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I get a call from a buddy about going up to Georgia for two days of fishing our most favorite pond. I jump on the chance because I have fished there before & know the potential for a new PB is looming. Besides it means fishing on my birthday a tradition I always try to maintain. We had a 6.5 hour drive to get there and didn't arrive until about 5:30 pm. We headed down to the back pond about 7 acres in size. Justin spread out to the right casting as he went. We all spread out as we started fishing. On Justin's fifth cast with a white spinnerbait he got bit. He yelled out I got a good one. Little did he know how really good it would turn out to be. We all headed over in his direction to see how big it was. Justin is a very accomplished fisherman in his thirties but has fished almost all his life. His biggest PB weighed was a big 9lb class fish until this trip. When he stepped off the bank with one foot to grab her he realized he had just caught a super pig. He put her on a digital scale that showed 14lbs-7oz. I weighed her on my digital and got 14-lbs-8.5ozs. She measured out at 25.75 inches long with a 24" girth. We finished the trip with a full day of fishing after that trophy day. We ended up with two fish over 8lbs, two over 7lbs and four over six with some fives. One unlucky angler lost a DD on a Hudd 68 when she wallowed at the bank. Shame on him.

My second day of the season, yesterday, 4/1/15. The numbers aren't growing, but the fish are. This one was a shade over 20". Weight? I don't know, didn't have my scale. I'm guessing maybe 4#. Feel free to make a guess. I won't dispute any of them. Both picture are the same fish. Hootie

The list of factors that make Night Time Bass Fishing Operations attractive to me is long & varied. In no particular order: the lake is usually empty, the winds are usually less than during the day, the bass are often a little shallower, Top water baits are pretty good at night, the bigger bass are often a less wary under the cover of darkness, a spinnerbait is like magic, and to key in on the present for you personally - a moon burn is highly unlikely but do bring insect repellent. As for tips & techniques - fish the same type of productive water & baits you have success with during the day. However, drop shots, & super finesse stuff may not be necessary at night. Fish places you know well, wear a PFD, tell someone where you'll be & when to expect you home. Bring at least Two Lights (headlamps work well). Keep your gear & boat deck neat clean & organized or you'll find that loose plug stuck some where bad. Have Fun and bring a camera with a flash . . . Good Luck A-Jay

Most local club tournaments are Senko only events, lol.

About 4 inches snapped off the tip of my St.Croix mojo rod and so I packaged it and sent it to them about a week and a half ago requesting a warranty, I expected to get an email confirming they got it or something but today I walked outside and there is a rod tube on my porch, they replaced it no questions asked! All they make you do is write a note explaining how it happened and pay for the shipping to and from, pretty good stuff!

Darkness covers up an angler's presence and most of all his mistakes! Fish the same baits, the same locations, and techniques you would during the day. My best trip ever with a Drop Shot was at night. The only thing different I add to my repertoire at night is a Q-Beam! Give special attention to night lighted areas; lighted docks, lighted boat ramps, a row of camps with lights along the bank or a single camp with a light near the water. Shallow vs deep; I have not noticed a distinct advantage one way or the other. I will normally fish both areas thoroughly staying with the one that produces the best results. However shallow water does offer a greater opportunity to use different techniques.

I got my third bass from my new pond yesterday. Probably around 3.5 pounds, not the best picture. On a black and blue jig with a black and blue paca chunk trailer.

The only time I ca bring myself to use "ice" and "fishing" in the same sentence is picking up a bag of Ice on my way to go fishing.

Telescoping lure retriever man. I fill boxes of baits each year to guys who apparently haven't heard about them. Just this past Tuesday I got a Rapala Deep Shadow Rap, Rapala Husky Jerk, and a Livetarget Bait Ball squarebill out of the trees. Yeah it's a $40 investment, but I almost cleared that in those 3 baits. Take a day like the one I had last April on Table Rock when I pulled a 100DD pointer, 100 Pointer, and Megabass Magnum 110 out of the trees and it's paid for itself almost twice over.

The Ned rig is pretty much everything a typical bass fisherman is against. It's a light bait, doesn't do much, you're not supposed to feel it, the hook is small, the list goes on. The main thing that it does is catch fish, period. If you happen to be around smallmouth then it's really going to shine as they seem to not be able to control themselves around it. Oddly enough, as simple as it seems, it's a technique that really takes some time to master though.

Man I got excited just thinking about night fishing again! Night time is a great time to catch big fish and practice the KISS method of thinking. I fish a big dark jig, a big dark worm, and a bladed jig about 90% of the time. I don't like topwater or treble hooks at night because I've had too many baits come screaming back at me when someone didn't follow the rules and set the hook when they heard an explosion. Trying to unhook a bass on trebles is hard enough in the daylight, much worse at night.

Lizzard

Nice fish, but in the future don't hold them like that, it can kill the fish.

