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Like I said - Safety First Perhaps your flash light needs an attachment. One of my lights came with a sweet CZ A-Jay

As the waters cool off up here in the northern mid-west, one of my favorite techniques comes back into play - Blade Baits. The air & water might be cool or even down right cold - but the blade bite can be Smoking Hot ! Up until recently, my success with this technique was marginal at best. A few years ago I watched the attached video trying to gain some insite as to why I was not getting the results I expected. Mr Scott Dobson's approach to fishing these baits was a GAME CHANGER. The less is best deal Really worked for me - A fairly weed free clean bottom of sand or gravel really helps here. If you have the right conditions and haven't tried this yet, or have but would like to give it another shot, watch this clip. Reproduce this technique the best you can and have the net, scale & camera rolling. You'll be glad you did. A-Jay

im still waiting on the bolt for this one and I still need to decide on optics for it but it's getting close and I wanted to show it off. The other one is chambered in 5.45 (super fun).

I'm so totally satisfied with Sieberts jigs.. my second order just arrived today. The quality and workmanship really is outstanding. Deep water fishing is coming up soon for me.. I'll be scratching the bottom for bigins! The weeds and pads around me are decomposing fast this year.. What are they like in your neck of the woods?

The fishing this past September was pretty good. The water was as low as I had ever seen it. Summer seemed to hang on late into the month. At the beginning of the month the water temperature was 83 degrees and has already cooled of to 67 degrees. It certainly was a month of change. Big fish were caught on a variety of baits. Overall it was a great month. A lot of new spots learned due to the low water. My mom got a new personal best. My friend Brandon got a personal best. My buddy Shane got his biggest while fishing from my boat. Introduced a couple people to bass fishing. Caught a few big fish along the way. Moving baits began working real well the last end of the month. That should continue. Onto October ! The year isn't over yet ! Onto October ! Big fish are biting right now.

Hey Hootie - you're seeing things. Everyone knows that St. Croix LTBs are just plain ugly... ...and they "ain't no good" at catching fish neither...

Just got it glued up on the blank. Here's a couple quick and dirty pics in the clamp.

That's what they make .338 WinMags for. And there are rifles for bears, too. ;-) Tight lines, Bob

Great service, too!

A 2.5 pounder gobbled down this shrew. Circumstances unknown.

https://youtu.be/nU5cMZymSr0

Y'all know I am a Loomis guy. Well, today I was at Field and Stream and picked up a St Croix tournament legend rod. Had to put it down and get out of there. WOW....those rods are nice! Hootie

Thank you all for such kind words. We truly appreciate everyones business.

Mine is on a Shimano Cumulus. Rod fishes between a Medium and a Medium Light. Have no idea how it is labeled a MH. I use it for 1/8 to 3/8 oz baits. Sort of mag finesse rod. The rod has been discounted but they are a 3 oz rod that has incredible feel and is a killer jerkbait rod too. Used they often show up for under $250.

Better yet fork over a few more bucks at get a legend elite from the st croix bargin store.

Well you know what they say about variety is the spice of life.

That woman is as dumb as a box of rocks. Unbelievable.

I think it looks even better today. I applied the Tru Oil after a quick clean-up with 320 paper. You'll have an even bigger smile when I hand it to you next Saturday!

Mike has never disappointed me. His jigs flat out rock.

Without knowing the water temperature or what type of lake your fishing I would suggest to follow the primary forage base and the bass wont be far behind. A lot of the places I like to fish yellow perch consists a huge part of the forage base. Look for an isolated piece of structure offshore that has yellow perch near it. Big bass wont be far behind. Perfect time to through a swimbait. You may not get many bites but the ones you do get most likely would be larger than what you have listed as your personal best. If your lake has alewives then silver buddies worked along steep drop offs or around isolated rock piles works very well. The same can be said if there are rainbow smelt present. Drop shotting minnow styled baits can be effective as well. Golden and common shiners will be shallow until the water temps drop below 50 degrees. A chatterbait or spinnerbait worked through the last remaining green weeds at a relatively fast speed can work very well. This time of year I have great luck with moving baits but you can never underestimate the jig. Find the forage in your lake and the bass wont be far behind.

WRB sent me a photo of his twin spin and gave me permission to post it . So without further ado ...

If you are using a small flash light or head lamp, as long as you don't shine it directly where you are fishing I do not believe the fish will be affected. If your're talking about a bright lantern or spot light - maybe. However, without a red lens on a head lamp or flash light, you'll be blinding yourself. Read up on "Night Vision". You'd be surprised how well you can see without the use of a light once your eyes adjust to the darkness. It take several minutes (Usually 20-30 minutes) to fully adjust and it's essentially wiped out every time you subject yourself to white light. It comes back but it does take several minutes again. A red lense really helps here. I fish quite a bit at night and Clearly Safety Always Comes First, but I use a head lamp sparingly - to re-tie, de-hook and land fish when I need to. A-Jay

I've been checking this all day waiting for the update lol

I like fishing lipless cranks, jerkbaits and flat sided balsa crankbaits. I'm sure there are lots of other good fall baits but these are the ones I enjoy fishing.

