SPEEDBEAD.

Shoulda just yelled, "Get off my hump, Hottle!"

Makes sense.

It's even more painful to imagine that somewhere, out there, another being is asking how to fish a senko or if the Helicopter Lure is worth the money....

How does one disprove it?

Just an update. I lost a big fish last weekend because the hook didnt disengage from the pocket. I was told that pinching the barb down on the hook that goes into the hook pocket will help the hook release on a fish. Would have liked to hold that fish. Big.

If it's a fish worth setting the hook on, I cross their eyes after that first tap. If I'm fishing a fluke where I can see it, I'll wait sometimes if I can see the hit.

I dont know about survival rates after bass are released but I GUARANTEE that the survival rate is higher in bass that hit water vs bass that hit oil.

Buy what you want with your money. It's simple. If I can afford something I deem "worth it" then it's no concern of yours. What I am a huge opponent of is people who buy/use expensive gear and flaunt the cost around to someone who may not be able to afford it. On the flip-side, those folks who may not be able to afford some of the higher-end gear calling those that can "dumb" or anything similar is equally asinine.

Probably a 4" Zoom finesse worm for smallest. Largest is probably the Hinkle. 11", 9.5oz

My first Gen Revo STX reels look just like that. You're fine IMO.

I hear ya man. I'm not actively pursuing the record necessarily, just the biggest fish that I have access to. I firmly believe I have two lakes local to me (at least, maybe a couple more) that possess DD fish at certain points of the year. I have seen one fish in one of these lakes that I'd put a paycheck on it being 10 or slightly larger. So, they are here. The main issue with a lot of northern guys is they are not actually fishing for THE big fish. They fish for 5 fish, they fish to catch something. Some guys will get "lucky". They don't commit to learning the water as it applies to the apex bass, studying where big fish should be and at what time of the year they should be there. They do not broaden their fishing base to include techniques that put you in a position to catch true trophy bass (comparable to your area). That's cool if that's what they are into, it's just not for me. I will happily forego 3, 4, 5lb fish in lieu of catching something truly noteworthy. Like I said before. If you're not aiming high, you're gonna miss low.

Saw this thread yesterday and been waiting on a fatty pic since. Let's see it!

It's superglue. Lasts as long as it's gonna last, I don't know. LOL

I'll respectfully disagree with you there. Our state record is 11-3 and I'm gunning for 10 every outing. If you don't aim high, you're gonna miss low every time.

LOL, no you're not.

You can get them on sale from places this weekend for around $15 or so and if you take advantage of the program Savage is running on here where you write a review and get two baits free, I'd say it's definitely worth it. Even on its own at $15, it's worth it IMO. It's got a different swim to it, and I can see it really shining if you are on a reaction bite down there because it works well at a faster speed than I'd fish a Hudd or Rising Son. The hook pocket thing? Eh. No worries. I'm so used to glueing hooks into soft baits to keep them there that it's not really a concern.

It would be all over for me once I started seeing muskies. Nice fish man.

Try the floating Savage Gear Line Thru. Nice tail kick, can be fished as is or weighted to sink very slowly and it has a top hook to keep weeds off. How much water do you guys have over top of the weeds you are fishing?

Looks a little light.

Jimmy Carter. I've met him once, at a rest stop in Virginia when I was just a small kid. The Secret Service snatched my mom's camera when she tried to take a picture of him on the sidewalk. She started to cry and Carter's wife admonished the agent right there in front of everyone. I was allowed to pose with both Jimmy and his wife for pics after that. Pretty cool childhood memory. He also frequented a certain stream in PA, not sure if he still does or not. He was/is an avid flyfisherman.

Good job Carl. Glad to see you're on them.

Don't limit the Hardgill solely to edges. The SS bait is very slow falling and easily worked over brush piles, emergent weeds, laydowns, etc. I typically use a fast-creep-rip over visible cover. End of the cast, I'll crank fast to get it going up to the cover, slow down and creep over the top of the cover and then when approaching the outside edge give it a rip and kill it. If it doesn't get crushed at that point, I'll start the creep again paying attention to any followers that may have started tracking the bait. Followers are a whole other story. You're on your own there. LOL

LOL, ain't gonna lie, I thought it might be a little bigger. I'm just happy to have broken 8 finally. Kinda glad it pushed so far past 8 too. Gives me even more motivation to up it. I've been on a pretty good run the last few years, hooking and landing a PB in each. I know there are fish in a couple places I fish that are bigger but now I gotta find them.

Good luck on the river after all this rain. That could get dangerous.

Save your money. Swimbaits don't work.