Functional

Got about 2 hrs of time this evening on the home lake. Been since before June I was able to fish here. Water had a lot of sediment but wasn't chocolate milk like usual. Tried forcing a frog and jig but they weren't having it. Switched to a jerkbait at drop offs and hit them the last 30-45 minutes from one spot. No picture: 2.5lbish bass, rattled off as I was getting the lip grippers on him. Small catfish. Something massive, hit the jerkbait hard and just casually turned away and kept swimming in no apparent rush to my drag whaling away. Started to TM towards his direction and it came unbuttoned after about 30 seconds of trying to figure out how I'm going to surface this monster. I'm assuming a really big cat. Then I closed the night with these 2. 5lb bass and a 1.5lb crappie. I can't imagine a star record nearly 5lb black crappie and 4lb white crappie. This thing was a slab as is. I've pulled 2 other 5lb bass out of this lake, not sure if it holds larger but I'm willing to bet it does. Id like to blame @A-Jay for what's going to turn into an expensive addiction to jerkbaits. Appreciate it!

Haha! yea you can get off the shelf stuff but if you know the right people in the country you can get it without much hassle. I dont use the stuff but you hang around the deer processing places or old back of the woods gun clubs and you can hear a lot. For this purpose, dogs, cow, etc will work...hell if you drink enough on the boat you can make your own 😂

To this, my recent success of lower/slower was on a lake with fairly clear water (for our central/eastern NC). So this all tracks in my experience so far with yours.

That comment about polling the competitors on how often they use FFS I find suspect. I dont doubt they did it but with all the commotion over FFS it wouldnt surprise me one bit if they lied on the quantity of fish they used FFS to catch to downplay it. At face value it can show FFS isnt important but if they get to use it the product is in consumers faces all the time and regardless of actual useage sells units which is their sponsors goal. In most sports I'm for 2 separate leagues. 1 that has practically zero limitations to push the tech envelope because lets face it, the 2 biggest periods of advancement in most of modern times is during war or in competition. There should be a second league that has reasonable limits (HP, sonar, maybe rig outfit cost cap, etc.) that can act more as a base skill and "unlimited class" feeder series. This should allow more people to get into the sport and will allow companies to still compete in better side/down scan products and get a return on that development. Everyone wins here.

Interesting. Again still learning the jig. I've tried the rate of fall and gone with heavier small and large profile jigs (1/2oz and 7/8oz) for the reaction in both dirty and clear water. Tried lighter jigs hopping them, etc. My most success has been keeping them on the bottom and jiggling my rod tip to work them in. Fairly different from your approach but I want to proof it out a bit more over the next few weeks. Figured with less dramatic movement some active claws would help in dirty water. Might just need to fish it out first and see how she goes.

I'd like 1 or 2 myself but my boat isnt rated for them unfortunately. I'm usualy 8-12ft when I'd want to use them. My TM has spot lock but the wind still messes with boat position, more beneficial in open areas. Its not very often spot lock keeps me in an orientation thats best for fishing "shallow" structure I'm targeting like docks or blow downs, etc.

I'm kind of with @TnRiver46 on the useage. I have yet to see a boat use a pole of any kind. They dont even have to ban the crappie brake system if they just choose lakes that dont require you to fish deep to have a shot at winning.

@papajoe222 ya know I completely agree with you but was ready to respond that my home lake is dirty and 2-3 ft visibility is the typical which is why I wanted something that caused a lot of movement as an option for that lake. Then I got to thinkin if a jig is even a good idea to be throwing in water conditions like that....and now im re-evaluating some home lake strategies....lol

If I remember right didnt Seth Feider just switch like a 22" screen on his bow? It was massive. I feel like this is just pandering if I'm being honest. "Lastly, B.A.S.S. will focus on a more diverse Elite Series schedule, creating a wide variety of fishing styles demanded for success. " This statement makes me wonder what they mean. Is there more to come down the pipe about switching lakes or lake specific restrictions on equipment? Probably not but still an odd statement.

Less action and less bulk. Switched to a finesse compact jig and the super chunk jr. Just want to have the option of a more flamboyant low profile trailer if the time/need arises. I've been using the smallest rage craws but even with those I notice less bulk with the super chunk jr.

NC and VA have been cultivating a herd on the western mountain ranges. VA just opened up a lottery system saying the herd reached great enough numbers they can support a few tags. NC still hasnt done the same. I imagine the western mountains of TN share the same herds since all 3 states touch the same mountain range. Archery Elk is on my bucket list, due for a major surgery in the next 1-3 years and after that I'm going to make it a priority.

super soakers are cheap and deer urine is easily accessible....just sayin...

