IYAOYAS

If there is spotted bass in your lake Chrome and white are great colors. They love bold flashy colors.

Some days it's like that. As the old saying goes, "Some days you're the windshield. Some days you're the bug."

This is the best event I've watched this year! Ike is making BASS live great again!

Where I'm from we call that a floating worm rig and yes it is one of my favorite ways to catch post spawn bass. Matter of fact I literally just got through tying one on for a tournament I have in two days. I'll add another dimension. I only use two colors for a floating worm. Merthiolate if the water is kinda dirty and bubble gum if it is more on the clear side. I have used yellow before but it is the least producing color of the three for me.

Owner and VMC for me. VMC redlines are pretty good hooks.

The riveter. I bought one the other day and used it straight out of the package. It worked like a champ! Definitely gonna get some more of those.

What is your preferred method for breaking in buzzbaits? Fan? Tied to your truck antenna? Hold it up in front of you while your wife yells at you? Seriously though how do you guys and gals do it? Also I'm trying to get a concensus here as to how long you should spin a buzzbait before you consider it "broke in" or do you even worry about it? I usually spin mine in a fan taped to the top of a box for 6-8 hours. My buddy says it needs about a week tied to the truck antenna. How long is just right for you?

If that's what people want to spend their money on I guess? Far be it from me to question purchases. Bad financial decisions is my middle name.😂

Bass Pro's XPS glides for cheap baits that are still built pretty well. The swerve and the boss(which is basically a S waiver copy) are 9.99 to 19.99 apiece.

I live on a herring lake. The fluke is king until they go out to their summer haunts.

Yeah they had me going for a minute! I was going through my head trying to remember if I'd left any contraband in the boat. LOL just kidding.

Thank you although it is definitely not about affirmation or recognition. I am just trying to give back a little of what I got from programs like this before I had my own boat. Got 2 more events this week and then I'm done for a month. Stay tuned!

never heard or thought of using a bit of wesson on it. Thanks I'll try that as well.

I'll give that a try and see what happens.

Got a Rapala 110 claptail the other day and I can't get it to run right at all. Medium Moderate rod, 10:1 retrieve Abu Red Rocket( but I adjust speed as needed) 30 pound Seaguars smackdown braid. No matter how fast or slow I fish it, the stupid thing just rolls over, and over, and over, Speed it up it rolls more slow it down, the tail stops plopping. I can't figure out why it's doing that. I fish a plopper and choppo all the time no issues.

I use the uni and the double uni. Think I may switch to the alberto for line/leader though as the double uni sometimes hangs up in my rod guides.

Fished a tourney yesterday. The weightless fluke and the buzzbait were the allstars but I pulled a fish off the bed with a ned rig and the mayor also caught a couple.

I made mention of that in the comments section of one of those review videos and the Shimano fanboys almost tar and feathered me and tried to run me out of town on a rail. lol It was sad to see so many people so close minded and unable to think anything other than what their favorite brands tell them to think.

I like a Rapala DT.

I used one on a dropshot under docks yesterday and couldn't even get a nibble.

Great minds think alike!👊

I use Seaguar Abrazx or Red label for leaders. I haven't had any issues. Some people may call me crazy but I SWEAR red label has got to be at least 20 or 30% stronger than what it's rated for. I swear I think my reel would break before red label will snap. lol Also abrazx I can drag across a field of concertina wire and it wouldn't get a single knick. What I am trying to say I guess is that I am a total Seaguars fanboy. 😁

This was the first event of the year for Operation North State a 501C3 charity that takes vets fishing in a "Tournament" format for free. 36 boat field this morning and the weather was beautiful. Day started off pretty wild though. I came down to the ramp after getting my partner and I looked. WHERE'S MY BOAT? I'm sure I left it right here! About that time an Iredell County Sheriffs deputy (they help with the logistics of the derby) walks up and says" Is that your boat out there? He points off in the distance. I look out and see my poor little Stratos strapped to the side of a 700HP twin engine beast with IREDELL COUNTY SHERIFF on the side of it. I stammered "UMM, yes? What happened? Did it float away?" He laughed "No we had a medical emergency coming in and your boat was the easiest to move out of the way. We called for you but it was so crowded you didn't hear it I guess. We'll pull it back up and you can have it back. LOL He waved the waiting boat over and the boat holding mine captive pulled up next to the one already tied to the dock and I had to walk through two the the Sheriff boats to get to mine like we used to in the Navy. OK On to fishing. We took off to a bridge that has dredge barges parked next to the rip rap around the corner that usually produces. I put on a bladed jig. 3RD cast BAM! A spotted bass smacked and I set the hook. Pulled him to the boat and he flopped off right before I could swing him in. Cast again BAM! This time I get him all the way to the boat and he throws the hook as I am waiting for my partner to net him at the side of the boat. Well crap. Switch baits. Went to a Spybait. 2nd cast BAM get him in the boat on my new BFS rig I am using for the first time out. YAY! He's over 14 Into the livewell he goes. We work our way down the barges picking up lots of small fish but managing 3 keepers before trolling to the little marina at the back of the cove. I switch to a weightless fluke and horse our biggest fish of the day out from under a dock. 2.25 pounds. That's 4. My partner drags one off the next dock barely a pound but he's over. That's 5 We continue our way around the cove and I see a bass on the bed gaurding fry. I throw a ned rig with a z dude Fuzzy Nugget I have been wanting to try and just let it sit in his bed. He picks it up and he is in the boat. He's big enough but he won't help. Back in the water little guy! 11:30 We pull the trolling motor and head to a place called the big island. It's fairly windy and churned up from traffic so I tie on what I have discovered may be the best buzzbait I have ever used, the Berkley Riveter. I toss it over submerged brush and trees that are just under the surface and absolutely smash them. 6 fish down the bank of the island with the buzzer. I cull up once and that was all. My partner is catching fish switching between a white roostertail and a swimbait on a swimbait head. We finish at the island and by this time it is 1245 and we have to be back at 1:30 pm. So we made a quick run up to stumpy creek which was very crowded and turned around and just opted to fish the cove next to the ramp for the next 30 minutes or so. Caught a couple small ones but nothing exciting and so we finally came in at 1:15 weighed our fish which went 5 for 8.96 pounds and took 5th place overall. Big fish went 4'7 and winning bag was just over 13. My partner who is not a bass fisherman at all said he had a great time learning something new and he thanked me for donating my time and gas for the day to make sure he had fun! Now I'm home reaching for the icepack and the aleve and somewhere upstairs I hear a bed calling my name. Nite nite see you folks later!

LS Lures makes a morning dawn offering in pretty much every jig they make. I got a swim jig, flipping jig and two finesse jigs in MD from him at the bassmaster classic. You can see them on the right side next to the shirt's logo. Have yet to try them but I'm excited! Especially for the finesse jigs being a spotted bass guy.

I use the Fuji EZ keepers as well. By far the best offering I've seen yet.