"hamma"

some waters there when they cycle right im sure will hold one, will it be caught ? who's to say,... most of the excellent bass waters,.. arent mainstream, or accessable by boat

12.5 lbs a white manns classic spinnerbait

those prices are per pack

nice rig A-Jay ! ,... when i can figure out how to attach a pic correctly here, I'll snap a few pics of mine

Like I stated above,.depends,.I've been fishing for 50 years, I agree that a youngster may have some info on new gear that came from the rep,...But I've gained enough experience to know whats what. Like when gary yamamoto came out withe the senko? my first reply? glorified modern do nothing worm, does it work? heck ya, but so does the do nothing worm, just a different rigging. Drop shot?,..crossed over from saltwater squid rig.,., etc ..and what bluebasser just posted

I understand Both sides as well, and you all make good points,.. Being memorial day weekend I was mostly pointing towards the fact that we have the freedom to fish,... period,... So many people take for granted the little things in this country, and live on as if we deserve it. Countless servicemen and women gave their lives, limbs, heart and soul, so we can live free, as we choose.,.. I for one appreciate the sacrifice's put forth ,...My gratitude, and due diligence to ensure its well known that I appreciate the fact that I can fish, is yet just another freedom that i wont take for granted,... Thank You, Bass Resource, (I appreciate you too) god bless our veterans, and god bless america

congrats on such a beauty

Depends on how much its going to cost me

In the lovely state of Massachusetts theresactually a law that protects anglers from harassment. I believe that it reads "no one shall hinder or otherwise impede the lawful taking fish from another" So, say your fishing along and a homeowner comes running down the dock screaming and yelling at you that you cant fish there.They are wrong, you can, and I even keep a few copies with me just for these people, because it has happened to me before. This is one of our freedoms, One of many that I would like to personally thank ALL the veterans out there, for their service, sacrifice, and dedication. Without you we wouldnt be able to enjoy the freedoms that we do, you truly are my heros. Thank you, and have a safe Memorial Day

The most prolific one that comes to mind was a bass i lost during a tourney (one of our first team t's), we guessed a 4 lber on a jig and pig and we did get a good look at it, I didnt get a good hookset,... but,... it was during a "tough" day, fishing was slow, near the end of the day, and it would have fulfilled our limit,... after weight in? we came in second, missing 1st by 1 lb and a few ounces,.and missed some big money.. sleep eluded me for several days after,.. and I now cross their eyes when i set the hook on a jig and pig, and,..I still have nightmares every few months or so of that day Have I lost some "monsters"? of course.,... 50 years of bass fishing will do that to ya,..but to guess their size? Hhhhmmm,...oh yeah ,... Huuumungus ,.. Giiiinormous ,.world record breaking biggest bass that ever got awaaayyyy!!!,... then the alarm went off, and i woke up,...lol All kidding aside,.. i do remember as a teen vacationing in Maine with the family a guesstimated 8 lber on a Hula Popper, off shore,.. I have been diligent, to sharpen every hook ever since,...

I like shimano reels, I own many, Durable????,.... I just sent 2 curados to be serviced that I bought back in 1995! Yeah, over 20 years of heavy fishing,..".I" lubed them a couple times in that time, and "I" replaced the spacers in an attempt to avoid this servicing a couple months ago, but this is their first "professional" servicing

All good tips and pointers, what I can add is, wear concealling clothing, be it camo or just greens and browns, and above all be stealthy. Dont make alot of noise and step lightly. Bass have a lateral line down the side of their body and that senses vibrations,.. If your just walking along the bank close to the waters edge they can actually "feel" your footsteps. And if a larger fish is present and it feels your presence its going to turn seeking to locate you with his eyes, and once it does locate you?,.... your chances just dwindled. I take one rod for bank fishing, and a backpack for tackle with my needlenose pliers in my pants backpocket, reason being is that Im not making much disturbance on the shoreline with plunking my tacklebox down, laying rods against things, only to have them fall over, or get caught on bushes making even more noise/vibrations. And when i catch a fish again, my pliers arent in the tacklbox again,... making more vibes by rustling around with a rod in one hand. fish in the other and trying to locate the pliers. When you decide to make a lure change, move away from the waters edge to do so, return when your ready to fish again with the new lure These may seem like minor things but they do play a part

