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Wait until you see what's coming from Icast............a crankbait with no hooks called the Electroshok N5. You only have to make one cast and then net the largest five as the come floating up around your cast area. The only problem is you better have a culling beam or culling system. There's only one color offered, copper with a black end.

Well this year of fishing has been pretty exciting none the less. Starting out from the spawn to now with some fish being on a deep southern pattern to some top water frog fishing. There has been some days where I've not caught nothing. Here are a few pictures of decent sized fish. My best this year has come off bed fishing with a Matt Lures bluegill swim bait, to some deep crank bait fish. This one was from early this year bed fishing, you can see the Matt Lures blue gill hanging above her....she went right at 6.8lb Here is one caught on a deep crank in 15ft of water off a H20 crank, she went 6.4lbs Frog fish, that blew a Spro popping into orbit after I pulled it from the grass and giving one twitch. No weight on her, but I'm guessing 4.5 - 5.25lbs This was from yesterday, on a SK 5XD Spatter back yellow belly. This went 4.8lb on the scale No more than 3 minutes after catching the previous fish, this one bit in close to the same spot on the same crank. It went 3.8lb So it has been a fun year, alot of 2-3lb fish, catfish, and crappie caught on bass lures. I'm still searching for the DD as most of us are..... TIGHT LINES Fish more, Stress less

Cull out. Up to 93.5" They were on fire today!

**** Trip Log **** Monday 08 July Fished 6am – 11am / Air temp mid 70’s / Water Temp 74 / Winds SSE 5 kts or less / Started Overcast then Big Fat Rain / Barometer 1013 & falling. Weather looked promising for an early morning bite today. Forecast was for some clouds and light showers with clearing skies by noon. I anchored up right at sunrise. There was a very low warm fog over the lake that extended into the surrounding pines but no winds at all – air was heavy, wet & still. The kind of morning that makes an angler believe something special in possible. I stated out on long gradually sloping, main lake point that I’ve always felt had major potential. It has yet to live up to my expectations but on this morning I was anxious to give it another chance. I alternated between a Rainbow Trout Hudd 68 (rof 12) and a stitching rig with a Rage Tail Lobster at the business end. This is the first time I’ve tried stitching a craw. The calm conditions made it quite pleasant to stitch, I was able to feel the rig slither up, over and the through the sparse cover as I worked it along. The Swim bait did not draw a strike but was flowed several times by some curious keeper size bass. The Craw did tempt a few of those keeper size bass. Not knowing what I had, that first take on the craw had me pretty amped up. Still, nice to get bit. All the action was on the shallow end of my presentations. Around 9:30am it started to rain and not long after that, the “showers” turned into quite a bit more. The lack of electrical activity in the air allowed me to stick it out a while hoping with would let up soon. I learned this morning that stitching in the rain is not optimum. Rainfall pelting the line makes bite detection somewhat frustrating; time to switch it up. I relocated to fish a drop in front of a deep flat at the entrance to a main lake cove. I went to a deep crank, DD22 HD first time throwing this bait. Worked the whole area shallow to deep and deep to shallow; on 10lb braid and a long cast, this lure gets down there nicely. Sometimes fishing in the rain is quite nice – today was not one of those days; Jambalaya on the crank bait. I was douched. Time to go. So as I look back at what I’ve done so far, the places I’ve fished, the times and conditions I’ve fished in, the baits and techniques I used and the few fish that I have caught, I’m not really putting anything together here. If anything, I’m starting to believe that perhaps the bigger fish I’m after are actually suspending out over the deeper water during neutral periods. Once my rig and tackle dry out, I’ll be back at it. A-Jay

Heading right over my house. Ought to bring the mutton snapper in.

