PhishLI

Ah. So you're that kid who threw rocks at the short bus.

Dah, not a thing, except to have certain types live a in delusion where they think they're the betters of others, then attempt to brow beat them into submission. Weak people who get a hold of power often behave horribly with it, and much of this social media junk has empowered a ton of them to be their worst selves. Meanwhile, they don't have an original thought in their heads, have never really read history, but think every crackpot-of-the week idea is a good one. But this is old news. If a murderous authoritarian despot can be transformed into Good ole Uncle Joe in the early 40s with not much more than am radio, then anything's possible now. Which are written by people. I agree. I don't really see this place and my other hobby forum as social media, but more like an elective club meeting, and it sticks to the point which is just how I like it. I'm extremely disinterested about what might be in someone's head other than the topic of this hobby. Who's truth? And as @A-Jay has alluded to, if you get the unvarnished truth, then what? What do you do with it? Wind yourself up? Pop a sticker on your bumper? Get an ulcer? Un-friend your second cousin? What? You can only hope for the best and do your best, and in the limited capacity you have for actually doing anything at all. My purpose now is to make our house as magical a place for my granddaughters as my grandparent's house was for me. Firm, but full of love. Oh, and keep the lights on and go fishing, but most everything else is just white noise, or it might as well be. Sounds like you're doing the same for your grandson, and good for you.

It's entirely possible that you have, but it just takes time and especially the right timing. Don't be too hasty to write it off given the elements you've described. Skill and intuition are valuable assets, but the good fortune of being there at the right time is part of the equation. Where big fish are concerned, luck is part of this game whether it's haphazard luck or the good luck you make by following your gut. I'm rooting for you.

LOL. In my section of this island 19 fish in a sesh would be considered a day of days. While we do have backwaters way out east where this is a normal day, the risk of coming out covered with 30 ticks is a real thing. Deer ticks carrying Lyme and Lone Star ticks transmitting cooties causing Alpha-gal syndrome isn't something I'm willing to mess with. People I know have been infected by both, and it can be awful. Out my way 8 solid keepers is a bonanza, so I can't feel sad along with you! You're doing great! I seriously doubt you're dealing with a stunted population. Where those exist around here the fish are quite a bit smaller than what you've been showing. Fully mature, but stuck at around 12". I think you're just dealing with normal odds, meaning big ones are there, but because they're low in number you're simply less likely to encounter them. I advise that you mix in some 4"-6" slim bodied swimmers into your rotation for your last few trips. Work them low and slow for the fish that are unwilling to come up top, or to hit worms on the fall. A Megabass Hazedong Shad 4.2" rigged on an Owner Twistlock Light 5/0 3/16oz hook will get bigs to eat if they're set up in ambush points, and is easily thrown on your spinning gear. Super weed less too when rigged this way. A Berkley Champ Swimmer 4.5" rigged on the 6/0 version of that hook is another great option. I've caught a few slobs on both and other similar types in these water temps working them as I've described. MB Hazedong Shads, top two left Champ Swimmers, top 3 right

When I texted my buddy last week and told him the trout had been stocked he replied with his traditional answer "The party's over". For the first two weeks after stocking the trout tend to stay grouped up in one area. Usually on a shallower north end. Bait gets chased out and scattered, and the bass have easier pickings. My friend has been skunked for at least 3 weeks after each stocking at this particular lake over the past 6 years. I've had better luck, but not great at all. I got there just as the rain began at 10:30. Things weren't going well for the first 2+ hours throwing several trout imitators. Couldn't find any bait tight to shore, and the trout occasionally breached the surface on the north end. I heard my first big killshot at around 1 am. Sounded like a big pickerel ate something. Chucked a BBZ-1 floater near the kill zone and got a solid 3 lber to t-bone it. Couldn't fit my gripper in to grab it, so I bit down and lipped it. Total PIA to get the hooks out, and in the end it did the crazy shake, flopped onto the ground, then flapped back into the drink. One more taker on the BBZ1 that shook off in the pads, and no more takers on that bait. 20 minutes later the north end lit up with killshots. A wave of bass rolled in to slam trout. It was nuts. Crazy tail slaps and trout flying out of the water from one shore to the other. It was like a switch had been turned on. Tried the trout baits, but no bueno. I went back to my trusty Livingston wake and got 2 more to eat, but by then it was 2:30 am, I'd beaten the skunk, and I was soaked through enough for one night. No bigs, but I got some tugs.

Whoa! Beneath that leathery exoskeleton there beats a heart of gold? Who knew? I'm verklempt.

