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I'm not a big bass specialist, but think I can offer something relevant. I think Matt’s claim that big baits attract big bass at a higher rate than smaller baits is valid. Not that there aren’t other ways and places and times to catch big bass at satisfying rates, of course; largemouth are highly adaptable creatures and much of fishing is very local. But I think the big bass big bait concept is simply a part of the largemouth’s nature. A while back now, I took a shot at the big bait game, dedicating part of a summer to throwing big baits in some of the small waters I frequented. This was in the early 80s and swimbaits were spanking new and essentially unavailable to me in NY. So I threw muskie plugs (Swim Whizz), muskie-sized spinnerbaits (One SB I had threw such a wake it caused wavelets to lap the shore of some of those ponds lol), and 13" worms. And I broke two pond records and my PB in the process. I found that it decreased catches of smalls, but took fish of 3lbs up (18") just fine. A friend did the same thing and his overall catch rate dropped below what satisfied him, but he broke his PB twice doing it. Interesting thing was, these were small waters –captive audiences more or less– meaning it wasn't primarily a location or timing deal; it was just up-sizing my lures. I came to the conclusion that bigger baits attract and trigger larger bass at a higher rate than average sized baits did. And it supported my original suspicion –the reason I tried it in the first place– that many outsized largemouths are big, in large part, because they had simply broken into the next trophic level (a critter’s position in the food chain). In short, those fish target bigger prey. A stop, or gap, in the chain is called a trophic barrier or trophic threshold and it’s the point where fish quit growing, having to spend too much energy to catch too little food. There may be bigger food around, but the bass aren’t big enough to swallow it. Food chains are rarely complete enough in most waters (unable to offer enough food of the right size or energy content per effort) for bass to grow big. This is even more likely to be so in the north, compared to the south where productivity is so much higher and where prey fishes may produce more than one brood per year. I became hip to this from chasing big stream brown trout (and through my fisheries background) and finding that most streams, even small ones, have a few browns in them that dwarf the run-of-the-mill insect eaters. The dry-fly guys aren’t going to even know these fish exist. The nymph fishers will stumble on one every now and then. But the guys who fish hardware and certain big flies, in the right locations and times (water temperature and food availability are key), find them. Some target them, but very few do for the same reasons most bass fisherman don’t target out-sized bass. How does an individual brown, or largemouth, grow beyond its brethren? It jumps the gaps in the food chain by obtaining more food than the others, growing larger and thereby allowing them to capture and swallow still larger prey that are normally safe from the hordes of smaller bass. Doug Hannon has stated that bass get big by being extra aggressive individuals. (I suspect this is at work in brown trout too.) Those largemouths you occasionally find choking to death on prey that was a bit too big? They may just bear witness to the on-going selection battle between largemouth and their prey. Here are a few examples of largemouths (and one spot) that tried to break the bank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmnAIx7FueQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPmq4oulSiM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXVOGtZqGh4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtgNprDqijs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EehujHwR70w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKBmONt_dds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8lvtRM8SgQ

ALWAYS get permission to fish on private property.

Catt I don't think that selling swimbaits is Matt's primary concern in this thread. He has dedicated himself to catching big bass and has come to the conclusion that swimbaits increase the odds. Sure he is going to advocate for their use. Big O has come to believe, as you do, that the right plastic in the right presentation can be just as effective. Is selling Rage products his primary motivation? I don't think so, but one could cynically draw that conclusion. I have said for a while now that I target bigger fish. My average size caught supports this claim. Could I improve my percentages by throwing quality swimbaits? I don't know because I haven't made the commitment to do so. I think Matt and others make a compelling case that I could. Catt could I improve my percentages by spending more time with a jig learning to better understand structure? Based on my history I know the answer to that is yes. I think this is a fascinating and informative discussion with some really good big bass guys offering their honest views. Success, confidence and ego are all part of the ingredients here. Good job guys! Thanks for the thread Matt.

My wife has as many fishing rods as I do, and just as much tackle. She rigs what she wants, lands her own fish, and can drive the boat. Suffice to say, I don't mess with her gear. Otherwise I'll "disorganize" it. LOL!

Seibert outdoors will make you any skirts you want.

Something about the green Ito that speaks to me.

Here yar! Meisselbach Takapart No. 480,....early 1900's Ambassadeur 5000c.... 1970 2 Ambassadeur 5000's..1 5000c.... 1969 & 1970 Pflueger Summit 1993L

I'll rig mine up with a little something from Victoria's Secret.

