BrianMDTX

@Swamp Girl I must say this with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Anyone, ANYONE, who has almost 1,500 bass in their season’s ledger has to have some idea where the bass are. You may not know exactly where they are, but you have a darned good idea where they likely are. More than most!

I’m in. PM inbound

I once caught a 17 lb. bass. And then I woke up and was reeling my pillow. I'll be honest and say this is not for me personally. Guys and gals that specifically target giant bass are like the bowhunters I know who only target giant, trophy bucks. Willingly go day/weeks/months without anything in order to get the opportunity to tag that one huge buck or eat the tag. A little different in bass fishing as you’re going to catch something on trips, but the dedication is the same. I don’t have what it takes for that absolute dedication. But that’s ok. I’m happy with the catches I get and if I get a big gal every once in a while, yay! But I do admire those who set a goal and pursue it with 100% dedication to achieve that goal. You have my deepest respect.

I awoke to 47° and partly cloudy skies. Such a beautiful morning. Alas, the bite was not as good as the morning promised. I caught three. Two decent and a 1 lb.‘er. All on a weightless TR. one with a #956 Senko, one on a red Roboworm and one on a green pumpkin/black flake Zako. I did have one take a nibble at a green pumpkin jig but nothing else interested them. Jigs, A-Jay Special, spinnerbait or a bladed jig. And all three were caught within one hour of each other and then the bite died off fast and final. Did get a good laugh, though. A huge blue heron flew over me and perched on a branch high in a tree overhanging the water. Or shall I say attempted to perch. As soon as it landed and folded its wings, CRACK! the branch broke and fell into the water. You could tell it was taken by surprise because attempting to take flight, he looked like the town drunk stumbling home at 2:00 am. The pics without fish are the spots where I caught the bass.

I don’t really watch the halftime show anymore. It’s not geared towards my demographic. I’m fine with that. Remember, this all began decades ago when the NFL still had marching bands and the fledgling FOX network decided to have In Living Color shown during halftime and millions of people switched channels. The halftime show is geared towards a young audience. Evidently Bad Bunny is popular enough that the NFL thought he’d be a big draw. I won’t watch it but plenty of other folks will. He’s from Puerto Rico. He’s a US citizen. Plenty of others who have played halftime shows were not. I don’t recall anyone complaining about Shakira. It’s simply the world we live in today.

I don’t fish spinnerbaits much, but if I do, it’s mostly a chartreuse and white. Same with chatterbaits. interesting factoid: chartreuse is named after the liqueur Chartreuse, made by the Carthusian monks since 1605 from a secret recipe of 130 herbs and plants and comes in two main varieties: Green Chartreuse, a more potent and herbaceous liqueur, and Yellow Chartreuse, which is sweeter and mellower. The green Chartreuse is 110 proof.

Important FYI: this thread is NOT Bait Monkey Approved. The appropriate thing to do is order at least 3 replacement spinnerbaits to replace one with a substandard finish on the blades.

The most important tool you will own is the one between your ears. I say this with almost 50 years of aviation maintenance experience. Study the exploded parts diagram that came with the instructions with your reel. If missing, you can likely download it on the Internet. Use it as a guide as you take parts off the reel and when you reinstall them. Document your steps with pics in your phone. Segregate all parts, in sequence, as you remove them. All those small parts look like a daunting task, but if you take your time, working on reels is not that difficult. But if you feel it is beyond your skill level, or the reel has an issue you aren’t sure what the problem is, seek out the skills of a professional. I do not own a specialized reel toolkit. But I guess the untold numbers of tools I’ve accumulated over the decades is enough, as I have successfully taken down my Daiwa baitcasters for cleaning and parts replacements without having to purchase anything else.

I was getting hits on a white frog, but it was like they wouldn’t fully commit. I think they were on to me.

@Brian11719 That’s a good reminder. I had my scale battery die once. Luckily it was not a PB day lol. Also good to remove the battery at season’s end.

Water. Damp towel for rod blank and exterior of reel. Damp Q-tip for guides and tight areas of reel.

Meh. Been to the flea market many times. I’ve never seen any fleas for sale. Rods and reels? Sure. But need a flea and you’re outta luck.

That makes sense. Would be interesting to see what it does, though. Better? Worse? No difference? On a cheap reel (if you have access to lapping compound ), it might be worth a shot. Or use it like grease and see what geary really feels like! 😂

I’ve always wondered what lapping compound would do?

I agree with this 100%. I saw so many people fishing during the pandemic (and this was at ponds where no license is required) and those numbers have dropped. When you can’t dine out, see a movie, meet at a bar, go to a concert, etc., outdoor activities are the only option. But upon a return to normalcy, most people revert to old habits.

I normally have 8’ leaders on my spinning rigs. Long enough that I’m not constantly tying on new leaders due to terminal tackle/bait changes but not so long that the leader knot gets buried in the spool. I will say that I change terminal tackle/baits much less frequently on my spinning rigs than my baitcasters. But I use all mono or all braid on those. No leaders.

They shock me with how far they cast. “Only” five bearings lol. But man, they bomb a bladed jig out there!

I gotta go with the Abu Garcia Black Max. Is it super smooth? No. It’s it a little geary? Yes. Is the drag easily adjustable? Not like a star drag that clicks. But it casts baits as far or farther than my other reels. Why I don’t know, but it is a true bomb caster. The only issue I’ve ever had with the two I own is a cracked thumb bar…and that’s all on me. For $49 and change I have zero true complaints. Do I prefer my Fuegos and Tatula? Sure. They are smoother, the drags and brakes are great and are just nice reels. But if I had only Black Max’s to fish with, I’d be a happy angler.

@Glenn My condolences. I was pulling for the Mariners.

I never saw this original thread but it’s good. I fish a lot of, well, let’s say featureless ponds, to the casual observer. But when you look closely, you can pick things out the average angler would miss. Water in and water out is easy. But there are other signs to look for. Most areas have prevailing winds. I find that the side of the pond where the wind is blowing towards tends to be the most productive. What side gets the sun first in the morning and the last sun in the evening? That can make a difference as well. Especially in colder weather. Does one side drop off faster than the other? The less steep is likely better during the spawn. Ponds may look featureless but they all have stories to tell.

Man. I need therapy on how to NOT apply so much pressure on the thumb bar when I cast. I replaced both thumb bars on my two Fuegos and I still have a cracked thumb bar on a Black Max. I was casting my Tatula this morning and thought something felt odd, and upon a closer look, it’s cracked. Not bad, but it’s cracked. Originally I thought maybe I damaged one, or two, by incidental contact during transport. But four? No, that’s my fat thumb mashing down on the bar during the cast. I need to change that habit ASAP.

Woke up to 56° this morning. It’s now 90°. Felt great this morning. Bass must’ve thought so, too. They slept in. Only the young’uns got up.

I try to not to “cheap out” on any gear. But never on hooks.

@MIbassyaker Nice bass and beautiful water! Looks perfect!

No pics, because I wasn’t taking pics of l’il fellers. Two on a spinnerbait, one on a bladed jig and one on a Zoom Trick weightless TR. Had one bite a jig but it was smaller than these lol. 56° this morning. Thought it would be some hot fishing. Not to be. But…I got some great practice and laying a jig right where I wanted it!