AlabamaSpothunter

I wonder why MegaBass stopped using the out barb hooks? The current ones are so sticky it's incredibly.

It happen somewhere in Texas if I were betting man, and the bait he caught with matters none imho. He has figured out a way to target isolated DD fish offshore during the winter with LiveScope. He had a legendary week last year during the winter IIrc as well. A 17lb fish was caught, he caught a 14lb fish, and several other DD fish were caught. There is group of guides who are kind of tapped into this, as it was trip with 4 guides, JJ being one of them. He illustrates perfectly the duality of LiveScope.....it's without a doubt already taking down records like the 10lb Erie Smallmouth recently, and here for the largest single day "stringer" on a public lake. On the other hand only a select few savants on the tech have managed to weld it in a manner that seems almost like cheating or magic, or whatever you want to term it. The MFL pros over the summer showed the power of LiveScope in competent hands with SMs, but a few of these guys know something nobody else does about DD LGMs.

My ego is determined by my fish size ? Bass fishing is the most humbling thing I've done seriously, and I'd say about 10% of my time on the water I feel confident in what I'm doing.

Half a dozen replacement hooks arrived today in the mail, MegaBass is awesome!

Good for you brother, if I see a Ned rig I know the fishing is terrible......I've started going home if the Ned rigs comes out lol. We share very similar fishing weather. The huge rain and awful cold front have just stunned the fish in my lake, along with my confidence. Water went up several feet, and this was the first rain since I've been back on the lake that changed the water clarity in a profound way. All it took was three 2-3hr sessions of this 45-55degree weather with 10-15 constant winds to make me question what the heck I'm going to do over the next two months at a min. Each day including today I caught a single really small Bass. Today I caught a Crappie as well, and yesterday I actually had a cool thing happen when I caught an 8" Golden shiner on a 110Jr......I had no idea the lake had them. Thrilled to see another huge baitfish that only the big fish can eat. Adds just another little bit more confidence I'm gaining with the big Swimbaits. To say I don't know how to winter fish is an understatement. I'm out there throwing these stupid metal baits literally laughing at myself like a raving lunatic. I try not to take it personal, but my word is Bass fishing frustrating and humbling. #Firstworldproblems ?

Lol, I spent 30 mins trying to retrieve a shiny new Crankbait up in a pine tree attached to heavier braid. Same person that casts 30ft into a pine tree is the same who uses braid for cranks ? The low IQ person cut the braid way back like at his reel on the boat, and now there is a mess of it tangled in a smaller tree that I was trying to free, then I think I could have just ripped it down given the braid and the limb it was on. Frustrating because I've seen a number of Ospreys, and Hawks in this pine. I want to clean up that braid most importantly. Stuff gets in the Swans too. The lures are like a reward for cleaning up a lake or river.

We're all here for our need of acceptance and ego beneath the surface, above the surface we are here to learn, share, and make friends. Nobody would participate in forums especially the more knowledgeable unless there was a boost in acceptance and ego being generated from it. Time is money, and nobody is paying 99% of people of forums to be there. Therefore, people have to generate their own unique "income" for the time they invest on a forum. For pure newbs, it's mostly about learning........for true SMEs, it's more about acceptance/validation and ego. There is nothing wrong with that. Humans have an inherit need to feel accepted in the communities they participate in. I certainly do, and I certainly have an ego.....hopefully a normal one, but still an ego nonetheless. To this point, this is why Facebook has killed 90% of the tech forums and diminished the other 10% significantly. People realized it was easier to get the same acceptance and ego dopamine fix from a quick rather pointless post on their own "forum" per say. Facebook is the ultimate ego stroke device. The internet projects only a fraction of reality at best like a picture or video. The internet is really only good at two things: 1. Cats pics/videos 2. Use your imagination Socrates diatribe out ?

Lol, I just bit on this....seems like they are losing money on this deal or coming very coming to it. Certainly not making money. Thanks, never heard of the line, but for $1....come on Hope I didn't just get taken for $1 ?

