Zcoker

Those big Zoom worms are the only worm that I use down here in south Florida. I rig them with a 6/0 EWG or 7/0 worm hooks weightless. I like the VMC offset hooks with the closed eyelet. Regardless of hook, I flatten the barb. Makes for a fast and easy release with the least damage. The worms flat out catch! Just cast out and let naturally sink and then swim back, bouncing them along. Takes no time for the bass to engulf them. And they do catch BIG bass. I've caught many monster fish on them. I've also caught just as many smaller bass on them, just like a regular sized worm would. So I can't see any size difference with ANY fish when using the 12" version. What I like most about them is their toughness. They flat out last like no other worm that I've ever used. I can usually catch up to 10 bass on ONE Monster Magnum worm. Granted, I do have some large bass that rip them off but, for the most, they stay in shape, ready to go at it again.

Hello from south Florida. Practice makes perfect! Live, learn, and enjoy!

I also like that feeling when the lure just stops, as if it just got snagged on something underwater, a stop so sudden, a stop so violent, that all world seems to implode into finding out just what it is--just how BIG she is, and if she can even be caught!

You get what you pay for with rod combos--with anything, really. I've spent up to 3k on some of my surf setups, which was necessary in order to fish the way I needed to fish. Sometimes, even, buying high end items like reels can actually SAVE money because, in the long run, it'll still be there, outlasting all those regular reels that would've been necessary to keep up with it. Case in point: I used to go through regular moderately priced saltwater reels like water until I bit the bullet and started buying Shimano Stellas or Daiwa Saltigas. With basic care, those reels will last a lifetime, only one purchase necessary. They remain silky smooth and have some of the most powerful drags in the world to stop even the biggest pelagic fish. A well matched high end combo is worth the price, no matter if the sky is the limit or not. It's like having all the right tools when working on a car or something. The right tools of the highest quality can do the job so much better and so much faster, actually saving a lot of time and a ton of aggravation. On the front end, high priced items like rod combos can appear off limits because of their initial high cost but they shine so brightly on the back end, making the experience so much more enjoyable and everlasting. But if money is no objective, it really doesn't matter anyway, because sometimes having money or not, some people (like me) will still spend it on combos as if there was no limit to it.

Picture a dark, calm night where the water is a slick as glass, and the calm serenity of the night is nothing but the faint plop plop of a retrieving surface lure....there's nothing more exhilarating when a big 7-8lb bass slams a musky jitterbug right at boat side. The explosion of sound mingled with the splashing dark water seems to split the senses wide open! Unbelievable experience.

No set rule on when to set the hook. When frog guru Dean Rojas was asked this same question, he said, "as soon as I see the splash." I tend to agree and nail them as soon as I see the splash--I nail them all as soon as I see the splash regardless of lure. And my hook-up ratio remains on the high side. As stated, you're tackle is way light, imho. I'd up the rod to a dedicated frog rod or a least a heavy. Just never know when that big girl will hit....better safe, than sorry. Strait braid as well. Leaders are for laughs. Here in south Florida there's absolutely no playing around when it comes to frog fishing. "Go big or go home" is our motto down this way. Minimum 65lb strait braid on either a heavy or extra heavy rod. You can also bend out the hooks for better grab but it's not a requirement. With the right tackle exerting the right force, the stock hook position on most frogs will suffice.

All this reaching around and belly grabbing into the water is all fine and dandy but I would not promote it in certain areas of the country. These big gators here in south Florida hug the bottom, waiting around for things like that, a dangling fish for dinner. I've had them take swipes at my fish when netting them. I've had them slam and bite at the kayak. I've had them follow me. They get espeically fired up when a fish is caught and jumping, often chasing the fish in. If anything, be mindful of that when trying to subdue a captured fish with your bare hands.

Yep, they sure are but they can be done comfortably sittin in a kayak! If you really want to do something, there's always a way....a will, a way!

I'm sure if you worked on some of those, you could bring them up substantially. You certainly have the drive, stamina, and the time to do so. Hope is a big player out there!

Oh, I can think of a few things, how 'bout you? bueller bueller lol

One skill that I thought would be my worst is turning out to be one of my best, and that's punching heavy cover while seated in a kayak. Most all standard techniques related to that skill are for standing only, usually from a boat. I can certainly stand in my kayak to do it but I don't like to. So I was forced to adopt my own techniques if I wanted to continue. Point is: sometimes a skill perceived as unobtainable or bad can turn into something obtainable and great. Just gotta do it!