I'd get a decent belly weighted hook and put a horny toad on it and cast it to shore and once you hit weeds start ripping it through until you are out. Also do the same just skimming the tops of the weeds. Another plastic you could try with this is a Salad Spoon. I've had good luck with both in a very heavily weeded lake. Frogs where weeds surfaced and spinnerbaits over and along the edges was always killer too.

I'm with @Bankc and @gimruis here, more about the time than money. 2 kids, a wife, house, yard, trying to advance in career. Closest family is 3 hours away except the few weeks a year the inlaws are down (still 1 hr away). The rest of the family is 10 hours away. We do a lot of traveling because of it and I dont care what it costs, when I have the window I NEED to go out and decompress.

I've been having better luck with a zoom super chunk (and Jr.) but noticed hardly any flutter on the appendages. Going to be doing some restocking soon and wanted to know how the Ultra Vibe chunk is, lots of flutter? Think I'm going to add some to the rotation only if I can get some action from the "claws" as a more active option to the super chunk. If not I'll find something else.

It may hold fine, its definitely not a "perfectly" executed FG knot though and I'd personally probably throw it if it wasnt an expensive lure JUST in case.

I wouldnt throw any swimbaits or expensive jerkbaits on it but for a jig/trig cheap crank bait I'd give it a shot. No greater teacher than pain and suffering 😂

@Rocky998 there is a sweet spot to tension. If you put too much tension I could potentially see how the knot could look like what you produced. My mono piece gets distorted and lumpy and when cinched could look like yours. At no point should the mono look anything but a straight piece, if its kinking or bending you have too much tension. EDIT: You posted just before me! Those kinks in my experience are a sign of too much tension when wrapping. Back off a little bit, use 20-25 wraps and firmly (but not too hard) pull the two lines after 1-2 of the first half hitches to set the braid into the mono. If the mono/floro look coiled up after the pull its too much. Think of it like creating a chinese finger trap for the mono, thats essentially how it works.

Here was my go to video. using the rod tip to adjust and hold tension really is key. Agreed with everyone else that FG is done backwards. I'd cut it and try again.

fall in NC is when I have to break out my heated vest for hunting and have to strip 3 layers by late morning hunt. As for the fishing...still summer pattern. I dont know if they spawned twice but I saw some fresh beds and now there are bluegill guarding in those beds as of last weekend.

Welp up there again this weekend and did a little bank and kayak fishing. Got a decent spot and this young girl (12ish?) Came running up and was excited. I learned she's really into fishing and does it all the time. Asked questions about what I was using and called the fish a largemouth. Took the time to explain what a jig (yea you believe I caught a fish on a jig!?) Is and how it's fished. Also told her it was a spot and how to tell the difference. Seemed to soak it all in, if I see her before I leave tomorrow ill probably give her some stuff. Really seems to be her thing. Anyway.... after the little dock party I set out on a kayak really not meant to fish for the last 3hrs of light. I found the bigger fish... the lake has grass that comes up about 1-3ft from the surface and it has a lot of holes/caves from the overhangs. Well being so low in the kayak I was able to send a frog deep into those instead of crashing through the top like I typically would do from my boat. The frog wouldn't **** for more than 5 seconds and you'd hear the deep water cavitation sound big big bass make when they suck something up. Felt like I hooked into a log and got him 5 feet from the kayak and he spit it. I at least got a good look at him and I'd be shocked if he was anything less than 5lb. 2 casts later it happened again and lost her right next to the kayak, likely a 4ish lb bass. I was rotating between the frog and a jig and picked up 2 more spots on the jig. Looks like I should have been skipping my baits into the weeds instead of plopping from the top. Crazy how a small change in cast can make a big difference.

Hello from Rocky Mount NC!

For braid I dont use backing. I tie it to a lightening hole or knot and electrical tape 2 wraps and go. I usually wear out half the spool and then do some transfers and put it back on used end first to get twice the use out of it. Mono and Co-Poly I just go straight on and use until the spool looks too low and then respool. Floro I use backing to get 2 spools worth out of a typical package of floro.

You really want this fish fry 🤣

You are supposed to cinch down the wraps but dont pull too hard. You want to find the fine line of stopping just before distorting or stretching the floro leader. It doesnt recover like mono and youll end up with break offs at the knot. I pull but if the floro is curly or loopy after my pull I cut it off and do it again. This is my method of tying. The pressure from the rod tip lets you "custom set" the pressure. As i mentioned i keep it tight enough to just start making the floro go wavy (youll see when you use too much). Make sure your weave betwen wraps is tight.