January 3rd

yep, that's a pig! well done!

Nice topwater bass! What is your water temperature up there?

Yesterday our air temperatures were in the 30's and we had winds gusting to 28 miles per hour but it seems the bass slowly but surely are moving to shallow cover. This one fooled me, when I got the first glimpse I thought I had a better fish but this one was just chunky. In 2 feet of water on a laydown log. Black&Blue 1/2 ounce football jig with a Netbait B Bug as a trailer.

well done! that is some serious bass-thumb

I paint and tie my own jigs but I do not pour. I actually enjoy trying different head styles and hooks from different suppliers. Sometimes it comes down to just feeling like you want to pitch something different at them. If I started buying the molds for all those different jig styles I have used I would be "upside down" dollar-wise for years and years. Most of the time my total cost per finished jig is under a buck so I have no qualms about putting them in harms way. p.s. - my tip is try a few with round rubber skirts instead of silicone (and get ready to set the hook!)

Paint them as suggested above. You can also get vinyl paint from many of the tackle making suppliers. It is not as durable as a baked powder paint finish but it is close in my opinion. If you go the unpainted route but do not like the shiny finish of new lead you can soak them in vinegar for 24 - 48 hours and it will give them that dull gray old lead look. My personal test results indicate that the bass do not care if the head is painted or not.

If you are ever caught without a tape or a scale, clip a piece of line the length of the bass and take it home to measure. You can do the same thing to get the girth (then you can get a reasonable estimate of what the weight would have been).

Your F150 will handle an 11.5' kayak just fine. I put my Ride 115 in the bed of my Chevy S10 pickup, put a flag on the handle, and I'm off on my way. I have two kayaks, a 10' Tarpon 100 and the 11.5' Ride 11.5. I am faster in the Ride than the Tarpon (as a general rule, all other aspects being equal, longer kayaks are faster and track better). Storage is not an issue for me. All my gear is kept in the crate behind me so I carry the same amount of tackle in both kayaks. If I did overnight camping trips the Ride would obviously have more storage. p.s. - this is another aspect to consider, and the decision here is up to each individual, Wilderness Systems kayaks are manufactured in the United States

I think that is the best way to start with jigs. Purchase jig heads painted or unpainted, tie your own skirts, paint them yourself. After a while you will find head styles and hooks you really like. Then you can ponder if you want to invest in pouring lead. That is what I do (purchase unpainted jig heads). My cost per jig is under a buck each and I get what I want in the skirt (which is almost always round rubber). If I break off a couple it is just a couple of bucks out of pocket (instead of $ 8.00 or $ 9.00). Good luck!

I think this should translate to more time on the water for you, win-win!

what pound test did you use? I used to pop the 10 and 12 pound test way too frequently (part of the problem was that I was not aware of the knot strength issues with fluoro and the other part was my mono hook set was just not meant for that line)

that was some great live footage of the Classic, it is one thing to read an article after the tournament that the winner caught his sack with an under-spin, it is another to actually see how they are working the lure, congrats on turning that into some bass on the line

I would bet they would do a custom alewife p.s : "ale" "wife" - that really ought to be a wife who regularly brings one a beer!

Nice looking lures. $ 400.00 for a "Common Carp"? I caught my biggest bass last season on a jig that probably cost me $ 0.75. I think I am headed in the other direction than ultra realistic looking presentations.

It looks online like you will be launching out of Smallwood State Park. That is right on Mattawoman Creek (one of the best tributaries of the Tidal Potomac River for largemouth bass fishing). June is a great month to fish there. The spatterdock is fully developed and the hydrilla has not completely weed choked the area like it can get in August (late summer is when flipping and punching come more heavily into play). Lots of techniques work for largemouth there (spinnerbaits, crankbaits, top water frogs). Learning to play the tides is a big part of having a good day out there. One of my favorite ways to fish there that time of year is this presentation below (Culprit Fat Max 7" on a 1/8th or 1/4 ounce Confidence Baits Draggin Head). I can work this right through the pads without getting bogged down by the weeds. Post up again closer to tourney time and I can give you a better idea on current conditions (I am on that water frequently).

I do a lot of what we call "single access", which means you paddle back to your launch site. However, where I am we have the C/O canal toe-path running alongside of the Potomac River so sometimes I use my kayak cart to wheel 2, 3 or 4 miles upriver for a self shuttle.

Is a football jig a hard bait? Lucky Craft Pointer 100

I have a Temple Fork Outfitters GTS DSC733-1 (7'3" medium light). It loads well with a light weight and launches a small jerkbait or a ned rig into the next county.

Spring will get here slowly but surely, good call on waiting for safer conditions for the maiden voyage. Congrats on joining the club!

I have used the jig head you mentioned. Good hook, paint job and weed guard. Nothing wrong with that jig head and it does a good job around weeds so you find me throwing one of those in the summer. I use football heads much more frequently than any other style. I will buy them painted and unpainted from a couple of different sources, I tie a lot with round rubber skirt material and wire tie my skirts. I hear you on breaking off a jig that costs $ 4.50. By shopping around my cost per jig is less than a buck each. I would pour lead but I do not have the proper ventilation for my work space.