This came today. I need smaller, deeper and more finesse jerkbaits to fish clear water smallies compared to you guys and your shallow largies. Moving from Rapala (which have worked just fine) to Jackall. Not quite up to Megabass. Last pic is the Jackall stuff I've gotten in the last 3 weeks. Can't shake this JDM baitmonkey. almost 500$ of Jackall lures since 2015 began. This is from the past 3 weeks.

Finally got my first build done. The foregrip wouldn't fit on the MVT Toray reel seat so I had to go with an Alps GTB16C. The blank is from North Fork Composites. It is the 709HM. It feels more like a 4 power rod than a 9. For those interested in these blanks, they are way underpowered, especially in the HM from what I hear. For the guides I used one double footed 7, then a single footed 6, then 5's for the running guides. All the guides are Fuji with titanium frames and SiC inserts. I held off on the spiral wrap and fancy thread inlays. I used short wraps and thread master light build for the epoxy, and the rod turned out to be really well balanced. ....

We did our annual clean-out of our Koi pond today, giving me a chance to get my hands on Blutarsky, the bass I introduced to it last spring. When I caught him & added him to our pond, Blutarsky was just over 12" long and weighed 1 lb., 2 oz. After nearly a year of a steady diet of goldfish, nightcrawlers and any other critters my kids feed him, he is now 15" long and a hefty 3 lbs, 1 oz. (see picture below). He is a very solid fish, just real thick throughout as opposed to a pot belly. His girth is an amazing (to me) 14", which explains why he weighs a pound or so more than most other fish his size. I am guessing that the small size of the koi pond may limit the length he grows to, but not necessarily the weight. I also was amazed at how his coloring has changed. He is now a very dark fish, matching the bottom of the pond pretty well. He spends most of his time under a few lily pads, but even that shade hasn't stopped him from getting quite the suntan. One interesting thing that occurred was about 4 hours after we refilled the pond and reintroduced the fish. I tossed some pellets in & the koi as usual started swarming the surface to eat. I flipped a couple of nightcrawlers towards Blutarsky & he completely ignored them. The sank right past his nose & he made no movement to eat them. This is a fish that once tried to eat a ping pong ball!! Either he is very ticked off about his home being disturbed or he doesn't handle the movement out & back into the pond as well as the koi do and is stressed. I am guessing the latter and it opened my eyes a little as to how environmental changes can just shut down a bass bite out on a lake or river.

I had posted this on a local site but had to mention it here as it was definitely a feel good moment. I went to a local lake here in east Tennessee and was at the top of the ramp looking down and saw that both lanes were full. One boat was definitely taking there time and the other was an officer getting ready to patrol. Well all of a sudden he comes up the ramp with his boat in tow. I had to ask him what's up and he said he was doing a couple little things to the boat and that he didn't want to tie up the ramp....and didn't like it when others did. Right after I launched he backed back down and launched.....awesome but gets better. When I came back in the afternoon he was at the ramp and asked how I did. Said I had caught a few but let them all go....he smiles and says "I let them all go today too". Awesome

First fish of the year. He isn't much, but it feels good to be catching again.

I use it around wood a lot more now than a regular chatter bait. I was thinking the same thing as you when I first tried it.. X2 what a jay said.

Thanks A-Jay, that being the case, the slow retrieve should be perfect for the ice water that I'm fishing right now. Hootie

Really Nice ~ Big Bass & Huge Smiles. That what it's all about ~ Nice Job Congrats all around. And to the "Unlucky Angler" - here's to a little better luck with the Brown Bass. Happy belated Birthday btw. A-Jay

Once again, a simple question with a hundred answers. So here is 101. Depends on your presentation, water temperature and the weather. Going deep or shallow or in-between? Spinning or baitcaster rig? Reel spool ratio high or low? Banging into everything to deflect or in open water? From a boat or the bank? Where are the bass? Prespawn - Spawn - Post Spawn - No Spawn? Time of year? Cloudy? Rain? Cold Front? Moon phase? Wind? Water temperature? Hitting the bank? Grass? Creeks? Flats? Points? Channels? Wood? Stickups? Season of the year? How often do you have to check the line for cuts, abrasions and nicks? Are you retying your knot after every two or three fish? Is the line within the reel's and rod's specifications so they are balanced together? How tight do you want your drag? You can note that selecting a line and test is critical to having the bait do what you want it to do. The lighter the test the deeper and faster you will get the bait to its maximum running depth. The heavier the line will avoid breakoffs and line damage due to underwater structure but may not take the crankbait to its proper depth. Mono floats while fluoro sinks. So how high in the water column do you want the bait to travel on the retrieve? If you use a baitcaster, your line test will usually start at 12 pounds. You can then go as high as the rod will allow, 17 to 20 pounds or more. If you use a spinning rig, your line test will usually start at 8 pounds. You can go up to 10 or 12, depending on the reel and rod's specifications. It is your decision to go with an abrasion resistance line or a lighter line depending on where and how you will be fishing. Now with all that written, plus what the guys wrote above and below, go with the line you feel confident in a test that will not break off but is within the parameters of each rod you use. Or just use braid. But that is for another post. See how simple the answer is?????

