So I hung it up a little early as holidays and birthdays and a new job are just getting busy. And I’m no writer at all. So bear with me lol. Just a reflection on my year. 
 

i fished pretty dang hard between march to October. I mostly fished 4 ponds near my house. Every one fished different bait wise and cover wise. Went from amazing days 20-30 fish in 2 hours. To hard no fish days in summer. Plant of fish in the 1-2 pound range consistently. But found Blaine very healthy fish including my pb this year. I had the best year of fishing ever. And I lived in Florida all my life lol. But Iowa has been amazing to me. 
 

I caught fish on soft plastics, jigs, spinner baits, bladed jigs, frogs and other top waters. But the Choppo in 75 size a Berkley bullet pop. Those were my big time  top water killers. Jigs were my main deal though. I learned to hop them, drag them, swim them and even tie them! That will be my winter project! I enjoy painting them and tying them. 
 

I played with different line types and colors of baits. And honestly realized for me it doesn’t matter. Fish what you like and have confidence in. I caught them on every kinda line and color. It was a bit confidence. 
 

thanks for reading the ramble and if you made it this far I am absolutely shocked. 

We still have until December 31st and then start the 2026 season.

I am all in BFS now👍

Tom

3 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

We still have until December 31st and then start the 2026 season.

I am all in BFS now👍

Tom

I’ve thought hard about a bfs setup. It would be a ton of fun I think 

It is the bass are 2X their size using BFS!

Tom

5 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

It is the bass are 2X their size using BFS!

Tom

That would be a lot of fun 

I had to use spinning tackle for light weight finesse lures that worked OK until becoming a backseater. Going braid with leader helps to reduce line twist that can’t be managed as a backseater seater using straight mono or FC line. 
BFS reels do not twist line so straight Mono or FC isn’t an issue anymore. Retiring the spinning tackle!*
I have always been a light line bass angler using 10 lb and 12 lb mono/ FC line to catch giant bass on jigs. I still have my jig rod but now hooking into a 6 or 7 lb bass is equal to those giants that are very rare today. Back in the game using BFS👍

Tom

* good deals on Flea Market.

26 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

I am all in BFS now👍

Thanks Tom.  I was enjoying a relaxing evening, then I read this, and the Bait Monkey crashed through my door screaming BFS BFS.  I tried to calm him by showing him my spinning rod collection.  He just kept screaming BFS BFS.  Just to shut him up I started looking at some BFS equipment online.

2 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Thanks Tom.  I was enjoying a relaxing evening, then I read this, and the Bait Monkey crashed through my door screaming BFS BFS.  I tried to calm him by showing him my spinning rod collection.  He just kept screaming BFS BFS.  Just to shut him up I started looking at some BFS equipment online.

No kidding lol. That’s what I’m looking at now lol

BFS reel is something I'm interested in. I have a 6'6" Shimano Compre ML fast action casting  rod. I've tried a couple of my reels on it. I'd like to be able to roll cast smallish cranks and other lures accurately but its not working.  I dont know if a BFS reel would do the job or not. 

I’m really hoping NC gets to pretend we are Florida or Texas this winter like 2023 (the Winter of Giants). 2024 we had ice for 3 months and it was really tough on me paychologically 🤪🤪🤪.  Tired of when we pretend we are Michigan in the winter - it’s not as fun.

 

If we are gearing up for a milder winter - fun is just about to start.

 

If we get hit with a proper winter and get a 3 month sheet of ice - gonna be learning to tie jigs too 🥹

7 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I’m really hoping NC gets to pretend we are Florida or Texas this winter like 2023 (the Winter of Giants). 2024 we had ice for 3 months and it was really tough on me paychologically 🤪🤪🤪.  Tired of when we pretend we are Michigan in the winter - it’s not as fun.

 

If we are gearing up for a milder winter - fun is just about to start.

 

If we get hit with a proper winter and get a 3 month sheet of ice - gonna be learning to tie jigs too 🥹

Hopefully you get to fish all winter! If not we can send jigs back and forth haha 

Have to say I had another great year, over 40 days of camping/fishing.

One trip in the spring up at ADK, had the greatest days of freshwater fishing.

Bunch of one day trips were I caught a lot of good days with some not so good.

