Bubba 460

Well I learned a long time ago that you don't need a $400 rod and a $300 reel to cast good or bring a fish in. Now that's not to say I wouldn't like to have a $400 rod but I'm not paying $400 to get one. Not gonna worry about getting a finger print, ding or a fish scale on it. I buy "decent" rods like the $100 St. Croix Triumph, Diawas ~ rods in the $60 to $125 range. I don't use tubes or socks because don't have a rod locker so they are not needed in that since. If I had a locker I would use them for smoother access. I have a older jet boat and my rods lay on either side of the boat and they stay on the boat. Rods and reels are just a tool for me to catch fish, I don't care if they get scratched or banged a bit. I either grab a 7/16 or a 3/4 inch wrench (rod) for the job application. I do keep them clean and oiled and once they have served me well, I replace them. I can appreciate other people taking care of their equipment, particularly "$ expensive $" equipment.

I posted and referred to the first video posted this morning were Jimmy is crying ~ that's sad. Didn't see the updates til later.

So sad to watch... Life is so fragile. Prayed for the Houston family.

For 30 years I painted pictures full time for a living while living in Alaska. Didn't get rich but paid the bills and sometimes got to eat too. Did some commission work as well ~ like the charging bear.

Yeah, you don't want to meet this little fellow in 10 years, he already looks like trouble.

Without a doubt... last summer I was fishing a black, Manns 12" worm in a large cove littered with sunken lay-downs blown in from a hurricane years ago. I had already caught several six to eight pounders there in the last week of fishing. Anyway, I felt the bass suck the worm in with a slight "thump". I waited three seconds then hammered home. When the heavy action rod and 30 lb braid went tight the bass took off straight away, burning line off a tight drag. She ran about 18 maybe 20 feet then she was locked-up, she had gone under, over or around something and I could not move her nor did I feel her after that. Was she big? ~ you better believe she was. I have never had a bass do that to me with that much brute power... a king salmon, yes. I'll never forget it. "No bass can take three barrels down"

One evening I was fishing with Lee, my teenage daughter. We were walking around a small pond on our property that is in the woods. So she shouts over to me, "Dad, a really big snake with a HUGE head just came out of the water backwards and is crawling up the hill backwards. It looks like a cobra!" She is pointing to a spot about 50' from her. Well this made no sense to me and knowing snakes/species better than the average guy, I just had to see this snake. I walked around to where she was pointing and came up on a large painted water snake and he has got this really big bull frog by its nose. He is indeed backing up the hill trying to drag this big frog away from the water. Well that's about that time the snake decided he was in a precarious position with me standing there so he let go of the frog and together, side by side the snake (slithering) and the frog (hopping) hurriedly made their way back into the water. Photo of Lee with a nice bass

Use single Colorado spinner baits in muddy water and in the winter, the bigger the blade the better. I call them "thumper baits". Gold, white or black blades

NO WAY! You'll be hiring a diver to go get that when you lose it. Hey, you want to catch a really big bass for just $19.99? ~ buy yourself a "Flippity Fish". Yes, I'm talking the flopping cat, fish toy you see advertised on TV. This thing would be a killer on big bass. All you got to do is rig a couple of hooks through it, ad a bladder so it floats then cast it out there and let it flop around ~ "WHAM"

Something to look into once I get my arm out of the sling ~ Thanks

Thank you Eric, that's exactly what I wanted to happen... I had to laugh at myself as well for being so short sighted. If a big bass hit this water-logged rat, jumped and shook his head the rat would knock him out!

Got out to do a little fishing today and took "The Rat" with me for its maiden voyage. Several of you had asked about my homemade rat that I had posted a few days ago. I had not fished it yet and really didn't know what would happen ~ but first let's get the bass out of the way... I caught this 21.5 inch bass on a black Whopper Plopper in the 130 size... Man did she smack it! She hit on a flat averaging about 3 foot deep. Lots of stumps, standing timber and sunken lay-downs. I cranked her in with 50 lb braid, mouth open like a wind-sock. Had her back in the water in 45 seconds. I had the net, measuring board and camera ready to go. I caught three lesser bass on a spinner bait. The rat has a wooden body covered in fake fur and I figured it weighed about an ounce, fairly light for its size. What I didn't take into consideration (maybe this is why we have smart people like engineers) is what would happen, weight-wise, when all that fur got wet. I cast it out and OK, so it was not a "No Splash Entry", it hit somewhat softly on the water and waddled back making a wooden clacking noise that sounded something like Pinocchio dancing. When it got back to the boat I lifted it up, the rod bent double and it felt as heavy as a soggy butterball turkey!... It was then that I realized why they don't put fur on a bass lure ~Duh! Water was pouring off of it and I wondered if anyone had ever had to wring out a lure? I cast it again and the heavy casting rod bent and groaned, the braid making a sound like a guitar string just before it breaks. The rat left a contrail of water glistening in the sky as it sailed through the air and hit the water with a depth charge of a splash. I'm pretty sure the shock- wave killed any fish within 30 feet of splash-down. After three casts I had to take a rest. Well, maybe a good time to revisit the drawing board.

Look, if it doesn't work out all you gotta do is buy a boat that fits it ~ problem solved!

