Big Hands

I saw the video late last night. That was very touching, but also hard to see him so tore up like that. I have thought about them several times today. I hope his prayers are answered.

I have a few 2500 size reels. All have 10# braid and use leaders of mono or fluorocarbon in #6 or #8. Braid to leader Pros: 1) Casts well 2) No line twist issues 3) Increased sensitivity 4) Not losing much off the spool just to add a leader, while quite a bit of leader material gets used. 5) Not affected as much by wind for a specific strength line. 10# mono is much thicker than 10# braid, so it doesn't have as much wind resistance (and I haven't had much issue with 'wind knots') 6) Little to no stretch Braid to leader Cons: 1) Generally more expensive 2) Not as durable (abrasion resistant) on wood & rocks 3) Tying on leaders takes time and adds knots/complexity to the setup 4) Knots themselves are generally more complex and time consuming 5) Braid to leader connection knots can cause casting issues 6) You need to keep leader material handy 7) Doesn't always play nice with all rods/reels (usually budget offerings that have potential issues IME) ? Little to no stretch Straight Mono Pros: 1) More durable (abrasion resistant) with rocks and wood 2) Easier setup if not using a leader 3) Generally cheaper 4) Better shock absorption than braid 5) Simpler knots can be used effectively 6) Less visible than braid Straight Mono Cons: 1) Line memory 2) Line twist (on spinning and spincast reels) 3) If you're not adding leaders, you can go through line off of the spool relatively quickly 4) Not as sensitive to feedback from bait as braid 5) Line stretch when setting the hook I've probably missed some things. Name your poison of preference.

I changed mine on the day I registered.

Seems like that by the time you realize the spawn is happening, it's already over, or close to it. The more often you fish, the more you'll be keyed in on slight changes, and you'll start noticing little things, and you'll become more consistent and catching fish. I had never caught a bass over 5 lb when I caught my first over 10 lb. It bit a four inch Roboworm slipshotted on 6 lb test mono. It's possible to target big bass for sure, but sometimes they just surprise you when you're just trying to catch something/anything. Just keep in mind that they don't get to be that big by being stupid and doing what all the other fish do. Most successful big bass fisherman I know of march to a different tune and just do their own thing in their own way. Their success is rarely accidental or incidental the way it is for many of us. Way BITD, a friend and I were dragging the old original AC Plugs across main lake points on leadcore line at 25' depths, and there was one five day stretch in February that we caught a 10+ lb bass each day. There were not a lot of people doing what we were doing at that time. Most people were bobbing Rapala Ice jigs in 60' of water and thinking all the bass were 50' or deeper. Meet 'em where they live.

Is the 'one fish spot' referring to there being only one fish on the spot, or to only being able to catch one fish from the spot before having to move to the next spot to catch a single fish and then keep moving, repeat ad nauseum? I tend to try to work an area thoroughly before moving, maybe too extensively some would say. I do notice (maybe more often than I used to) that I may not catch more than one or two by sitting in the same spot, casting the same bait, the same way. But if I move a little, cast from a different angle, maybe switch something up a little, I may find more willing bass in the same 'hole'. Or, sometimes moving off and letting them reset lets me find more willing participants. Even if I don't catch another fish there, I don't take that to mean there was only one fish there. What I think LiveScope is doing is showing people just how many fish are there (or not), how many come to check out their bait only to ultimately reject it, or sometimes eat it. A lot of that we had no idea was happening. There is less mystery now than there used to be. Ultimately, I am not so delusional to think that if there are fish there they would always be compelled to strike whatever I am offering. Much the opposite for me, as I tend to feel like there are lots of bass that just aren't interested. I don't really worry much about whether or not I am fishing as efficiently as possible. I'm just fishing the way I want to, and enjoying myself whatever that may end up looking like.

This is the first time I have heard of this.

It is my opinion that you get a much better fish finder in 2021 for $300 than you ever got for $300 at any point in history, and that's not even adjusting for inflation. My Garmin Striker Plus 5cv that cost $300 is a far better fish finding device than my old Lowrance X15 that cost around $1,000 back in the 80's could ever hope to be. The technological capability of the top tier fish finders has grown immensely, so the cost to have the best fish finder is higher than ever, but that is because they are capable of providing so much more detailed real time information that can increase the results of those that employ it effectively.

Overheard 'in school' today. . . .