looks good to me

I have a better understanding now Tom,..Thanks that really puts it in perspective, its unfortunate that they dont pay more attention to the bass fishing industry,..its a big industry that boosts alot of money and generates alot of tax dollars. On another note I find it amazing that, Texas big bass lakes are gigantic impoundments. Californias are 1-2 k acres,(signifcantly smaller),..... Up here? I think the largest lake I've caught a 10 lb fish in was no more than 600 acres, with the smallest being no more than 100,.. But then yet Cali and Texas, dont have the forage base/biodiversity we do. We may have a much shorter growing season, therefore a shorter fishing opportunity. As for numbers of anglers? Boston and surrounding suburbs? More anglers than you'd think in such a small area. Im not touting NE bass, or its anglers compare by any means, it just amazes me the way nature works. Our fish are smaller, but seemingly more elusive. but to really put it into perspective? the shear size of your bass,....simply incredable. My pb 12.5 lb was a monster (in my opinion) I put both my fists fit in its mouth before my buddy held the scale up, and it looked morphed, almost not bass like, huge hump on its back, grimacing jawline, and a full belly, that looked like a small grocery store plastic bag filled to its brim, ready to burst. I can only imagine what a 18, or 22 lb bass looks like.

The areas you are fishing are obviously holding smaller fish,..key to that sentence is "areas". Change your locations, seek out areas with access to deeper water nearby, prefferably with evidence of baitfish. Whether its a huge ball of baitfish on your sonar, baitfish breaking the surface, or birds diving. (Deeper waters, baitfish) as for lures? jigs with plastics "will" work and i've caught some hogs on a jighead and 4" grub, but you might want to step up to a jig and pig for bottom bouncing, and a spinnerbait for locating them (jig and pig, spinnerbait)

"Could" be those lakes are cycling and its possible they may comeback. If Texas bass take 8-10 years to reach 13 lbs. it may take 14-18 for California lakes to grow more 20lbers,.. thats a long time of fishing pressure,.. so say maybe 25- 30 to rebound? ,....just guessing From what I read years ago those cali fish are feeding on "kokanee? trout", Rainbow trout are stocked here and theres some big bass in most of those ponds, but the biggest bass here arent feeding on trout, its another protein rich baitfish combined with the right environment thats key. But my point is , if the bass got to those sizes before,.. why wouldnt they again? Maybe the strain is compromised? Fishing pressure can do some damage im sure. But big fish dont get big by being stupid, they've been caught and released before. Now that its being discussed and I think of it!!! Here we have alot of,... ummm,... "foriegn bobber fisherman" that are meat fishing with shiners, and once a lake is said to hold big fish? You can bet they will be lining the shores, taking every pig they catch home for din din. Im 100% positive those same ethnic fisherman live in Cali as well. Therein may be the issue to begin with, and if so,.. eventually the powers that be out there will have to set slot limits and patrol them before things rebound. Thats what its taken to "somewhat" rebound the striper fishing here.

Great link! To bad all states dont take the same approach to management as Texas does. I surfed that site for a while, what i found interesting was that it stated that the bass they reproduce in captivity and release into the wild grow bigger, faster. And that it takes "normally" produced bass 8-10 years to reach 13 lbs. Thats some interesting facts right there, I understand that they are talking Texas bass. I wonder what the munbers are for Floridain, cuban, and mexican bass.,.. And if those Texas share lunker program fry could help states that have smaller record fish. Even if those states have biodiversity issues, maybe the strain from share lunker could still bring the record numbers up, seeing that the strains themselves are of higher quality. just a thought

There was some weeds there. but,..not so choked. as far as the stories? There were some hogs there in the late 80's right thru the 90's,.. When I first started fishing it you could "almost" count on hooking a 8-10, Getting it to the boat? with all that wood? proved to be a task. When the wind was right, I did however boat a few where I quoted "hog heaven", that spot offered deeper water in front of the wood., so it was a good bet they'd head deep after hookup. Kinda like one of the few spots in there that you had a chance at boating a pig. Those days are long gone now,... If your out in all them laydowns and hooked a pig your chances dwindled, Hence why so many ice fish there, odds are now in the anglers favor.