But the best thing is still getting out and doing it.

Missed the last couple of weeks due to a shoulder issue, went to the Dr today and it looks like bursitis, got the cortisone shot. Hopefully that works as I have another 5 day camping/fishing trip down in south Jersey for tog, this is a saltwater trip arriving on Sunday.

This is my last camping trip of the year

Kayaking in a inlet with some wicked tidal flow is not for weak 

 

6 minutes ago, herder said:

Have to say I had another great year, over 40 days of camping/fishing.

One trip in the spring up at ADK, had the greatest days of freshwater fishing.

Bunch of one day trips were I caught a lot of good days with some not so good.

But the best thing is still getting out and doing it.

Missed the last couple of weeks due to a shoulder issue, went to the Dr today and it looks like bursitis, got the cortisone shot. Hopefully that works as I have another 5 day camping/fishing trip down in south Jersey for tog, this is a saltwater trip arriving on Sunday.

This is my last camping trip of the year

Kayaking in a inlet with some wicked tidal flow is not for weak 

 

Aweosme!! I hope ya feel better 

If you are hanging it up this early, you will probably have a lifetime supply of jigs tied up by spring.  Then you may want to get into making your own plastics which is a whole other world.

47 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

If you are hanging it up this early, you will probably have a lifetime supply of jigs tied up by spring.  Then you may want to get into making your own plastics which is a whole other world.

lol your probably right. I’ll resist that as long as I can. Jigs are a big enough rabbit hole. If we get a day the wind isn’t blowing 20 mph I may sneak out. 

Even with an injured wing, you flew high and had a peachy year. Happy for you!

16 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Even with an injured wing, you flew high and had a peachy year. Happy for you!

Thank you so much. I tried lol. With a lot of help from all

of you 

Glad you had a great year Joe! Florida would like to see you back down this way again one day! One day I will have to tell you my Iowa story. You'd get a laugh out of it.

 

Thanks for posting this as I need to lean on jigs more heavily. I have been slacking on them preferring another type of fishing that seems to take up most of my time and efforts.

 

I recall fishing with a buddy earlier this year as we approached a dock I tossed under it first and got a hit but missed the fish and I moved on past it to the shoreline because I knew my backseat co-angler loved docks so I let him have it. he came in right behind me on that dock with a jig and he pulled 3 of them out there almost back to back.

 

So its a lesson I need to take heed on! Jigs work! And I need to slow it down some and work docks more.

 

But I will say this... even though he was catching them under the dock, on that day he lost at least 2 pricey jigs. Docks can eat up lures.

 

Good to hear you caught yourself a new PB!

I have fished BFS for years, before we named and tagged it.  I find though you will loose some fish because it's sometimes inevitable when you catch a 5lb bass on 4-6 lb line.  It's definitely a lot of fun and you can use spinning gear if you like! 

 

On 10/23/2025 at 3:59 AM, scaleface said:

BFS reel is something I'm interested in. I have a 6'6" Shimano Compre ML fast action casting  rod. I've tried a couple of my reels on it. I'd like to be able to roll cast smallish cranks and other lures accurately but its not working.  I dont know if a BFS reel would do the job or not. 

The Ark Limited Edition BFS reel is a bargain at $150 performs over is price point. 
Tom

 

Don't give up on 2025 yet.

 

I had probably the best day of fishing in my life just last Friday.

Luckily I haven't 'torn down' my spinning rigs yet....they're saying upper-50s on Wednesday, which is good enough for shore fishing....MIGHT get one more outing this year.

3 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Don't give up on 2025 yet.

 

I had probably the best day of fishing in my life just last Friday.

 

Al @Lottabass is red hot in Iowa too.

 

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

they're saying upper-50s on Wednesday, which is good enough for shore fishing....MIGHT get one more outing this year.

 

Go get 'em, buddy!

3 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Don't give up on 2025 yet.

 

I had probably the best day of fishing in my life just last Friday.

Man I’ve actually snuck out a few times since our cool weather stabilized. Thrown several diff lures. And retrieves. It’s like all my fish are on the winter break already lol. 

If they not going after the moving baits (spinners/chatters/swim jigs/etc) - then go finesse (DS/Ned/Shakey, etc)