T-Billy

Dang. Sorry to hear brother. Continued prayers....

They were chewin this morning. Chunky little 30.75" absolutely smoked a mid Medussa, and the 39.75" came on one of my homemade double 8's. I also lost one around 40" on the spinner, because I'm a dummy. I tried horsing it into the net with it's head out of the water, and it shook off. I know better, but did it anyway because... I'm a dummy. 😂🤦‍♂️ I also had a mid 40's smoke my spinner about 15' from the boat, in about 3' of water. It was an awesome bite to watch, but it didn't turn and I had to set the hook with the fish coming straight at me. I didn't get a good hookup and it came unbuttoned after a few big head shakes. So... 2 for 4 today. I had 8 other follows including another mid 40's. I found the bigger fish way in the back of a couple bays that have creeks entering them. Things are setting up like they were last August when I started chasing these slimy critters, so I'm hoping this deal is gonna hold up for awhile. I ran around and hit some other stuff today and eliminated a bunch of water. I feel like I have a solid game plan for tomorrow morning. 🤞

832 for all bottom contact and heavy cover applications. Handles great and is the toughest most abrasion resistant braid I've found.

Always. Super strong, protected from damage by the bait, and the cam action sticks 'em in the roof of the mouth the vast majority of the time.

Congrats @Mike L!!!

I hadn't seen these. I'll have to give them a try when I run low on 6th sense OX hooks. They're my current favorite. That's gonna take awhile. I cleaned Wally World out of them last time I was there. My favorite design ever was the R2S New Jack, but the ones I bought weren't tempered well and I broke three of them, right where the keeper was welded on. The rest went in the trash.

The stock knobs on my Zillion HD's are my favorites for bass reels of the ones I've tried, though I'm sure I'd like those big honkin handles on @bulldog1935's reels. On my muskie reels I want a power handle with a big ol knob.

So I accidentally started tying this knot, thinking I was tying it the way Tharp does. I later watched his video again and realized I wasn't, but at that point this way had been thoroughly tested and proven itself. After tying one the way Randall does, I decided my way was better IMO, because it cinches easier, and by not going through the eye a second time there's no wrap around it that can get damaged and cause a failure. This knot has been tested against big Flatheads, muskie, stumps, and thousands of bass. Never a single failure. Here goes... First thread the line through the eye making sure to come through from the point side of the hook. Next form a loop like this leaving an inch or a bit more of tag end. Trap the intersection of the loop with your thumb, holding the hook by the eye, with the point down. Wrap the tag around the shank once tucking it behind the point of the keeper to hold it in place. Wrap the loop around the shank between the keeper and the eye 7 times giving it a half twist each wrap as Tharp demonstrates in his video. (Also shown below.) Then cinch like he demonstrates. I haven't found a need for pliers on the tag like he demonstrates. I just pull it taught with my teeth, then cinch by pulling hard on the main line. The finished product. Point side. Bottom side. Randall's video.

I like the 6th sense OX hooks. I get them at Walmart. Look up the Randall Tharp snell knot video on YouTube. I do it very similar to him, but I only go through the eye once. Never had one fail. 3,4, or 5/0 depending on the bait I'm using.

Honestly, I don't recall ever gullet hooking one with a straight shank. 90% ish in the roof of the mouth, once in awhile through the gill plate or lower jaw. Most of the fish I lose on my flipping rig are dinks that come off while sailing over me on a slack line. 😂 I hit em as soon as I feel them also.

Snelled straight shank is the answer. Roof of the mouth the vast majority of the time. Great hook and land %.

Praying for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Y'all are in my prayers brother.

Well... It's called the "latest catch pics thread". The title doesn't say anything about bass, and if you go to page one, there's a trout in post 4 and a pike or ski in post 6 so...... Seems like it's been multi species from the start.

I had another solid predawn excursion. I got started about 02:00 and put a couple dozen-ish in the boat by first light around 05:00. Then added another dozen or so with the flippin stick. Best of the trip was this 4.11#. I had three others that were within a bluegill or two of 3#. Lots of 12-16 inchers. Y'all think she wanted that chatterbait? Couldn't get any skis to cooperate. I raised three, but no takers. Back to the grind tomorrow, won't get to fish again until next Sunday night. Boooooo!!!

@ol'crickety monster!!!

I like your attitude. You're a true "the glass is 1/12th full" kinda guy. 😂 As frustrating as that run was, most of them bit in the 8, so even though they escaped, they got my blood pumping.

It's once again Multi Species Monday!!! 3.08# Best of many landed. Several over 2#, and lost a big 'ol bucket mouth at boatside. Didn't weigh the eye, but it's 3+. 34" ski.

@ol'crickety The fish are at their heaviest in April and November around here. Full of eggs in April and fattened up on shad for winter in November. Neither month is a numbers game for me, it's all about the big bite. The weather's often not the most pleasant those months either, so I have plenty of elbow room. I much prefer to be out there when most others aren't.

July and August are better for me as far as the summer bite goes. There's also a window when some big's come shallow in late August/early September. That said, April and November are my favorite big fish months.

Nice fish @JackstrawIII. Congrats!!! Those tigers are gorgeous fish. I wish we had 'em in my neck of the woods.

It'll help that you'll be pulling more vertically. Just keep as much steady pressure on em as you can.

One man's trash is another's treasure. We have spotted gar in my local river. They will school up in the shallow slack water pools in summer. Tubes work great for catching them. When they bite it, I just put some pressure on them and they instantly start rolling, effectively tying their mouth shut on the tube. I land nearly 100% and most aren't even hooked.

Deep weeds during the daylight hours. Shallow weeds or rock structure at night.