Leaderboard

I highly doubt the reason he caught 30 bass that day was because he had some "magic " color. But if it makes you feel better, go with it. You seem like you have been bass fishing a long enough time to know better.

The biggest for me is the first Sat. of May every yr. That's when we put on our town's kid's fishing derby. To watch a child catch their first fish still give me the "that's why we do this" feeling.

Fishing this past weekend was great. It sure did feel like fall out there. Saturday was real cold to begin the day at 34 degrees. The wind was calm and it was overcast. I was a bit underdressed for 34 degrees but I was fishing. The bite was a bit slow but productive. The jig seemed to be working best. About id day the bite started to pick. I went to one of y favorite spots around noon and the fish were there and biting. First cast on this sunken tree my jig never hit bottom. A big bass slammed it before it could hit bottom. I set the hook and the fight was on. After a couple strong surges it went completely airborne. It was a big bass. After a couple more surges I had it boat side. It pulled under the boat and when it came next to the boat again I had the net ready. She weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz. I continues to fish the tree and catching some fish on a jig. I took a few casts with my favorite crankbait Caught a couple fish on that, biggest was 3 lbs even. I went back to the jig and on the first cast hooked into a decent bass. It weighed in at 4 lbs 12 oz. Once I had it in the boat I noticed it had a chartreuse rapala sticking out of its mouth. It seemed new. That fish had broken some ones line and the heart in the process. The fishing remained some what slow but productive. It started to rain. It was a bit cold for this time of year. It only managed a balmy 57 degrees for the high temp of the day. I fished until dark and boated a couple more decent fish, a 4 lbs 5 oz and 3 lb 0 oz. Sunday it was cold in the morning again. This time it was windy and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Fishing started off really good. In the first hour I boated 10 bass mostly on a jig and weightless worm. On my third cast of the day I hooked into a chunky largemouth on a weightless worm. About 10 minutes after that fish I was flippin some trees with my jig and hooked into a 4 lb 8 oz. It was pandemonium getting that fish in the boat. I hooked it way back in the tree, pulled it up an over 2 tree branches and got it unwrapped before I got it in the boat. Great start to the day. After the first hour of fishing the bite pretty much died. I went to the same productive main lake sunken trees that were so productive the day before. I couldn't get a single bite on a jig. The weightless worm wasn't producing well either. I caught a couple fish but nothing good on the worm. I did catch a 3 lb 0 oz on a crankbait. The fishing was slow. The wind was blowing. It wasn't warm. I figured it was going to be a tough day. After struggling for a couple hours I picked up another decent fish on a crankbait a 3 lb 10 oz. The crankbait was producing best it seemed. So I stuck with it. Went back to one of my favorite off shore spots I had already fished with a jig and a worm. I anchored the boat. First cast with the crankbait I feel it bump off the tree and then a huge fish loads up on it. The rod bends over double, the drag rips out and then snap. Gone. Busted my line. That was sad. I like an idiot hadn't retied after catching a pickerel. I told myself it was a pickerel that had just broke my line. I sat down and was eating my lunch when I hear something 15 feet away. It was a very large bass trying to jump and shack my lure fro its mouth. I got a pretty good look at it. It was big. I was disappointed. I know better I should have retied. Bummer. After I was done with my lunch I pick up the crankbait and cast it out. A big fish slams it. After jumping a couple times this one makes it in the boat. Not as big as the one that broke my line but a nice fish. Weighed in at 5 lbs 10 oz. A long somewhat skinny fish. I thought I had figured something out with the crankbait. I started spot hopping. I would catch a couple fish at each spot on a crankbait before moving on. Started catching fish on a more consistent basis. The biggest fish the rest of the day was a rather plump 5 lb 7 oz largemouth. The bite was good right up until dark. Before the end of the day I caught a 4 lbs 5 oz and another 3 lb 0 oz. Fall fishing is here. Now is the time to get out on the water and catch some. Big fish are biting now and will be biting until ice up. I am itching to get back out on the water. I a feeling a bit sick cough cough. Maybe a need a sick day or two ?

My Biggest Accomplishment in Bass Fishing (and all my fishing in general) happened quite a few years ago. It was when I realized that what I Really Love about the sport has less to do with catching lots of fish and Much More to do with the enjoying the outdoors, the belief that the learning is endless, and the friendships. A-Jay

My best day largemouth fishing was five fish over 43lbs down at Lake baccarac in Mexico. Didn't get any double digits that day but I was knocking on the door. I lost one that juumped at the boat that would have increased that total if I had landed her. My best day smallie fishing was five fish over 30lbs on Lake Erie prespawn. I also lost a big fish that day that jumped 6-7 times so I got a real good look at her. She would have been the biggest fish of the day. As A-Jay would say fun times.

