Leaderboard

Fished a local reservoir from my kayak today. Went waaaaaay back in a creek, where no boat can go, mainly to explore. Skipped my jig up under a tree in a shade pocket, and started to swim it out when I felt a tiny tap and my jig started swimming sideways. Swung for the fences, and all hell broke loose. I didn't have much line out so the fight was very short and violent, but I managed to lip her and get her in the kayak. Went 23" and weighed 6lbs.

Little off topic, but this rod was designed around the reel.

You have to remember to mash that button on the back of the reel with your thumb BEFORE you cast . . . A-Jay

I do not have a problem with this, it is his Opinion and he has a right to say what he thinks. I love Duckett rods they have been great. They also have a fantastic warranty that they stand behind. I've had his same XP with other rod companies, any of them can and do break. Duckett will and does honor the warranty unless you did something wrong yourself. You really can't break a rod in a door or a rod box and expect a company to replace it. Last I checked most companies make products to sell to make money. I do not think I have ever seen one that didn't want to make money. Duckett, Megabass and ALX Rod's are three of the best bass rods made, BAR NONE. EDIT....not locked but you can bet money if it was me saying this same thing about dobyns rod's, it would be locked quick, fast and in a hurry after I was jumped on by about six different dobyns guys.

I was real close to pulling this trigger on a Stella for my new DS rod, then the new Twinpowers were released. That's where I threw my money. Plus, the Stella wouldn't have matched the new rod as well!

after going to iCast last year i will say this , the best in show or best of icast awards do not mean anything, period. My predictions? Live target will show horrible defective products that don't work by an army of guys in red polo shirts The guys at the livingston booth will still be dicks but have the best free sandwiches at lunch *** will have the best draft beer in the afternoon the megabass booth will still be the most amazing place ever to test rods. bill dance will be drunk in a hotel Minn Kota will have the most amazing soft carpet in their megabooth, but still have the noisiest turning crappy ilink motors DUO realis have some nice stuff

I was under thw impression that line is not needed as just the opened bag of senkos on the deck would cause the fish to throw themselves into the boat

I predict a bunch of companies will be showing the same products, but in different colors or sizes so they can call them "new". I predict many new products will debut under much hoopla, but nobody will be able to buy them until next year. I predict ICAST will be held in Orlando....again.....and again..... and again....until at least 2020. Maybe next year they'll check for conflicting big conventions first before announcing dates. Just a thought. I predict Bobby and crew will be thrown out of their hotel for being too rowdy. I predict we won't be doing 130 ICAST videos again.....ever.

Is this a white thing?

I'm out here working at a lodge in Northwestern Ontario called Eagle Lake Island Lodge. It is on an island in the middle of Eagle Lake in Ontario. 99% of our guests are american from the midwest. Eagle is a world famous walleye and musky where not many people target smallmouth at all. Smallies are my passion and I was determined to find some early season bass because at home we can't legally fish for bass until the 3rd Saturday in June. Here are a few beauties from the last few days. 7

So I had an early morning start to my day and had a blast cause I caught my first 2 buzzbait fish! The rest of the day I just messed around with different things and caught several bass, not the most wonderful day, but still fun! The water really turned murky because of rain the last week.... ~Kevin

It matters to me. I am not going to buy a green NRX and then put a red Scorpion on it. Reel colors that are acceptable for a green NRX would be green, white, gold and silver with green and silver leading the way. With a black NRX with blue wraps, black, gold, silver and gray with black and silver looking the best IMHO. The thing that is great about a black rod is any reel color will match but it's nice if you can color coordinate the reel with the lettering on the rod. For example, a Loomis MBR IMX or GLX is a black rod with gold lettering. A Conquest looks great on a Loomis MBR IMX or GLX because they are both black and Gold. Yes, I am serious about this. LOL

Could you give us a little more info? Which rod was it? A Ghost? Micro Magic? Macro Magic? White Ice? What happened to it, why did it break? What did the company say was the reason they would not warranty the rod? Thanks and maybe this will help us understand exactly what is going on with this situation. If it is legit I will speak with Sean about it.

I was having a pretty uneventful few hours of fishing after work yesterday and I decided to make one last cast, thinking I would go home skunked. I literally said to myself, "Ok, one more cast and that's it", and then this fish came out of nowhere. Totally not a flattering picture of me, but there's a fish in the photo!

