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Weird story time…. Burn me a vacation day to go to Pickwick yesterday, been wanting to go during the week so here was my chance….. most know me a non sugar coater….. so I am I sharing the good pics and vids, I am going to share the not so good. It was the weirdest jig bite I have EVER encountered…… I consider myself a “jig guy” and fairly handy with the lead and hook if you know what I mean…. Siebert Outdoor’s jigs make it easy. I am not “accomplished” by any stretch but I do consider myself better than average…..anyways, what you are about to see and hear from me makes me look and feel like a total and complete novice…… so take heed and solace that it can and WILL happen to anyone on any day. I am fishing ledges, not full blown river channel, but intermediate, mid column ledges….. I had idled down about a 2 mile stretch and found a kick out.. Has a nice shape to it and a good drop and probably a deposit of mussel shell…… with as straight as ledge had been I felt confident that fish WILL be on this spot, because of current, they really had no other choice if they lived in the area. Make my first cast to what I figure is the sweet spot, and had to kick my trolling motor in reverse so I am drifting backwards as I make the cast….. This is an important factoid. My drift is starting to slow and I pick my jig up off the top of the ledge….. rock rock rock ….. lower my rod reel some slack to pick my jig back up, as I am close to coming off the top. As I begin to pick my jig back up, I feel my jig coming up against a rock and since my boat was still drifting backwards I didn’t think much about it, I just needed to pull it off…….. pull, pull.....hey dummy that aint a rock , LOL.. it was a fish, and a good one to boot. 4.40# on the scale. This happened more than once or twice yesterday……. It was the weirdest bite I have ever experienced… I had fish spit it at the boat, missed several….. don’t get me wrong, I had a good day with the 4.40# and a 5.20# anchoring a 17.82# bag, by myself. I am gaining confidence each time out on finding fish, bigger fish…… I needed yesterday, I needed to know what it was like to miss fish, be half clueless and still put together a sack. Granted after the day was over you always wonder how many you really did miss……. Never would you have convenience me on the water that I was THIS late on the fish, until I saw the video…. It is repugnant, and I am lucky to have landed the fish. I have some things about the bite (on the day, not this fish) and other bad habits/form I see that I will explain, but I want your eyes to see the video first……….moral of the video is don’t be braindead and be ready on the first cast to a spot, cause it will happen and know EXACTLY what you are feeling. SO LETS TALK ABOUT IT!

Distance is way down on my list for why I'd use one or the other. If you know how to cast, it doesn't really matter. Now you want to compare different brands and different diameters, that's a different story. I have to say, I'm not sure what the recent flurry of distance related posts is about, but I can assure you, if you can't cast far enough, you're setting your sights too high or need to practice. It's nothing to do with line, reels or rods. You're better off with a well placed cast, putting your bait in the right place than out casting everyone else at the bank.

Every Father's Day, I remember my dad who passed away 32 years ago, but introduced me to smallmouth fishing when I was only 10. My dad did not take many vacations when we were kids, but he did take a few days off in early summer to go fishing and a few days in the fall to duck hunt. Dad grew up in the Thousand Islands area of upstate New York and he never missed opening day of bass fishing which was always Father's Day weekend. In 1965, when I was 10, he took me with him for my first fishing trip. We drove all night from Northwest Indiana, through Canada and back into the US at Alexandria Bay NY. I remember the morning when we arrived just after daybreak. The skies were clear, and the sun was bright when I had my first boat ride from the dock in Chippewa Bay out to Oak Island where my Uncle Bill was the caretaker of an estate on the island. Right after we pulled up to the dock, uncle Bill gave me my first rod, a Zebco 202 and a short time later, I caught my first smallie. Dad wasn't a great fisherman, but he knew the spots around the islands where we could find em'. As I recall, about the only artificial lures we used were Abu Reflex spinners. Dad also had a fiberglass fly rod with an automatic fly reel he used to throw poppers with. The upper half of that rod weighed more than an entire graphite rod weighs today. He taught me to row the jon boat my uncle loaned us to keep him in position while he cast the popper along the rocky shorelines. On Sunday at lunch time, we pulled up onto a small island where dad would cook up a shore lunch of smallmouth fried in bacon grease, a can of beans and new potatoes. While he got the fire going, cleaned the fish and cooked, I cast that Abu from shore to add to our catch. I joined dad for several Father's Day opening days after that until my job kept me from getting the time off. Right around the time I was able to get vacation days, dad got sick and passed away. Those 4 or 5 days back in 1965 have had more influence on my life than any other in my 59 years. I fell in love with the water, the woods, road trips and smallmouth bass during that short trip. Today, I spend a lot of time working for the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance, my home is decorated with items that remind me of the St Lawrence River and the Northwoods, and I am always planning my next smallmouth fishing road trip. I will never as long as I live forget that trip. Thanks for the memories dad, I miss you.