Wrong again! That's exactly what I do execpt I do it with Texes Rigs & Jig-N-Craws. If y'all can get Steve "Big- O" Parks on here he does the same thing with the same techniques I do. I've friends who do it with cranks! Your job is to sell Swim Baits so you have to convince every one they are #1!

I don't believe Matt is degrading the importance of location, he's saying that fishing is a 'percentage game' with several elements. In order to boat trophy fish, you need the right lure, in the right place, at the right time. That's a mighty tall order, but when we come up short on any one element, our odds fall off dramatically. For many years I've refrained from stating flatly that Big lures catch Big bass. However, one has only to look in my tackle box to see that big lures is basically all I throw. Fishing with large lures doesn't promise anything, but a large lure is going to boost your trophy potential more than a small lure can. On the contrary, many anglers who parrot the phrase: "Big lures, Big bass" are apparently not targeting big bass. When you look inside their tackle box you will often see single-tail grubs instead of double-tail grubs, Rage Craws instead of Rage Lobsters, Skinny Dippers instead of Big EZs and so on. In central Florida at least, the majority of my heaviest bass during the past 5 years have been taken on soft swimbaits. On the other hand, most of my wife's largest bass have been taken with a Deps Twin-Tail Grub on a homemade skirted jig. In both cases, a hefty lure with good bulk. I like pitching hard swimbaits but exposed hooks don't go very far in our shallow, weedy lakes. I've tried the weedless Hudd with good results, but the weedless feature doesn't hold up well under my cruel abuse. Roger

Grubs, small cranks, or a wacky rig. My wife outfishes me on a regular basis when she does go with me, which is what I hope for every time we go together.

If you fish tournaments in the spring around here and you aren't using a wacky rig you're donating your money. It's an open hook and fairly light line, it's not meant for snaggy areas. If you need it keep it more snag free, then get one of the weedless wacky hooks. Probably one of the easiest rigs there are to fish and hook up with though. They do tear up easy, but it catches tons of fish at times too.

Always ask first. Some places have no problem with people fishing their ponds, but they like to keep track of who is going in and out in case something is vandalized or stolen. If someone fishes and doesn't get permission they may put an end to anyone using it though. The thought that "If there's no signs, then it's okay," is ridiculous. Do you post Keep Out signs in your backyard? No?? Then it's okay for someone to walk through your yard by that train of thought right? Just because there's no signs doesn't make it okay.

I think the person in the back of the boat has the advantage when it comes to catching big fish. The guy in the front will often catch the more aggressive, smaller fish first then the back seater ends up getting the bigger fish. Being able to completely concentrate on fishing instead of running the motor, watching the electronics, watching for underwater obstacles, and trying to fish, is also an advantage. Fishing open water structure like rockpiles or ledges is one time when the back seater can really take advantage of the boater being occupied with other things. Now if you're targeting fishing and targets are limited the boater has the advantage big time. As far as your buddy moving too fast, I've always looked at it this way. I've done both, back seating it, and owned my own and run the motor. If someone is nice enough to invite you to fish with them, maybe just be glad you're on a boat instead of bank fishing? If he's fishing too fast you might make the request that he slow down a little, it's possible he's not even aware he's doing it, but I wouldn't push it too much if that's how he likes to fish. Having owned a boat longer than I've been without one, it's never hard to find someone else who is just happy to be off the bank.

I agree that it doesn't hurt to ask. I have fished and hunted some great spots over the years because I politely asked the property owner for permission. Doing either without permission is illegal and many property owners have no reluctance to press charges. I don't blame them.

I find it pretty interesting how jokes transition to fit the era. I know Slonezp is much too young to remember, but I first heard this joke during the late 1950s / early 1960s. Back then, restaurants and a la carte were out of reach of most laypeople. In fact, hamburgers took a backseat to the 25-cent frank. Hotdogs and wieners were all the rage, long before the first Carrolls, Wetsons or Burger Chef. Anyway, here goes (60 years earlier): Same trailer, different park: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A man enters “Vinnie’s Franks” and is fascinated by the sanitary practices he sees in a lowly hotdog joint. Vinnie never makes physical contact with any food. Every frank is placed on the grill using stainless steel tongs, which is then grilled to perfection under Vinnie's rolling spatula. Using a pair of tongs, Vinnie deftly places a sanitary napkin into his hand, followed by a bun into which the frank is placed. The man said to Vinnie: "I must say, you run a tidy operation here, I’m impressed”. With a proud grin Vinnie said: “Thank you very much, and I’d like to show you something”. “You see this string attached to the hole in my zipper?” Yes the man said, but what’s that's all about? Vinnie replied: “When nature calls and I’m in the restroom, I just pull down on the string to lower my fly". 'WOW', the man said, 'that's incredible!' Then after a brief silence the man came back: 'But after your fly is down, how do you umm.....how do you ahh. Vinnie jumped in, “With these tongs right here!” Roger

A ticket to the movies.

