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New member to the family. new to me that is. Looks good except for one blemish. And I stepped on the box this morning.

So that I can have an intelligent conversation.

The best way to fish any jig is to learn its strengths and weaknesses. All jigs will have them. All lures will have them. Learning how a specific jig functions in different types of structure will produce more fish and reduce hang ups. There is a lot in design of a jig that helps a design move from one structure to another. But if you do not learn the capabilities of the design it will lead to hang ups or poor results.

2014 season on the boat has come to a end now to hibernate the boat and stock up for next year. Season end notes; What worked Chatter baits fished with different color skirts and trailers keitech impact fat was the overall winner on trailers., Jigs fished with 30lb braid attached to a 20lb floro leader. Wacky rigged senko's, square bill hard baits pounding the bottom, and finally Ragetail craws hooked up to a variety of jigs. What didn't work spinner baits ( zero confidence in them!) I know they work but... Year end tally. 44 days of fishing. 3 lunker tournaments. 3 Maine Bass Trail tournaments. 11 days in the rain. 13 guests on the boat. 1 helping a distressed boater. Bass tally over 12 inches Largest 6.2 lbs 6+lbs 1 5-6lbs 11 4-5lbs 28 3-4lbs 41 2-3lbs 102 1-2lbs 306 Next year I plan on matching my set ups for the types of lure set up's I use, also improving my bait casting usage. and of course fishing more I missed 4 weeks of fishing this year do to work issues. all and all I rate myself at a B+ for the year. Hope everyone keeps catching them I will still be reading and commenting through out the year. Bob

Worst nightmare you could have. That is the main reason we take 500 pounds of plastics and 1,000 hard baits with us on the boat. You can't have enough baits, ever.

This past Saturday I was able to sneak away for a day of fishing. With calm winds forecast and temps approaching 60 degrees I had a good feeling about the day. Given that light winds were forecast I decided to fish a lake that had an offshore hump that produces very well in late October and early November. I got on the water about 9 am and trolled out to the offshore hump. The hump comes up from deep water over 50 feet on wide side to 2-3 feet deep on the top. I was targeting the steepest part of the drop off. Every year there are smelt there this time of year and so are the bass. the first few casts with a jig I got nothing. I decided to take a few casts with a silver buddy which had produced here in the past. On my third cast with a silver buddy I got my first bite of the day and it was heck of a fight on 8 lb fluorocarbon. 4 lbs 2 oz A few casts later I caught another fish over 2 lbs. They were hitting it after the initial fall while I was slowly hopping it to the boat. Not to much longer after I got the 4-2 I hooked into a good smallie. 3 lbs 6 oz Very next cast another better fish hit my buddy. This time on the initial fall. A very skinny 3 lbs 5 oz After the first time I had fished around the entire hump I had caught 7 bass. I fished very slowly and it took nearly 3 hours to go around the entire hump. I was catching fish in 25-40 feet of water. The second time around the hump wasn't as productive numbers wise. I tried some other presentations, a jig, a drop shot, Carolina rig, suspended jerkbait but on this day in this situation there was nothing out producing the silver buddy. During this second time around hump I caught one of the biggest smallmouth I have caught this year. 3 lbs 8 oz Several casts after the smallmouth I hooked into another good largemouth. This fish has sort of special significance. It was the 200th largemouth for the year over 3 lbs. 3 lbs 11 oz. I caught a couple more fish for the rest over the next couple hours but nothing good. I finished the day before 4 and had caught 6 largemouth and 5 smallmouth off of this one hump all on a silver buddy. Water temperature was 52-54 degrees. It was a beautiful fall day. Biggest 5 fish went 4-2,3-11,3-8,3-6,3-5 for exactly 17 lbs. A good fall day of fishing. I only missed one bite all day.

I had this debate with a friend before the game. They thought the game was a gimme for Dallas. Fun to watch. I picked the Redskins to upset.

I buy lures knowing there will probably be a day I lose them, comes witht he territory.

After watching numerous, as in every, profesional make the comment "It's a huge one!" then get it to the boat and say "Not as big as I thought.". I'm not sure you can tell from how it 'feels'. If the guys that do it for a living can't tell. I'm sure I can't either.

I hooked a big ole bass that felt like a stump when I set the hook, upon further investigation after he threw the hook it was in fact a stump.

Great year on the water Bob! I did not get nearly that much time on the water. I have not winterized the boat yet but it seems I'm running out of time to get back on the water. Hope you enjoy the winter (may it pass quickly)

While I agree totally I will add 80% of hang ups are operator error Many anglers try to force jigs through "cover" instead of finessing them through & they do the same with Texas Rigs Now one must also keep in mind that a percentage of hang ups is expected but we need to keep that number down!

It's amazing how accurate scales are for lost fish.

When it comes to jigs every one has there own personal repertoire of confusion Structure the contour or shape of the bottom of the lake Any jig is capable of being use to fish "structure" but they may not be effective for the available cover Some jigs are designed for grass, some are designed for wood, some are designed for rock & others are designed to combine all three such as the SK Denny Brauer Structure Jig.

