AlabamaSpothunter

Welcome from central Alabama! The Garmin LVS34 or even the 32 look significantly better to me than the Hummingbird or Lowrance. Lowrance looked better to me than Hummingbird. Hummingbird sidescan looks significantly better to me than the Garmin or Lowrance. Lot of guys who aren't being paid by any of them choose to run Garmin FFS, Hummingbird sidescan, and a mixture of all three for mapping plus some other apps that can be accessed on your smart phone. Ben Milliken is the embodiment of this, dude has 5 screens on his boat, all three companies represented, and then still uses Apple Maps, Google Earth, and another mapping program or two. You can't wrong with any of them, they are all at each other's throats to stay competitive with one another. If you plan on going with FFS in the future though, that's the one area that I have a pretty strong opinion on......go with compatible Garmin units from the jump. I should have.

Hope your grandson is doing okay. Many days on my home lake I watch one of those fly over. Easy to forget there is somebody inside most likely on the edge of life and death. I love helicopters.

Great job helping that fish! Really nice fish as well, beautiful and big.

I'm humbled by the greatness of girth on this fish, my lord what a specimen. It was like 5.3-5.5

Beautiful Katie! Your positivity, and enthusiasm is only matched by your intellect.

One of the best things about this thread is seeing how many dads/husbands get their entire family involved in fishing. Having somebody to share these epic moments with is priceless, having them being your wife, son, or daughter is vastly more priceless. Some lucky dudes in this thread. I hope to see Jake winning a Classic in about 15-20 years ? I see why you married you her, beautiful fish!

Daygum stud, love those dark Bass you always post.

I'm the same way Katie, I'll get all excited and miss a turn on the reel handle, or I'll set the hook in the most awkward manner possible. I'd pay a heavy tax for a few weeks at least if I fished in areas like you, as I'd lose lots and lots of fish with my current gear. I agree completely about the videos, without capturing the cast on film, I'd have no idea where I caught that fish.....I wish I could keep my composure better and remember the details of it all, but once I get the shakes, I become all floaty and details seem to fly out the window. Perhaps the most important thing from yesterday is I realized these fish were likely coming up from 18-20ft hard cover rather than the 5-12ft hard cover zones I'd been hammering for weeks. That whole area in front on me in the video is like "little Vietnam" underwater.

You're 100% right Katie, she was super green when netted, and thrashed the lure out of her mouth a few seconds after hitting the net. Early on I watched Tactical Bassin preach about wrenching these big swimbait fish in.....keep those hook points pointed towards you and always keep the fish moving towards you. That works great when you hook them 15-20yds from the boat, but so many times like this fish they hit the bait within 5-10ft of the boat. She ate it really close to the boat, close enough I watched the whole thing go down. With that 7'9 XH Mod Fast and 20lb Sniper, you can really muscle these fish. It's a coin flip whether they're gonna throw those heavy baits once they jump. Sure enough yesterday it was 1/2 once they jumped with that big bait.

Like many here, your advice has contributed significantly to my success with these big baits. Thanks brother! They call me Razor Fist in my day job as MMA fighter ?

Thanks brother! She might have only had one, but it was a big one ?

Thanks friend, she was a magnificent fish. HAHA, thanks Katie!

Thanks! Those Hinkles are crazy money, but man I'd love to have one. Need a Deps 250, can't have a good collection without one it seems. You're in the right state for monsters, look forward to you posting one up ?

About a month ago, the big swimbait addiction pretty much took ahold of my entire fishing brain, over that time I usually only take the swimbait rig, a second "fun" rig", and a fanny pack. Got my first real deal premium swimbait on Saturday after finally winning the "lottery" on a KGB TSG drop. To date this is my biggest bait at 9" and 3.5". Today was the second time out with it, and the following video occurred about 2 hours total into fishing this bait. Shook a 4-5lb fish, two casts later I land a 8.14 on it, my second biggest fish of the year. She threw the bait in the net, absolute perfect catch, zero trauma on her, and she swam away full of vigor in 83d water. I enjoyed the glow on the water for about 30mins, but I basically quit after that fish......I couldn't help but feel incredibly blessed, and thankful, didn't want to ruin a perfect day. I shook today better than I have in months, and overall one of the best shakes I can remember. What an absolute drug

Haha, those suckers are mean. I carry a single glove in the boat specifically for those guys.

Yeah, and the worst part is it didn't even include a sticker ? (seriously my first reaction was where is the sticker ?) These custom swimbaits, and all the JDM high end stuff guys like you post make me turn into a drooling idiot, at which point the monkey takes control of the wheel and speeds into the financial abyss.

Thanks alot, I'll send the $18.35 bill to you tackle/glasses monkey. You combine with the replies that mention green for dual purpose usage.....I got the green ones. Site should be shut down for financial crimes against Bass fisherman ?

Weak men, create hard times, Hard times create strong men, Strong men create good times, Good times create weak men........WE ARE HERE, weak men created by good times created by strong men.

Great job, and it's important to keep fishing on those rare occasions when the big ones are biting. Again, I'd be focusing heavily on that particular body of water but I understand why you like to bounce around. That's the beauty of this game, we all have different styles, and goals. Keep doing you, it's working extremely well ?

Have you tried burning, and pausing that thing especially as of late?

That's the most awesome looking SM I've seen caught in a really long time, wow it was about to explode. Gosh I love fat Bass and I cannot lie

You're a machine brother, you put in some serious time on the water.

I'm a BASS man, but this is truly an exceptional derby!

That big girl made you shake didn't it? That's the addiction I simply can't shake. I LOVE catching fish, but I'm like a crack addict when it comes to that shaking feeling.

Shuffield is gonna win this sucker.