GreenTrout

Use Tiny & Baby Torpedos. Never fail to get strikes & fish. Use Chug bugs small & large sizes -- viscous strikes. Use Zara Puppy & Zara Spook to walk the dog for strikes that can scare you. Use Devil's Horse for slow teasing presentation. Use buzzbait for aggressive bass. To each his own.

New for 2017, Zebco, the most recognized brand in fishing, introduces the fastest version ever of the tangle-free reel they made famous. Appropriately named Bullet – it’s faster than all spincast reels, and even faster than 6.1:1 baitcasting reels, and a size 20 spinning reel. Geared at 5.1:1, Bullet picks up an unprecedented 29” of line with each revolution of the handle – a handle that’s padded with unique-feeling new GripEm™ knobs. Many field test anglers reported the surface of the handle felt even a bit tackier when they’re wet, much like a wide-receivers gloves. Disclaimer >> never used one. Source >> Zebco Yet, I do carry one with me on specific fishing holes. Like to use them to skip under tree limbs & docks. And for an easy gentle fall around stumps & laydowns. To each his own.

How To Catch A 10-Pound Plus Bass By Bill Miller, Ph.D. No one, even the best professional bass anglers, can tell you a specific formula for catching a really huge bass. I can't either, but what I can do is give you some sound advice that will tip the odds in your favor. First, it is essential that you fish where bass grow to a tremendous size. Lakes like Fork (Texas), Sam Rayburn (Texas), Lake Amistad (Texas), Lake Falcon (Texas), Eufaula (Georgia, Alabama) Seminole (Florida), Toledo Bend, Caney (Louisiana) and the phosphate pit lakes in Florida and southern California all hold bass of true trophy size. Of course I didn't mention all of the lakes known for producing 10-pound plus bass. There are a large number of lakes in other states that have huge bass. It doesn't even have to be a lake to contain a monster wall-hanger. Small stock ponds produce trophies, too. It does make it easier if you fish takes that have Florida strain largemouth in them. As real estate people are fond of saying, "Location, location, location!" The absolute surefire way of increasing your chances in any place is to fish in the spring. Fish early, stay with it, fish hard, wisely and use big-bass lures. The single most important tip of all is to fish February through May. If you look at all the state records you will find most of the trophy bass were caught during these months. BASS RESOURCE >> https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/catching_big_bass.html

I lived in Houston, TX for about 8 yrs. Left to retire in a small southern state. Most fishermen there do mostly saltwater fishing but don't think there are not a large number who head to Lakes Conroe & Houston to name a few to bass fish. For those without high-powered bass boats don't think they lack great opportunities to land some nice bass in small boats or on foot. There are even clubs for bassers who fish only from the bank. The city is full of bayous and watersheds holding bass in every imaginable water environment available. From suburbs to downtown business parks. Fishing creeks & bayous is done by many young anglers on foot in creeks & bayous & in the country. Urban settings do not take a second seat to them. Plenty of places downtown. Bass in 5 ft. width creeks and no more than 5ft. deep is common. Been there done that.

I'm an old-timer. Never forgot the T rigged worm. Always with me on mono. Learned how to catch bass on a T rigged black worm and never saw any reason to change. To each his own.

BPS should drop this deal like a hot potato. Brick & mortar in stand alone & big sprawling malls is not the future. Cash out the window. The industry has cannibalized itself. Can't see how this helps BPS.

Read your post. If I may, most of my bait casting reels fall into the 100.00 to 150.00 dollars price point. Did come across this one for 80.00 dollars and it performs very well. It's KVD's. My first Quantum in a long time.

Bass Pro Bionic for 80 dollars or the less expensive Tourney Special will suffice if you don't do heavy day in and day out tournament style fishing for a first b/c reel and Bass Pro will back them up with a phone call. I'd get one that brings in at least 26 inches per handle turn. Promise...

