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Hey guys so I caught my personal best yesterday! I have only been fishing for about two years now, and a lot of what I have learned came from this forum and all yall on here, so I wanted to post and say thank you! Until this year I had never had any luck with texas rigging so I have been spending a lot of time each outing trying to get better with it. It has for sure led to some larger catches for me over the past few months. Anyways my dad and I were fishing a laydown that we hit almost every trip out. We had been on it for a pretty good while when I pitched a 7in powerworm into the middle of the tree. I felt the tap and started to get my slack up when I see my line swimming back into the laydown. After setting the hook he tried to wrap me up on a number of different limbs, but finally I was able to work him out of the tree. My dad netted him for me and we threw him on the scale. He came out to 6lb 6oz. Haha he bent out my hook some and I couldnt tie another hook on for a few minutes because my hands were shaking so badly! Anyways thanks again for all the advice and all of the help you guys offer on this forum!

The following is strictly the opinion of a retired accountant and tax preparer and should not be considered legal advice. Others may have a different opinion based on their interpretation of the IRS's current regulations. Any opinion not based directly on those regulations should be considered meaningless unless the person offering the advice agrees to cover any penalties that advice may generate! Any income a person receives as a result of their bass tournament activities is considered taxable by the IRS. This can include cash or merchandise won in tournaments, received from sponsors, paid for endorsements, or any other related activity. Done correctly, the individual will receive a Form 1099-Misc. from all organizations who pay $600 or more to that person. Prize money should be reported in Box #3 of that form, and other income may be reported in Box #7. Regardless if the money earned is reported on such a form or not, ALL INCOME should be reported on the Form 1040, Schedule C. Any expenses directly incurred in the activity is then reported in the expense section of the schedule. This can include entry fees, travel costs, expense tied to the operation of then angler's boat, expenses for lures and tackle. Insurance cost for the boat and liability are usually deductible. A person who is actively engaged in the venture may also deduct self-employed health insurance costs. Depreciation of assets having a life of more than one year, such as the cost of the boat, rods and reels, and electronics, can also be written off based on their useful life. Depending on the amount of income, certain assets may be expensed in the year of purchase based on IRC Section 179. The sale or disposition of these assets is reported as a sale of business property and should be reported on Schedule D of the same tax return. Upon completion of the Schedule C, any net income is taxed based upon whether the individual is actively or passively engaged in the operation of the business. Those persons who are actively engaged will pay both income tax and self-employment (social security) taxes on that income. Those persons who are performing the activity passively (aka a hobby) should not be taxed for self-employment purposes. An individual who is subject to SE taxes may also deduct losses from the activity against other income if the taxpayer is fully liable for those losses. Losses from the conduct of a hobby generally are not deductible. Any income or losses may or may not be subject to state or other taxes as well. It is my opinion that anyone who has won $70,000 in any kind of tournament should immediately contact a professional tax preparer for advice on their specific circumstances. DO NOT wait until after the tax year has ended! As a matter of fact, it would be my suggestion that anyone who is fishing in tournaments should spend the time to learn what their responsibilities are for reporting their income and expenses.

The biggest you can afford. There is no such thing as "too much" trolling motor. If it were me, and you had room for the all the batteries, and money wasn't an issue, I would go with a 36v, 101lb thrust. I am going to agree with everyone else though, and your going to want AT LEAST the 24v, 70lb thrust motor.

Caught it (and 3 others) on the only thing that worked that day(and I tried everything I had), a 3/8 football head jig in black and blue with matching rage craw trailer. Needless to say, I left the pond today and went directly to the nearest sporting goods store and bought more jigs. lol I've been bass fishing for only about two months now so though it's not the biggest fish, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face once I brought this pig to the bank.

great job mike whacking 28 pounds at holiday. one of our good friends lost his wife in a diving accident, and this tournament was in honor of her. mike and leo not only won, but they gave their winnings back to wayne. class act all the way! rumor has it, mike caught them all. right on!

I'd say there's a 99% chance the brake drum is dry. Take a couple drops of oil on the end of a qtip and coat the brake drum, it'll be good as new.