I didnt do a countdown, but I beilve it........ it was just so weird. dont know where you started your count, but the more I watch it the more I think the fish had before I lowered my rod the first time (you see it load a bit, but it actually might have BEEN A rock) its a "good" post for others to see IMO, we always seem to get mired in our success, and never acknowledge our failures...... and without the failures we have no room to grow and learn. to err is to fish right?

With braid as costly as it is, backing is the common sense approach to filling more than one spool. I use an inexpensive mono of a pound test rating I have on hand, usually 15# test.

He's HERE!

oh I know, I never thought you were busting on me. In the past I was "somewhat" in the "I don't miss fish" crowd...... I guess this is why this is so earth shattering to me, LMAO. even if I was totally asleep at the wheel yesterday, my eyes are open to many things that make sense and things I must change. failure is a strong word, I suppose. Mistakes I made other than the obvious 10 second gap: 1. rod WAYYYYY to high, I don't know why I was doing that 2. when I dropped the net on the deck, I let slack in the line when the fish changed directions (lucky) 3. misplayed the fish. those things don't seem normal to me, but it is AMAZING what you see when you see yourself on film.....just like in golf we say "feel aint real" who you think you do and what you actually do is sometimes very different.

So you snuck out by yourself on a weekday while poor Jeffro was working. Shame on you! It feels good when it finally starts to come together.

Dead on as usual. A similar golf analogy "Drive for show, putt for dough"!

I wanted to try one, but I hated the color! But now theres this So now Im like

From the posts I read most people on the forum are. Allen

Anyone seen this before? Been fishing for a while and haven't. Saw a fish flopping about 30 yards away, walked up to it only to find a snake attached to it.

And put them right to work. Caught this bad boy on a 4in senko. ML Avid 10lb braid and 10lb mono leader. Heck of a fight in the spill way of the river. Thankfully as I was landing him two guys drove up with a big landing net and took a pic for me. Definetly the biggest strongest pike I ever have caught.

Took a trip to Cabela's in E. Hartford Thursday and found Rapala's DT series on sale (along with a number of other items I don't absolutely need). I don't often throw cranks, but the DTs in bluegill were too pretty to pass up. At 7:30 a.m. I was anchored in about 15' on my favorite pile of rocks. I thought the DT-10 would balance well with my St. Croix Avid medium power rod and Shimano Curado which was filled with 10 lb. Silver thread AN40. On the first cast I cranked the bait to depth, then a few more feet then I'm not superstitious about bass on first casts. I thoroughly fan cast the area but no more takers. I'm getting superstitious. There have to be more bass around this choice spot at this time of the day at this stage of the season (post spawn), so I go to a wacky rig. This set up is golden most any time and I particularly like it for "clean up." Here's one wacked out smallie: And another: A third picked up the Senko shortly thereafter but the take had been imperceptible. Had her on for only a few seconds, just long enough to determine she had "authority," if you know what I mean. I'm hardly the first fisherman to state that it's the biggest that get away. Alright then. Might there be another bass that would like a sale priced, bluegill pattern, deep diving crankbait? Yes! It's about 9:00 now on a bright morning. I thought I'd waste half an hour drifting a large sand flat while throwing a Duo Realis Spin Bait 80. This expensive little Japanese wonder produced very well for me earlier in the season. Not today though, and I think only because the fish were not on these flats. Next I spend five hours dragging bottom with soft plastics at 15' to maybe 25' depths. I'm moseying a creature through sandgrass and bumping it into rocks and the occasional 75 year old stump you find in the Quabbin. Wish I had brought an alarm clock - could have caught up on needed sleep instead. 3:00 now. I'm positioned a long cast away from the Bass Magnet, a short, narrow, rocky rise surrounded by deep water on one side and shallow muck on the other. Water temp. here is 70º and I expect a smallie to smash the DT-4 when I strafe the high point. It took 6 - 8 casts before a spirited 2 lber. slammed it - so spirited in fact, it jumped a foot away from the boat and threw the crank . . . . Why I love smallies in 25 words or fewer . . . The Senko will tell me if there are any more around. Uh-huh: The scale said 3.9 lbs., the best of the day by a few ounces. Correction: Make that 4.1 lbs. I figured the fish would be off the top of a football-field-length ridge so I set up in approximately 20'. I was dragging a football swing jig w/Biffle Bug through scattered rocks when almost back to the boat it got "thunked." The 7' medium power casting rod was adequate (obviously) for the hookset of the standard wire hook I used - I had had some question beforehand about this. It's close to 6:00 now and I'm thinking that 11+ hours in the sun and breeze should be enough for this graybeard. Just a few more casts at the opposite end of the ridge . . . where a 2 lber. was waiting for a bluegill pattern DT-4 to come along. Tight lines, all. WW