Reminds me of the time my wife bought me a used bass boat from a guy named Popeye.

I'd be in BIG trouble without the edit option. Hang in there, you'll ride this bronc yet.

No, it does not float but it is designed to be a top water bait. Cast it out and be reeling when it hits the water. Reel just fast enough to keep the bait up on top as the blade sputters across the water. Holding your rod a little high while reeling will help at first . You' ll get the hang of it ~ Lots of bass caught on a buzz bait and fun too.

Sweet

Don't know anything about the Baitsanity Antidote but looked at it on YouTube and if it's a slow sink, it is a sub-surface bait. A glide bait worked slowly just under the water, waking the surface is mighty tempting and easy meal for a big bass. I'd play it that way. You could add weight if you wanted a deeper presentation.

A tough hook-up happens sometimes, happens to everyone. I have gotten pretty good at getting tough hooks out and saving an otherwise lost bass. Have the tools with you to deal with it. For me it seems like maybe 2 bass out of 50 bass caught are badly hooked that could cause them damage or even death if you are not prepared for the situation. 1~ Pliers 2 ~ long neck hook remover 3 ~Locking forceps These tools will handle 99% of hooks needed to be removed. If the fish is not going to make it, take it home and eat it or give it to someone that will. All so, know how to remove a hook from yourself. What's really fun it to have a hook in you AND the fish at the same time!.. another level there and 10,000 bonus points ~ Oh, just kidding about the last photo

Well I guess you could count this as "any help" because I'm not an expert on fishing bedding bass because I try not to intentionally bother/or fish for bedding bass. I feel they are too vulnerable and stressed out in their very important cycle of life. I give them their space if I know they are on a bed. Now I know everyone may be different about it but that's the way I feel. With that said, bass don't all spawn at once and it may run from April until June before all the bass spawn (in this area of the country). I would say that mid-April to mid-May it's at its peak; water temperature is the key. Many factors enter into the time of spawning or at least the start of spawning. Water temperature, water fluctuation, clarity, human activity, early cold spells and many other factors effect spawning. As for me, I'm always glad when the spawn is for the most part over and fishing gets back to "normal". I do like fishing pre-spawn when the big girls are putting on weight and eating well. I target deeper (5 to 10 feet) water just off southern bedding areas with spinnerbaits, glide-baits, swimbaits, cranks, and jerk-baits. Once the water temperature stops fluctuating and settles at a steady 68 degrees or higher, I'll add more top water as well. Post spawn, which can run from late April to early June is also a good time to catch a nice bass, although weighing a little less than an egg-filled sow that has done her job. So unless some really bad weather settled in later this month (which will likely not happen), I'd say your dates sound good for a little R&R.

Fly fishing is like shooting an old percussion revolver, It takes five minutes to load it and three seconds to shoot off six. I have fly fished in my younger days for bass. I was pretty good at all the fancy casting, having watched my older brother and his friend, the famous fly fisherman Lefty Kreh. I even went wading for smallmouth with them once as a teenager when Lefty lived in Fredrick Maryland (I caught the biggest smallmouth ~HA!) I used a small hair mouse, popper or gnat as I found those produced the most action. I would, if necessary, wade into the lake or pond as to cast parallel with the shore. Fly fishing is an art, its relaxing and enjoyable. It is not the most efficient way to catch a fish, particularly a large bass. If you start using auto winding reels, you've missed to whole point of fly fishing. I had a 9 wt Sage fly rod I used for salmon in Alaska catching reds, silvers Kings and sea run rainbows (steelhead). I sold the rod on eBay after moving to VA. I enjoyed my time spent with a fly rod but now refer much more efficient modern gear as my main fishing is bass.

I made one for my fishing buddy (a little smaller) and that is exactly what he did with it. Put in the kitchen cabinet the ask his wife to get him something form that cabinet ~ she was not as amused as he was!

The only thing I've ever accidentally hooked is ME!... several times. Naw, that ain't happening~ Grab the pliers and jerk it out. Did I mention that my back was killing me?

I'll throw it for musky but I want a bass to smash it. I caught a 2 pound bass on a whopper plopper 190 on my 3rd cast with it!... That's a big bait, that is a musky bait yet a two pound bass hit it. Imagine what a 10 pound plus bass would hit. I have caught smallmouth on a whopper plopper 130 ~ that is a big bait for a smallmouth, you would think but apparently not. Caught smallmouth on a floating 5" Mike Bucca bull shad... apparently smallmouth bass don't know they have small mouths. Seen too many dead or dying bass floating on top the water with a WAY to big bluegill stuffed in their mouth. Saw a "fish" (not sure what it was) hit a 3 foot snake swimming across the water and took it down ~ just like Jaws (insert music here). The last thing I would want to be is a big fat mouse swimming across a pond on a calm evening ~ bets are on. I had two very small, abandoned kittens swim out to my boat from shore across 40 yards of open water ~ I was praying they would make it and a bass would not end their plea for help. They did and are now two full grown cats living in our house. Photo is two weeks after I picked them out of the water, they had grown and put on some weight by then ~ they were sooo tiny, probably not even 6 weeks old. I had starving and injured puppy swim out to my boat but I was not worried about him getting smacked by a fish. He is also now living in our house along with two other dogs rescued while fishing.