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My new little fishing buddy came into this world at 6:36 AM on April 4th. This is my wife and I's first child, and everyone is doing fantastically well. We got home just after lunch today--- happy, healthy, and completely adorable. Baby Girl's got some growing to do before I buy her first rod and reel, but that's fine. I'm enjoying the fun-sized version too much anyway. I'm sure the day will come all too quickly when my new daughter and I are stopping by our favorite cafe for early morning hot chocolate on our way to the lake. Feeling Blessed and Loving Fatherhood!

With the help of The Hooligan my Aldebaran 50HG found a new ride on his ex Poison Glorious Bait BFS HardBait Special.......

.. don't let me down. Everything happens for a reason I guess. Post-break-up and post-recovery, I have more time to fish. The conditions today I felt were marginal for hunting big fish- it's hard work. So I hit another res (walnut creek) for some fun-fishing. I cleaned my jig reel (that has fluoro on it) in the AM, but didn't have time to lube it. So I took along a reel spooled with braid and primarily fished shallow. Worked out pretty well. The first laydown produced a dink that got off. The second produced a nice high 5#/ low 6# class bass, that did *not* get off. Apparently I need to eat more wheaties before trying to hoist fish like this. The next two laydowns got me nothing. The fifth laydown had a 4# class bass on it that ate my jig. And then I ran out of wood cover in the general area. I didn't want to leave fish to find fish, besides the adult fish were obviously biting. Worked the area a little deeper, and caught a 5# class fish. Probed around some more, bottom bumping, pitching, and swimming, and didn't do much good. Tried a coupla other spots, caught a few dinks. Like this one. Came back to the first spot, and found that the bucket brigade took it over in the meantime. So I left.

X2 even I can walk the dog with it.

Interesting. Most seem to think the female in the relationship should "learn to deal with it". Any less of an attitude than that indicates a man is henpecked. It's a two way street. At least it should be. If you are unwilling to compromise, avoid any and all relationships.

The Duo Realis Pencil - is the easiest walker I have and it's not even close. A protruding sphere under the face of the Pencil 110 allows any angler, regardless of skill level to easily produce the classic "walk the dog" retrieve along the water's surface. Comes in some real killer colors / patterns too. Check it out. A-Jay

With all due respect, some of this sounds crazy to me! I bank fish exclusively, and don't take a great deal of "precaution" when hunting these fish. I assume your not fishing for money, etc. when bank fishing. Just for personal enjoyment.. Just fish! I catch plenty when walking normally, talking to buddies, standing with my shadow in the water, stopping to throw a dip in.. Seems to me the fun is lost when I have to start worrying about my reel clicking, or having a certain piece of clothing I'm obligated to wear. Just go out, leave the world behind for a bit, and fish.

You need to make sure and rub it in to the guys who gave you a hard time about spending so much on rods and reels.

So I posted a topic the other day about a good combo under or around 100 because I'm a broke college kid lol I won't say the persons screen name but they sent me a private message asking were I was and if I was local to him and that he would willing give me a combo... I'm a total stranger and he is willing to give me a combo. Witch totally blows my mind. Second I kindly let him know that I was able to buy a couple combos over the last couple days and that I was thankful for his offer. And he still offered to send me a reel he had laying around. I'm only 19 so I don't know much about "the good ol days" but I know enough that there not many people around that are willing to help like he was! I haven't been on a forum were I wasn't bashed for being the new kid, and was offered something for free from a fellow fisherman and this place is starting to feel more like a family of fisherman than anything else. I'm greatful for the user who offered all this stuff and thought I'd share this with people as there's not many people out there that would be so nice to someone they don't even no! Thanks yall have a great night