I love fishing blade baits. I have been using Binsky blades in gold and silver with great success for a couple of years. I picked up some Sexy Shad colored ones and am eager to give them a shot. And yes less is more. I always tell anyone that is new to this technique to just lift until you feel 2 or three flutters. This is an easy effective technique that can be used by any experience level of anger that will catch fish. If you haven't tried this yet give it a shot you won't regret it. Thanks for posting the video AJ. http://www.fishsenselures.com/fish_sense_lures_catalog.htm

I've watched that video several times and it taught me the basics. As A-Jay said, you don't want to overwork it. Matter of fact, you simply pull - not rip! - it off the bottom with just enough oomph to feel it vibrate. And the distance is 2' or less. Let it fall back and sit on the bottom for a couple of seconds. Repeat. On one of your lifts you may find a smallmouth attached. I've been fishing blades assembled from Barlow's components: http://www.barlowstackle.com/Vibrating-Blade-Lure-P2631.aspx tholmes posted a couple of years ago that he preferred the double hook arrangement which I thought was a great idea . . . but found that I'm still capable of hanging them. But hey, don't let that deter you. This is a bait you want to be showing to smallies in the cold water period.

Fast food is a rough gig. I've worked as a contractor in restaurants for many years. Managers are more than likely working 6 days a week 48-60hours if they are lucky. They make an average salary with a bonus structure, and will only make "good" money if they hit their "numbers". They tend to run lean on labor to begin with and you called in which means she either needs to work your job as well as run the store or find someone to work your shift. You may not have been the only one who called in either. I'm not defending her behavior but you need to see it from her side. I hope your feeling better, and you made a good decision to stay home. It wouldn't be right to get others sick.

I've fished over 65 years. Ran a sporting goods store for awhile. Down in Louisiana, fishing , for ME, I came to realize, was NEVER about catching fish. It's the total synergistic experience, a revitalization process in my life. It is a time of relaxation, enjoying the beautiful bayous and swamps. I HAVE caught a lot of fish while enjoying myself, also. There is an analogy to riding my motorcycles. We are ONE , me and the bike. There is that perfect moment when all meshes and the bike is an extension of you. Same with fishing rods and reels. There is that pride of ownership, and that perfect moment when you and the rod and reel are one. It becomes a joy! Catching fish is not really in the equation. I've bought a lot of gear, but will eventually ( read NOW) keep what makes me smile when I use it. Some things that make me smile: Dobyns DC702C matched with a Steez 103. Airy Red Pixy on a Jackson Trickster. Megabass IP73C on a X4 Cyclone. NRX 893 with 2015 Aldebaran. Megabass Zonda 10 on a X4 Hedgehog. Megabass Ip79 on an X4 Black Elseil. These are works of art that I put in the boat. Many times I'm casting each one just because I like the way it feels. What those have in common is they are EFFORTLESS to use. Like artists brushes. When the end comes I'll probably leave these to the grandkids as a legacy. So to answer the question: no, I chose this path because it makes ME happy , and I would not changes a thing. But then, I've always been known to be a little "strange."

To be honest, if I had only been on that job for a month, I would have shown up sick and let the boss send me home (or not). Tight lines, Bob

And if the bass aren't hungry you will catch something on a blade. Bluegill, perch, trout, walleye, catfish.......when it's cold enough to fish a blade I don't care what's biting

I'm retired and will turn 70 in a couple of months. 30 years ago I started thinking about retirement and bought 160 acres of timber in southern Iowa and built two ponds on it. Now all I have to do is deer hunt and bass fish. The Boss Lady and I also own a bass boat and we have been going out 4 or 5 afternoons a week, She is a bass fishing nut and the best fishing partner I have ever had. here is our little piece of heaven. free image uploading

There's still a ton of really good fishing left in this season. Numbers of very respectable and maybe an extra large bass mixed in. Just have to get out there. Not looking ahead just yet. A-Jay

I stirred up a hornets nest yesterday with my post about not fishing bass beds. I discourage fishing bass beds: however, I discovered that once the female lays her eggs she is going to be about 20 feet away from the bed in the deep. Don't fish the beds, leave the makes alone. Fish away from the bed in the deep in the blind because that's where I hooked most of my lunkers. I watched Anglers fish beds and it is kind of sad. That's why I am giving out this information so that if you want a big lunker then donpt fish the bed fish away from the bed. Pro Angler Aldo Rosado has spoken

Mike's jigs are works of art, almost too pretty to fish with. I have no idea how he makes any money making jigs that nice and selling them for the prices he does. I can't see any reason why someone would buy jigs from anywhere else. Same with his tungsten weights. I don't need any right now but after I saw the prices I know where I'll be getting mine from now on.

a grub.