Huge difference in profiles and shapes. The way the spoon falls and flashes is everything. The f utter and side to side roll is vastly different based on brand. Fall rates are dramatically different. The strike King falls close to a foot per second faster than a Nichols, and the Nichols is about two inches faster than the original. The brass content is also different, which leads to fall rate. As hooks go, I convert a lot of my spoons to a so was hook doing away with the treble, and have actually recorded an increase in hookups. The absolute key to flutter spoons is to not set the hook the first time they hit it. Let them hit it again, maybe a third time before sticking them. Almost every fish I catch will slam the spoon to "stun" it, then turn to catch and eat it. I missed hundreds of fish before I could finally convince myself to not lay into them right away.

You know you have a fishing problem when you return to work after an off 'sick' day with a beet red face and neck (except for your racoon eyes) and your fellow workers all give you a look that tells you, not only is lunch on you, but you're going to be cleaning the presses for the remainder of the week.

My 50 size Shimanos

Welcome , don't pay any attention to anything Chris S says and you'll be fine!

I'm going to pass on this, except to say: I may have coined the term "white carrot stix" I yeild the floor to SenkoGuru....

Bassresource does not condone ANY illegal activity regardless of if it was your first/only time or not. LOCKDOWN!!

When your vaccum starts growling because there is so much fishing line caught in it. I need to fix my vacuum now...

I went out this past Sunday 7th, 2.5 weeks after having my tricep re-attached to my elbow. My wife said I'm crazy but I felt ok. It was some of the most fun I've had fishing recently to be honest. A little uncomfortable but it was just nice to get out. We caught the bejeeses outta them too.....one armed.

Shaky head in shallow water and in the grass lines when the fishing gets tough or you just want to give it a shot. Texas rigged worm all the time in all conditions and depths.

The ladies like a man with a nice reel.

It looks like a leaking water jacket cover. I've heard of this happening when the engine gets a little too warm usually caused by an impeller that no longer provides sufficient volume of water. You'll have to remove the water jacket, replace seal, and install a new impeller. Shouldn't be too much of an issue.

In both freshwater and saltwater, a topwater frenzy always creates the illusion of a cakewalk, but can result in boom or bust. Sometimes the commotion is uniform, sometimes it’s a mixed commotion where predator and prey can be separated. In any event, fish breaking the surface always raises the questions; what is the predator and what is the prey? BTW: The chain can be 3 or more species long, not counting the fish-eating birds overhead. As Cee Jay pointed out, bass also glom dragonflies and mayflies off the surface, especially this time of year. The sound that makes is somewhere between the popping sound of bluegills and the whack made when taking a shad. Once in New Jersey I was stumped by dancing whitewater, which ultimately turned out to be a school of crappies. I should add, the bass in Jersey are small, and the crappies are large. During another whitewater jump I threw a fluke, a Hopkins, a roostertail and finally caught 'one' bass on a plastic worm! I don't know what forage they were chasing, but I'm pretty sure it didn't look like a plastic worm Roger

That is way I carry several sizes of lipless crankbaits. Just have to match the bait size to compete.

I don't have a Fishing Problem ~ The Problem comes when I have to do Anything Else . . . . A-Jay

More on the 148, but the bruisers have put a hurting on the 178. I've caught 26 over five, with six fish over seven on the 178. I had a two day deal on Table Rock where everything just fell together right and caught close to 220 fish between the two of those baits. I was having to shuck loads of 13-15 inch fish off the 148, so I switched to the 178 and crushed em. I've never had a solid, solid swimbait bite on the Rock before this. I've always caught a few fish, and a few good ones but nothing like that. I really think that is never really mastered how to fish a glide bait up to that point so didn't have all that much confidence in them. My brother was smashing fish on Longs Creek from start to finish, and I was getting smoked. I started fishing a 148, and started matching him fish for fish. When I upped to the 178, I started pummeling him. We started hitting similar spots on the lake and found quality fish in every single location. I'm still not 100% confident of what put those fish there, outside of the structure, and temps. We always catch fish in those locations year round, but not usually stacked in like they were. Brother hooked up with a 10-2 green fish and a 6-15 spot. I caught a 9-5 and a 9-9. Even on local water those two baits have been extraordinary for me. I've been fishing them in tournaments when I'm already on five, and they've added quite a few kickers for me. When I asked Speedbead about the claw, I wasn't sure what to expect. There hasn't been a single time I've regretted them. I've caught more quality fish on them than any of the other glide baits I own.