No doubt that is a Chatillon IN Series brass scale...and yes, they are IGFA certifiable and very accurate. A couple points need to be clarified though from the video. The scale they are using is either the IN30 (lb.) or the IN50 (lb.) scale. Both have accuracy to 1/2 pound (8 oz.). There are no hidden or missing hashmarks. Makes sense since they are up north and probably use it for weighing pike, musky or giant walleye, too. They would need the larger capacity. From the video, and they give a pretty good, level close-up shot of the weight, they appear to have read the scale wrong. The correct weight should be 8.5 pounds, not "over 9." The proper way to read these scales is to use the very top edge/lip of the brass "indicator" as the actual weight/reading. If the indicator meets or exceeds a hash mark, but doesn't make the next mark, then the lowest mark met or exceeded is the proper weight. In this case. It appears to pretty much nail the 8.5 lb. mark almost exactly. So my opinion based on the video is that this was "only" an 8.5 lb smallie - still one h*!! of a fish. I personally use a certified Chatillon IN-12 model which is accurate to within 2 oz. There is one model between that model and the one they are using, which is an IN15, accurate to within a quarter pound (4 oz). They also make smaller panfish models (IN2, IN4, IN6) accurate to within 1 ounce. -T9

The Dogwood trees are getting ready to bloom in Richmond, Virginia. This means the bass are getting their beds ready and the ladies are moving up into the grass, points, wood and shallow water even though rain is in the forecast. I remember the day at Audubon Park Lagoon in New Orleans (where I grew up) when a heavy storm was moving into the area and me and my cousins had one of the best days fishing from the bank in the history of man. Every cast produced a beautiful bluegill, Sac-A-Lait or largemouth bass. The wind was howling; the black clouds were moving in; and there we were along the bank having a great time. Hope Woody and I can reproduce that long ago gone day today and that Woody does not let any big ones slip away. But having Woody have the big ones slip away is a story for another day. Will post in the Fishing Reports how we did: good, bad or ugly.

I fixed that one for you Dwight. A-Jay

Can I be your 2nd wife?

Choosing to use the term "deal with" when discussing one's style of communicating with someone you're having a close relationship with, may indicate a much larger problem. A-Jay

I use plutonium weights. They're very small.

All of my baitcast setups at the moment. Laguna, Tatula, Revo SX, and two Chronarch's.

I just went out yesterday and found the same water temps. just north of you in MD. After about an hour of fishing I started hitting banks with wood cover and started smacking them on a small square bill crankbait. As usual, the bite came on the pause or after the bait deflected off cover. I just uploaded this video of me fishing yesterday on YouTube. If you check out the type of cover I was fishing and the bait I was using, it might give you another option to try if you haven't already. Good luck!

I share the same opinion as RSM 789. Both people have the option of doing as they wish, there is no financial commitment in dating, nor does it always last a lifetime. My wife is my queen. She raised the children, goes to the market, prepares the family meals, takes care of the majority of the household duties, and worked outside the home as well. A women's job isn't easy and financially less rewarding than many men. My wife comes first, her purchases do not justify me buying anything. Both my wife and myself are responsible with our finances, we don't have to ask permission. We know what we can afford and what we can't. My wife earned my devotion, there isn't a fish to caught or a rod and reel to be had that comes before my wife.

New to the forum, made a video on my bass tracker the other day. any questions ask away!

I will admit this would be much more fun in JULY ! A-Jay

Woody and I hit the Double Secret Pond in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, around 8:30 today and he caught around 15 and I got about 20. Together we probably missed another 10 to 15. Nothing over 1.6 pounds but it was nice to catch some bass to start the Virginia fishing season. What was interesting was that some of the bass were light grey while others were already green. Once the pond heats up the fishing should be excellent. Woody had a fun time for the three hours we were there and I had a blast. They never touched a plastic and wanted crankbaits and Chatterbaits.

Got out Saturday we they were biting good on spinnerbaits and jigs, my son hooked up with a couple pigs.

Thank you T9 - I guess mine is a IN12 too then. Haven't looked at it in 6 months. Hard to see the video on my phone.

AFAIK, shimano's super ship and X-ship are not the same thing. super ship used fattened-up, wide gears for increased contact area between the main and pinion gears and shifted the supporting bearing closer to the gear teeth. X-ship, OTOH, incorporates an additional bearing so that both ends of the pinion gear are supported. new2BC4bass, the scorpion 1000 that you have is based on the same platform as the USDM curado 100D but with a 4-step externally-adjustable centrifugal braking system. it was right before the trend of slinging the gearbox below the reel foot became de rigueur. the scorpion 1000XT shares the same platform as the 50-size E-series reels like the curado and chronarchs.