Fall fishing has begun here in New England. Morning lows in the 30s and daytime highs maybe reaching 60's. The water temperature has dropped significantly the past 5 days from 73 to 65 degrees. For most of the day Saturday the water temp was 62-63 degrees. I the waters I fish the fish have been in fall patterns and locations. They will be there until it ices up. The crankbait bite is really heating up. Saturdays lunker on a jig. 6 lbs 10 oz 4 lbs 12 oz on a jig. The fish had a seemingly brand new rapala hanging from his mouth. Still wanted my jig though. On sunday the jig bite died. The crankbait bite was really good, once I figure it out. 5 lbs 0 oz on weightless worm 5 lbs 10 oz on a crankbait. Got to bump the stump to get bit. 5 lbs 7 oz on a crankbait. The fall bite is heating up. I will be fishing off shore isolate structure with a jig and crankbait until it ices over thick enough my boat cant break through.

I caught a bunch of nice bass on L. Champlain this afternoon with the best being 6 lbs. 1 oz and 5 lbs. 7 oz. I caught several in the four-pound and three-pound range, too. I just started largemouth fishing this summer, and the big one is my personal best. I was throwing a 1/2 oz. rattling jig with a 4" Pit Boss trailer and the bigger fish were liking it a lot. Best part was, I caught most of the big fish on my brand new Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool reel and St.Croix Premier rod. I caught some smaller ones on a chatter bait, Sluggo and crank baits. All the great advice and information I'm finding on this forum has really helped me have a lot of fun this summer. Thanks to everyone! Tight lines, Bob

The day my boat was paid for.

My biggest accomplishment so far has not been about fish, but has been all about friends I have met through this sport I love. I have dear friends that I have fished with for over 35 years, and I am always meeting new ones of all ages. I enjoy taking others out in the boat, and putting them on fish. My best friend was like a brother to me and a fishing partner. We fished together for over thirty years before he moved to New Hampshire. I fished with him last year in the Everglades, and he passed away a week later of a sudden heart attack. On those two days of fishing, we caught over 150 fish, and Tom had the big fish at 5.7oz. We laughed and reminisced the whole weekend, and he had a great time. It was the best fishing trip. I just didn't know it would be our last! The friendships gained through fishing are rewarding, and satisfying, and last the test of time. I look forward to each trip taking someone out and sharing the experience. It doesn't get any better then that!

Finally convincing my 8 yr. old grandson that fishing with Pop can be fun.

Turning my 4 year old son into a fishing maniac, and catching bass on jigs for me.

My biggest accomplishment while bass fishing was rescuing two people who had capsized their boat in the middle of a small pond. There were two other incidents in which I rescued two people who thought it wise to try to swim across a small pond and were lucky that a buddy and I happened to come along just in time, and the other when we came upon a burning boat on the ocean and headed directly into the breeze to find a man in a raft thirty miles offshore, six miles from the burning boat. Those had nothing to do with bass fishing. Just a case of being in the right place at the right time.

I'm not even (too) ashamed to admit that if the guys in the next boat were pulling them in and told me they were rubbing their senkos in their butt cracks, I'd probably pull into the next cove and....wait.....nevermind......lol

Way to much to think about. Just go out and fish!

No...it doesn't..

....and when you're not

you can get the Lews BB1 at TW for the same price as the citica, and it is a better reel IMO. otherwise the Lews tournament MG is a good reel for a similar price tag and I again think it out performs the citica. Big thing for me is the handle on the lews is quite a bit better, but the cast control on the citica is pretty nice (set and forget). honestly though if I were looking at a reel in that price range I would get the Tatula on an auction site for under 105.00 that in my opinion is the best deal out there. cant go wrong with any of them though... Mitch

Fluorocarbon is nearly impervious to UV rays. It would take years to break down from the sun, under normal conditions. Most cheaper fluoros will break when they're kinked because the resin is not very pliable, same applies to stiffer fluoros. It will also burn up and break easily if knots aren't wetted and tied properly. It's definitely a bit finicky, and has to be used with a little extra care.

This is why i love fishing... Some sept catches so far using top water frogs which im learning Also just got a 12ft kayak and a Abu Garcia Revo SX/Vendetta Combo and a bunch of new topwater lures. In the spring im going to pimp out my yak with a fishfinder a few more pole holders, go pro etc.. Look out guys Im coming

Same for me. Never a trailer on a buzzbait, rarely on a spinnerbait, always on a jig and bladed jig.

Siebert jigs.

As long as you put inn the time exercising the dog and training it, you'll be fine. Heelers are high energy and just having a fenced in yard won't provide the stimulation the dog will require. The higher the intelligence/energy equates to more of a commitment from you as an owner regarding exercise and training.

