Zcoker

Perhaps. I really can't say what the actual reason was, only that I removed the circle hooks and sent them on their merry way. Mind you, this was in places where they fish a lot with shiners, which I mostly see as open water fishing. To be honest, it's just so high on the horse nowadays, meaning that everyone and their uncle is fishing with shiners. Places like Headwaters is unbelievable, tens of dozens for each guided trip with tons of trips daily. And it's one fish after another on those trips, which would certainly account for a LOT of broken off fish. Bound to happen, I reckon.

I haven't heard anything about the FFS with live bait but I've caught a LOT of bass with cut-off circle hooks still embedded in the fish's mouth. Most of these hooks were easily removed. Can't say why this didn't happen in the first place other than folks being plain lazy, cutting them off after they catch them.

It's a total commitment deal, meaning that if you focus on fishing for big fish, then that could mean just a few hits a day or even less or even none at all. Have to have that mindset. Need to feel ok with it. The motivation is the unknow factor, yet knowing that in a minute she could slam your bait and be the "one". Move around, try different spots. Try to think like a big bass lol. It's a very dynamic process but does work...eventually.

Yep. Even at night the frogs tell me where the fish are....or even the alligators. With the frogs, sometimes its one particular area that is very active with sound. Just bend the ear and then go over to that area. The alligators the same, although not so much with sound but with the bait that they are trying to corral and eat. The bass are there, too, doing the same thing. Find the frogs, find the fish. Find the birds, find the fish. Find the alligators, find the fish. There's an easy roadmap to follow on any body of water, not only with other animals but with other things like clouds, moon, wind, and rain....simple things to piece together a specific pattern to follow. All there for anyone to make due as they see fit.

I almost had to do this few days ago. Two guys were in a small plastic Jon boat with a trolling motor and started taking on water. Luckily, they were close to the ramp and were able to go back. Apparently, the hull had a hairline split and with the added weight of two people plus supplies, it started spreading open once on the water and underway. Just never know. Things can appear fine only to raise an ugly head later on!

Yesterday’s legends were once what FFS is today. If you notice these leaderboards like in the elite series, the greats are close to last place. A transition has taken place, from old to new, the power of observation has a new set of eyes!

This here bird eyeballing the pads told me where the fish was, “right here buddy” So I punched it and bam!

Wind is my friend, plain and simple. The bass use wind to their advantage to catch forage, so why not use the wind to the anglers advantage to catch the bass? Bass go wild in windy conditions, hitting most anything that moves. Wind blown areas like banks or weed-lines can become giant buffets for bass. The water is also warmer on the wind blown side. Even if the wind clocks up to 20+mph, the bass can be very active under thick mats. Punching about 3 feet in has produced giants in my neck of the woods. The only drawback is control of the craft, positioning and so forth, which can be daunting in certain areas, like open water. Swells can kick up or even white caps. Yet it's still doable in certain places where positioning can still be accomplished. Night time with a windy moonlit night spells trophy fish! I do like those early morning calm conditions but when that wind amps up, it's time to amp up with it!

I saw Scott Martin using his during the Bass Master Open event on Okeechobee. I was amazed at how well his unit defined the shallow grass flats. The detail was almost three dimensional HD. Impressive watching those tilapia swim by. Could even see the tails swaying back and forth, the ebb and flow of the actual grass. Fishing like that may not be liked by some but but I can certainly see the appeal! Not having one in the pro tournaments would be like forgetting the fishing rods.

I use Postimage. It's a free hosting site. Well, after a zillion images they might want a fee. I've uploaded hundreds of images with no fees yet. Just upload, copy link and paste. Done.

It’s a nice swimbait rod because the tip action is not too stiff, not too soft. I’ve used it for swimbaits but after a while switch back to combat fishing lol. It’s also a great frog rod.

I have the Dobyns Champion rods and, like you, luv them for basic lure fishing. I also have a St Croix Legend Tournament 7.4 heavy/fast. That rod is over $300 and is one of the nicest rods I've used to get the fish out of heavy cover down here in south Florida. I rely on it daily to pull 8-10 pounders from the thickest stuff imaginable. When one of those big bass hits on the drop, it's total combat fishing to the max and a good rod is a must! The Legend Tournament has proved itself to take abuse like no other and is why I give it my highest ranking.