Sorry for the terrible pic, took this a year ago cleaning up my tackle boxes. The majority are seibert jigs, I think a few on the bottom left row are strike kings. I'm a big fan of dredge series (football and brush heads). Been throwing 3/8oz and giving 1/2oz a try from the kayak. I switch between baby rage craws and net bait paca chunks for a bigger profile for a trailer.

Maybe more fun in June. But I still enjoy one today.

That is a Chatillon, probably more accurate than what 99% of guys are using. There was a time when they were all the IGFA would accept.

good luck in the dating pool buddy, you're going to need it.....

I would pick a technique I'm weak at & fish it far an entire year.

20lb for baits under 8" and then 25lb if I'm throwing anything 8" or better.

You're way more organized than me, lol.

Nontechnical answer iis anything hard to retrieve use a slower ratio. Easy to retrieve baits use a fast or faster ratio.

^ ahhh the famous, ill only buy what I lose mentality... Never seems to pan out does it! I haven't bit the bullet yet on the shadow rap, but judging by the remarks its getting(not to mention the size of the display gander mountain has) im sure ill have one by the time bass opener arrives.

Flashminnow, Pointer/ Slender Pointer, Staysee. Buy one of each in your favorite color and size. Those would hold the fort for a while; that is, until you get real serious about jerkbait fishing. And then, you can PM Dwight.

What a weekend it was. Posting in here for folks that didn't get to see it on FB. I knew there was a double-digit Wiper in my near future, but did not expect her to show up on Saturday. I got my boat back from the shop Saturday morning and decided to get out for a few hours alone. Lots of wind and murky water. I caught 4-5 dinks before hitting one last spot and gave myself the famous "one last cast" line. Well my jerkbait got slammed and was in for quite the fight. Honestly at first I was convinced I'd snagged another mongoloid carp or flathead, and was just along for the ride at that point. I followed her around the cove with the trolling motor, as I didn't want the hooks to pull just so I could see what it was (8lb Fireline with my ML Vendetta, didn't want to take any chances). I played it right, and when she surfaced I freaked. Biggest Wiper I'd ever seen, it didn't even look real. Of course I left my net in the truck, so it was on me to tire her out and hand land it with a face full of treble hooks. I flipped my aerator switch and went to work. The first weight I took locked in at 12.2 lbs. The second time it locked in at 12.1, when I took the photo. Length was 27.5", girth was 20" even. I told myself the first DD Wiper I got would be mounted. So I'm going to do just that. What an incredible fish. I took it to a buddy's house in Eudora where we wrapped her in a wet towel to protect the scales and fins, then into a vacuum sealed bag and straight into the deep freeze. What an incredible fish. I'm still in awe. The GoPro video is out on my YouTube channel if anyone knows where to find it. Can't post it in here due to the expletive language of my excitement. The fight itself was probably upward of 10-12 minutes, but didn't get the GoPro on until about the last 3. I couldn't resist getting back out on Sunday, but the lake was windier than I've ever seen it. So we slowed things down and fished a protected cove. Managed a few pretty decent keepers on jigs and jerkbaits both (would have liked to have them on Thursday ), this one at 2.9# on a jig. And finally my first fish on my new Lews. Can't wait to see what the Wiper mount will look like.

I use 20# P-Line CXX.

for all the guys saying you need to find one that fishes.... i respectfully disagree. i LOVE the fact that fishing is my time! my wife has gone a couple of times with me and though she liked catching more fish than i did, she was not "hooked" so to speak. in my opinion, it is equally important to find things you can do separately as it is to find things to do together. once you have the respect for each other's hobbies or passions, you will learn to accept then foster their behavior towards those activities. Most important is just open honest communication NO MATTER WHAT. if you ever feel the need to lie or be sneaky, you're either in the wrong or with the wrong person.

