roadwarrior

1. Live bait, split shot rig 2. Soft plastics, weightless 3. Soft plastics, weighted But my favorite technique is fishing jerkbaits.

1 & 2 The Lindner brothers 3. Rick Clunn If the question were "4", Bill Dance has been important for me, too.

The size of the mouth just varies a lot. This fish looks like a healthy largemouth to me, too.

During the winter I do NOT downsize. In still water, <12', I fish Fat Ika and 6" Senkos weightless. Deeper and/or moving water, Kreature, Kut-Tail and big tubes all T-rigged with a bead, unpegged. Other soft plastic options I would consider are grubs and Hula Grubs. This winter I am going to focus on jigs with trailers and a drop shot rig using a big tube on structure in deep water. I have already started this program and although I have only caught a few bass at my ponds, they have all been 5 lbs or better. I'm fishing mostly 1/2 oz jigs with GYCB crawdad trailers and the Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tube. One more observation: I have submitted posts on this forum stating that I am not a big fan of attractants, but lately I have been using up an old tube of MegaStrike and all my fish have been caught using this attractant. Hmm?

GobbleDog, You have to get the bite before you can worry about landing the fish. It's not just about visibility, line size has a huge effect on lure action. Although I don't think largemouth are line shy, smallmouth are, especially in clear water. Spining tackle is always my choice with light line, the drag system on a quality spinning reel allows you to another site. All of my finesse fishing is done on spinning tackle and #4 or #6 Yo-Zuri line.

In Mr. Hayes' case, he still has the mounted fish!

I fish #4 & #6 Yo-Zuri on spinning tackle without any strength issues, but I fish structure not cover.

1. Three-way tie: Clunn, Dance, Linder 2. Takahiro Omori 3. Larry Nixon

2005 has been my best fishing year. My partner and I caught a total of forty-four smallmouth over 5 lbs. I caught my personal best smallmouth, largemouth, walley and brown trout this year. Summer fishing was good for numbers, but this is the first year that no one on our boat landed a 20 lb striper. New techniques for me have been eye opening. I very rarely fish crankbaits, but because of many posts here at BassResource.com I caught my PB on a crankbait in September. I have always known that jigs were a big fish lure, but I never really fished them until this year and have just recently started catching big bass on jigs. Spinnerbaits are a category I once fished, but hadn't in many years. Again, it was the posts here that got me back to this class of lures. My newest experiment is drop shotting. I fished this technique a few years ago when it was just getting some publicity, but never caught any big fish so I stopped. Well, I'm back. My biggest producer for 2005 was the GYCB Fat Ika, especially for largemouth over 5 lbs. Number two overall, but number one during the summer, Micro Munch El Gordo tube. Jerkbaits have been my very best lure for other species. I caught my PB smallmouth (on artificials), some very nice brown trout and my PB walley on these lures. As a sidenote, in most categories I fish one brand almost exclusively, but with jerkbaits I fish several successfully: Rapala Husky Jerk & X-Rap, Lucky Craft Pointer & Staysee and Rattlin' Rogues. Two other surprises that worked for me when the usual suspects weren't, Roboworms and GYCB Kreature. And finally, referring to the "usual suspects", they have been soft plastics for a number of years. I tried to get away from the Senko and Kut-Tail this year, but when the bite slows, these are still my go-to baits. Next year I'm going to put the Fat Ika in the penalty box for awhile. That isn't advice for anyone, I just want to focus on some different lures and techniques. 2006 is about jigs and drop shotting on structure in deep water fishing for big bass only.

Kudos to IGFA! They have done the right thing and I think Bassmaster magazine deserves a lot of the credit for documenting the real story. Glenn has the press release on the HOME page, but here are the bullet points: * The official World Record smallmouth bass will be recognized as 11 lbs 15 oz * 27" long and 21 2/3" girth * Caught by David Hayes * July 8, 1955 * Dale Hollow Lake

Here is another twist, especially for bank fishermen. I have been fishing a pond that has almost no cover, it's structure only. The water has cleared dramatically and the water is heavily fished. Maybe these are not the best conditions for fishing a jig and maybe that is why I have not been catching a lot of fish. However, if you are willing to spend the time, big fish are there. I have been fishing ledges and transition, a rocky point and a couple of deep pools just off an old creek channel. The key I think has been a slow presentation in or near deep water. I have had success with black neon, black & blue and yesterday a white jig and a GYCB white with silver flake single tail grub. Although I have only caught a few fish during my twenty-five hours of "jig practice", all the bass caught were 5+ lbs. I have fished early and late without a bite. All my fish have been caught between 10:00 AM and about 3:45 PM. I have not had a bite "swimming" a jig. All bites occured imitating a crawdad, slow, on the botom and climbing rocks. Four were caught using a G.Loomis MBR844C/ Shimano CTE200GT and 15 lb P-Line. Yesterday I fished a St.Croix Legend Elite/ Shimano Sustain 2500 and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid. I'm not Mr. Jig, just sharing some recent experience.

Be sure it is legal in the state you are fishing. If it is, then fishing bluegill is just another option. I know a lot of people don't fish live bait and that's fine, but I consider it an option. I like "catching" better than "fishing". I fish many different ways for various species at many different places, lakes, rivers and ponds. Where you are, how you are going to be fishing, who you are with and what you are fishing for dictates the method if you are a recreational fisherman. If I can find the fish I can usually catch a few.