If I could say anything, no matter the situation, even if there's no bites ALL day, is to be cocked and ready at all times. Letting that guard down is when those big bites come, almost as if they know lol It's hard to say or even hard to do when time goes on empty handed to be so keen. I've missed some DD's fish laid back, frustrated, with the 'whatever attitude". Learned this lesson very well!

Angry everglades bass!

Yep. Garcia is also nice. Great boat ramp as well as parking facilities. Fished it many time. Can clog up big time if not careful. Even the mud boats can have a hard time blowing through that stuff.

Kenansville is always worth a day...or night. Just as many trophy fish there as there is in Headwaters. I actually do better at night at Kenansville and prefer to be on the water near sunset and usually fish all night. Most of those bass live in tunnels under the hydrilla and during the daytime aren't seen that much but after the sun goes down, hold on! Sunset over Kenansville My campsite to sleep during the daytime.

Could've also been reversed, Wheeler 8oz and you 8lbs. I know when I'm gunning for trophy sized fish, I don't care if I catch only one fish a day as long as it's big, I'm good. Being armed and ready is what it's all about for them gals.

If you watched Scott Martin with his recent win on Okeechobee, he basically parked his boat and watched the screen all day. He also showed that screen to the viewers. The detail was increadiable! It showed the contours of the grass swaying, the dark holes and secret holdouts, schools of tilapia swimming by. I never knew those things could make out so much detail down here in our shallow water grass infested stained water but they do! Martin also showed how he put this blue paste stuff on his baits from a small tube that he was carrying. He explained that it gave his baits a higher sonar signature. 93 pounds later was the results.

Yes it does. Many including myself thought the original road kept many folks off that lake. But I haven't seen any increase in traffic on the lake with the new paving, still looks about the same every time I go out there.

Being skunked in no way defines anyone's abilities or fishing skills, plain and simple, because it happens to every fishermen. It's part of the discipline. It can be expected. It can be tolerated. And it can eventually be overcome. I've seen lotta guys in some of these big tournaments coming back to the weigh-in empty handed. They all have the skills, the equipment, and the tech yet they still can't buy a bite. Many factors contribute to that, most of which we already know about, location, time of year, water temp...many factors. In my neck of the woods, for instance, it's just the opposite. It's hard not to catch fish. But that's just the area, the favorable conditions that promote that. We have a saying for surf fishing for big sharks: time on the sand. The time spent can be many moons without the slightest tick from the reel. But one night, one night out of all those empty nights, the one makes her run for it and all those empty nights with nothing finally become what they were meant to be: victory!

Maybe so. Only reason I suggested the Spin Rocket is because I've seen him use them before. I know his dad makes his own Devil Horse, makes them much bigger, spins them out on a lathe and then adds the regular Devil Horse hardware. I believe the color Scott used is MF Bluegill with the yellow bottom. Can always reach out and ask him. He's very open on what he uses.

For me out in the everglades, I was getting 7-9 pounders on the 130, and I've won a few tournament's using it and only it. So I was sold on the 130. I still throw it once every blue moon. On those calm, flat nights, hard to resist the urge to throw one. The WP's usually shine down my way during the summer months--hopefully again sometime soon they'll get their magic back! These big bass wise up quickly to certain lures or certain sounds, the WP being one of them.

I wish I could relay the vision of a giant bass annihilating a whopper plopper, especially in the dead calm of a summer's night! The hit is like no other. Even in the daytime, the sudden explosive rage is enough to spook the birds away!

I used black when they first came out but later switched to the 'sooner' color for both day and night. I only use the 130. Also added dual split rings which helped out a LOT to keep them pinned. Now they are practically worthless where I fish, which is the Florida everglades. Can't seem to buy a bite on one nowadays, so I don't use them much anymore. Crazy how that works out.

They paved the road to Kenansville instead, Fellsmere Grade Road, nice and smooth now. Although only half was done, it's still a MASSIVE difference. That original 12 mile stretch to Kenansville Lake made the road to Headwaters Lake seem like a cake walk. My truck used to get so jarred up, sensor warning lights would start flashing. Much better now. Ironically, traffic is still about the same, which is hardly none.