river-rat

Have to agree. Bussey Brake has produced some monster bass since it re-opened.

The first thing I was taught when learning to bass fish as a kid was "find the food, find the bass". If there is an adequate amount of forage I don't think the water temperature makes that much difference.

I let my Bassmaster subscription go 3 years ago because at my age I'm kind of set in my ways when it comes to fishing (I'll be 71 in March). I don't discount new methods or techniques for catching bass. It's just that I've reached a point where I prefer to keep things very simple and just fish my strengths no matter where I happen to launch my boat.

Need to tag me also. I've seen the new Zoom product. I'll just stick to the Hawg Craw until I run out.

I use both the Zorro Aggravator or one I make myself.

I always have a rod rigged with a floating Rogue in the boat. Usually it's the gold/black back/orange belly (like Catt mentioned) or chrome/black back. I fish this on a 6 1/2' medium action rod with 12 or 14 pound test monofilament and use a Rapala loop knot.

I always use a rattle in a flipping tube. I like either the McCoy Tube Rattle or the Gene Larew Glass Rattle. I'll also use a rattle in plastic baits on occasion when fishing at night.

The Arbogast Mudbug is one of my all time favorites. I've been using them with great success since they first came out in the 1970's. Toledo Bend was the Mudbug capital of the world at one time and I still catch fish on them there and at Sam Rayburn. I also use them in the Mississippi River oxbow lakes I frequent. In my opinion, for what it's worth, the Mudbug is the best crankbait for cranking wood I've ever used. Thankfully I've still got a good supply. You can still find them on Ebay if your interested in purchasing more.

I use Hildebrandt blades exclusively. For Indiana Blades I'll use a #4 on a 3/8th oz. spinnerbait and a #4 1/2 on a 1/2 ounce lure.

I've been fighting something since December 1st. Got so bad I went to Urgent Care this past Sunday for treatment. However by this morning there was no improvement and went to my ENT. Got another shot and more meds. I'm hoping to get better in the next few days and get in a couple of trips on the water before Christmas.

I'm in total agreement with this statement. I'm out of the Ringworms and down to my last few Hawg Craws. Wish Gene Larew was still producing these.

If I have to choose one it would be a jig with a craw trailer. A flipping tube would run a close second.

Catt is 100% correct on this one. This Gene Larew 4" Salt Craw in this exact color has been and still is my #1 producer rigged Texas style or as a jig trailer in the Atchafalaya Basin and freshwater marshes in South Louisiana for 30+ years. I also have had success in most of the other lakes and oxbows I frequent. And I might add I never see anyone else using this.

Johnson Silver Minnow (with a trailer) Hildebrandt Snagless Sally (always with an Uncle Josh Pork Frog) Bagley Balsa B's (those made when Jim Bagley still owned the company) Fliptail Worms Smithwick Devil's Horse Heddon Baby Torpedo Johnny Rattler and the Hubs Chub Rattalur topwater baits

I've been using Bitter's lures for years and can vouch that you won't find anything better. I have not used the Keitech swimbait but I can't see it being better than Bitter's Naked Swimmer which I have used. I use the Salty Sling instead of the Senko. It holds up better than a Senko and the action is just as good. Really anything you purchase from Bitter's will be first class. And you can't beat the price.

These are the five I choose for the Atchafalaya Basin Spinnerbait Buzz Bait 1/2 oz. jig Flipping Tube Texas Rig - 1/4 oz. slip sinker and either a plastic worm, Gene Larew Salt Craw, or Ultra-Vibe Speed Craw A punch rig is always ready to go when the opportunity presents itself.

A hurricane can cause extensive fish kills if it goes over shallow water areas because the wind and wave action will stir up the bottom and that can cause all the dissolved oxygen in the water to be depleted. Hurricane Andrew went directly over the Atchafalaya Basin in 1992 and killed over 50 million fish of which it was estimated that 5 million were largemouths. Needless to say fishing was terrible for the next two years but by that third year bass catches of over 100 a day were common. There have been other fish kills after hurricanes here in south Louisiana over the years also but nothing compared to what we experienced after Hurricane Andrew. If there isn't a fish kill it usually takes a week or so for things to settle down and get back to normal after the water levels recede. On the other hand, in my much younger (dare I say more stupid) days I have fished up until the last minute possible before a hurricane and had some huge catches. I wouldn't try that today - too old and my wife and kids would probably do more damage to me than the storm.

At 70 years old I've checked off most things on my bucket list. With that being said there are two things I still want to do. Attend opening day for the St. Louis Cardinals - had this planned for 2020 but Covid got in the way. If everything goes as planned we will check this one off next year. Attend a World Series game in St. Louis. As you might suspect, I'm a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Depends on where I'm fishing. My families camp is 45 minutes from home where I go to stay when fishing the Atchafalaya Basin. There are 5 landings within 15-20 minutes from the camp. We also have a place on the Texas side of Toledo Bend. There are two landing less than 3 minutes from this place. Or if I decide to fish Sam Rayburn, I'm 30 minutes from two landings there. And I live in a subdivision that has an 85 acre lake with a concrete boat landing that I can launch my Skeeter - it takes me all of 2 minutes to get there.

Cypress trees and laydowns. Throw in some type of vegetation and I'm in heaven.

I don't think the Medlock Jig is made anymore. However, Gambler Lures makes their Double Weedguard Flipping Jig which is an exact duplicate. You can find them on Tackle Warehouse. Gambler Double Weedguard Flipping Jig

My grandfather was a Devil's Horse fanatic. This is what he taught me about adjusting the blades. I'll bend the blades slightly forward when I'm don't want the bait to move forward very much such as when the water is still cool in the spring or if the fish aren't real aggressive. If I want a more aggressive retrieve when the water is warmer and/or the fish are actively feeding, I'll bend them backwards so the bait moves farther. I also bend the blades so that one set rotates clockwise and the other rotates counter-clockwise. This helps to keep the bait from "rolling over" to one side during the retrieve.

I have dozens of Bagley Balsa B 2's dating back to the 1980's made before Jim Bagley sold out that I still have confidence in. I also use the Original Tennessee Shad crankbaits. They were originally made by Boots Anderson and he then sold out to Lonnie Warwick and Roy Winston. I still use these also. In the past 3-4 years I've also started using the Black Label Tackle balsa baits. They are a top quality lure.

I have used a SeaSense Trash Trapper for many years to place everything from water bottles, sandwich wrappers and everything else accumulated during the day. It's mounted on the side of the console of my boat. At the end of the day you can remove the bag and there is a zipper on the bottom to dump the contents out. There are several sites that sell them online. SeaSense Trash Trapper

I've got quite a few of the Hub's Chub Rattalurs in the large size. I can vouch that they are an exceptional topwater lure. I always carry several with me. I've had most luck on the solid black, gold, or shad colors. I've caught largemouths up to 8 pounds on these in the early spring when fish are just moving up. For some reason they have been particularly productive on Henderson Lake in south Louisiana. In fact there were a few tournaments on this lake years ago where the only thing you could use were Rattalurs. If you can find any I recommend giving them a try.