What's this you say? I should have two more coming, you say? I'll let you know when I get my 7-2 in hand next week my thoughts.

I like my 50E so much that I just ordered a $150 Scorpion XT1000 before they sell out and are gone forever.

Chicken liver in a tied up piece of panty hoes. Yes. It is almost a guarantee.

Easily the Chronarch 50E.

My favorite are my 50 size Shimano reels. (Curado 50E, Chronarch 50E, 50MG)

You know her best. Treat her to something you know she likes and tell her how you feel about her accomplishments helping raise your son.

The term worth it is all subjective. For bass and small gamefish I don't think it's worth it or necessary. Ive used Stella 10k & 20k for deep jigging amberjack and and throwin poppers for tuna. For those applications there is no doubt it's worth it along with the saltigas and twin spins. But there is a certain level of satisfaction using high end gear like the Stella. I'm certain you'd never be disappointed using one. The stradic is plenty of reel as far as function, style and quality. Get what you want. Enjoy, it's only money.

I took a photo of this Norman Deep Little N for another thread a while back. Soon after taking the photo, it was lost in action, snagged on the bottom in 10 fow. Tried a plug knocker on it for a LONG time but no go. It was well over the century mark on bass caught at the time it was lost. RIP DLN...

Passing through a guide will not hurt a properly tied knot. Braid has no shock resistance so dug in or tangled line can snap on a cast. If breaks are at a leader knot change knots or review your tying.

Take a strong look at the 6th Sense crush flat 75X. They are very productive.

My beautiful daughter with her bass. Caught last night after church. Still in her dress. Not Bad!

Im surprised no one mentioned the abu 1500 or 2500. There are guys that bring new meaning to supertune. Not all super tuning is the same. You can go on YouTube and watch an antique abu free spool for literally over 3 minutes! I have a highly upgraded 4600c that has 8 bearings.

First rat fish of the year worth a quick photo anyhow...

Upside down spinning reel!

These beauties sure loved the camera! Love the stripes on bronzebacks!

Heres some Pro advice from Scott Martin. He's one of my favorite bass pros, and he specializes in punching/flipping.

A lot depends on water and weather conditions but I normally trim down and stay on the gas......Al