I had two goals going into the 2013 season 1) Learn the drop shot and catch fish on it during a tournament. This weekend I successfully used the drop shot to catch 2 very finicky bass out of Oneida Lake in my 2 day tourney. Beginning to feel very confident with the lure. Still learning all that it has to offer. 2) Catch a limit in most of my tournaments. So this one is still ongoing but off to a very good start. Out of 6 competitive rounds I have caught limits in 5 and cashing in twice as a result.

let's see...I caught my first spinnerbait fish, my first buzzbait fish, my first plastic worm fish, my first lipless crank bait fish, and my first jig fish this year. I've previously only ever caught bass on floating crank baits or top water poppers, or live minnows. I also purchased my first NICE baitcaster instead of the el cheapos, and have learned to cast it fairly well until I try to throw something thats less than 1/4 ounce. LC

1992 Curado 100,200 (5:1 I think) 2 bearings, two tone silver/grey, W/FPSwitch 1993 Curado 100A, 200A (6:1) 5 bearings, red (tomato) 1994 Curado 200B (6.2:1) 5 bearings, pearl green 1999 Curado 200B5 (5:1) 5 bearings, pearl green 2001 Curado 200BSF (6.2:1), Curado 100B (6.2:1), Curado 200B38 (3.8:1) 5 bearings, pearl green (100's) and light green (BSF) 2006 Curado 200DHSV (7:1), 200DPV (5:1) 6 bearings, 100D/DSV (6.2:1) 5 bearings, charcoal grey 2007 Curado 300D (6.2:1) 6 bearings, charcoal grey 2008 Curado 200E7 (7:1) 200E5 (5:1), 300E (6.2:1) 7 bearings, dark pearl green w/lowrider flake Hope this helps some........... Tight Lines!

With a Little help from a friend I was finally able to get a picture of my boat on here. Thanks again oldfoggy!! Its not the best picture..

I have a Silverado 4x4 and have had to use it a few times on some ramps. This is always my answer to anyone thinking of buying a truck and can't decide on a 2 wheel drive or a four wheel drive. I have known many , many truck owners over the years and the one thing I have never heard in my entire life come out of someone's mouth is..............I wish I had bought a 2 wheel drive instead of a 4 wheel drive... but I have heard on more than one occasion a truck owner say............. I wish I had bought a 4 wheel drive instead of a 2 wheel drive. Something to think about...

I think people put too much emphasis on changing their baits for night time fishing. If it worked during the day, it will work at night. The fish are feeding on the same bait they fed on during the day. The prey doesn't get darker, larger or noisier at night, your baits don't have to either.

This was the outcome for me and my girl today. Are over all weight was 6.89 and are lunker was 2.25. Winning weight was 6.99 so close but that's fishing. Winning lunker was 2.89. Long hot day of fishing but at the end of the day we have smiles on are faces.

Buddy and I went fishin yesterday an yoked up on a few nice fish in the 4 hours we spent on the water. This is one of our fav lakes to fish. Its about 15 acers of stump fields an stick ups. The water is up two foot from all the rain we've had , normaly you can see 90% of the tops of the stumps in 5 feet of water, but on this day.. as you can tell.. cant see many... their there though.. I've broke a trollin motor already out there lololol. All those bass were 4 pounds or better. Caught several in the 2-3 pound range and 20 + in the 1 pound range. This citation crappppppy hit a G-Splash 3.5 like he was a 5 pound bass! This was his last top water fish of the morning... once he caught that lil guy.. he put the G-Splash down! lolol He caught most of his off the G-Splash an BitsyBug and I caught mine on a T-1 Terminator Spinnerbait (blue gill pattern), and a BPS pro shakeyhead with a zoom 7inch green pumpkin trick worm. Awesome DAY!!!! Tight lines all!! PoorBoy

I've been lurking on this site for a little while. When I posted on one of my favorite forums about a good site for bass fishing, Bass Resource came up. So far, I have learned some stuff that has been pretty useful. I've been fishing since I was little, but have recently gotten back into the game after a few year hiatus. The wife and I had been fishing out of a 20+ year old jon boat for the last year or so, but we recently upgraded to a new Tracker 175txw which we are pretty happy with. We have found fishing to be a good stress reliever for both of us. I have access to some decent fairly large ponds at my gun club, which we hit pretty frequently, but I really want to learn how to fish on larger lakes and reservoirs. I have access to a good sized reservoir about 2 miles from my home, as well as a state run small lake a few miles further. Lake Anna is about 35 minutes from my house and I have access to a private ramp there. That being said, I can get on the water, I just need to learn more to be successful! I am looking forward to learning more from the folks on this board!

