AlabamaSpothunter

Caught 12-15 fish this afternoon. All but one came off a big Shimano Flashboost jerkbait. 3 high quality Spots with one going close to 3.5. One nice Spot inhaled a DD crankbait, and while it didn't gullet hook or gill hook it, it got it somewhere right at the back of the mouth and the fish was bleeding quite a bit. Inevitably this ate me up the whole fishing session. I can't help but constantly think if that fish is going to make it, if I could have done something for it......I know the Mtn Dew is debunked, but after today I'm going to research finding a product to help with this. Thankfully this is the first fish since I started back fishing that was a bleeder. One too many though, kind of makes me sick....oddly I have more empathy for Bass than most humans ? One eyed willy, but proof catch N release works

Another SINK FISH ? Nice one brother! Mike, did you realize you were having so much fun catching those beautiful fish you smiled in the pics ?

LOL.....I hope you post these to all the Muskie boards and tell them they are nothing but by catch ? Epic stuff, very pretty fish! How do these fish fight? Everybody refers to them in length, but what's the general weight on these fish when they get big like those in the pics?

"Welcome to the world of MegaBass" ?

The thought of a majestic 10-12lb LGM speared to death makes me sad. I get it though, it's easy for me to judge sitting in America being able to afford first world groceries. Dude is likely a meat hunter plan and simple. The Bass is nothing more than a meal to him, much like a Tilapia is nothing more than a meal to the DD Bass. You still live in the big fish mecca, I'm not feeling sorry for you over a 5lb fish ? eta: filtered out the most mundane word lol

-badhabit- reply was dead on the money imho. You got the very, very rare angler who can catch big fish consistently, then you have everybody else from weekend warriors to Classic winners. The big Bass hunter is a special breed, a very special angler to be sure.

Congrats on the successful surgery and fish! Stay on that PT.

Dang nice Blue kitty! What did she weigh? Bet she was close to 20 at least. Cut bait or live bait? What kind of setup do you rig for them?

Only people paying them are the same people paying BassResource.....Tacklewarehouse Beyond that, he has favorite rods for everything, and few share a same mfg'r. He has MegaBass, Loomis, Shimano, etc. He's making money teaching people how to fish on youtube through Adsense anyways.

I'd buy Jackall and MegaBass products even if they weren't fish magnets. LuckyCraft is the other big hardbait company that shares the unique qualities of those first two in my experience. You can always spot their baits in a box filled with various mfg'rs baits in it as they ooze quality, refinement, and sophistication. The Japanese monkey is the one who steals my wallet the most it seems, I throw out all reason and rational when I see the shiny perfected finishes, or the incredible detail and realism to them. For as good as they look, they 9/10 times are even more effective due to incredible actions and subtle nuances that other companies can't quite match.

He's like Urban Meyer in terms of off the field type character without the National Championships or ability to coach at the top echelon. Have no idea how he's had so many high-profile jobs in his relatively speaking short working life......besides a healthy dose of nepotism, and then what must be the best used car salesman's tongue. 9 million a year is ridiculous money, these HC salaries are increasing exponentially. I remember Jimbo's mega deal just a few years back, he's middle class these days lol

He just resigned an extension to the tune of over 9 MILLION per year.....absolute clown world I'm glad honestly, but Auburn is just as screwed as they were before Harsin was hired. Nobody wants to come there while Ole' Yellow Lumber and his money are calling the shots.

GWs in many states have the most authority out of all LEOs. They also have more leeway with regards to 4th Amendment protections.

Got my second today.....I'm already seeing it pays to double back when you think you might see something. I was also able to put the puzzle together on this one.....a bank angler lost it on a bomb cast near a fallen tree. Berkley Choppo 105 Couldn't have been in the water for more than a week or two. Basically brand new, you can still smell the sadness on it ?

Yeah I suspect that is the case. A few weeks ago I was more thrilled than I am now after his last two embarrassing performances. They should just sell their soul to the debil and get Urban Meyer. He'll give them 5 years a title before a scandal breaks out and he's forced out lol.

People in the South just don't really follow Big 10 football, I suspect it's the same way for you guys with the SEC. Some guy moved down here from PA, and he started flying his Penn State flag months before the season started.....he literally took it down once they lost their first game ?

The Iron Bowl doesn't kick off until 2:30pm CST sir

I always just play the "Sovereign Citizen" card, they don't ever seem to mind ?

I hate those Flashback Minis.....they don't catch any fish at all ?

They're as mean as they are beautiful. Fishing in those conditions is a testament to the level of angler you are Caught 5 this afternoon, all small ones. I never winter fished much growing up, and as a young adult so I'm spending at least half my time on the water playing mind games with myself and fighting my confidence.

I found it easier to just worry about comparing Zillions because many Steez models aren't in stock, don't translate well to Zillion models, and the new 22 Steez A II TW is about to drop in December according to Digitaka which is the reel I'd be looking at if I wanted a new Steez. The overall better workhorse reel for throwing heavier baits, bigger line cap, larger handle/knobs, and if you could call it that "more solid" feeling reel b/t the Zillion SV TW and TW HD would be the TW HD. I mean both reels are Jack of all trades in effect, they will throw everything but the kitchen sink, no fiddling with adjustments hardly, and almost impossible to backlash. High end Shimano and Daiwa reels have very different "solid feelings" imho. Shimanos feel more "solid" to me, but I'm 90% Daiwa.

I love your stories and can't wait for the new article! Writing is a rare talent these days especially, it's a pleasure to read someone who writes old world. Hard to describe great writing, just one of those things where you know it when you see it.

Your replies are always such a pleasure to read Katie, you have such a wonderful command of language, wit, and intelligence I hope to see you keep writing articles for BR at the minimum.

Haha, dinner will be on me. I've gotten so obsessed over this that the longer it goes without a DD on my homelake, the more I have no idea how I'll react. I know this one will be much more meaningful. I took the first one for granted in my early 20s and in college. This one will mean a lot more if it happens. The 7.8lb I caught in early August got the ball rolling, but when an old friend who has access to the lake sent me this pic from last February, all I do is think about trying to catch this fish. She was 10.6. Over the summer the lake biologist got a 9.4 on a fly rod lol. Lake was built in the late 60s, and over the decades it's produced a number of DD fish. I go to bed thinking about how many others are out there like her, or if this old girl is still swimming and has even gained a lb+. The wonderment of fishing, not having a real clue what's swimming down there is one of the things that doesn't change whether you are 10 years old, or 90 years old. My friend's fish from last Feb.

After some research they do both have a "threadfin" just to update my bad info.....much harder to tell apart than I thought. Thanks again for letting me know. Congrats, glad to see you fishing, much less catching a pig