Yup ~ and what we never want to happen but is much more the norm, when that fish of the year (or life time) presents herself, she will let us know about any & all short comings in our game plan . . . which often results in a good fish story rather than smiles & photos. So this video is a good thing, for all of us - Every sub - PB bass is just practice for the real deal when Slaunch Magnum Momma eats that jig. I'm hoping that the practice is good & done right and will pay off with success. A-Jay

Chronarchs, no matter to which series they belong, are always very fine reels, probably the best reel you can get right before the level where you go flat broke.

Holler at me sometime brother..

Hi guys -- I found this thread a few days ago when I was pondering getting a Bass Raider for Father's Day (I don't trust my wife to buy my Father's Day present!) and have been lurking and reading since. Great info here; thanks for sharing. Unlike many of you, I'm getting one of these simply so I can fish two people comfortably on my 1.5 acre bass pond. I've been fishing out of a pirogue, but find that very tough on my back and balance. I'm hoping the Bass Raider will let me fish much more comfortably, and hopefully inspire my wife to float along with me for some relaxing afternoons on the pond. As it stands now, I'm only going to have a paddle to move it along. I know it won't paddle too easily, but the pond is small and my expectations modest. I'll let y'all know how it goes....

there is nothing like it, I love it..... if schedule ever allows we'll get together sometime!

Nice Fish Brian and your post made me smile - and don't kid yourself - that could have been anyone of us on that fish. I watched the video before I read the text. I counted like 8 seconds between when the bite is evident in the video to when you detected the bite, and then another 2 seconds to set the hook - nice one btw. So that's easily 10 seconds from bite to hook set. I call those Suicidal Strikes and I LOVE those bass. I hope every PB I ever get from this date forward is just like that because I need the help. Good Stuff. A-Jay

Good story Brian I'm starting to love and really am learning them Tennessee river ledges, good stuff.

Like Catt said, I have it happen more often while fishing shallower, but yea, the old Mexican stand off, "I think that's a bite....... Is that him?????........ Wait....... No, ........... No that's a snag....... Pffft, out goes the bait....... Yep, that was him..........." That's how it happens to me!! That's when your buddy in the back of the boat says things like "the fish don't have hands" and "hook sets are free"

The most difficult bite to feel that one, the bass simply inhaled the jig & sat there, no bump, no line movement, almost like it's hung on some thing. Despite what you will hear about the bite on a jig & the bite on a Texas Rig being different. Don't believe it...you WILL get the same bite on a Texas Rig when cast, flipped, pitched, or punched!

Great post!

I just booked my flight for Nashville Jul 3rd thru the 8th. My brother in law owns a house on Center Hill Lake, and he doesn't fish. The lake is 64 square miles. I dropped a note in the Southeast section looking for a good guide. I'd like to fish at least 2 days with a guide while I'm there. Should be interesting, as I've never fished down south. Gonna bring some heavier line for sure!!

Jig bite is all about what it shouldn't feel like...some thing that just aint right! Ya just learned the smallest lightest bite has nothing to do with the size of the fish! Experiencing that bite is a huge leap, how many times in the past do you think plan missed that bite?

