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Just talk like a pirate, and you'll be fine.

Crappie is pronounced croppie, not crappy. We don't have brim or bream or shellcrackers, they are bluegills and sunfish. crawfish is pronounced crayfish, We also don't have bugs or snakes that will kill you where you lie, we have people for that. Depending on your travels, pop, soda, and coke all mean the same thing except when you stop at Taco Bell or Culvers and they ask "Are Pepsi products ok?" Pizza is also known as pie. Spaghetti sauce is called gravy. If you make it to any of the major cities and eat the food, you may never find your way back home.

I guess we really do need a sarcasm/joke font.

Dude I'm from the South, just spent time up there, it's a lot like a prison sentence for a southern country boy. Once they hear that southern draw, it's over. BTW CT this time a year will freeze your southern giblets.

Just remember when you go to the local watering hole after work, in the North the war is over.

It's amazing to me how big this simple tournament has become. It has spread to several states in the NE, here in FL of course, and now Caylub is working hard to start in Alabama. I volunteered 3 months ago to spearhead, or become a tournament director of sorts of this competition. The responsibility that I took on was to bring better structure and create an existing platform so that everyday anglers like ourselves could have a stage and proudly show off our catches in a friendly/competitive environment. What many do not know is that on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, I intentionally go and speak with new and existing BR members and build up our competition. Many of the existing participants that we have here today know this first hand because I personally reached out to you. You know who you are. Yes AK, there is a reason why I have your quotes up there. You and I had a significant disagreement very early in the month of the tact you were going use. You find it amusing to catch nice fish and purposely not report them to the very end. Here is why I disagree with your tact. All of us know the rules, and what our roles are. All of us catch fish and I will report to everyone on a daily and weekly basis everyone's catches and results so that we have a bearing on how the competition is going. The top 10 have been battling for position for several weeks now. You, being one of them. You posted 20.5" 18.5" 20" 18" 18" all on Oct 11. Now on Oct 31, with hours of the competition being over, you post pics of a 22.5" 21" 20". The 22.5" you claimed yesterday you caught 2 weeks ago!! You have known all along what the standings have been, and today for the sake of fun you post these catches that place you at 104". Don't you think all of us would have liked to have known that?? What was the purpose of taking down everyone's data, so that a veteran player who knows better, comes in and screws it up in the sake of "fun". I call it unsportsmanlike, and dishonest. So I ask the top 9 who have been playing intently these last 4 weeks, is this fair? Withholding information and having us all believe one thing and so that AK has a "gotcha" moment? My rule change is a simple one. Next month if you choose to play, you have 5 days to submit your pics. To avoid any "misunderstandings" As promised I will post the final numbers tomorrow.

My point with man-made lakes versus natural lakes are simply man can create an environment that becomes "wild" or "natural" to a bass, without being a scientist logic lets me believe that something replicated in a "aquarium" must also be reproducible in the wild depending on what we are trying to learn. I am not saying that everything we learn is 1:1 however if your telling me what we learn in a controlled environment is nothing like in the wild as it concerns bass then show me the proof... I believe this very site had an article from several biologist whom used a pond in NY I believe as a controlled environment due to no fishing allowed, no "man" interference although its a man-made pond is this the "wild" is it "natural"? And if we have a hard time discerning the difference why then would a bass automatically know the difference? Take a 1:1 species of Bass and I would imagine Bass out west behave differently than a Bass in the east and I also imagine a bass in a lab out west acts similar to a bass in the east. The key here is controlled environments, which allows us to predict and learn regardless if its a wild bass or not. We can create environments solely on the goal of what we want to learn, can we learn everything from a controlled environment of course not but its a tool, please tell me why it isn't?

Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series Champions I will sleep good To-Night. A-Jay

I know it sounds crazy but i have read a lot online of people having bass as a "pet" in a fish tank and ive been seriously looking into it for the fact that it would be really cool and that ive never had fish tanks and stuff growing up so it would be a cool project all together! Im needing some help though my first idea was a like 350 gallon or so water tank that farmers usually use from like rural king or somewhere like that and i got lucky enough to find one from a farmer for free that had been busted out at the bottom so i was gonna use it and cut the bottom off and make it a fish tank! The problem im having with that are two different things! 1) i cant find any filter systems at any local stores or online big enough for 350 gallons but i have heard it will be around 400 dollars for it 2) ive been finding 150-almost 200 gallon tanks all day for around 4-800 bucks which is what i would have in the custom 350 gallon tank! So im debating on if i should stick with the 350 gallon tank or just buy the biggest inside home style tank for around the same price and it might possibly be a little easier to maintain being inside! If ANYONE has any pointers or any of there projects please share your experience with me im really interested in trying this! My first project was to take a bass out of a private pond that doesnt have very good size bass they are still really small and see how it goes and maybe try a 2-3 pounder out of my families pond depending on how the first project goes and what insight i get from you guys!

If I was catching 20, 21, 22 inchers all month I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut hahaha. I just find it more fun to participate in real time. It holds my interest. I think if everyone went to holding til the end I would lose interest. Plus I need the encouragement/support/fishing locations (lol) of everyone participating since I'm just a newb.

^He called it "Fishbook", lol^

Alright, Im gonna have to pry into this little disagreement we have here. Honestly, if you want to just throw your catches out there in the end of the month instead of going along with the weekly thing, Im calling BS. I know that we are not here for money or prizes, but at that game, you have just taken all the fun out of this little comp. Now, Im not saying that its impossible that you don't catch fish all month, but then you do the last week or so, but really? You think all of us are that dumb to not catch that? Since I am going to try and implement the lures into the equation to help maybe get some kind of help to some that don't have the experience in fishing that some of us veterans have, you may want to be fair about your catches. If need be we could just implement a proof of date in the picture of the catch to keep that from happening as well. I mean come on, you got a whole week to load pics and whatnot. I really only get to go out on Sunday, and Lou was nice enough to extend to Monday night for the previous week. Don't tell me you don't have the time, because some of you fish like you don't even have jobs, lol. Lets be adults and fair about this friendly game we have going on, we don't need a bad seed, or this Southern Boy is gonna come and ring some necks , lol. We don't need to be worried about ninjas, or if you were even honest enough that you caught those yourself in the given time.

Connecticut. For 6 weeks. I'm wearing some camo overalls no shirt. My wellington Carolina boots a confederate bandanna with a cowboy hat over it and a piece of hay in my mouth for my arrival. I'm driving up so I will be there the night before work starts. First words outta my mouths gonna be a big ol' "How yall boys doin up heya!?!" By God I got this planned out. Glad I got a Mississippi boy and a Georgia boy going too. They are in on it too.

I've been on the bio-silk since it came out, awesome stuff!! Flatline rubber and round rubber will melt and clump together to the point you can pull it apart when stored wet or for long periods of time, it is why I got away from using rubber but the bio-silk separates and moves better than regular silicone in the water, I make combination skirts using living image silicone as an accent color to the bio-silk.

Thanks guys Big Bill, I haven't been on the water near so much as I use to be. But on the other hand, because of my new way of life, I might be able to be on the water more in the future Been a while since I caught my last DD bass though... 2 1/2 years ? I've really just been more opportunistic, making a lot fewer trips, but trying to do it at optimum times and places, with the actual species being pretty low on my list of importance. To me, great weather, and less people, make it a great trip right from the start.... Peace, Fish

If you keep doing the same thing you've been doing, you will keep getting the same thing you got. What I mean by this is you must adapt to the conditions or make the necessary changes to have a positive result.

I would call Capt. Steve Daniels. He is on Lake Okeechobee everyday. I know there are allot of fantastic guides on that lake. But fishing it just about everyday for 20 plus years is a no brainer in my book.

Brian I think we are on the same book here, we know certain things because of science and we know certain things from time spent on the water and personally that's where I want to be..

Green pumpkin. Any flake you like. Its an anywhere any time color.

With their mouth.