This was great fishing days ! We were elbow to elbow in people and poles at 3am in July of 89 ! About then someone yells , " Fish on " and you quickly reel in not to tangle the person ! 20 minutes later I'm yelling . This was not the biggest fish I ever caught but it was sure fun ( sorry about photo quality we were flooded)

If you don't like it then don't throw it.

It's getting ridiculous! I don't see where that's any fun to fish with at all. Same with the other A-rigs. I won't be wasting money on any of that crap.

Four wheel drive is a misnomer. A regular pickup, unless it has a locking rear end, is a one wheel drive. All you need is for one wheel to lose traction, and you go nowhere. A "standard" four wheel drive is really a two wheel drive, if both front and rear axles have a standard differential. A locking rear end on a 4X4 will give you a three wheel drive and if you get a locking differential on the front and rear, then you have a four wheel drive. Soft terrain that allows the tires to sink into the surface acts like chocks on all four wheels. When you think about it that way, it shows the distinct advantage a "four wheel drive" has over a standard pickup. At least you have two wheels trying to get the wheels over those earthen chocks.

The preparation for this day was long and stressful at times. I had thought of everything in my mind....... 1. Proper technique.........practice practice practice - CHECK. 2. Proper equipment........action, power and sensitivity - CHECK. 3. Weather conditions......check the radar, no storms - CHECK. 4. Timing........always a consideration - CHECK. 5. Patience and persistence......more critical than you can ever imagine - CHECK. 6. Tidal influence..........slack is not preferred for this method - CHECK. 7. Presentation..........can't be forced - CHECK. With preparation complete, now it came down to when. Countless hours spent coordinating schedules, re-arranging appointments, checking, double-checking and ensuring everything was ready. The scheduled window was fast approaching. The anticipation was overwhelming and almost numbing at times. Mentally reviewing the preparation I had done - checking, re-checking, doubting, questioning..............the seeds of doubt firmly taking root in the soil of my mind. Did I do everything I could? Only time will tell. I made it home after work a couple Wednesdays ago and settled in for the evening when I learned that the water conditions had changed for the better and my plans were suddenly rushed into almost a state of hyper slow motion. I had missed my chance a few times inthe past few years, but I was not going to miss this one. I forced myself to breathe and stay calm. Now was not the time to forget anything or rush and mess something up. I made my way to the prime location and waited..........the hours passed by ever so slowly......... ......6pm ......7pm ......8pm ......9pm .....10pm .....11pm ....midnight and the first signs of activity ....1 am comes and I find myself in prime position. ....a short while later and the moment finally arrives. A subtle sweep of the arms to the right then a little to the left. No time for slack now.......a steady pull and BAM!!!! A 7lb. 12 oz WHOPPER and she's a beauty. She was citation quality and definitely keeper material in my opinion!!!!!!

I have thrown baby brush hogs and beaver type baits on shakey heads and have had alot of success. I throw the shakey head quite frequently so that may be part of the success. But it does work quite well.

There are 2 popular nail weights available, the expensive tungsten R2Sea 3/32 oz and the less expensive and some what larger Lunker City lead nail weight. The system also may include the worm saddle harness. All these item are available from TW. The rig is very simple; cut 1/4" off the worms nose to create a flat spot. Install the worm saddle harness about 1 1/2" above the worm nose. Insert the 3/32 oz nail weight flush with the worm nose flat spot. Use an Owner or Gamakatsu wacky weedless size 1/0 hooks and wacky hook about 1 1/2" above rhe worm nose or use the saddle. This rig is best used on 8 to 10lb FC line with either spinning or bait casting. Drop shot rods work very well. Cast, let sink while line wactching for strikes like a Senko. When the worm hits bottom it will stand up and you just make little shaky hops along the bottom. Very effective rig for all sizes of bass, water depths to 25'. Tom