From all I hear about even the most basic of shoulder surgeries, that sounds like a real nightmare. Former SEAL Devgru operator was on a podcast I was listening to.....basically described the same injuries and amount of surgeries you posted above, but on both shoulders. Crazy stuff, I hear PT is the key, get well soon brother!

Big thanks to whomever started the Purefishing post and Belk50 code. Never owned many Berkeley products, but with this deal I was able to get not only Berkeley stuff I wanted to try, but some more radical stuff that I'd have never bought like the Power Stingers, the Jigs, the Hardbaits, and for sure that black flashy Squarebull that I'm hoping is dynamite this summer at night. Most stoked about the new scale.

May I present the SKUNK KILLER......I try to stay humble, but I should have been a Bassmaster ?

Haha, it was still floating, but took about 20 mins to drain. Lake is way up. Several feet, dock across the way isn't floating and is submerged. Lake has huge flood drains that flow into the Cahaba River. This is a big reason why I was able to stock the lake as a teenager with Spotted Bass. I'd catch them down in the Cahaba in the areas where the lake would run off into and sprint them back up and into the lake. Super taboo now, and perhaps back then......but it's why the lake is really special to me. Every Spot I catch has DNA from the first couple dozen fish I put in there 25yrs ago. These big rains were always when I would go catch those Spots in the river.

How about you guys. That was a massive cell that blew over. I know it killed the fishing but I'll still go lol. Back to winter again ?

I'll let you know in about an hour or two.....I'm expecting the Jon boat to be sunk ?

What a fat toad.....love seeing healthy fish like that!

Just an FYI, I contacted MegaBass about the hook breaking so quickly and if they sold spare hooks. Quick reply, the rep said no they don't sell the hooks but is going to send me some replacements. They'll keep getting lots of my fishing budget, stand up company.

That's similar to what a slab Crappie does on Bass tackle I noticed. That 1-1.5lb sized fish will fight hard for a few seconds, and then you ski them across the top of the water back to you. They totally submit unlike even the tiniest of Bass. Bass and Catfish have a particular meanness to them not only when fighting, but when handling. Catfish will straight up chomp your hand and fingers. Every time I've had to stick my fingers deep into a bigger sized fish mouth's for hook removal, they clamp down like a shark and give me that "road rash" that actually bleeds. Spots will down right try to jump back in the boat when you release them ?

NICE! That reel is built for catching big fish, it's quickly become my toad reel. I keep getting close to dressing up these Zillions at least with knobs.....I did it back in the day with my OG Steez. I love the cork handles on these reels. That's a dang nice kitty too, I've got a Bengal and Rescue that inspect my tackle when I'm taking the pics for this thread too ?

You always can spot the real ones who fish in the rain, or in the dark ?

I always appreciate the OCD and pursuit of perfection approach to your posts. You don't half measure anything, and it shows. ETA: So cool about that Ocelot population, and great to hear that they are being managed.

Water temperature seems to play a huge role in a Bass's ability to fight as well. Certainly, recover after a fight......It takes forever to revive 5lb+ fish in the Alabama Summers. I've saw several fish this summer take 10-20mins to recover and swim off. Smallmouths have traditionally been known as a colder water species, whereas Largemouth are thought to be a more warmer water species...granted you have Northern Vs. Florida Strain here. All very fascinating stuff, Bass biology is my favorite things to learn about besides catching them. I can't fathom a 10lb Spot, truly can't. I was watching a video on the current WR Spot, and the day they caught it, they caught several other 7lb+ Spots. Imagine that day of fishing......I'm not sure how you would go fishing again, you'll never top something like that. Tim from Tactical Bassin had the previous WR, and I believe the video is on the TB channel. Very cool video and has lots of footage of the WR.

kudos to the risk takers, those are the people that get to the mountain top, also the people that fall off it and go splat. I always laugh and know that I'd never have been one of the early pioneers or went out west in search of gold. It takes huge tamales to make major life changes.

If I lived in Cali I'd want to see what a 8-10lb Spot pulls like ?