4lbs-14oz.

Here's the deal. Actually, here's the speech I gave back when I was dating. It went something like this: So what happened? I married a woman who loves fishing as much as I do! Go figure!

thanks everybody. here is her "baby picture" from KY lake a while back. if nothing else, this is a powerful testament to the value of catch and release.

there is a pretty cool story behind this fish. some of y'all know that i tinker around a little with pond mgmt. growing big fish has always fascinated me almost as much as catching them. if there are 3 "keys" to growing trophy bass in a pond, they are identifying and isolating young, fast-growing female fish, throwing the kitchen sink at them in terms of forage, and eliminating competition from fish that will never "make the cut.". when i caught this little doll at KY lake several yrs. ago, she was barely over five pounds, but she had the "right look" to her and appeared to be destined for greatness. so i transplanted her into one of the ponds i work with. this fish has always demonstrated a decent growth rate, but over the past year she really picked up steam, going from 8-3 pre-spawn last year to 10-1 pre-spawn this year. this is the point where it gets real interesting with a big fish. kind of like compounding interest at the bank. the bigger they are, the more they can eat. and the more they can eat, the bigger they get. a fish this size can easily hold over a pound of forage. so you can do the math. growing 1.5 - 2 lbs per year plus holding a pound of forage or more, you're talking about a fish getting real big real fast. the last time i had a chance to work with a fish with proportions similar to these (over 10 lbs. at 22") was way back in 2005 - 10 years ago. that should tell you how badly the odds are stacked against this happening. everything has to be right. first, you have to hit the genetics lottery. second, you have to make sure that the fish has enough forage available that it can eat almost at will. third, you have to win the battle against father time and mother nature - somehow beating disease, floods, drought, and old age. and fourth, you have to be very careful to not to injure or kill the fish when you're lucky enough to catch it. i always lamented the fact that i was very ignorant with that very special fish 10 years ago. i made so many mistakes. and that one was still over 12 pounds when she died. i always wished that i could somehow go back "knowing then what i know now". this fish may give me that opportunity. sometimes lightning can strike twice i guess. but i have learned not to count trophy bass before you're holding them. the odds are stacked against any fish reaching teens here in TN. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Yall all talking bout coasts and oakleys and I'm the broke college kid wearing some Strike Kings from Walmart lol hey it's what I can afford and it's better than not having none at all!

803 and core gears in the ch50 for the misses

Id tell the guy to stop stepping on his rods on the deck.

While probably the most common, it's not just antibiotics that can cause this. Other drugs can make you more sensitive as well. Also, it warrants mentioning to check your expiration date on your sunblock. Went out a couple of weeks ago and, normally, I apply sun block prior to arriving at the lake. For some reason, this last time I forgot (senility perhaps). I always carry a spare bottle of It in my boat bag as a back up. So, I slather that on and off I go. About mid day I thought I felt like I was getting burned but I thought there wasn't any way since I'd applied my back up bottle. Well, by the time I got back to the truck, I realized I was cooked. When I go home, there was no doubt I was fried. One flaw in my calculus. The bottle of sun block I had kept in my bag as a back up had EXPIRED 6 YEARS AGO. The moral of that story is not only use your sun block but, occasionally you might want to take a gander at that expiration date as well.

Got a report for you all, this will be from yesterday evening and this morning. Just pictures for now, I will have a video put together in coming days; I want to compile both my footage and MIBassin's. Here is MIBassin and his new PB of 6 lb 1 oz, caught on a spinnerbait. Picture is a bit fuzzy since it was actually quite dark out. Some more fish from the evening: This bass is from this morning on a D&M custom chatterbait Also from this morning...I had walked over to this small canal... ...and pulled out this 2 foot gar Stay tuned!

My wife never says anything about it. She also loves to fish so she knows if I buy something she can use it also.

If you deck a Jon start with a brand new one. My first boat was a decked 14' 1979 terry. Needed a new transom the day I bought it for $500. Yeah i only had $2500 total in it when I was done but A LOT of work is an understatement.