I ordered the jig kit with wire ties and 3 spinnerbaits. I am trying to dedicate some time this year to those techniques to try to learn them. I can't wait to hit the water with them after everything I have read from everyone on the site.

I am glad to do it! Thank you for being so responsive and helpful when I emailed you asking for some help in what to pick since I do not fish jigs and spinnerbaits and didn't know where to start.

The main purpose of backing IMO is to use less braid as your mainline. I tape every reel before I spool up with or without backing, slippage will not be an issue. It becomes a personal choice issue.

Hopefully everything works out and they maintain their same quality; best jig trailer on the market as far as performance and price goes, in my opinion. Good luck!

This is the importance of learning on a quality reel. You could have easily had the exact opposite experience if you cheaped out and you would be cursing baitcast gear right now instead of singing it's praises. Nice fish, too.

. That was a joke. Not serious

You won't be disappointed

Did Horn Pond today and slammed them, me and my partner caught over 2 dozen and nothing was smaller then 2 lbs the biggest was over 5 lbs. It was a picture perfect day for jigging and chatterbaits.

LOL, "claimed" just what the scale says. I'm sorry you seem to have taken this so personally but amazingly enough, people DO have differing viewpoints on things. Just because I state mine doesn't mean I'm trying to sway you any more than you are trying to sway me. The only thing I ask is for you not to be a jackass about it.

Let's just answer the annual question now: No, it's not open to the public. It's an industry trade show. You have be part of the industry or in the media with credentials to gain access.

Congrats!

There's more room for the bass to roam on the big side Have a go at this PDF from the VADGIF about the 2012 Harwood's Mill fishery: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/reports/2012%20Harwoods%20Reservoir%20Bio%20Rpt.pdf Concentrate on points and coves. If you can get to the long cove that's closest to the airport along the right side, hit the numerous laydowns there. The grass has been really high there lately, probably because they're keeping the water level low to keep it from disrupting bridge construction down by the dam on rte 17. Also around the island, the small channel is pretty interesting , deep and grassy. Then down under the overhead wires that cross the lake. There's supposed to be an old roadbed there. I've had some success along the shoreline, others I know have had success throwing drop shots and cranks there.

Super! All the best using them.

Your friend thought it was a bad idea to put a craw trailer on a skirted jig? You need new friends. Put a Rage Craw on EVERYTHING, especially a skirted jig!

I just received my first order from them and I will never purchase another store bought jig again. These are great quality

Yesterday was my first time fishing with soft plastic frogs. I had fished with hollow-bodied frogs a little and caught 3 fish on them. I caught 4 bass the biggest was about 2 lbs. three of the four fish were 15 inches and one was 12 inches. When I bought my frogs they cam with a weighted hook. Yesterday I didn't use the weighted Without any weight on the hooks the frogs sink slowly. One of the fish I caught was caught while the frog was sinking. I was wondering why you should use the weighted hooks? I was fishing it some in open water, some in lily pads and some in reeds or near docks. This fish was really fat. It was 15 inches and 2 lbs. Also while fishing yesterday I caught a 16 inch bass on a jig and craw. I tried to cast it near a dock but it landed on the dock. I rolled it off the dock and into the water and right away the bass came swimming out really fast and grabbed it. He must have heard something above him and was ready when it fell into the water. This fish was really thin. It was 16 inches and 1 3/4 lbs.

Congrats. Just what the world needs, another Raidinista.

Hes a big fellow, we need some pics.

congrats, thats a big boy.

I've pulled a large 4 pounder out with my kids shakespeare micro.. and it was out of the weeds too. Boy was that fun but on the edge the whole time.. rod didnt snap but it sure didnt help a whole heck of alot.

As long as the rod isn't over-lined and the drag is set properly for the line, there is a very slim chance of the rod breaking. I regularly catch 10-15# catfish in my ML St Croixs with 6# line. Its all about the drag.

Daiwa T3 1016 get them before there sold out

THAT'S CRADLE THE BABY, HOMIE, NOT LADLE IT!...Oh never mind....Good luck Bud!

I've seen Pros on YouTube say that that use heavy line for Squarebills because they want to control the depth and they are throwing their Squarebills in and around cover.