No hand is about the best way to go for a CPR submission. What I do is take a few quick snaps with hand and then a few with no hand. Those backups do come in handy!

I agree with this...to an extent. Because I used to do it all the time but not anymore. Just had a nice big fish DQ'd because the angle of the fish (head down bottom of yak, tail up on rail) gave the illusion that my left pinky knuckle was slightly tucked under the tip of the gill plate. And I know for a fact that it wasn't but there was nothing I could do or say to convince the judges otherwise. Had I taken a shot with the fish strait across from rail to rail, there wouldn't have been any issues. So now I take all my shots rail to rail, camera vertically centered, net in place, hand firmly centered on fish, multiple shots...no room for error.

Happy Birthday....and many more to come!

Here it is. Everything wrong here.

Great catch! Sorry about your deduction. I've had big fish DQ'd for optical illusions, all in the way the judges looked at it. I knew for a fact the details but I couldn't justify it with the one photo submitted. Nothing you can really do but having a few photos at different angles of the same fish has saved me a deduction or two or even a DQ. As far as the mouth goes, you need to firmly plant their face against the board using your entire hand to keep the mouth tightly shut. Looks like you were only using a couple of fingers. Also have to anticipate them flopping off the board into the water. Raising that hand to take a pic can mean bye bye. Positioning the net between them and the water has saved me with a few jumpers. Many fish cooperate but I've had some that are pure terrors to keep under control on the measuring board.

Trebles are trouble. It takes almost a premonition way of thinking, a sorta prediction of events and how they might unfold. At least that's the way I always approach them. I try to visualize as many bad case scenarios as possible about the fish and lure that I'm about to unhook. In that way, I've never been stuck....knock on wood.

None. I've never used one on my kayak. Then, again, I have a powered kayak that has a hand throttle like a boat. I've learned to feather the throttle in all situations to keep me where I want to be, no matter the condition. An anchor would no doubt be a major obstacle with some of the big bass that I've dealt with. They usually crisscross and circle the entire yak and an anchor line would be the end of it.

I hear you on the birds. Gotta read their behavior, kinda like reading a FFS screen. That one particular bird that I posted was stationed on a tree, like a fixture, just sittin there doing nothing. So I took a closeup birdy shot, and it smiled for the camera and then took flight. I continued onward. Moments later it started circling around the same area but this time near the open water between the tree and a pile of vegetation, as if saying, "right here, buddy" lol So I turned around and headed back to the same spot and took a cast and boom! Fish on.

They may not tell you all the time where the bait is but they sure can point you in the right direction to get the fish. This bird here was my FFS for the day lol and said, “follow my lead.” One cast below it got me a decent one. Happens all the time out in the glades.

I use my senses all the time out in the glades, have to. Electronics are useless, literally. Look for the gators, find the fish. Listen for the frogs, find the fish. Follow the birds, find the fish. Feel the current, find the fish. Punch the cover, find the fish. Bass also make a distinct sound at night when they are busting on something topwater. Hear the explosions, find the fish. Many such sites or sounds or natural occurrences offer strong clues as to where the fish are and what they are doing. All one has to do is follow those clues.

I fish from a kayak and all my fish get the net. Reaching into the water out in the everglades to grab a tired or even bleeding fish could bite off more than able to chew, literally! I also never reach for them because of the hooks, trebles and the likes. I've seen many so called tired out fish suddenly explode with new life.

Would've could've should've don't beat yourself up over bass fishing. If anything, try to find your rhythm with things that you are comfortable with, even if they are not of the so called "norm". Unless you are tournament fishing, I really wouldn't worry about it. Have fun, enjoy yourself, your surroundings, thanking the almighty for another beautiful day!

It could make a difference but I have no expereience with SM fisheries, only LM. On dark nights (new moon) is when I get most of my nicer LM's. Full moons do produce but it's the exception and not necessarily the rule. I still get them but it can be much slower. It's usually much better when there's cloud cover. Either way, topwater is my first choice at night and when the fish are hitting, they rarely miss the lure.

Sometimes it feels like a bass of a lifetime but quickly turns into a “darn it” moment. They pull and yank and grab the bottom like an infinite snag. Often, I’ve been surprised to get my lures back. Just the other night I had one smack my big musky jitterbug, and with all those hooks grabbing, I was surprised to get the lure back!