Allow me to translate. I think it goes something like this :"I started drinking several hours before I made this post, and felt it was a terrific idea to dazzle the interwebz with knowledge and skills, not to mention...... Crap, where the hell is my shoe. Someone better let the cat out. I am out of pretzel rods. "

Location, location, location. Tom

When I saw these in the pictures from Icast I was excited to try them out. So when my local BPS got some in I jumped at the chance to own one. I kept it pretty basic with the silver/black back. As soon as I took it out of the package I realized there was an issue, all 3 split rings were open? Easy fix, changed out the rings and swapped the hooks to #3 short shank VMCs. I hit the water with it the next day at a small public pond, fishing from the bank. Conditions were not good for it with no wind, bright sun, and rapidly warming air temps. Still, a fish blasted the bait on about my third cast. This bait is extremely loud and has a very wide wobble, rocking almost 180* during the retrieve. It's also a true wakebait, running at or just below the surface the entire retrieve. After the fast start there was no more excitement until I'd walked a majority of the pond. I had one blowup and miss the bait, then another eat it really well. I had at least a couple fish swing at the bait as soon as I started my retrieve that didn't hook up. I was letting the disturbance of the bait landing die down before I'd start my retrieve because it was so calm. I'm guessing those fish were just looking at the bait and attacked as soon as it moved. I managed to catch a few more before I had to pack it in. The fish that hit this bait were really trying to kill it, probably because of how aggressive the bait is. The paint job scratches very easily so if that bothers you, this may not be the best bait for you. Otherwise, check your hooks and split rings and you should be good to go, I know I'll be adding a couple more to my arsenal

Congrats buddy! Give Julie my best and welcome to fatherhood! She'll be tying jigs in no time!

Wow without calling anybody out, there is some of the worst advise I have seen in this thread. Some of it is good, some bad, and some is just ....really bad.

Sometimes it is. A family I have known for many years had a situation that falls into the category of the absentee father that I would like to tell you about. A young couple divorced after five years of a marriage that had created three children. After the divorce, and even though the two parents lived within 30 miles of each other, the father broke off all contact with his children. Never paid a penny in child support until taken to court, never bought any of his children a birthday or Christmas present. Not even a single phone call. This completely self-absorbed man walked around town like he never even knew these children existed. Twelve years later, when the mother was having serious issues with the oldest son, she contacted the father in a last desperate hope that he would help the boy. A little over one year later, she came home to find that this young man had hung himself. His name was William. He couldn't cope with the fact that the man who helped bring him into this world, could abandon him so completely. No amount of love and attention given to this child from others could heal the pain he felt. Even though his name is so close to a certain comedian that took his live too, this young man didn't garner all of the same remorse he did. Even though in my mind, he should have. So yeah, it can be too late. In my honest opinion, it becomes too late the minute a parent decides that their life is more important than the ones they created, no matter how long that decision lasts. The truth is that there are children who are abandoned in homes where both parents still live. I will agree that absentee parents should make the effort to get back in their children's lives, but I think the more important lesson is that these so called adults should make the choice to put their kids first long before they unzip!

I've been puzzling this over for days. How can you have no shoreline? There's water, then there's not water. That's the shore... isn't it??? You kids confuse me. Josh

It is NEVER too late for reconciliation. There have been many generations of men who, in their youth, found it more interesting to do their own thing and forget about raising kids. Only to get older and wiser and realize the damage they caused by their selfishness many years earlier. Many wish they could rewind and pour their lives into those children all over again, but obviously that isn't possible. The next best thing is to reconnect, and try to restore some of that relationship. Sadly, many are either too proud or too scared to apologize. And equally sadly, many children are too deeply scarred and hurt to be able to open up to that type of relationship again. So IMHO, to all the fathers and children who go through this... Fathers, swallow your pride and apologize. Children, be strong and realize that your father would probably give his right arm just to hug you and tell you he's sorry. It is NEVER too late for reconciliation.

Crappies over 12" are completely different animals. I have caught some big ones on buzz baits

When Spider Wire was the big name in braid they came out with an "X-wrap" reel that did just what you are saying. It was kind of a gimmick that obviously fell by the wayside. Good, round braid of an appropriate diameter spooled snuggly will be very manageable.

Caught this big girl on a 4.5 inch storm wild eye shad this morning.