I'm thinking the Nashville area. Close to a real city with all the things you and your wife like and might need, but short access to a tremendous river (Cumberland), awesome lakes ( Dale Hollow, Old Hickory, Percy Priest, etc.) and a mild, four season climate. The Tennesse River and the reserviors created by the river system are within reasonable driving disitance. If you want a getaway to big largemouth waters in Florida and Texas, your starting point is a least close to the middle of the region. This is an option I'm looking into.

Big? Dec.7 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian wildlife officials captured a six-meter-long Anaconda that was resting on a farm in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais after it swallowed a 330 pound calf, BandNews channel reported. The snake was motionless in a shed at the farm, digesting the calf when it was found, BandNews said. It took seven men to lift the snake onto a truck to remove it from the farm. The television station broadcast video of the speckled brown snake, its middle bulging from its meal, being hoisted into the truck. The reptile expelled the dead calf during transportation and was released in the Parnaiba River after being examined, BandNews said. So, if you plan to fish for peacock bass on the Parnaiba River, you'll probably want to have someone bring along a weapon. I would hate to kill a snake that big and that old, but I wouldn't like to get to close to it either.

I am a big fan of guns and other weapons, but I do NOT carry on a boat. #1 I have never been and have never known anyone who has been accosted on the water. Perhaps threatened, but retreat has always been an option. I will not show a gun unless I plan to use it. #2 Snakes can be dealt with with a stick, paddle or rock. I think you are just asking for trouble bringing a gun into play. I have had a couple occasions where I have had to deal with a big, aggressive water moccasin but it didn't require a gun. #3 The question you should answer is this: Am I safer with or without a gun on board? However you answer should determine what you need to do.

He was lost and now he's found! Pretty cool changes, huh? We were afraid you had been swallowed whole by the Bait Monkey. Good to hear you are all right. Have you been catching any fish?

WOW! Look who's back.

My main fishing buddy recently started doing a little guiding. He is pretty well known on the Tennessee River, but most importantly he has a lot of friends that are guides. They ask him to come aboard and help them with overflow. He has a new Bay Ranger, furnishes G.Loomis and St. Croix rods, Shimano Stella reels, Yo-Zuri Hybrid line and Gamakatsu hooks. He quarantees his clients will catch fish or no charge. He guides for striper and smallmouth only and fishes live bait. His charge is $300 plus bait if his clients fish store bought shiners vs. wild yellowtail. He fishes sun-up to black dark or however long his clients want. There are no half day price breaks. Tips generally range from $100-$200. The key to getting started for him has been referrels, but once they fish his rig, they're hooked. Plus, he just guides because he likes to, he doesn't need the money, he owns River City Masonary. So far he only guides during the week because I fish Saturday!

Go to page two in this section, "Renting a Guide"

Tea is not exactly what I had in mind. When I lived in Colorado some friends of mine use to ice fish. Funny thing was, they never caught any fish. Come to think of it, they never took any rods or tackle with them. Hmmm?

I have seen guys fishing the Cabelas design on the White River. They appeared to spend most of their time messing with the boat. It appeared to me that they were really using the boat to transport them from spot to spot, then getting out (with waders) to fish. It sure didn't look like something I would be interested in, but I have not actually fished from one. Something else to consider and I have this problem with a kayak I fish out of: You are very restricted. You can't stand up and can only fish straight ahead. Wind? I guarantee that will be a huge issue. I would recommend sticking with a john boat or the small version of a traditional pontoon boat.

Welcome RoLo! First day, first post...

Maybe this isn't exactly an answer, but this is a specific example of why you might not want to stay at one spot too long: Last summer I was fishing late afternoon and early evening at Bull Shoals. We were fishing for smallmouth/ walley with jerkbaits over rocky primary points. My guide and several of his guiding buddies had been wearing them out with specific colors on specific structure, so we kinda knew the pattern. We both caught largemouth, Kentucky, white bass and smallmouth (my biggest ever on a Pointer), but we were really after walley and fished several points fast, then moved on to another. Now, I wasn't too jazzed about leaving fish, but on the otherhand, we were not killing them. Low and behold, at about the fifth or sixth stop we hit paydirt. Man, when we found the fish they were in a feeding frenzy. It only lasted about forty-five minutes, but the action was awesome. My point is that the fish were all concentrated on one point, not similar points that might represent a pattern. Run and gun was the key to success and I assure you, this was not an isolated incident. You have to find where the fish are to catch them.

I have been fishing Senkos for about seven years. I have fished them every way I know of, every method I have ever read about. I consider the Senko a "magic bait" although not quite as magical as they were a few years ago. My experience has led me to fish the 6" version, weightless and Tex-posed. (Doesn't T-rigged technically include a weight?). Anyhow, I fish all of the GYCB products and understand most if not all of the many ways to fish them, but for me, I generally fish each bait with a specific rigging. Most of my biggest largemouth bass have been caught on 6" Senkos, weightless and weedless. That's how I fish them and that's how I will be fishing them in the future.

kbj3579, I believe L.D. wrote that he had a set for twenty years! My Guide Wear was brand new last year, but it looks brand new right now. I washed both bibs and jacket for the first time last weekend (My wife said I smelled like fish?). No problems so far. No signs of wear whats-so-ever. I really think durability will not be an issue. As far as comfort and practicality, mine are uninsulated and when combined with long underwear, suitable for a fairly wide range of temperatures. Early I may still wear a coat, but that is no big deal either. 100% waterproof, blocks the wind and breaths. So, I'm a big fan!