I was casting a Carolina rig yesterday with a four foot leader, and it snagged one of my rods with a Daiwa Tatula 103 SV TW on the backcast. It got flung into the lake about 25 feet in front of the boat. I am still amazed that the hook instinctively knew which one was the most expensive rig I own and found it in that instant, but it did so with incredible precision. As I sat there feeling like all three stooges at once, I put the trolling motor on warp speed and headed in that direction, expecting to see it slowly descend away from me, imagine my surprise when it just floated there until I got to it. I even went past it momentarily and finally managed to get my hands on it and retrieved it from the drink. I am thinking that the full cork butt section of the rod is surely what saved it from spending some time on the bottom of the lake. The reel was submerged for less that a minute. So, I am wondering what I should do to the reel to make sure there will not be any lasting consequences going forward?

Fished Castaic on Sunday and again today. Nine fish in the boat both days, but had probably 30 bites each day. Tried many different baits including swimbaits, squarebill crankbait, jigs, dropshot, and lipless crankbait, but caught all nine each day on the carolina rig with Keitech plastics. WRB mentioned the Easy Shiner on a sliphot rig, and I guarantee that will work.

40 feet ain't that deep. I'd grab a couple slabs and go jigging for your gear.

The lagoon should be counted separately IMHO. If it was, I could make a good argument for voting for it. Yep, Casitas can still kick out some decent bags, but it seems like for many, if you have decent luck at Castaic, you struggle at Casitas and vice versa. I've heard both called 'Lake No-Fish' by anglers that figure out one, but not the other. The worst part is that the authorities in charge have made it unfeasible to fish both lakes. To fish Casitas (as I understand it), you have to make an appointment to have you boat inspected, bring your boat there for the inspection, leave it there in their quarantine yard for . . . . 35 days, and then you can fish there. I have heard of people buying a second boat so they can fish different lakes in SoCal without having to wait during the quarantine periods.

Well, California did fare better than Virginia, but that ain't sayin' much in this poll, LOL. Even people with electoral supremacy don't necessarily vote in their own self-interest ? Full Disclosure: I only voted for two California lakes (Clear Lake, Delta) myself. IMHO, whatever the reasons may be, the heyday of several southern California lakes on this list is mostly ancient history. They used to be small and stingy but had monster bass in them. Now, they are mostly just small and stingier.

On the "Tuliano Scale" that one would go about 13 lbs to 15 lbs.

Kage products (rods and reels) are not supposed to be sold online. My understanding is that Daiwa threw a bone to tackle shops by giving them access to a line that would only be sold in tackle shops so they could have product that could not be sold for less by online retailers, which is why you won't see them offered by large retailers.

I got one of the Kage 731 MH all-around rods and it has become my favorite casting rod. Sooooo sensitive, light, easy to handle, casts a country mile. And, it's not silver. All business.

A cry for help?

I have witnessed and been a part of enough events that were inaccurately reported in newspapers to know that they regularly get it wrong. Not rarely, but regularly enough that I don't have that much faith in what I read from newspapers. "Tuliano is very particular in his choice of equipment. He prefers a Viper (Piscifun?) spinning reel because they help him cast more accurately?" "He always buys Matzuo or Gamagatsu 4/0 hooks from Japan. They're very strong and red. The latter factor, he believes, makes them more attractive." TBH, that entire article is cringe-worthy and, for a journalist, poorly written IMO. I don't however blame the angler for that. But, if he tried his hardest to certify the catch and he had a scale and a tape measure, he should have bothered to use them, along with his camera. He certainly could have used the camera to take a picture of the scale and the fish next to a tape measure. This is a pic of a bass I caught last year that I estimated to be in the 8 lb range. I am over 6'4" (used to be 6'5" LOL), and I have hands that are larger than most. His fish looks maybe a little bigger, or about the same size depending on how big he (Tuliano) is. There is no way on earth that his fish is nearly twice the weight, and I don't think any credible person can assert that his scale may have only been a little off. If it's that much bigger than the 8 pounder his son caught, they probably used the same scale to weigh that fish. I am also including a pic of a 30" catfish my daughter caught last September. You can see the jitterbug it tried to eat if you look closely. Please don't try to me convince that Tuliano's bass is only two inches shorter than that. He caught a nice fish that could have been approaching ten pounds at most.

I'm just going to say it. That is so not a 14 lb bass that it's laughable. Even if wasn't the spawned out sad sack that it is, it would not reach 14 lbs at that length. It doesn't look to be much more than 22", possibly 24" at best IMHO. My PB is 12 lbs - 13 ounces and it was about 26" in length. It was much healthier than the fish pictured, but not a super sow-bellied porker like some I have seen. It would dwarf that thing in the photo. I'll chalk it up to the fact that most people in that area are not used to seeing fish that big rather than say they're being dishonest.

This is why I appreciate that our buy and sell section has rules addressing this tactic.

If I fished for these hybrid bass, could I be considered a "grown bass man"?