Bought the Scorpion 1001XT!!!!! First JDM reel!!! I whooped the bait monkeys arse!!!!

Money...or a book

Hook setting like everything in bass fishing changes with the type of lure being used. Let's explore the common hook set; cross their eye. This term is usually associated with soft plastics like you are using. What does cross their eyes mean? It means a very hard rod set to drive the hook through the plastic and into the basses hard mouth tissue. Lots of ways this hook set can go wrong until you develop the right timing and rod speed. The snap set or buggy whip set; this hook set is also used with soft plastics and jigs to drive the hook point through the basses mouth at very high speed and less force using the rod. The snap set requires some slack line to allow the rod tip to get up to speed before driving the hook point into the basses mouth. The reel set with rod sweep hook set; this hook set usues the reel to recover any slack line and start the hook point into the basses mouth, the rod sweep completes the hook set. This hook setting technique is used more often with treble hook lures. For your application I suggest developing the snap set or the reel rod sweep set and forget the cross their eyes hook set. The snap set, feel a bite, lower the tip about 1 foot, than whip the rod back fast into the slightly slack line. This gives the bass a moment to get the soft plastic inside it's mouth before the hook is set. Timing when to hook set changes daily and you must make slight adjustments. The reel & rod sweep set is consistent and applies pressure to the hook point faster than a rod set, agian timing the hook set takes practice. Keep the rod tip pointed in the direction of the lure while cranking up all the slack line until you feel pressure, then sweep the rod back firmly. You shouldn't be straightening hooks when setting into fish unless the hooks are poor quality. Tom

Sounds to me like the fish you are missing might just be bream. I'm not sure you can set a hook too quickly fishing soft plastics and jigs.

They already do, they just charge $250 for it.

Hey guys, I need a Heavy rod in the 7-8ft range and was wondering which of these you like more, The Ethos is 60$ and the veritas is 80$ but ill cough up the little bit extra for the veritas if it'll be worth it. I'll be using it for Jigs, Frogs, Big worms, and Heavy Texas rigs. They both seemed like quality rods for the money when I held them at the store but Id like yalls input.

http://drowningworms.com/best-fishing-video-ever/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-fishing-video-ever

I'm not sure that I would consider the Biffle Head "revolutionary" or the addition of a split ring an "eclipsing improvement." Just saying...

veritas I love these rods.

I'll have you know, I was conceived in 1969....Thank you very much

Keep in mind that a large number of the comments you are reading are most likely being made by people like yourself, and I don't mean that derogatory. They are repeating what they heard others say, and what they have read in threads exactly like this. There are a large number of people here that have used and know these rods well and can offer their opinions based on experience with these and many other rods, but when posts are made with little to no knowledge of a product because it is fun to stir the pot, then the credibility of the thread is low and no one truly gets to learn from it.

Yes. The lower end G Loomis rods I would not recommend. If you're going to spend 200 or less don't buy a GL2. They are not good rods even at 150. If you want a GREAT rod then you have to spend the money on a GLX or NRX. Someone compared it to buying a Mercedes. That's the comparison that you should have made. Beats by Dre is a fad and a fashion statement for dumb kids that don't know any better.

Go to college. Start a career. Save your money. And buy all of the G. Loomis rods you want before you get married.

I think Bose would be a closer representation. Bose makes a very fine piece of audio equipment, but it's just way overpriced. Loomis isn't much different. They make a pretty good rod, especially the NRX. You'd be hard pressed to find a more sensitive rod than the NRX, though a few are right on its heels for less money. If you want the best, you gotta pay. The problem is more with the lower tier rods from the IMX down. They all offer subpar components and don't offer nearly as much performance as rods that cost a lot less, then expect you to pay just because it says Loomis on the side. I don't agree with that at all. When I can get an Avid, LTB, or KLX, made in the USA, with Fuji alconite guides, for $50-$150 less than an IMX with similar (or even better) performance; it's easy to see where I'll put my money. The Legend Elite/Extreme are every bit of the rod the GLX is and costs $100 less, with the same components. I just don't see how they justify the cost anymore when others are doing it better and cheaper.