Depends on the softbait product. I prefer Stick-Os over Senkos for both their action and durability. As much as I like the Skinny Dipper the BPS Sassy Sally has a very similar action with a more durable soft plastic formulation. The trend with the name brands seems to be great fish catching designs/action made from a terrible, self destructing soft plastic while the house brands have questionable designs/action made from very durable plastic. When you can get the excellent action/design paired to a durable plastic is when you have real winner on your hands,

Well, this past Saturday was the family reunion of sorts. Mainly a bunch of 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins (200 ish) on my maternal great grandmothers side that were pretty far removed. Don, however, made the trip from NC down to KY and I was able to finally meet him face to face. We probably spent about 7 hours with him, his caregiver and a couple of his first cousins. Looked through a bunch of old pictures, visited some family graves and made some idle chit chat. He teared up when we first met and then again when I said goodbye. As for me, I can honestly say there were no feelings. Perhaps a slight satisfaction in at least having met the man but certainly no sense of family.

You would think so, but they look for the crayfish and other bits of goodness down in that stuff. Normally when you drop it in there they pick it up right away. Don't worry, they will find it. I don't have matted beds I fish, just grass beds and they tend to find the jigs just fine.

That looks like a sweet fishing spot, nice fish man!

Caught these guys this weekend.

Great catch, but maybe time to upgrade those hooks so the next PB doesn't get the chance to straighten the hook.

Joe Montana.

Don't you need a follow up appointment after last Thursday's check up?

I keep a pair of knipex cutters in my boat for that very reason. Fortunately I have only had to use them once for a hook in the hand and it was for a buddy. When you are hooked to a thrashing fish hooked by the same bait time is of the essence.

this forum is just great,and you angler's are too, just letting you all know that as well , this forum is just like a wood stock was when it started , put together and people just came ,but instead of bands we use topics instead ,i like that ,and you angler's too, just the best group of angler's out there ! just one great group of people having a great time , you angler's are just one great group of friends and another family in my book and i thank you, just letting you know.

Probably not. I know Gander brand baits used to be made by Big Bite Bait Co. I am sure another big name manufacturer bulk supplies BPS and Cabelas...

I spooled up two reels with 15lb seguar smackdown braid & have not had any digin issues with it at all. The line just lays flat like mono.

Daiwa PXR also do that.

Daiwa PE special reels do just that. The downside is that if you put a huge amount of pressure on the reel the levelwind is more likely to fail as the higher gearing is less powerful. Thicker braid cures digging in issues, so like anything else, there's a compromise to be made.

Such a simple minded animal can make us sooo frustrated. But then that's why we all enjoy bass fishing.

As said, current can turn the bass on. But the solunar feeding times have an effect, too. I have seen the bass turn on then back off right on time, especially on riprap and bridge pilings

That's a tough one right there. Short answer could be in close proximity to whatever their food source of that day happens to be. The tough part about that is I haven't been able to find the Forecasted Bass Menu for my area anywhere on line . . . .. A-Jay

It does happen! You just hit the honey hole. For some reason bass are congregating in a given area. It might be a current thing, it might be a change in depth, it might be a change in water temp, but it is almost always a change in bait fish concentration. Don't move off, just sit there and enjoy the action. If there is food in the area the bass will not be far away.

There´s one kind of day that I just hate, you arrive, make a cast, catch a fish and then NADA !!!! Doesn´t happen oftenly but it happens. In theory I know everything my everyday lake has in it, every branch, every drop, every creek bend, every rock, every fish and nuthin´. I can take not catching anything for hours but catching one and then nothing just makes my blood boil. The only problem is that I don´t know it´s one of those days until the day is over ....... But what the hell, the worse fishing days is better than the best day at work.

Welcome to your new obsession .

Thanks. Such a nice thing to say. Have you communicated with Raider?

I seldom if ever use live bait for bass. I use it all the time to other species like walleye, yellow perch, bluegill, and when pier fishing for trout/salmon. Uncle Homer had some really great ideas, but I needed to tweak this one. With so many assorted panfish in our lakes, I've found that suspending a small soft plastic offering behind the boat works a lot better than hanging live bait back there. A slip bobber rig with a 4" worm, 3" tube, or 3" grub works better than a live crawler.