LMFAO! I forgot about this post after John sent me a link. I'll talk to the guy that made the pic and see if he can make that happen Blue.

X2. I bought my wife an Avid Pearl with a Quantum PT Energy spinning reel, partly because it was "pretty" and the combo she wanted, partly because all the other pink rods she liked were junk and I figured it was better to spend the money on a nice setup that was easier to fish with (way fewer tangles) and help keep her interest when she does go fishing with me. They're super nice rods with thinner handles to fit in smaller hands better.

The past week has been very consistent when I have been able to get out on the water. All the rain the past week caused a lot of rivers to flood and lakes to go up a couple feet or so. This past weekend was the best fishing of the past week. Yesterday was real good, the jig bite was on.

Treat her right http://www.stcroixrods.com/products/freshwater/avid-pearl

I think you may like the perfect pitch then because the tip is not too fast at all. It's not just a pitching rod. I think what I like about the xx line is how versatile they are. I can use the pp for pitching jigs, frogs, punching vegetation and cast t rigs. You should give Gary at the tackle trap a call. He is a megabass expert and he can answer more specific questions for you. I just wish I could use mine more.

I prefer low speed reels for almost all of my crankbait fishing. There are several reasons for my preference. I enjoy how a low speed high torque reels moves a high resistance bait effortlessly through the water, and how it helps keep my bait in the strike zone longer. I appreciate that I do not have to consciously think about how fast or slow I am cranking the reel handle, and that the gear ratio allows me to operate the reel at a rate that is normal and comfortable to me. I also find that after a day on the water throwing deep diving high resistance baits that my fingers, hands, forearms are shoulders are a lot less tight and fatigued as the result of the increased torque that a low speed reel has. Select and use the right tool for every job.

Thanks George. Went to Lox Friday afternoon with my Hawg Tech partner Robert (SouthFla) and went yesterday afternoon with my son Luke. Five fish over 5lb this weekend, including two giants. More Lox pics.... Yesterday: Friday afternoon (with Robert)

The Shimano Citica G. Just a good basic reel that can be had for around $100.

George, Leo and I kind of flamed out in the RMMC tourney. Long story short, we took a wrong turn on a trail and couldn't back track due to all the boat traffic coming thru. By the time we were able to get to our spot, our buddies were sitting right on it. They weighed 22lbs for 3rd place. We dumped 11-12lbs. I fished with Jack (shallow thinker) the following week at Ghosts and Goblins. We weighed 13.84lbs and I had the 3rd biggest fish for the tourney (me on the right: 6.92lb) It's a common theme for me at Okeechobee...one big fish and a pile of 2lbers. The fish are so scattered and the weights are showing it. Only two boats over 20lb in the Ghosts and Goblins tourney (over 70boats). I know where the winning bags are coming from now, but it's not a situation I care to deal with. 50 boats competing for the same few fish. Had an awesome weekend at Loxahatchee though. Ripped some giants out there.

An extendable pole and a plug knocker are both valuable fishing tools that you need to have in your boat. Neither one of them works particularly well from the bank. I'd guess that the extendable lure retriever might work a little better, but bank fishing, that's just one more thing to carry. That being said, 4 lost lures in 3 hours fishing time isn't a record. You are going to have to try harder than that if you want to set a lure losing record. If you need any pointers on how to set a lure losing record, here are a few: Use older, more brittle mono. Insist on the lightest line possible. Fish in brushy, hard to get to places and maybe you can lose a few lures on the backswing of your cast. If you are fishing from the bank around brush and cover, using lighter lines and lures, always try to throw into the wind. These tips should help you increase your lost lures per hour ratio. There are lots more ways to lose lures, but I'm pretty sure you can figure them out by yourself. Don't forget the old "unlatch the tackle box" trick. This will allow you to lose many lures without actually getting them wet.

Once the water temps dip below 55 here ~ It's all about the Blades Baits. They all seem to work ~ Sliver dominates in the sun and gold rules when it's cloudy. A-Jay

Dude, I can loose 3 lures in 3 casts, nothing to bragg about.

The Ambassadeur squadron just added another member. To join the old-school 5000 and 1500, and the new-age Morrum ZX3600, is a "new-old" 2500CDL. This was from a special run of 100 that was released in 2012 and patterned on the original 2500CDL teal and gold model released in the late 1970's. I remember thinking 35 years ago that the 2500CDLs looked a bit guady but I guess in my old age my tastes have changed. Not an everyday use kind of finish...but sorta elegant. She might be wearing fancy pants...but everyone's gotta fish for a living. Seems to work - reels in fish...

If yours are already uploaded to bassresource.com... click on your name in the top right corner. click on my gallery. Click on the picture you want to share. Click green options button, then click share links. copy the link titled image link... Now, when you reply to topic, click the little picture button, paste your link... and it should show up like this.... My REAL personal best...