Yeah 20-25$ a lure and 10-12$ for the plastics. That's why you buy 2 of everything! I have a problem OK?!

Your maths are good.

Lost three Sieberts jigs last weekend, so that justifies the 20 I ordered to replace them with...

I have found that the Walmart brand works just as well. Who doesn't want to save $.12? No need to pay the big bucks for name brand floss. That is only for floss elitists!

Every year come Lobster season, the FWC and marine patrol start posting up in the channels to pull over and randomly check boats for bringing back short lobster. It's a horrible pain in the butt. Especially with the less experienced boat operators. People get irritated, aggressive, and down right mean with the officers. And I love the fact that they're doing it. I have nothing wrong with them taking a few moments out of my day to inspect my safety gear and the legality of my catch. There have been some major busts over the years because of it. Programs like that are what we pay for. They help keep the fisheries intact, as well as help with the safety and education of all boaters. I for one have never had a bad experience with any of the officers on the water down here. If you're polite and patient with them, they generally are in return.

Don't be afraid to try that 8lb on a lightweight baitcaster for light moving baits (small cranks and light jerks) You may like that also. Mike

Nice - but what's up with all the bad casting ? It's one thing to hang one up deep but repeatedly launching quality baits that far off target is nuts. Instead of a lure retriever maybe these guys need glasses . . . . . A-Jay

I have no idea what having a bad day on the water due to tackle has to do with the spawn??

everythingthatswims avatar is a good example of how to hold one horizontal, mine is a good example of how to hold one vertical. Watch an episode of Bill Dance if you want to see all kinds of examples of how not to hold a fish. OP, that's a very nice fish from a creek or ditch I guess?

Bait monkey is not happy with what he sees;

Just ordered two spinbait 90s from tw, boss skirts in kinsdale craw, two packs of devil spears, jjs charteuese dip, blue shiner aruku shad, also ordered a norman little n in jelly bean. Got the norman and aruku instead of one duo lipless. Last big order of the season.

Night bass fishing has lots of advantages over day time. The one big disadvantage is the poor visibility we have. Difficult to judge distance, tie knots, see where you are going or stepping on. My advice is to keep it simple at night and be safe. Flash lights, cap lights, navigation lights and spot light all help you see better. Light also attracts bugs, you are in Florida! Nocturnal critters are active at night; snakes, gators etc, be careful. Rat swimbaits, buzz baits are good surface lures at night. Soft plastic worms of all sizes and jigs are good at night. Crankbaits work good from a boat, just need to learn to cast in the darkens keep the lure in water. Let someone know where you are and take a cell phone. Good luck. Tom PS, use the search tool, lots of night fishing threads to look at. Listen to Catt!

I always use the wind like a trolling motor. When it's really windy I use it like an outboard.

If this is a serious inquiry - I'll say no - it's not practical. If this is an April fools day deal - I say Definitely. And you should Always use the Mint. A-Jay

Pictures look great! Nice addition!

Babysitting during the spawn is tended by the male. During the spawning season, triggering an impulse strike is key to boating a cow, a time when it's less important what you throw, and more important how it's delivered. Roger

It doesn't feel much bigger than my CTE 200 GT. Sorry about the picture quality. It's all I could do on short notice.

I don't have a marked preference. Cork or EVA, full or split; I don't really care. As long as the rod is comfortable to use. And, I don't care what they look like. Function over form every day of the week.

With so many rods having minimal or exposed reel seats your hands don't actually sit much on the grip, if at all when I'm palming my casting reels. I know on my rods only the back inch or so of my hand actually even touches the cork or EVA. So I don't really consider that of big importance to me. That said, I have both, and really don't have a preference. Both are easy to clean, feel good in my hand, and offer a good grip when my hands are wet.

That will work. I keep my most heavily used baits in boxes, and those I use less frequently I in the original packaging in ziplock bags. I'll label those normally by bait type.

Love fishing laydowns and weedlines.

Females don't guard the fry. Males do. I think first you need to understand what's going on to understand how to catch the fish.

Twist your straps and that noise will go away. Also, I wouldn't use ratchet straps as they can put to much pressure on the yak and cause deformity over time. I have used cam buckle straps for over 5 years with no issues. I would also use bow and stern tie down straps on your kayak on that vehicle, i used to have the same one The general rule of thumb is that if the distance between your two cross bars is less than 1/3 of the kayak you should be using the front and rear straps. Yes, I know many don't and are ok but i have seen more than one instance where the rack itself gives way and the only thing holding everything together and from flying into traffic are the bow and stern tie downs, just some food for thought.

Agreed, I only have 1 left!

Trash