When I first got my Ranger, my Spring-lock pedestals were just like you described. I picked up a tube of Sil-Glyde (I use it on cabinet drawers and double hung windows) and haven't had the problem since.

I haven't seen any others on this site. Can't wait to fish it!

My friend from China does both. Double Zing! What too much?

Chine walk supposedly a thing of the past if your buying a new Triton. At least that's what I heard. I have never been in a Skeeter but I do like Tritons. I think Skeeter is one of the best looking boats on the water. If it were me however I would be looking at a Charger. Good luck getting a boat.

I appreciate all the opinions but I disagree that cheap and expensive are the same. The quality of the expensive glasses are far greater. I wear contacts and can tell a huge difference between a cheap lens and an expensive lens. The clarity is far superior. Back to the original question. Is the mirror finish better on the glass vs the poly?

I live 45 minutes north of Boston. The bite has been tough. We have got a lot of rain the past few days so, maybe the rain will get the fish active. Will let you know how tomorrow goes, when I take the boat out for the past trip. Time to hunt the whitetail instead.

"Some people think of eating a bass like they were eating the family dog." Zing!

Best All Around Casting Reel Gear Ratio​ ~ Out of my modest arsenal ~ It's a toss up between the 6.3:1's and the 6.6:1 's. If I had to I could probably do most everything with either one of those. But I wouldn't be happy about it. A-Jay

It may be more helpful if you look at IPT instead of gear ratio.

My grampa always told me the best time to fish is... "When you get a chance" And I have yet to find any evidence to the contrary. The chances present themselves frequently. I take steps to capitalize on them as often as possible. I keep at least one rod in my truck at all times. If I'm driving without a deadline I'll often stop at nearby ponds and make a few casts here and there. Going fishing doesn't have to be a date on the calendar or an extravagant trip. It should never feel like an imposition. The more time you spend fishing, the more time you will want to spend fishing. If it's important to you, you'll find a way to make it happen. Otherwise you'll find an excuse why it didn't.

That's not a dumb question. Bluegill and other sunfish can and will spawn 3 times during the late spring/summer if conditions are suitable. Bass are big sunfish. But it's believed they overwhelmingly spawn once and go back to their summer hangouts. There are always exceptions to the rule. Maybe a big cougar mama bass with a voracious sexual appetite might spawn more than once. Hey, there are fish being born with both male and female parts, so why not?

For me - once my casts start to Bounce - Yea, then it's pretty much over right there. A-Jay

lucky it had a compass in the stock.

I have a modest selection of Terminator twin spins. I'll admit to having limited success with them. Not the baits fault as it fishes fine. It seems to be at it's best in cool to cold water conditions and almost exclusively on The Fall. Steep drops and Bluffs are where the bait excells for me. The less I do with it (just let it bounce down the along the bottom) the better it works. I like an Uncle Josh #50 Bass Strip Pork Trailer on it. btw - although I haven't fished it a ton like this, I've not caught a single bass on a twin spin with a horizontal presentation. A-Jay

Everyone is saying what they'd do, qualifying WHY with logic. We're all justifying by saying "too good of a deal to pass up" or "this will work forever" or "I could have gotten by with cheaper stuff". Okay, I get it, but... to me, fishing is fun, it's relaxing, and it just makes me FEEL GREAT. I love getting on the water, away from almost everything, and enjoying life. The reason I buy what I buy is based on how it makes me feel when I fish it, not on whether it makes absolute sense logically or financially. Fishing is an escape for me. Do I think my Chronarch Ci4 will catch me more fish? Maybe 1 or 2 over the course of a year compared to my oooold POS Shimano Lexica I bought when I was 10. But the Ci4 sure feels great in my hands and I love how it casts. Do I think my Curado I's have more power to reel in the hawgs when I finally hook into one than my old 200b's? No, I know they don't, but I love how smooth they are letting out drag and on the retrieve. To me, it's about enjoying the experience, not just whether fishing with "x" rod and reel makes sense or not. If you start with whether it makes sense, some will be satisfied with that, but most of us may not necessarily enjoy the experience. I love going home, thinking, "Jeez, that was fun! I can't wait to do it again!", rather than, "I caught some fish, I wonder if I really needed to spend that much to do it and I'm not completely satisfied until someone else agrees with me about it." I just want to go home with a smile on my face as often as I can. -If that means I love fishing with the cheapest I can get away with and that makes me happy, I'd do that. -If that means I save until I can afford what I really want, that puts a smile on my face every time that I make that perfect cast and just makes me feel great, then THAT's what I'd do. More often I'm in that second camp.