Meh..............not impressed, but not disappointed .I caught some fish on them when the bite was good, but they have failed to produce when the bite is tuff like my confidence baits. I'll use up or sell/trade what I have left, and won't be buying more. They are one of a handful of new baits I tried this year that didn't make get the call up to the regular rotation. I found it to be kind of a "tweener" bait. I didn't like them in clear water.........too much action/movement, nor do I like them in dirty water..........not enough action or movement. I like subtle OR in your face.....some where in the middle don't cut it for me. Pro's: Cheap, durable, available everywhere Con's: Cheap, durable, available everywhere, and the QC flat out sucks. Too many baits with mis-shaped/bent/crappy tails, consistency of colors from one bag of baits to the next is terrible, and I just don't have any confidence in them when the bite is tuff.

Hit a dif pond first thing this morning, only caught one fish worth speaking of... an it wasnt a bass, was a 9pound blue cat! Hit the BitsyBug like it a good size bass. Hit the back mill pond this evening for the top water bite.. caught several fish all on the G-splash 60 and the 65 This chunk below didnt hit until right before it was time to go.... an wasnt 100 yards from where we put in iat.

If you're wanting to go back to basics, take a white or smoke colored grub, rig it on a 1/8oz darter or ballhead jig with the hook exposed, cast and reel. If they are a bit deeper, count it down to the proper depth, then retrieve. If the fish are in shallow cover, rig that thing weightless and reel it in just fast enough to where it is making a small ripple on the surface. No one throws grubs anymore and it's just about the best shad imitator there is. For hardbaits, there is no better shad imitation than a jerkbait. I like different ones for different seasons, but for this time of year, you cannot go wrong with the Rapala Original Minnow. I like gold or silver, both with black backs. Throw it to any shady pockets, especially if there is cover in the shade, and let all the ripples settle after it has hit the water. After about 30 seconds, give it one twitch, then wait another 30 seconds. Twitch it twice. Let it sit another 30, then one more twitch and a few second pause. If no one hits it, move on and find another piece of shallow, shady cover. Good luck!

deep 3700s, problem solved.

I don't think I could ride a rode bike. The roving packs of cyclist around here drive me out of my tree. I would have to hit myself with a car door if i acted like that. Don't think I would look to good in one of those outfits either. It would probably make me gag. I like trail riding sometimes. That's about it though.

Crankbaits are very effective from 2 hours before sunset and until about 1 hour of darkness. The crankbait bite tends to pick up again about 2 hours after total darkness. Traditional thinking is use black or very dark colors like black/red combinations. But.....if the water has good depth of light during the daytime (6'+) then all colors can be effective including all white. I learned this by putting my shad colored deep diving crank baits in the boat for a night tournament instead of the dark colors and managed to win this event with a 34 lb limit, all on wooden ghost/white Poe 300. My favorite deep crankbaits at night are the Norman DD14 and DD22 in black/red craw. Look for rocky areas with clay banks where crawdads tend to come out at night. Good luck. Tom

Its been rough!! My biggest is 18.5". Im 85.5" in 5. Not even goin to bother posting them all since they are behind. I hooked into a nice 5-6lb one Friday morning, but lost it under my boat and into the weeds and I couldn't swing around to the other side because one of my d**n poles hooked the weeds on the shore and it shook off. Havent had a chance to hit any of my better spots like I was planning either. Seems like fishing is over by 9am and I have to be to work everyday at 7-730. Stupid work always getting in the way of fishing!

It was saltwater but I went 20 casts in a row and caught a speckled trout ranging in size from 14-18". Fun for sure.

The level of quality that works for me is Pro Qualifier baitcast reels, and President spinning reels. Some will tell you that these reels are junk. They are not. Others will say they they are just as good as any. They are not. I have used many high and low end reels, and have been around long enough to know the difference. The reels I use meet my needs at a price I am comfortable with. If my disposable income was higher I would probably have a couple of high-end combos; not that I need them, they are just fun to use! I would rather have 10 of my combos than a couple of high-end ones. That decision comes from on-the-water experience, and it is right for me. How anyone else spends their hard earned dollars is their own bidness!

