Mobasser

I fish very clear water, and mostly use 6lb mono or co poly line. I keep a casting rod on hand for topwaters. The light line handles good on my spin gear, and works perfectly for my smaller baits.

My biggest was on a blk/blue 7" Culprit worm. I dug out an old sack of them. Not a big fish, around 4lbs.

I'm hoping that 2026 is a good year for everyone here on BR. Remain healthy and strong.And of course, best of luck to everyone with your fishing in this coming new year.

I'm reminded of questions I asked here over the years. Some were off the wall things. How to dye pork rinds trailers, how to remove old grease from a reel, or old forgotten baits like the Pedigo Spinrite. Tom knew the answers to my questions every time.So many years of experience. He was a wealth of knowledge on all things bass fishing, and I'm sorry to hear of his passing. He was a teacher for many of us. RIP WRB.Your knowledge helped me become a better angler. I'm sure many members of BR would agree.

RIP Tom. We've all gotten better because of your knowledge. I'm shocked to hear this news. We will miss you here Tom.

Merry Christmas everyone!

In 1967 I was 10 years old. For Christmas that year, I received a Zebco 33 reel, mounted on a 5 1/2 foot fiberglass rod. I think it was one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received. Before this, I was a cane pole fisherman. The rod broke many years ago, but I still have the reel. When I hold it, I can still remember waking up Christmas morning, and my dad handing me my new rod and reel. His words were," here you go junior, now you can learn to cast, and catch a bunch of fish". I've given fishing related gifts to folks now for years. Did you ever receive a memorable fishing related gift for Christmas as a kid?

I read reviews on a reel that I'm thinking about buying. If I can, I like to handle them first, and check smoothness, action and size.

For years, I used bait casting gear for all my bass fishing, and, I still use it . Several years ago I started fishing a 7 acre quarry. The water is very clear in this lake. I started using spinning gear with 6 and 8 lb lines, and my catches improved a lot. Finesse is good in this scenario. It works great for clear water and sometimes spooky fish. My main baits are 4" plastic worms. I use Slider heads, and t rig, and adjust my weight depending on the depth I'm fishing. Smaller spinnerbaits can be good also, as well as inline( Mepps) style spinners. Best luck on your finesse fishing journey. It's loads of fun.

4 flights for me.

I fish clear water. I stay back and make longer cast to known bass hangouts. I avoid all boat noise, and try not to cast shadows over fish. Downsizing baits and casting with a quiet bait entry can help too.

I fully agree with A-Jay here. I was diagnosed as pre diabetic two years ago. I'm 68. I started a workout program at home, with a small barbell set, and also doing pushups, sit ups, and leg lifts. I exercise three evenings per week. It's made a huge difference for me. I've lost 16 pounds and feel lighter on my feet, and am moving quicker when I'm walking. I also don't tire out as easily. In A- Jays post, he says it's never too late to start, and this is very true. My goal is to lose another five pounds, and improve my overall body strength. I know I can reach this goal, and keep continuing to improve my health. It takes much determination, and a no quit attitude. A- Jay, your post have inspired me to do this. Thank you sir.

Good post Pat. I've struggled with cold water fishing also. It takes all the patience you've got, because for me, the strikes come at a slow rate. I've struck out many times. I have a friend that's a conservation officer and a good bass fisherman. His advice is to fish during the warmest part of the day and fish deeper, and slower. I have caught a few bass in cold water by downsizing baits and dead sticking. There's been some big fish caught in cold water, and it's tough. I think slow retrieve is the key. Good luck.

In high school ( early 1970s) I took a speed reading course. Basically, the course taught how to read through a paragraph and get the main idea, at a fast rate. You learned how to do this with pages also. The course was meant to be helpful in schoolwork. I'm still an avid reader. I read every night before bed, and in between times also. My favourite topics are anything about fishing, military history, and outdoors related topics. Are you a reader? If so, what are your favourite topics?

Mike, I love this car. Mine are exercising, reading, and family.

One of the best late summer, early fall fishing experiences I've had has been walking the banks of a pond and casting a Rebel Crickhopper.The small Crickhopper catches most everything. I've used various colors of these baits, and generally try to match the color of the grasshoppers I see. In 2024, Rebel introduced some of these lures with a matte finish. The finish is dull, with no sheen. I haven't tried these matte finish baits yet, and the ones I've used are the standard shiny finish. I remember reading years ago that some folks lightly sanded topwater lures to achieve a full finish, and reported an increase in strikes on surface lures. The concept is that a shiny topwater lure can reflect light, and look unnatural to bass. Has anyone tried any matte finish baits, or have you purposely dulled topwaters with an increase in surface strikes?

Mine are continue to keep working on being healthy. Continuing to learn more about deep structure fishing, and spend some more time focusing on beating my PB with a big fish.

The small ultralight size Rebel craw will catch everything. I use a light spin rod with four pound line. I use the standard brown craw colors, and have caught many bass and panfish on these baits.

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Hoping for the best possible outcome for you. Your positive attitude will carry you through.

I agree with Dwight here. Use the tackle your most comfortable with. Modern spinning reels have excellent drags, and we have many choices in lines to use. You can practice with your casting gear, and become better at it. But if you can use your spinning gear without problems, I'd stick with that, and keep catching fish. Good luck

I'm retired now, but I help a friend a couple of days a week with a small contracting business. He recently signed a contract with a company that owns three apartment complexes, to do some repairs and general maintenance work. Our first job last week was to walk a 24 unit complex and check all the smoke alarms. We were to replace any batteries that needed replaced, and also replace any outdated or non functioning alarms. In the one bedroom apartments there are two alarms. The two bedroom apartments have three. In 24 apartments, we found 17 non working alarms. The biggest thing was if an alarm started to chirp, people just took it down. The chirping sound is a sign of a low or dead battery. It's such a simple thing to pop in a new battery, or even replace an alarm that's outdated. The maintenance man who works this property was put on a 30 day reprimand. I'm surprised he was allowed to keep his job. If you suspect your smoke alarms are not working correctly, check them out. A fire marshal in Kansas City told me to replace the batteries twice a year. A fire can start in many different ways. Try to keep your smoke alarms working as they should. You'll sleep better at night, and you could help save lives too.

Mike, I know it can be hard, but don't let ride people bother you. I drove in to KC for over 30 years each morning and encountered a lot of rude drivers on the roads. Now, I don't have that problem anymore. People seem uptight these days. But there's no excuse for acting stupid . Don't let guys like this ruin your day . You did the right thing.

These look great.

The very first bass I ever caught on a jig was on an Arkie bucktail jig. Solid black with a black #11 pork frog trailer. That was almost 40 years ago. I was fishing shallow, and had cast the jig next to a blow down when I felt a good tap and caught a 15" bass. Id been trying very hard to hook a fish on a jig, but hadn't connected. I think hair jigs are under utilized by most bass fisherman. These days, almost everyone uses rubber or silicone jigs. The fish don't change, but fisherman do. We're always looking for the latest hottest thing, but we probably already have the best. Hair jigs are an example of this.

It's your personal preference. I've always liked cork.