Dang! Your rig is much like the boat one of my former club members had. And I thought he was brave for fishing Lake Winnepeasaukee with it? Which is much smaller than Toledo Bend

A-1 Used to be phenominal, thats one of those pounded places thats not what it was in the 80's. If I remember correctly a black/blue jig and pig ruled there,.and the small treeline just before the flooded timber off to the right from the ramp was hog heaven,...Last time i was there I got maybe 3 4lbrs off those trees and considered that sad. I understand all to well about secrecy, Mass has alot of bass anglers and once the word is out its just a matter of time before the lakes either off limits, or the asians fished it out with shiners, or the launch is trashed and has a locked gate. I wish this wasnt the norm here but it is what it is,. when i find a hidden gem, I dont tell anyone, or take anyone there, PERIOD.,.... decent lakes that people already fish and know of I have no problem sharing info about. Another reason I love Maine

Oh,..by no means was I implying that you cant get them now on topwaters,.. .I mean that summertime it really heats up, the morning topwater bite is fantastic. Some lakes it will work all day, others it will slow down around 10 am or so.,, But the better smallie lakes I want to be on the water at 4am, on the good areas before the bite even starts. Im curious as to what other anglers use in other regions

The variables concerning bedding are endless, there are many things that can start the spawn, stop it, re-start it etc... Also, bass will move up on the beds in stages, They dont all move at the same time, some will bed while others are still staging and considering the biodiversity of the water this can be a long process. Plus,.. One lake they may be bedding and another they havent even started to stage yet. Just because you saw a bass, or even a pair on a bed today, and 4 days later they are gone from that same bed, doesnt mean the spawn is over. bass spawn all over the small lakes up here in mass,.... some may spawn close to shore and others out away from the shore in 12 feet of water. Its usually a month and a half long process,.. depending on the weather it may be shorter, or longer. Nothing is written in stone when it comes to mother natures decisions

Thats an impressive list of baits to pick from, using big baits will get strikes from bigger fish im sure of. But have you ever considered trying live bait when big bass hunting, like they do on The Big O? Now I know most of you fish tourneys and they dont allow live bait,... but if you are just out fun fishing for big bass on "such a lake", doesnt it ever cross your mind? I fished wilson and pickwick about 10 years ago with a aol chatroom outing, (was a blast) But most of the southern anglers used 55 gallon drums with a 750 gph bilge pump or bigger as a baitwell and a large throw net to catch live shad near the dams, then use the shad for stripers and smallies. I thought it sacreledge being a older t angler,....By the end of the week i bought a net and they taught me to use it, i put a few in my livewell and tried their livebait technique,..it worked well,.but i felt kinda funny fishing live baits for stripers in freshwater the same i do up here in salt, due to the size difference, using bass gear. for schoolie sized fish Is it that you prefer to use lures instead to fool them? Those stats on toledo bend are astonishing, I still want to fish it, maybe even more now. But,... It must be a bit more than overwhelming,... My hats off to you for attempting such a body of water as your "home" lake. Id love to try and figure out patterns out there. I imagine that would be a daunting task and a challenge I admire, and aspire to attempt. I also imagine that my small 16 ft deep v with a 40 hp would be at a disadvantage on such a lake.,. thinking more like a big fast multi species rig like the new ranger, new nitros, or champions version, would be ideal.,... waters that big must be a tough fish in the wind. limiting most to stick by the ramps on days when the wind kicks in the afternoon. Much like the great lakes and Champlain. Kudos to you that fish it, Im even more intrigued now that i read them stats,... thanks Catt, I now feel like the little kid banned from the candy store,....lmao,....just kiddin around.,.... I am impressed though

Its amazing to see in font how change is constant. I remember hearing the reports of those huge fish in Cali 20 years ago and wished I could go there and fish them. My bucket list of lakes back then were. Big O in fla, Conroe, Lake Fork, Castaic, Casitas, Lake of the Ozarks, Pickwick, (I love smallie fishing) and finally Toledo bend. Toledo must be one heck of a lake to still be producing the big bass that it does.

1. rapala fat rap 2. 3/8 oz jig and pig 3. manns classic spinnerbait 4. bomber long a 5. rebel pop-r