Thanks, I did put the smallie on my forearm, and measured my arm today,20 inches was his lenght, and now that the excitement has settled down some, I am sure he was at least 2 lbs. I am used to cathing largemouths down here all the time that range from 2-3 lbs., and I do know it was more close to 2lb. range. Still excited about it, and I am hooked, trying to plan my next trip. I have to drive 3 -5 hours to get to these rivers, but after the first trip, it was worth it. So you guys that fish for smallies on a regular basis, what all do you use, I know use what you use for largemouth but smaller, so do you guys use soft bait for them? Small mouth bass fight more harder than the large mouth I am use to catching, even the 3 lb. largemouth I caught last week, did not fight half the amount that this big smallie did, maybe due to the smallie was in current on the river. Thanks for the compliments and no, you guys did not burst my bbble, just brought me down to reality.

Almost 2 years without a cigarette. Have to be honest though, I do still have the craving but I take it one day at a time. Also celebrating our 20th anniversary this year.

Operation "Father of the Decade" is progressing well. Then again it's only been two weeks...

My favorite streak...... it's been almost fours years since having a kidney stone. Oh, and I've gone 22 years without getting shot which is nice.

Sure is. If I had a dollar for every time I thought I was fighting a 2lb. smallie only to pull out an 8" fish, I'd be very wealthy.

of course a boat is a huge investement but im only talking a bout a little pond small lake hopper I can get almost everywhere I want to go with it and yes I have got out to hit spots on land before but usually I cant access those spots from land by walking (which means there not pressured a lot). I think it also depend if your a fairweather fisherman and you like to drive up to your spot and fish or your willing to beat the bushes to get those hard to reach spots. also here in Kansas most lakes are surrounded by a good portion of heavy woods which makes it impossible to get to except by boat. now when can I get invited to Cali to catch some of those monsters FISH CHRIS boat or no boat. wish we had that size out here.

Had a little luck this weekend with a double rigged YUM Houdini Shad. Medium light AVS66MLF, Tuf-Line mainline, Tatsu #6 leader. The rig was weightless with Trokar 2/0 Offset Worm Hooks. To set this up slide a free swivel up the line followed by a tiny bead, then tie another swivel to the mainline. Cut one leader about 2' and the other 18". Hook-up the shad and tie them to the leaders. The retrieve I used was letting the baits settle on or near the bottom, then reel SLOW and steady with an occasional twitch. When you detect a strike, reel quickly and lift your rod. This will set the hook without a traditional hook-set.

My buddy had three days in a row where his first fish of the day was a 6lb+ smallie.

I'm not sure I agree. This is a new $150 reel from Daiwa, something they haven't had in years, and they've hyped it very effectively with the sneak peaks and the videos flying around. They've made it clear that this reel is a purpose-built mainstream contender, not a watered-down version of one of their more expensive offerings. I think the Tatula will do just fine. Really? The Tatula is much wider, much darker, and has a more open front. The Chronarch Ci4+ is also more angular than the Tatula.

Go Lance!!! Oops. Wrong decade. Sorry about that. It is impressive what they accomplish on their bikes though.

Well I thought it was just going to be gas... apparently not...

Slab crappies put up a good fight, and pound for pound are better fighters than largemouth IMHO. They're just a fish and if they're out-competing the LMB for forage then maybe the bass need to step their game up and stop letting the CRAPpie push them around. Good luck eradicating a pond of crappie, btw.

At what point do we put down the rods and break out gill nets?

47 kill streak in call of duty lol

I've seen bass that had eaten coots, gallinues, ducklings, snakes, turtles and baby gators.

My shipment came in from overstockbait.com, cant wait to throw these rages!!!

After being sick for a few years just being out there more wetting my lines while trying to drown my lures will be ok with me. Soon I'll be out there again looking to break the state record. This would be the year to do it then I can relax and just fish.

I accomplished catching a bass in thick weeds, did that an hour ago. I still gotta catch a bass on a jig and a spinnerbait and also get my PB LM or SM bass, which ever comes first.

I have 2 goals this year, the 1st being expanding my knowledge on different techiques and 2nd is catching my PB which is about 6 pounds. I'm still working on my 1st goal.

We need pictures of these waterfalls.....