CeeJay

haha ok let's not include the cichlids Wow I'd love to catch some of them down there though...great pics.

That's cool go ahead and throw in the cichlids as well It's funny I had Tilapia for dinner tonight...just store bought fillets though. I often wish I lived down there, just for the incredible angling alone.

As far as fighting ability goes, pound for pound, I'm curious about how other anglers would rank the panfish ( which I'll define loosely as sunfish that are not largemouth or smallmouth bass). For me the number one is easy. I don't think it's even close...there is number one, and then the rest 1- Bluegill. My undisputed king of panfish. Very strong and don't really ever give up after hookup. They almost always seem to be a big fish, even little ones are so strong for their size. Tangle with a 1 pounder and you'll love it 2- Rock Bass and Warmouth. Mainly because they strike so viciously hard, and at any lure up to their own size! They do fight hard after hookup, but quickly tire on even 2 lb test line. 3- Pumpkinseed and Redear and Green Sunfish. Pretty much even between those three. I could possibly rank them in between Bluegill and Rock Bass... I'll need to get more experience with them though. 4- Crappie. They hit large baits and have a good pull at hookup, but are extremely short winded and usually on their side when landed. Happy Panfishing!

Awesome Yep, once you find crappie you can land a bunch. Can you give info on your line, rod power/action, and reel you used? I've never personally used anything over 6 lb test mono for Crappie. In my very, very, humble opinion even 6 pound mono is overkill for Crappie. But that's just me

Bass fishing has been slow here after all the crazy weather, so I've been fishing for other species most of the past 10 days or so. What I actually have been catching Smallies on lately though are spinnerbaits with single colorado blades. I've had to scale way back in size, even for me (1/16oz).

There are exactly 14 bass in every lake.

In the video he said 17 pound test line was a minimum for his spinnerbait fishing....it's a mismatch for a fish that averages 2-3 pounds. With mismatched tackle you can and should bring them in fast. No need to play them or give line when needed. Definitely not my style. I try to match my tackle to my target species. Like many here I'm a recreational angler. If my livelihood depended on catching bass then I would simply try to over power the bass. Nope, that's not my style at all. I'd love to see him try that with 6 pound test mono. Actually, watching him land some of those fish with a cane pole and worm would be quite the sight.

I would but there aren't many docks here on the river bank in my neck of the woods. But I like to drift them float-less as well, and toss them under overhanging trees.

Yep, the wacky rig works for me. Deadly technique. I often fish them under a float but it's not necessary.

Seriously I'd wade right in if it's safe enough. One of my favorite little lakes back in the day was exactly as described. It wasn't always that way but later on it became so bad I'd have to make a long cast to the middle of the lake, and then literally fling the lure back to me when it came within 15 feet of the shore. Another option, which I'm sure most would laugh at, is to get a long 20 foot pole/rod (with or without line guides and reel) and probe the outer edges of the weeds from shore. When a bass strikes, the length of the pole will give you a vertical advantage when battling the fish in, as opposed to having to mostly bring the fish (or lure) straight through the weeds with a shorter conventional rod. But wading might be your best option. Good luck. I know how frustrating it is.

Good deal. Yeah those thin ones, especially, look great. And the fat ones should produce as well.

For bass? It would be tough for me to pick just one, as ideally I would be able to cover top to bottom. My instinct is to say either spinnerbait or Senko..... but I'll go with a black plastic worm. To catch any fish though I'd definitely say inline spinner.

Awesome. I used to buy tons of fireworks each 4th, have a big cookout, and consume a cold beverage or six. Good times. Haven't done that the last few years though.

Usually I would use a reel and pause retrieve under a slip float. I've caught them straight swimming the jig as well.

Home made floats are the best. I have some float projects in the works. Making them was once a wintertime hobby of mine. I have a huge pack of "dust shot" and am trying to recalculate how much weight the floats I use require. Fun hobby to make and use one's own terminal tackle

Wow look at that Tiger! Awesome! And remember, Shark Week starts tomorrow on Discovery Channel I'm curious, how close to shore was it caught?

Do you have a preferred float style or brand? There are so many specialized floats out there it gets confusing at times.

hahaha I probably would. Might be good for those snowy winter evenings when bass fishing seems so far away.

That really sucks. I hope he was mistaken or confused. Throwing away good sized and especially trophy bass like that doesn't make sense. Unfortunately I've encountered this a lot, since I tend to fish for various species of fish. Some people in some states, or even lakes within a state, prefer one fish over another. Some of the folks in charge will bow to local pressure, economy, tourism and a bunch of other stuff. It's a sad waste and actually it's very depressing to hear about. Fortunately it's much more rare where I now fish.

I believe they are spawning, based on what you describe. And also I watched this happen last week on the Shenandoah (Winchester isn't terribly far from the Harpers Ferry area where I live). I was wading in some shallow muck on the river catching some bluegill, and noticed a lot of splashing just a few feet from where I was standing. Shortly after, I saw the large female carp (common carp) being harassed by 2 smaller males. It was kind of funny because the female appeared to be trying to escape from them haha. I'm surprised she didn't just whack them with her huge tail Anyway I don't think food was on their mind at the time. Give it another week and they hopefully will have recovered and be hungry again. I'm all stocked up and ready for carping the 'Doah...but I'm waiting for them to finish their little mating rituals. I'll keep you updated on the conditions of the carp over here, but it won't be long before they start feeding again. The vast majority of carp I've caught (in Virginia) were mid-July to mid-September. Don't give up. When they're hungry they will eat sweet corn, trust me on that

Just a quick update. I ended up purchasing the B'n'M Black Widow 10 ft telescopic pole. After extending the 10 and 13 foot poles in store, the 10 ft just felt more "right" in my hands than the longer models, so I bought it. After bringing it home I took it apart to search for any flaws and it looks good to go. As for how to attach line....I'm still experimenting. That eye tip looks awfully fragile, but I'll figure out something. Anyway it's going to be a fun panfish pole. I also picked up some Berkley Gulp maggots to spice up my flies and jigs. Now if only this holiday weekend would end so I can do some bluegill and rock bass fishing Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe.

Catch that 76 pound grass carp legitimately and you'll own the new Kentucky state record, which is currently 58.5 pounds.

haha my most expensive lure is probably on many anglers' least expensive lure list ...a Yo-Zuri Pins Minnow, bought about 7 years ago for around $8. Never caught a fish with it, but also never really use it very often.

I've always found sharks to be fascinating. There was a rod and reel shark tournament on tv the other day...pretty cool. It's kind of creepy knowing that bull sharks can live in fresh water and have been found in rivers far upstream from the ocean. Imagine being nudged by a bull shark while peacefully wading for smallmouth....I'd likely stick to bank fishing after that haha

As OntarioFishingGuy and Abuss55 mentioned above, hair rigs are my standard as well. Sweet whole kernel corn is my preferred bait. I tend to also use slim very sensitive floats (straight wagglers or stick and pole floats) as well so I can detect a strike easily and get an immediate hook set before the carp has a chance to spit it out (as they will at times, as Abuss55 mentioned). These floats can also suspend the bait just above bottom. Happy carping