All of you martial artists out there will probably relate to this...particularly those of you who do mma-type arts like bjj and muay thai because they seem to embrace Bruce Lee more than others. What I have realized after reading boat loads of fishing articles and doing a lot of fishing is that there are no set rules...and the rules are really just guidelines. What might have been the "gospel truth" in fishing years ago is now broken (e.g., Kevin Van Dam). And what seems to work for some doesn't work for others. In other words, what fishing really comes down to is "use what works and discard the rest" and "what works" could be different for each person. This is Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do actualized in bass fishing. BOOM! That just happened

When I get out on the water, I become the water. When I flip my jig, I become the jig...and then it, becomes the water. Even though I am still the water, the jig also becomes the water.....which is ok, because I am still the jig......and the water.

They are fun, you sure it wasn't a Pike?

Minneola huh? You're not too far from me at all. Congrats she sounds like a "keeper".

No, your knot should not wear going through the guides. If the knot is ripping out then it tells me you need to practice tying the Alberto Knot. It's the one I use as well and it never needs to be retied until the leader part is used up. There shouldn't be a need to retie any knots if you do it correctly. The only time you need to retie is if the line if frayed or weakened to prevent break offs.

Turnover is a fishermans nightmare most of the time. It can really affect the bite.

Very wise words sensei.

The best thing to throw is an irreplaceable, one of a kind, lucky bass lure that holds immense sentimental value. Pike love that stuff, though they only bite if you throw on delicate mono, under 10# size. They're much more active during bass tournaments.

Don't "lip 'em" Here in the UK we fish for pike a lot. Steel leaders are pretty much mandatory. As we tend to be trying for larger fish (20lb +) we tend to use larger lures and heavier tackle, much more like musky tackle than bass tackle, but most pike I've seen in the US and Canada have been fairly small, less than 10lb. If that's what you have in your lakes then 4" spoons, larger bass type spinnerbaits, 6" swimbaits like storm wildeyes, larger suspending jerkbaits and that sort of thing will probably catch them for you. Fish 30-50lb braid and a stiffer rod as you need to set the hooks in their boney mouths, unlike bass which will get hooked on the most masked hook point.

Fall is bucktail spinner time for pike.

Natures Art in Arma Ks. Blake Vanlueen. Does GREAT work!

We always fight.

with work and family things going on I really have only been fishing a couple times this fall...feels like that is how my entire year went. Ended up at Evergreen for 3 hours on Saturday and absolutely torched them- maybe it is because my expectations were low, and everyone coming in as I went out were talking about how miserable the fishing was. Here is the big one of the day- all fish caught on deeper isolated timber in 8-10fow and one off a laydown in the same. All on southern sitting banks with the wind blowing hard into them. Had to use two wind socks all day to fish proper with the wind blowing me into cover-I would kill the trolling motor about 20 feet away and started flipping as many times as I could and hit bottom and right back up. All fish on 3/4 pbj jig and skinny dipper trailer in bluegill I believe... Hope your guys fishing year has been better than mine.

Whenever I hit pike lakes in Ontario I take a couple of these along: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Fish-Mouth-Spreaders/product/10205355/ Those and a sturdy forceps make life much easier up there.

Super braids are a good light weight line to use as a spool filler, if a shallow after market spool is less expensive or performs better, than go for it. You don't need more than 75 yards of line for bass fishing. A full bait casting reel spool that is light weight performs better than a heavier or partially filled spool. Tom

I'm having the same exact issues. I live in eastern MA and this is my first season tournament fishing and my second fishing at all. But as soon as the fall rolled around I get skunked or have 1-2 fish days day after day. All I read says fall is suppose to be one of the best times of the year for numbers of fish and its time they come up shallow in coves and creeks to chase bait. Well that most certainly isn't the case around here. I'd think it was my inexperience but tournament after tournament the winning bags are 10lbs and less and only 1-2 boats come in with a limit. I think that this area is a totally different story. I think our conditions come quicker, the temp drops sooner and days shorten sooner. Our fall starts early September when everywhere else has til oct-nov. It makes things extra hard because 98% of the articles are written about lakes everywhere else and we don't have much study or read because of that. If someone could figure out how to catch 15lb bags this time of year in MA and NH they'd win 90% of the tournaments around here. This is the exact reason I came to this part of the forum this am but apparently I'm not the only one dealing with this.

Took advantage of Saturday and Sunday's beautiful weather to try and get the kayak out a couple of more times. I had not caught a fish out of the kayak until saturday. Caught 4 on Saturday and another 5 on Sunday. All on squarebills. First picture is the first fish from a kayak and the second picture is what happens when squarebill meets kayak...

I admire your dedication and determination....not something I would generally associate with an Eagles fan! Congratulations on your accomplishments so far, and congratulations in advance on your completion of your degree and obtaining your teaching certificate. From your responses on here, (other than the Eagles thing)...I find you to be thoughtful, cerebral, and openminded witih the ability to listen to others ... Sounds like an outstanding teacher to me. Keep going.

Good luck, fly! Almost done!

Me, myself and I. So quiet and peaceful. Don't get me wrong ... I enjoy my fishing buddies but nothing beats the peacefulness of fishing alone to me.

Just drag it or hop it on the bottom bro. Mix up your cadence if you want, but there's nothing that complicated about it. The football shape head is made for rock. That's about it.

It's kind of like the illegal immigrant issue our Country is plagued with.