I wondered the same thing, but I can imagine there are bigger problems for them with this economy.

If you want a 13 with drag-out alarm, then wait for the new Inception G2 to ship on Dec.1st. Gerald Swindle used the prototypes last season on the Elite tour. Aluminum frame. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/13_Fishing_Inception_G2_Casting_Reels/descpage-13G2.html I really like the discontinued Omen Black 2 7'3" MHF, so I'm giving the 7'4' MHF Meta casting rod a chance during the black Friday sale..

Occasionally I do a vintage only trip with some of my mid 70s to early 80s Daiwa/Shimano/Ryobi stuff. I've kept it all, and refurb'd them with whatever was necessary to bring them up to snuff. Thank you fleabay. I've learned to never bring anything modern with me when I use this stuff though. By comparison, even a modern $20 cheapie blister-pack spinner makes my old stuff feel pretty clunky. If I only bring the old stuff I'm able to suspend disbelief after a minute or so, and tune out whatever they aren't. Sometimes it's neat to catch fish on gear I used when I was 12.

Yup. It's nothing that I'll bother with usually, but I was already in gear, so I stuck it out for a bit. Not a sniff as expected. Hopefully the swarms will get them out quickly then vamoose, and leave enough for the big ones to fatten up. I'm withya, sista. It's one of the perks of fishing at night. Other than my circle, it's very rare to see others specifically bass fishing at night, thankfully. Most people get their souls crushed bass fishing around here during the day, so I guess it never occurs to them to try the night shift.

That's sad for them, and me too. Solid people, and they've been a great resource. Is there anyplace out there like them for Daiwa parts?

I've been running 15lb Tatsu on a Zillion G/ARK Essence 7'6MHF for the past several months. It does what it's supposed to. Unlike most of the other brands I've tried it doesn't seem as willing to spring off the spool as easily in colder temps. We'll see what's what after it gets really cold here. However, it's pretty stretchy. Enough that with drag adjustments I've been throwing shallow cranks on that rig a lot and rarely lose fish doing so. Ultimately, it's an interesting option to have, and I'll be happy to use it more often once the weeds die back. That said, for me, I'm too accustomed to the feedback I get using straight braid. It's rare I have anything less than a semi-slack line anyway, and I feel like I'm in control of the hook's point to a far greater degree, especially when I get bit on the end of a long cast with single hook baits, which happens a lot.

No scale on hand. Looks like it though. That place has 15"-16"ers in it, so I guess it's possible when they're well fed. There are massive schools of white perch there, so they eat well. That one is actually my buddy's. He's pretty good. I made the mistake of peeling off to another lake not knowing it had just been stocked with 12"-14" brown trout earlier that day. I didn't attempt to count the greedy trout googans encircling the place. They were everywhere. They get a limit, stash it in their cars, then come back for more. The bass are spooky at this lake to begin with, so it was a fool's errand for me to stay. I tried anyway to no avail, even though it was a chitshow of lures and bobbers hitting the water. I would've been better off just going home and polishing my hood ornament.

Try a swim bait next time? Wednesday night

...and just like fluorocarbon, she took years off my life.

Calogero?

LOL Smart. You'd just bring down some bad juju on yourself.

Direct to the clip. No swivel. These are my favorite. Nothing sticks out to snag weeds.

ALL net. No rim! Awesome boat flip!

I know for a fact that while wading out on flats, and being been able to quickly clip on a follow up bait, I've caught just-missed fish or followers because of the speed of clipping on instead of retying. Then you're a knot tying madman! I can't cut off a bait and re-tie in 3 seconds. Too old, I reckon. Don't ban me, Bro!

The vast majority of the fish I've caught over the past several years came on baits clipped to either a #1 or #2 VMC Touch-Lok snap. I purposefully choose single hooks that will allow the clasp to fit through the hook's eye. Check your plastic lines as usual, then retie. I've had clips tied to straight braid for months at a time. With all the ways you can modify the action of a lure by retrieve rate, etc, who's to say what the right action actually is? I've had enough great days to conclude that I'll take my chances with clips. The convenience and speed of not retying, especially while wading/fishing in the dark, is something I won't give up.

That's impossible. Depends on the food. I might let the ketchup on steak thing slide if I was digging the vibe, but if she ordered a liverwurst and head cheese sandwich I'd do the bathroom break thing and jump out the window.

@Catt's going to be heartbroken.?

Yup, and then there's an entire SB subculture.

And this KGB crappie is cool too, and xxxxx is cool, and on and on it goes! Next thing you know... That's called "The dirty dangle".