Because this thread is about bass behavior, I choose to reference Mike Lemark's studies for 2 reasons, 1 they are scientific. 2, they where performed on wild bass in their natural environment. These studies changed they way I perceived bass behavior and adapted this knowledge to help me become a better angler. A few things stood out, big bass have lived long enough to avoid anglers and tend to locate near deep water sanctuaries. Observing the San Diego bass anglers like Bill Murphy that were successful catching these bass, it became apparent keeping quite, blending into the environment and waiting for bass to return to an area that they had vacated when I came into that area, was important in catching the wary bass. One of Mikes bass would leave the area it was located during the closed fishing season the day the lake opened to fishing each spring. This big bass swam straight into the buoyed off area by the dam closed to fishing, stayed there until the lake closed agian in the fall. Several bass would leave areas they stayed in as soon as boats started up each morning, moved out into deep water and returned when the lake closed each day. This study included about 150 big bass that were electro shocked, with radio tracking devices surgically inserted and lasted a few years, exact time period I need to look up. Tom

Wahoooooooo! BoSox! World Series Champs!!!!!!!!

Or tilapia. Thats my plan for our pond for a variety of reasons, fat bass being only one of those goals

Rage Tail 8" ReCon Worm SK #135 Falcon Lake Color. Rage Tail Lobster SK #135 Falcon Lake Color I thought the Lobster was awesome as a jig trailer & it is but I resently started throwing it weightless Texas rigged...it's death in a bag!

Kinami Palm trees/ Fat Ikas most used lure by far now. Can use it many different areas and it catches fish form top to bottom. Plus it casts great too thing soars.

I moved to SC almost three years ago, I'm within easy driving range to lake Murray, Clarkshill and the Santee Cooper chain. I've fished less these last three years than ever. I haven't wetted a line since May. Most of this is health related, some to feeling that I need a bigger boat, at least some major upgrades, etc, etc. Right now I'm ecxited to go fishing again. Crap happens, just keep your head up. Life is what it is, no need worrying about it too much. What has me in the mood again is that I started going through my stuff, started some up grades on the boat. The excitement of fishing returned.

I try to follow the bass seasonally. Each season they tend to congregate or follow a certain kind of general pattern. I try and figure out what the majority of the bass population is doing and then go from there. Then I try and find the bigger fish. I am detailed oriented fisherman. There are times when just switching up what your are throwing a little bit makes all the difference. Like switching from an all black jig to a black and blue jig. Or from a 1/2oz jig to a 1/4oz jig. I try to match as best as I can to what the fish are feeding on. When I go out on the water I like to through my "favorite" lures. Everyone has them and I do to. The important part is having confidence in what your throwing and where your fishing. I started out with one confidence bait. Then I threw another til I had confidence in it and so one. When I get on the water now I have confidence in every lure that I have tied on, knowing that they catch big fish. Then I let the fish let me know what to throw. In my opinion fishing success recreationally or professionally is all about putting in the time, making the effort and spending the money. I put in a lot of time and effort to figure out the lakes I fish.

If it's one of my local hot spots where I'm 100% there are bass there I take my time using my ritual of lures. If nothing happens I go thru them again varying my presentations. I throw topwater, to cranks, to inline spinners, to spinnerbaits, to plastics etc and repeat. I can gun and run to another nearby spot and repeat. But one more trick is to change my scent from the yum shad /original bass scent to a garlic. Garlic scent is my last change up pitch. Remember when all else fails firetiger will bring home the bacon. On a tough day make sure you read the water conditions closely. How long will I stay there if there is no action. I'm a lure tossing addict. As long as I can just toss lures and practice my presentations I'm ok with that to keep me sharp. I need to keep the edge. I use every bit of slow time to practice and the bass always will interrupt me when I get it right. Don't go out there with sloppy presentations. We invested our money into all these many lures why not throw them all why rush? Settle down and have fun.

As I strictly fish for fun, I want the biggest and best fighting fish, don't care what the species is.