Ok Ok Ok , seeing that this a community and all , sorry for being a jerk.. so here is a tutorial or a guide to what i have learned in terms of 3d printing and software design. I. Most of you all have access to a 3d printer and the computer and software to run it. but don even know you do. I don't own a 3d printer nor do i own the computer or copy of the software i used to make my lure mold. I pay $35 a month to belong to a "Makerspace" with my membership i have access to 5 types of welders, CNC machine, 2 laser engravers, every metal and wood working tool out there, 2 3d printers , and 2 vinyl plotters, electronics galore, and thousand and thousands of dollars worth of software. If we don't have a tool , we build one. my makerspace was started by 5 guys in a library. www.makeventura.com. . here is a directory of makerspaces across the Unitied States. http://spaces.makerspace.com/makerspace-directory this list isnt complete , my advice is to google your hometown area and then "makerspace (ex. Charleston makerspace" etc). very IMPORTANT- many public libraries now have a 3d printer , check to see if yours has one now. (its how they are diversifying themselves to stay relevant.) With that out of the way let me get down to it. 3d printers, there are 3 types, I will explain each. here is an awesome list of every single type of 3d printer out there https://sites.google.com/site/3dprinterlist/ extrusion 3d printers - thius is what i used to make my mold. thing of Extrusion (sometimes called PLA printer cause PLA is the filament material you use to print things). these printers are basically a giant glue gun on a 3 axis robotic arm in simpliest terms. here is a video that shows time lapse of a print. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZscDZrG4CD8 They print using either PLA , or in ABS . If you want to print using ABS you are going to need an enclosed Print Bed (print bed is a heated bed where the 3d printed object gets printed on, usually 200-210 degrees , and don't forget to spray your print bed with hairspray) you can also print using "Ninjaflex" which is like printing using the same material that topwater frogs are made of. if you have seen the new Kahara KJ Crank on TW , that is really just Ninjaflex. 2. YOU DON"T HAVE TO BUY A 3d printer when you can just make your own at home. go to THINGVERSE (the biggest database of 3d printed models etc out there , and search 3d printer https://www.thingiverse.com/ and you can make one. just follow instructions. oh FYI , a "Rasberry" or an "Arduino" is just a little circuit board thing that sends commands to your 3d printers moving parts. they're like little computers on your printer , or laser engraver etc. if you want to know more about what brands to buy i can give a tutorial on that. my advice is I like a company called XYZ printing. they have great machines for great prices. they have a printer for $349 that will print molds called the DA VInci Jr. http://us.store.xyzprinting.com/ HEre is the bottom line for doing lure molds and PLA or extruder 3d printers. You have to have an extruder nozzle that is less than 0.3mm , you have to have 0.2 or 0.1 MM extruder nozzles otherwise it just wont work. that is key. also it takes a long time to 3d print something using PLA. DLP 3d printers are insane and are really whats next , they use a DLP Projector and photsensitive liquid resin . search DLP printer in Thingverse website or check out this bad boy http://www.kudo3d.com/ THATS GREAT BUT HOW DO I MAKE OR GET OBJECTS TO PRINT OUT ON MY 3D PRINTER ETC. 1. You have to have a PC or if you have a MAC you're gonna have to run Parallels and a copy of windows on your mac. I only use macs so this sucks i know. 2. the file extension for 3d printed files is .STL 3. you can download so many different wonderful things on Thingverse website 4. Or you can design them yourself. Software PRETEND THAT YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT AND YOU GET IT FOR FREE!!! SERIOUSLY alll of these below are free if you just make up where you go to college and what you study and when youre going to graduate. just make it uip . 1. Solidworks , thats the industry standard and its the best in my opinion, also it has the most compatiblity across other platforms. (if you want to get into doing CNC aluminum molds (so hard ) and want to run BOBCAD (dont it sucks) many cnc programs interface with solidworks). 2. AUTODESK INVENTOR -great , etc but have so many problems with build errors using it. again also free. 3. Blender (really really cool for doing crazy organic shapes with the brush feature they have) really steep learning curve but allows you to really scuplt an organic shape. perfect for swimbait making. also it works on MAC while the other 2 above dont. 4. Google sketchup--meh 5. CURA -this is just a program that you will use to send prints to your 3d printer First me and my buddy we took every single softplastic we owned and we texas rigged it and dropped into my 150 gallon aquarium where my 16 month old Bass live (they are over a year old and getting big and rule). we anaylzed their reaction and how fast they would attack each bait, and also what the action of the bait was, design etc. based on that i 1. I did was i designed a bait in solidworks. then 2. i made a 2 part mold from that bait in solidworks (lhttps://grabcad.com/questions/how-to-make-a-mold-tooli note , if you ever get stuck in solidworks google this "how do i make a cylinder in solidworks GRABCAD " Grabcad have the best tutorials that dont require you watching a video. 3. I then 3d printed out the mold (you have to have .2mm nozzle and below for it to work, trust me) We then injected it with hand injector and walla , our own soft plastic bait. which if i did't mention , the name of our Bait company is "BassPocalypse" (were a C corp) . and the plastic held up to the heat of the softplastic and also the injector (that was using PLA filament, if you used ABS filament even more so. here is the cool thing about 3d printed soft plastics , you get texture you wouldn't get with an Aluminum mold. so ive attached the first rough draft of the mold (bait is called "CRAW-FU" and it is a mashup of a d-bomb, and reins bubbling shaker on the body and the flaps are my own design. ). This was the first draft and i have fixed the nozzle location and also a few other things. Last thing , cause i have to go fishing. I have a masters in accounting, i diddn't know anything about 3d printers or how to design 3d objects , but i useed google and i taught myself. i still dont know crap about making baits, but hey I develop expertise very quickly. also you can use http://www.shapeways.com/ and they can 3d print one of your designs. ALSO A 3D PRINTER PRINTED MORE 3D PRINTERS IS AWESOME AND KIND OF SCARY

Patience ~ Extremely High Levels of Patience . . . . . A-Jay