I also find its based on the specific day or conditions, there are days where setting the hook early meant no hookup and then there are days where they are spitting so fast after an obvious hit that I am on hair trigger from them on on hooksets Adjust to whats goin on

I respect your opinion, but I want to know do you own a G. Loomis rod? I am not asking if you have used, borrowed or even fished with one, I want to know if you have ever laid your own hard earned cash down for one.

Alright, I am doing it! I am going to save up for a GoPro and get some goggles! I will come back here and let you guys know how it went.

Citrus Shad

I fish Fat Alberts all the time - a very versatile bait. As already mentioned, they can be used as a trailer, on a jig-head, or fished alone. I rig them weightless and weedless on a 1/0 EWG hook. You can swim/pop them on top, or let them soak for a few seconds and swim them back sub-surface. Since they are rigged weedless, you can drag them over slop and let them sink into holes, etc. Color? I typically only use one color - Watermelon Green Orange Flake. Not a big fish bait by any means, it's mostly a numbers bait. However, this ole gal must have been in a diet and only wanted a light meal when she sucked up this Fat Albert back in June. That's a Fat Albert WAY down there... Her diet wasn't working very well - she still looks a bit "chunky" !

I would start at $7,000.

You won't be disappointed I have a few smokes and have had no problems whatsoever. I like the 100's but prefer my 150. Good reels & definitely a killer deal you got yourself.

Great bait rigged on a plain old ball jig head or darter head.

Found out that they don't charge $150 just for the name. Bought a G LOOMIS decal for $2.00...so they only charge $2.00 for the name. I don't know what the rest of the money is for. Hootie

Chrome black back, gold chrome black back, chrome blue back, firetiger. Those 4 colors have been around forever and they are still around, there must be a reason for it.

Well, I done got kicked out of the large chain Italian restaurant. Wife was armored out in nursing gear where even a gnat couldn't see what was going on. Couple behind her started making ugly comments about it. So I proceeded to make ugly remarks in regards to them. And letting their "kind" in here. They were yuppies. I included a wonderful rant about how I had lost my appetite knowing that they were sharing the same air as us and poisoning my food with their lower class germs. The male yuppie got agitated and told me what he thought of me. I promptly and perhaps rather, my wife says extremely, loudly informed him of something he could put in his mouth. Restaurant fell silent. I went back into uber snob mode and bashed his attire as well as his wanna be stuck up wife's horrid choice in clothes and cheap jewelry. My pinky rings cost more than her entire outfit and all her corny jewlery. Manager came and requested I leave immediately. I managed to get the other couple thrown out as well. I am still madder then hell over this. I would have chased him through the parking lot but we were being watched by the restaurant. Oh well.

Don't worry, there's a rod breakin', hook bendin', line snappin' slaunch out there just waiting to break your heart

Yeah whenever I hold a GL2 at Dick's or Gander Mountain I'm like uhhhh yeah. Its a heavy clunky rod. I would pass on it for plastics but I actually owned a crankbait version GL2 and it was decent. I've considered buying another because I sold it a while back. I just can't see myself spending the money on a NRX or GLX for a crankbait rod.

I've only had 3 smallmouth on the end of my line in my life an two of them were dinks. A few weeks ago I hooked into a giant smallmouth and didn't get a good hookset in and lost him by the boat. I totally understand the enthusiasm behind smallies now. What a fantastic sport fish. That thing fought like a freight train with the brakes out.

Last week, we took some friends to a new restaurant, 'Steve's Place,' and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I observed that he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around and saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets. When the waiter came back to serve our soup I inquired, 'Why the spoon?' 'Well,' he explained, 'the restaurant's owner hired Andersen Consulting to revamp all of our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift.' As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he replaced it with his spare. 'I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now.' I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking around, I saw that all of the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So, before he walked off, I asked the waiter, 'Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?' "Oh, certainly!' Then he lowered his voice. 'Not everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I mentioned also learned that we can save time in the restroom. By tying this string to the tip of our you-know-what, we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39%. I asked quietly, 'After you get it out, how do you put it back?' 'Well,' he whispered,'I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon.'

Yo-Zuri 10# = Sunline FC 14#, Yo-Zuri 20# = Sunline 30#. Here my question would you fish 14# on your spinning reel and 30# on your bait casting reel? The answer is you are! This is why everyone should consider line diameter when selecting line. Tom