Well, back in the 70's I met this drop-dead gorgeous young lady in Bangkok ...

yep my wife is the spider killer, and roaches too i hate those suckers. when i moved into my first apartment a few years ago i was moving by myself and all of a sudden giant roach goes scurrying across the room and stops in a corner, i musta stood there for 15 minutes just trying to figure out how to get this thing out without getting any closer. i feel like were gonna have to change this thread to confessions of a beta male lol

I bought this topwater bait 2 years ago but didn't fish it much. This Fall I decided to give it a go and have been pleasantly surprised. It's a Marty Burns prop bait and it's out of this world!

I'm not a fan of keeping fish in tanks, it seems too limiting to me. If i would attempt it I would at the least have a pond for it to live in instead of a large tank.

Not a hard bait, but this year I have been tearing it up on the KVD Dream Shots. Really great quality lure. I make a most of my own crankbaits and topwaters, some of them have been pretty awesome. The most recent has been a walking bait design; I really love fishing these in the fall.

No those guys throw gas

We used to canoe lox and the glades. The gators paid us no mind. I get more flack from them bank fishing lol.

chart shad is a great one. american shad is a great one no matter the water as well.

New rule what is that? Or you can't reveal it until Friday lol

I've never used one, but the Rapala Scatter Rap Minnow may be what you are looking for. Long thin balsa body with a more erratic wobble

Lou I find it funny that you ask people if they are in for next month and then tell them to post Friday lol

I don't think that is the point. Obviously sunglasses are not going to turn an amature into a professional. No one is arguing that. There is definitely a need for eye protection on the water. Firstly, even without UV rays, you never know what may come flying into your face and take an eye out. Secondly, this is the same thing as comparing a $50 rod to a $300 rod. For your average person it isn't going to make a difference. But for a guy who is competing for thousands of dollars all the time and fishes 80 hours per week, the difference may be bigger. The same applies to sunglasses. The $30 pair of polarized shades will probably work just fine for someone who fishes once per week. For someone who fishes 5 days per week or more and every fish has a huge impact, those expensive sunglasses might matter. If one fish was the difference between $100k and $10k you would want those better shades.

Hey everyone knows 68's don't work A-Jay

On my home lake, poachers can be identified by their trips to the bank to swap out identical coolers and down here in the time of budget cuts, the Fish and Game guys love to be called even if it turns out to be nothing. My kids grew up watching me throw everything back. One outing my daughter caught a flounder and was about to throw it back. She looked at me like I had 6 heads when I said, "No no no, this one's coming home with us." After dinner, she understood.

Nice Pics and congrats man!!

coryn h. fishowl Merriam-Webster: cognition Mental activities; the activities of thinking, understanding, learning, & remembering. A bass can do none of the above

Not looking for a fight here, just pointing out they don't cover "all" budgets.

Jay, you need to get educated. This means you need to subscribe to fishing magazines; join BASS and get Bassmasters Magazine; go to various pros' web sites and read their blogs; read all the articles you can in the Fishing Articles link on the top of this page; buy some DVDs on various baits, techniques and time of year; speak with the guys at your local tackle shop; and study the fish, itself. You live in Georgia. I live in Virginia. We have guys in all 50 states and around the world. So to ask a simple question as to what baits to put in your tackle box this time of year will generate thousands of suggestions which will mess up your mind and confuse you greatly. Even during each time of the year you go fishing each day is different. So to tell you to start to throw a tight wiggle crankbait may or may not be right. It would be right above the Mason-Dixon Line but are water temperatures in Georgia at a level to have a tight wiggle crankbait be productive on the waters you fish? Who knows? For $12 a year you can get Bass Times which discusses the tournaments and techniques and is a valuable source of information. So you need to do some macro study and then go to micro studies for Georgia and the waters you fish and you will learn what baits to put in in your tackle box for fall in Georgia while other guys put winter baits in their tackle box up north while fishing in California is totally different.

where did the other ounce go? lol

awesome pics!!! got a trophy and everything!!

If they were camels he could name them mike mike, mike, mike, mike, mike