This! Jeff

Mexican bass with an attitude.

dude, welcome to the forums, but for the love of god figure out how to take a fish picture without standing on the fish

Finally caught my first smallmouth and wow was this a fight!!! 4lbs 2oz 21" Length x 13.25" Girth Drop Shot 18' deep Humps in middle of the lake today 7/17/14

Hello everyone, This board has been extremely helpful over the last couple months, and I intend to tap your knowledge again! I'm an experiences kayaker, so fishing from a kayak seemed like a natural progression. Believe it or not, my current setup is a (heavily modified) 12 foot Pelican touring kayak. I think I've outgrown it in size and utility, particularly when it comes to fishing. There isn't enough deck space and I'm constantly fighting to hold position when fishing a particular piece of structure or cover. I'm constantly juggling the paddle and my two rods, not to mention having to strap milk crates to the front and back of the kayak. I'm sure I make quite a sight. In any case, I've been eyeing the Hobie Pro Angler 14 for a while...it seems like the holy grail of sit-on-top angling kayaks, but it has a steep, steep price tag. They hold their value at about $2,200 used, and about $3k new and fully loaded. Who can afford that much for a single-person plastic kayak I will never know. I'd prefer a tandem kayak to take a partner in crime fishing, but the new 17T will cost about $5,500 when it comes out in a few months. Not happening for this guy. My question: Has anyone had personal experience with any alternative fishing kayaks that are a little more value-oriented? Especially tandem kayaks? Or, alternatively, would anyone say the Hobie PA is worth it? Open to feedback.

Was fishing the pond in the middle of the local community college. Needless to say, it's really not well kept up, it's stocked once in a blue moon. People tell me that there's no bass left to catch, but I'm thoroughly convinced that the vast majority of fishermen here really don't have a clue as to what they're doing. Now, I'm all about supporting fishing as a hobby over say, crack cocaine, but I think you can only glean so much from people who throw rigs like a nose-hooked bright orange tube with said baitholder hook attached directly to a snap swivel that's also holding a bank sinker, all of this under a float (I have photographic evidence of this sorcery). The guy next to him was throwing what I'm pretty sure is an 8-10' Bomber or Bandit crankbait in no more than 4' of water. Anyway, I spent some time away from where the crowds usually are, and set my eyes on what i'm 95% sure was a fairly decent sized LMB. I guess the adage that big bass didn't get big by being stupid. It must have been in about 2.5' of water tops. Not wanting to scare it off, I avoided initially throwing reaction baits at it, and used it as an opportunity to practice my flippin' and pitchin'. Well, I got the practice I was looking for. Threw a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss in black/blue fleck, a Strike King KVD Rodent in California Craw, a Netbait Paca Craw in Alabama Craw, tried all of those three as jig trailers as well as a jig with a Zoom Super Chunk, a GYCB DT Hula Grub in purple/something on a jighead, shakey-head Zoom Trick Worms in Junebug, Green Pumpkin and Bubblegum, a weightless Watermelon/Black flake Senko, a weightless pumpkin/chartreuse tail Yum Dinger, and Texas-rigged watermelon red flake Zoom U-Tale. Giving up after all that rigging, I put on a War Eagle 5/8oz finesse spinnerbait (it's a downsized Oklahoma/Colorado tandem), cast it out and ran it past her nose a couple of times.... she just kinda spun in place and watched it go by. So, in a last ditch attempt, I did the same with a Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (the one with the clacker). She watched that one go by too, and retreated deep into cover. I guess some days, you just can't force a fish to bite. At least I got some good practice in flippin' and pitchin', and I think I may have leveled up in knot tying and soft plastic rigging.

Use a very light mono, like 4 or 6 pound, run it through and then back through making a loop. Thread your braid through the loop and use the mono to pull your braid through the eye. I have to do that to get heavy braid through some bullet weights. You can also buy line threaders and try that if you want. They're for threading line through tiny trout flies so I'm sure they'd fit through the eye of that hook.

The Edge 705 is the best balanced, most sensitive rod I've ever handled. I'd take an NFC HM over any other blank on the market. It's easily on par with the NRX, with better build quality.

