AlabamaSpothunter

The most interesting thing I've found in my time since I've joined is that this forum is majority Northern member populated, and Northerners evaluate Bass as much on length as weight. Until I joined this forum, I've never heard of Bass being referred to as lengths. A 15" Bass is going to have vastly different weights depending on when, and where it was caught. However a 5lb Bass in Alabama translates easily to 5lb Bass in MN. I heard something the other day about Kayak tourneys doing length "weigh ins"......perhaps this has had a spillover effect on some kayak fisherman. This isn't really like metric/imperial where both end up with generally the same answer. Bass fisherman imho should use weight not length to evaluate Bass

worst reel and technology I've ever bought.

2.5-3 hrs tonight. Hot night still for this time of year, like many nights I've found the typical 1-2hr window was open while I was fishing, and equally closed seemingly as well. Caught b/t 4-5lb LGM on the chatterbait, took a pic, threw back out into another stand of structure.....WHACK, start to feel drag being stripped, pole tip starts bowing into a U...."Is this my DD?", nope it's just a real quality Alabama Bass. 3.2lbs, and every second they remind you why they are the king. They're just awesome. Best 5 fish all did over 3lbs, with the Alabama Bass being the smallest of those, the other 4 were LGMs, and heavier, but the prize was that Spot in my book. Only threw the chatterbait, and an ole' favorite.....Jobee head hook 4/0 EWG with a 7" Roboworm is "After Dark". This is one killer night time bait. Maybe threw it a dozen or two times, and caught several in those casts. Fun to catch big night time Bass on the finesse stuff as well.

put a zillion in the cart, nothing here. maybe no discounts on reels

I've always believed a 6" Roboworm to be the magic bullet of Bass fishing, and still likely do....however I think a Chatterbait is the magic bullet for quality Bass. Super slow rolling these things through deeper structure, or where deep water meets weed/shore/dock lines is really producing for me. Caught a several fish in the hour I got out before dusk after feeling better today. The best was taken on the 3/8th Zman Breaking Bream weedless project chatterbait with a Zoom twin tail trailer in pearl, then I marked the tips with chartreuse garlic marker.

It's been some time since I caught 15-20 of them, but last time I did, they ranged quite a bit in coloring. I think we have a few sub species of sunfish like most places as well. We also have Crappie. I have fantastic success off that breaking Bream color chatterbait in your pics....the one above your grape/purple swim jig

Yeah, this was one I caught a few weeks ago......occasionally I'll just fish for them and maybe cats, but that's been some time.

Killing it my man! Really appreciate how you handle the fish. Like that rubber tray you use. The older I get, the more important this aspect of catching Bass is. The trophy sized fish are quite vulnerable after a good fight. I'd love to bend the barbs down at some point, but I don't I'll ever get to that level of sportsman

This thread is hilarious and awesome. I bet half of these people didn't even bother doubling back and at least trying to reel down the stuck bait, and obviously they don't lure knockers

Saving cats, and teaching kids how to fish is the fastest way to heaven I hear, great job!

Figured, haven't seen them. Wonder why they quit making them, they were remarkable in every way except durability.

per 50rds? Academy is the best local at about 18.99 for brass fmj 50rd boxes

Wow I'd be in trouble if I lived by PSA as gun guy....didn't even know they had fishing stuff

I was gonna ask to go on the next trip with you guys until the whole thing about catching humans on jigs

Get a load of this Bill Dance wanna be with that obnoxious hat Bill was my favorite growing up, still consider a few of his signature baits favorites today. Great fish, great diversity, really nice cat.

I have boxes full of LuckyCraft and Japanese hardbaits, they almost never get used. Same goes with a number of $25-50 swimbaits. I hate losing a tungsten weight, losing a $20 CB could end up souring a fishing trip as petty as that sounds. As long as I can catch fish of Rapala, and other mid range priced baits, I'll continue to use the high dollar baits on a very limited basis. I used to whitewater kayak, and the best kayakers would go multiple trips, months without ever having to pop their skirt and go swimming. I view fishing the same way, a really good fisherman shouldn't be losing many baits.