H&H Spinner baits 3/8 oz. not fancy not expensive catches bass >>

Rebel Craw >

If you live in a state that allows it, might consider keeping a firearm on your boat. In a remote area, you don't want to be in a situation when you can't protect yourself. Now I'm not advocating picking up a firearm for anything but only when common sense dictates you are in danger and it gives you an option. There are some criminal characters out there who show up at the parks and launching sites. Be wary.

Fish with a gentleman in his jon boat on his 30 acre subdivision lake who uses an Ugly Stik. He is very good at line watching with plastic worms. On occasion, the fish is gut hooked. Happens to us all. He doesn't miss a beat and, once a big one is hooked, she's toast with that Ugly Stik. She's going nowhere.

Retail in most industries is taking a beating. The big malls with brick & mortar are in big trouble. New pricing strategies & on site aggressive store management to bend the cost curve down is needed. Yesterday, walking into an Academy saw a sign out front before walking in stating they would beat any competitors' price like a Wal Mart ad. The big box boys are in big trouble. Personally, buy more and more from on-line & use Amazon, too. My 2 cents.

Years ago I read in one my old Bass Master issues that LMB would spawn on ledges in reservoirs like Lake Mead. Seen them in a large metropolitan area spawn in bayous & some creeks & canals in no more than 3ft. or less with a width no more than 6 ft. A resourceful species. Disclaimer >> I've never fished Lake Mead.

Zoom Finesse worm watermelon with red fleck on 8 pound test spinning and 10 pound test b/c. Both Texas rigged with weight from 1/32 to 1/4.

Who's the odds-on favorite to win the 2017 Classic? BASSMASTER > > http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/whos-odds-favorite-win-2017-classic

Remember the old Bill Dance forum when this topic came up and it was dynamite. Friends became enemies. Me, I've mellowed and no longer totally frown on bed fishing. But believe it depends on the circumstances of the body of water and conditions. I've seen small bodies of waters like ponds of 2 to 10 acres I believe were ruined by bed fishing. Saw guys who never fished year round but made it a point during the spawn to fish these small accessible waters and stage over the big female for hours to coax her into a bite with a frog or crawfish. Takes a long time to replicate 5 and 6 pound bass on small waters like that. Bigger waters seem most of the time to be the exception although I do know in some of the Northern states bedding areas are roped off from fishermen. I'm no biologist and I do respect what they present as evidence but keep my skepticism that it depends on the body of water. I won't judge another fisherman who is abiding by the law and has the right to fish a bed and keep the fish if caught. It's his decision. As a side, Doug Hannon, the old Bass Professor, refused to fish for the LMB on a bed.

Yep, I'll be on the water tomorrow using Rattlin Rapala Pre Spawn > then to Zoom plastics lizards >

Where I come from you should always have permission from an owner of a home in the HOA that allows you to fish the property. You should not try to be cute or try to be clever and not honor their wishes to keep their lake private. Some of these homes are easily 300,000 and up. Even if not it's their property and the fishing is good to excellent most of the time because someone in that HOA is keeping the lake in shape to make the fishing good. If fishing private property is your goal because you want to fish it be prepared on some occasion to be greeted by not so friendly dogs and an owner or owners with firearms in their presence. True.

Live in Mississippi with a lot of retirees and I always see women with their husbands on bass boats bass fishing in our State Parks, Natural Forests and private waters. My lady not as much. Life is good.

Back in the nineties these were the reels. Sold for right around 120.00 and were tanks. Even a good one is not current technology but each to his own.

63 yrs. old. Seen & done a lot. Don't fish as hard as 20 or 10 yrs. ago and walk a lot more banks and fish small waters. Listen to your Dr. & realize tomorrow is never promised to anyone. "A man's got to know his limitations." Magnum Force -- Dirty Harry Callahan

You might also want to check out, if you haven't already, the stats on the bass tournaments in your state with the statewide bass clubs. You will find the avg. size, length, weight and time of avg. catch with biggest bass and more. They are usually your better than average bassers.