roadwarrior

Welcome aboard! I would guess either side of 7 lbs.

These are evidence of the first scouts sent to Earth to begin the invasion. Those "holes" are created by the landing supports for space probes from Krypton. When the Krytonites get out and walk around, they cause the dried mud to crack, hiding their tracks. Be alert! They are scouting the plains of Kansas for a suitable camp to begin to colonize the state. It is rumored that they formed a cell in Lawrence. From there they will spread to all corners of the planet. The aliens can blend into the human population. They call themselves "Jayhawks."

At the top of each Forum is a "Tacklebox" function. Inside the Tacklebox is a weight calculator. According to the BassResource calculator, 26" X 20" = 11.27 lbs.

Welcome aboard!

Excellent! Good luck in Alabama.

Congratulations! That's one nice bass.

Largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky bass. White bass, striper, black and white crappie, sauger, walley, blue catfish, flatheads and channel cats. All species of bream (blue gill). Some parts of the state also have trout. Then of course there are several species of non-game fish (carp, drum, gar and buffalo) plus a variety of baitfish (gizzard shad, threadfin and skipjack).

If it's not perfect, it's not good enough. When I fished braid I tied a Palomar Knot that never failed. No glue, nothing special, just a perfect knot.

avid, If your primary is focus is "no memory" braid will probably be your best choice. If you don't want to fish braid, I am sure you will find the Yo-Zuri Hybrid Utra Soft #6 (11.9 lb test) to be an excellent line for spinning tackle. In use, this line has very little memory and if it is properly spooled, it will not "jump" off your spool. Strong, highly abrasion resistant and user friendly.

Actually, it might belong in "Fishing Rods, Reel, Line, etc," but I think "Everything Else" is more appropriate for now. A little humor for a Friday afternoon is just what the doctor (or veternarian) ordered!

Well, I think there are two ways to fish the bait: For smallmouth I fish a GYCB Single Tail Hula Grub with a slow, steady retrieve and an occasional hop. I think this bait immitates a baitfish. For largemouth I fish the GYCB Double Tail Hula Grub which is more like a jig. I crawl this over rocks and let it sit for extended periods. This profile bares more resembalance to a crawdad.

Whew! I'm glad you got that off your chest.

Fish Chris, You da Man! But...I fished braid EXCLUSIVELY for striper for a couple of years and I don't fish it anymore because I didn't like it. Maybe I'm just looking at a very specific application, but fishing braid on a swift moving, big river did not work out for me even though I stuck with it and gave it an All American try. That said, because of YOUR strong endorsement, I'm going to spool it up on one rod and give it another try fishing other techniques. Thank you for addressing specific questions or comments. Your opinion is HIGHLY valued by me.

Also, go through all of the back pages in the Resume section. There are several detailed posts from sponsors (business men and women) with specific suggestions on how to go about getting sponsorship.

I fish live shiners with Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hooks #6 on a split shot rig. When using circle hooks, NEVER set the hook. These hooks slide up the throat or gullet and impale themselves in the fish's mouth, 95% of the time in the side of the jaw. Constant, steady pressure is what is required. Smallmouth almost always jump, but they rarely (never) throw a circle hook.

Welcome aboard!

The cadence is always a mystery, but once you find it, that is the only one to use that particular day. I usually start with a long sweep followed by a long pause, repeated back to the boat for 10-15 casts. Then I'll try a jerk-jerk-pause and vary the length of the pause. I have never had very good luck with a fast retrieve regardless of the water temperature. The most important element, I think, is the length of the pause and you just have to experiment with that until you catch a fish. When you are fishing jerkbaits it really helps to have a partner or two so you can all try something different. When someone catches a fish, everyone goes with that presentation. One more point, which may not pertain to bass: I fish jerkbaits for walley which are always found in schools, they hunt together. Specific colors matter. We all use different colors until we find one that works, but that is usually the ONLY ONE that works or it works MUCH better than any other color that particular day. This is one of the reasons (excuses) for having so many of these lures.

Man, that is a beautiful lake and there is an abundance of good fishing there, but without a guide it can be tough. Striper fishing isn't restrited to live bait, but this time of year catching usually is. Since that's not what you want to hear, this is my suggestion: Buy yourself a few Mann's 20+ and troll them out 100 yards or so from the bank in the coves and around points. The striper will be following suspending schools of shad in open water. This time of year they will not be relating to structure, just schools of baitfish.

Yeah, that's it...like four tires on your car and forty-six brand new spares!

********************** MODERATOR NOTE ************************** C'mon guys...Take a deep breath before responding here. I don't want to spoil the fun and I'm not taking sides, but we're getting a little too warm. So, before this turns into a fire, we need to kick it down a notch. Let's play nice. roadwarrior Global Moderator

Suggestion: When you are reading through all the threads here at BassResource.com, keep a note pad handy and make a list of the specific lures that guys are having a lot of success with around here. When you are shopping, stick to your list and save some money by NOT buying all that other stuff that just "looks good." Unless someone recommends a lure that is just red hot, I'm not buying anything new until I use some of the "new" stuff I have had for a few years. My little niche seems to be collecting suspending jerkbaits. I really like this class of lures, but I don't really have that many opportunities to use them. I have a box of Lucky Craft Pointers in all three sizes, Husky Jerks, X-Raps, Smithwick Rattl'n Rogues and a few floating Rogues. If that's something like fifty lures, maybe ten have ever been wet. So, before I buy another color or try another brand, I'm going to try to fish some of the "new" ones I already have.

Wayne, If you have a BPS that you shop, check the Lucky Craft section everytime you are there. Yhey often have an unadvertised, "in store" special. I picked up several Pointers a few months ago for around $7. Another Husky Jerk color that I have found to be particulary productive is the silver/blue (with a touch of orange).

Ditto...What Q said.

Welcome aboard! The most important part of fishing any lure is where you fish. One example would be casting parallel to the outside edge of a line of cover (vegetation) along the shoreline. That is a fairly common approach and should produce a few bass.

I fish out of Bull Shoals Boat Dock when I'm over on the White River is north central Arkansas. They have some "pet" carp that everyone feeds around the dock, I'm talking about hundreds year around. Some of these fish may weigh 50 lbs. Those suckers can get HUGE! Arkansas State Record: 80 lbs