Generation 1 veritas rods can be had for that price. The 7'6 is listed as mh but have no worried as it is a heavy action if I have ever felt one. I mean it is quite stout. My dicks sporting goods has them on clearance for $52 and that is a steal

I agree With Jeff. I searched for my oldest son for 15 yrs. My father told me to leave it be but in my heart I had to know. I found him and at the time I had almost wished I hadn't. He was 15 and alot of trouble. It broke my heart but I never quit loveing him. To make a long story short He lives in middle Tn and I live in west Tn. I talk to him aleast three times a week and he comes and visits as often as he can. I'm so Glad I never Gave up on him I always hoped he would straiten up and he did and now I very proud of him.

I've used 12lb and 17lb as a main line for the past 2 years. No issues at all and memory is not bad even without line conditioner imo.

Sure there is a difference how important is that difference or when will that difference will matter is stil subject to debate. For example I do have GYCB Senkos, really good baits but I just can´t tell if they are better than other stickbaits for a simple reason, in my experience at 1 or 2 fish per bait you can´t make a fair comparison, I do own Stikos and one may last me 8-10 fish until there´s no place to hook it again, heck, they are even repairable, senkos ? how can you repare something that you don´t have anymore ? So at least one of the big differences is durability.

First of all, bass can see a whole lot better than we in the dark, it's a matter of anatomy. Unlike many animals we don't posses an anatomic structure called "tapetum lucidum" which is a reflective coating inside the walls of the eye that increases the ammount of available light inside the eye chamber. Think of it as night vision goggles that many animals like bass have. That solves part of the mystery why bass can find a lure in very poor light conditions. Then there's another anatomical structure fish posses, the lateral line system that we do not have, the system consists of nervous terminals located in pits in the skin a long the middle line of the fish body, those nervous terminals are actually pressure sensors that can detect pressure waves generated by any mobile object. Then there's a sense that we understand, hearing, but unlike us bass can hear better because they live in an environment 750 times denser than air, sound waves are amplified by the denser conditions, it's louder and travels faster. For night fishing, for poor visibility conditions bait color matters very little, the fish isn't able to see the bait until it's very close to it. But it knows the bait is there.

What?

An average angler with the faster speed reel means nothing. Let's put it in this perspective: Someone that uses a 5:1 reel pitching a weedbed while holding the bait before each pitch vs someone with an 8:1 gear ratio and as soon as the bait comes out of the water it is pendulumed back out into the next spot. It might only be an extra pitch for every 15 pitches that the 8:1 angler makes, but an extra pitch is an extra pitch. 100% not discrediting your fishing there Catt! And like Raul says, I do think that anglers as a whole nowadays fish too fast, always looking an instant bite. It will always be the ones that are capable of adapting and listening to the fish for the day that will catch more! Ultra high dollar rods and reels only feels good to the user, and gear is never to be blamed on whether fish are caught or not. A good angler can use reliable gear and still beat your average joe using high end gear.

I don't have anything else to add that hasn't been said. Bottom-contact baits are my favorite way to fish, but beware... it's highly addictive!!!!! Rock... rock... log... branch... rock... <thunk> FISH!!!!!!!!

Good quality rod, and sensitive line will help you feel the bite. Rock and vegetation may feel like a bump, but they will never pull back. If you feel a tick, or a pull back, take up any slack, and set the hook. Hook sets are free!!! The more experience and time on the water, the better you will get.

If you think its a bite than stop the bait. If you feel a tick when the bait is stopped, its a bite. If the bait is smaller, the fish will take it in one gulp, so you will have to use feel on that, but with a bigger bait or around lots of smaller bass, they will grab the tail, then take the whole bait, so if you stop it, and feel the tick again, swing for it!

No experience with a drift sock. I have used an anchor. The mushroom kind did not hold at all with any kind of wind. The "grab" style grabbed too well and I had to cut the rope, twice with that style. Best bet, motor up front, batery in back, rudder in back. With this set up, I sit closer to the front, evens out the weight of the battery I think. Also, if your water levels are down, the fish aren't biting....head back into coves where people bank fish and big boats can't get to, look for shiney stuff in the cover and trees. I found $60 worth of hard baits in about a 30 foot stretch of bank the other day!! Cliff