Basseditor

Bubblegum Senko. I agree with the spot on a spot, especially for smallmouth. When a bass picks up lures by the tail, put the hook on the back and a nail weight in the head.

I've gotten mixed results too.

I haven't looked up what they are selling for. What's a fair price?

I have 3 Revo 3 STX that I'm not really using. I've thought of selling them.

Bass 18-20 lb LMB chasing a trout on L. Casitas in CA. It went right around the boat. 8-9 lb SMB on the end of my line and I was in my float tube. It pulled me around for while, then jumped and came off. Midview Res., Utah

7 lb 3 oz. Used a Gitzit with sixteenth oz. weight, color 136; 6 lb line. It was one ounce shy of the then state record.

1983 my first tournament. It was cold in March and not knowing better my friend and I camped out. We froze. I drew an older gentleman who was blind in one eye. All the boats were bobbing around just outside the marina wake less area. Shotgun start. The signal to go comes. He puts the throttle all the way down. Unfortunately he had the steering wheel turned all the way to the right. Front end of boat swings up and hard turn and we missed the boat to our right by a frog's hair. I had never even been on the lake. He didn't practice either. We both blanked. Next day I drew a veteran who limited and I got two. But I didn't feel good. The flu was coming on. I barfed all the way home on the 5-hr. drive that took 8 hrs because we had to stop for me to jump out and spill my guts multiple times.

Two practice days are done. It was too windy to explore much on Thursday. I've found a minor pattern but it sure is hard to get to them. (Behind the flooded cypress trees very shallow.) Some minor schooling action if you're in the right place. Let's see how the tournament goes tomorrow. I'm really not on any quality fish. My first time on the lake so I tried to learn three area. I'll fish Six Mile and Housen and if the wind isn't too bad I may try one other place. I didn't see others catching many, but the guy in the next room got one about 7 lbs. I caught 7 keepers today but none over 3.5 pounds.

So, I've read this thread completely. But of course, conditions change. From what I heard, the lake is full. I'm going for the first time this next weekend. What part of the lake should I start in? I don't need your secret spot, but where to go? Mid-lake, south, or? We can trailer (just a club tournament). I have a day to try to put something together.

Brush, sand, rattlesnakes, scorpions and on one side Mexican commercial fisherman and drug cartels.

Take a look at the cabelas arachnid if you're leaning to Tatula. I have most of the reels mentioned. Each has a specific use for me. My favorites now are Tatula R, Arachnid and Lews Lite. But I use heavy line 20-25 Flouro and 15 lb Flouro on the Lew's Lite. Your experience may be different.

Same here.

I haven't worked in 30 years. I show up and help put together an outdoor magazine and I get a check every month.

Anecdotal evidence from today... Launch ramp area water temperature was mid 50s. I didn't get to practice so I didn't know where and at what stage the bass were in. So we're thinking ok, traps in the grass. Prespawn mode right? We go to an area that usually has grass. First fish was 5+ then nothing for an hour. So time to move. We go to a cove that warms pretty quickly and temp was a few degrees warmer. About 57-58. About noon, clouds clear out and when the sun is up enough to see beds, guess what? Beds all over. Bass in full spawning mode and the temperature was still under 60 degrees.

I've seen them on beds starting at about 54 degrees and as high as 80. I work with many fisheries biologists. This is what they tell me. The larger the bass, the more hormones they have, which help trigger some spawning urges. Not all eggs hatch successfully at colder temps because they take so long to hatch that they can develop a fungus. There are many factors though. Photoperiod, moon phases, water temperature, rising water, etc. Did you hear about the three ShareLunkers in Texas last weekend? It was the first warm day in a while that fell on a full moon. The water is still in the mid 50s in most of our lakes now. It doesn't take much to get those big females moving. March is usually the best month for big bass here, but you can catch a 10 just about any month.

When I'm catching fish consistently, I use what I got and just replenish. When I'm in a bad rut, I keep buying, hoping to find that magic bait. That...and a good sale...

I guess B-. Started strong but got really tough late in the year. No bass over 8 lbs (my personal standard). South Texas has been tough the last two years. We got spoiled a few years ago. It used to take 10 lbs to win big bass in our tournaments (club) now a 7 gets it done. I did get some 6+

Bringing your own makes sure it fits. I have several life jackets in different sizes so I can get a good fit when wearing light or heavy jackets. The goal is to save your life. Don't leave it up to someone else.

My best year I was in the money 29 out of 35 events. After expenses, cleared about $39,000. That was less than my regular job. That's when I decided not to pursue the dream. I fish club tournaments now, but it doesn't consume me. I have a good job and learn new stuff every day. It's fun to go to work. We just built our first iPad app for our magazine. We just submitted it to Apple and we're waiting for approval. None of us had ever done anything like this before. For old guys like me, it is all new.

If you're accepting smallmouth over 6: About 20-25. I don't have all the weights because I didn't write them down if they were under 7 lbs. (BTW, more than a hundred over 5 lbs) Three over 7; 7-1 (twice) and 7-3. Lost one smb I swear was over 9. Largemouth— one DD 10-5, but numerous 9-12 to 9-15. Some of those could have been over 10 but the digital scale could be off. All in U.S.

It was only 83 today. This cold weather is getting to me.

I add a spinner bait blade (Colorado or Indiana) to the back sometimes for a little flash. Twist in screw lock, ball bearing swivel then the blade. Works good when using a steady retrieve, but sometimes they'll hit it when it's motionless too.

Just send it to me. J/k Sent from my iPad. lol

If you are on a pro staff, the manufacturer "gives" you a boat to use for about a year. Then you either sell it to get another one or you have to buy it yourself. Either way, you owe the money for the boat. However, you may get the boat at 10-20% below dealer cost so you can use it all year and maybe even make money when you sell. Hence, memo is shorthand for long term invoice. Do you notice a lot of pros listing their boats for sale near the end of the season? Watch as they start showing off their new boats now being rigged for next season. A lot of the pros presell the boat during the season with the caveat that the new owner can't take delivery until the pro is done with it for the season. Happens all the time. If you are looking for a good deal, you might be able to buy a pro's used boat around dealer cost or even under.

Ambassadeur 5000 I got when I was 10 yrs old in 1963. Still works great. Don Iovino in California specializes in refurbishing them so I might it send it to him.