I do not own, nor have I ever been in a PA. But I have been around alot of them. The reason they are the top of the line sit on top is because they are boats. Lol. Its not even a kayak really, and is referred to as a "personal watercraft" if I recall. They are awesome. But. .... they are super expensive and super heavy. So add a trailer to the cost of your PA. Because I have seen very few people who stick with putting it in the back of a truck. And you're not putting it on TOP of anything. Its just too big and heavy and awkward. After realizing this, I came to the conclusion that with the initial cost, a trailer, registration for said trailer, and the sheer size and lack of out of water mobility of the PA- I'd just as soon get a boat. So I got a used tarpon140 I can sling up on top of my Cherokee and launch it in a roadside ditch if I want to- because that's why I wanted a kayak in the first place- a hassle free way to fish. Ymmv. By your post, my advice would either be the native ultimate for a solo kayak, or a good old town canoe for your tandem adventures. Jmho.

You will be pleased.

I am a big fan of them in pearl so you can track it. I usually fish them as a subsurface almost topwater bait. I use a thin wire off set worm hook to make it weigh as little as possible. Work it somewhat fast but at the same time don't twitch it again if it is going to mess up its glide. Twitch it according to what it does if you can and not in some kind of cadence. When worked fast it will pop its nose up out of the water and that is deadly. It also super good over light mats of through pads if possible worked fast. I just try to watch it and make twitches according to what it is doing. They look sweet and dart all over but if you ever pay attention some jerks make it dart at weird angles and stuff. Like straight down for example. It still catches them but using visual cues to time your twitches will prevent a lot of it and works far better I think.

I don't normally use trailers on spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. I do use skirts that have extended strands that act like a trailer though. I always use trailers on jigs.

You want the most hydrodynamic (pointed) end of it facing forward (direction of travel) (away from the prop), The bottom of the transducer should be facing the BOTTOM and parallel with the water's surface. It makes no difference if the transducer is attached to the boat or the trolling motor, it has to be oriented the same way. Look at the pictures in post #8 here: http://www.crappie.com/crappie/main-crappie-fishing-forum/55922-transom-mount-transducer-trolling-motor/ After you break it crashing into the bottom, you can turn it into a trolling motor puck with the Transducer Shield and Saver bracket SSC-1

Uni to Uni is super easy and strong

Sure can. Texas rigged and weightless makes for great side to side darting action...make sure you take your time rigging it straight as you can. Could also rig them TX on a keel weighted EWG hook to get them deeper.

Any active dog breed is a bad idea in a apartment. I am just not sure how you would do this. With out a making the old lady mad. You could give her a IOU or some thing like a coupon. It could say I owe you one puppy, or vaild for one free puppy. Make sure it say not valid in till x/xx/2015 If I was in your shoes. Just go out and buy the normal gifts. Once you have the house. Then surprise her with the dog.

These were all caught in the same month....fishing stinks in late fall, lol..

you just described me. Seriously like to a "T"

I've had zero issues with my Arashi wake bait. It has an extremely wide and aggressive wobble, but I think that's a lot of the attraction to it.

Hi! I haven't been out there this summer. I'm sure I will be going very soon though as the fall bite is insane there. I'm sure you know that flipping and frogging the mats is money right now. ...and should still be in a few weeks . Think small. They are highly pressured. However, if the water temp drops, bring your favorite lipless cranks! The trap bite on Seminole is something I wait all year for! Good stuff! Squarebills on the mat edges produce too! Speed worms over the grass flats, spinnerbaits .... just about anything will be good in a few weeks/ month if we can get some cooler weather. If not. ... grinding it out on the mats is the only answer. ...and that can be tough but rewarding! C-rigs and jigs on offshore humps can work too if you can find some without thick grass on them. Good luck! Feel free to give a full report when you're done!

Most likely it will get worse. I am 51, fished for bass for over 40 years and still find myself driving down the road and imagining if the areas off the side of the road were underwater, where the bass might be and what would be the best way to catch them.

Yep, same with me, but I always called it the fishinder rig instead of the slip sinker rig. I like to use shrimp for both bullheads and channel cats. When targeting bigger ones, I like large cutbait.

If you stop the bleeding right away with Please Release Me powder on the gill racker, put the bass into a livewell with Catch & Release, both Sure Life products, or release the bass and it may survive. Don't try the Mountain Dew trick, put the bass back in the water without pouring soda in the mouth. Tom

Nope. I have caught fish with rusted crankbaits all hooked up in their gills. Certainly not ideal, but it wont necessarily mean that the fish will die.

Most of the players/thugs that you are watching in the NFL now are all from the "Time Out" generation. Ask any of the members here that are 50 or older and see how they were punished. My Parents and Grandparents would all be in jail by today's standards.

Spook or Hula Popper if I want to fish slowly. Buzzbait or Jitterbug for faster retrieves and/or after dark.

I could state that I've caught more quality smallie a on a SuperSpook than any other top water, but that would be misleading. A Spook is the ONLY top water I catch them on. BTW, it's also the only one they catch me on. My last outing netted four SM over 3lb. and two hooks in my hand