That's one of those ponds that you don't even tell your momma about lol. I get the hands needing rest, the skin is one thing, but where I set the hooks really starts to hurt the side of my hand after a bunch of fish.

I really dig your fishing style.....very pure, and very spartan. Have no clue how old you are, but if you're doing that type of fishing you are in most excellent shape. Totally get the tackle deal, as I love bank fishing and guerilla fishing as much as fishing on a decked out Bass wagon. Your pics are evidence of the fish you can catch if you are willing to put in the hard work to get into backwoods places. Measuring vs. weighing must be geographical thing or something. Here in the South, very few people measure Bass, just weigh them. Then I joined this forum that seems heavily populated by members from above the mason dixon line, and started seeing lots of Bass being measured. Maybe a carry over from other northern fish species that are prized on length more than weight. Dang what a beautiful fish, and I'd wade on a blowup tube to catch a fish like that LOL. I too can't do the kayak thing after using small boats with trolling motors my whole life......mad respect for those who fish that spartan. The wind kills me in a 14ft jon boat with TM, it would be essentially impossible to fish my lake many days in a kayak with no TM

Those are easily two of my favorites, but have tried stuff in Black Grape.....it's like a perfect combo of the two minus the usual flakes in Junebug offerings

I took a 15 year hiatus from harcore Bass fishing, and now that I've started back....it's staggering the amount of fisherman vs a decade and a half ago. I thought we reached peak Bass back then, I had no idea this sport would practically double in that span. The amounts of baits, high end rod and reel makers, whole aisles full of $50 dollar line, I mean nobody wants to talk about fishing pressure because we all add to that fact. I have no doubt in some places the Alabama Bass is outcompeting native species, but this problem especially on major impounded reservoirs is significantly deeper than just blaming it on the Alabama Bass. The podcast posted does quite a good job explaining some of these other things.

I've always felt the key to Roboworm's unmatched success is their action, and patented salt release system. They also make a million different color options so it's overwhelming to some degree. Costco did a study on whether consumers were more or less likely to buy a product when it was offered in 2-3 varieties verses a few dozen varities. What they found was the consumer gets overwhelmed with too many choices, and ultimately doesn't purchase the product, whereas when only presented with 2-3 options they were much more apt to purchase the product.

Is there really a wrong color in a roboworm......Aaron's magic is great. They used to have a FX series, best looking soft plastics I've ever seen.

Fantastic fish! Those are all the size that make your heart race, third one down is especially nice. You need to get a scale, and I need to upgrade mine to a clamp one. Thankfully I don't fish areas with uber vegetation that would make a frog a good choice. I throw them on the rare occasion, almost never catch a fish on them. Went out another night in the rain two nights ago thinking the Covid wasn't that bad, but I guess I overdid or something. Hopefully I'll be back to fishing in a few days. Quite surprised I haven't caught a Spot over 3-4lbs yet, but this one is a start at 2.4lbs. Fought like wall hanger though haha

Thrown a chatterbait at least 50% of the time. I'm sure I'd have a whole lot more trophy Bass on my list. Wish I wouldn't have taken 15 years off as well.

Wish my dad could have been into fishing, his father was a massive angler like myself. I had to take advantage of neigbhor who mentored me. When it works out that both father and son like the same thing, magical memories, and lifelong friendship beyond the father/son relationship can happed Got pretty close my man, and chasing trophy Bass for a lifetime isn't that bad of a gig lol. I'm sure you have the best "fisherman" stories about times/places you just might have had the one that bested ole' Dottie One thing I didn't realize was how many of those SoCal Bass were taken off live baits, specifically crawfish. Nothing wrong with that, but I always heard it was big swimbaits in rainbow trout colors