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My wife calls me Mr Double Digit but shes just trying to boost my confidence .

Do you have pictures of any of these on a scale? Jeff

I tie a lot of hair jigs and I use a lot of different material and anglers not familiar with them have a difficult time understanding of exactly what the "action" is. On a bucktail jig, there really isn't a lot of movement, what makes bucktail work so well, especially in cold water, is that when it gets wet it makes a perfect small minnow profile and while there is a little movement, it is very subtle and that perfectly mimics the movement of minnows in cold water. Marabou will compress when wet and it gets very thin in the water when it is moving but when you stop it the hair will expand and move but it has to be tied properly for that to happen. Craft fur has a very fluid like movement, and so does rabbit hair, the craft fur will compress into a minnow shape like bucktail when it is moving but when you stop it it will wave back and forth in the water very life like but in extreme cold like 34 degree water, it may have too much movement. Hair jigs work any time of year but the reason they work in cold water is because they have a subtle movement and that is more natural. Fish are cold blooded and when they get cold it isn't the same as us getting cold, their muscles that allow them to swim can onlt move a little bit and it is the very reason flat sided craks work well in cold water as the tighter action is more natural as that is the movement the fish are seeing. So, when you are fishing a hair jig don't expect it to have a real dramatic action, instead it will be the opposite, a very subtle type action as the main drawing feature is the profile with action being the triggering aspect of the bait.

I put the console unit on demo mode, lol.

Wait for it!!! Pink Rat'L Traps!

Well i just finished up my 30 days of leave back home in the great state of michigan. I literally did not have one day of bad fishing. My last day out we caught 21.5lbs on our best 5 largemouth all on jigs in 40 degree weather and rain right after some serious cold fronts. Fall bite is just kicking off in Mi get out on the water. What i loved best is we were the only people on the water on any lake we picked this time of yr. They are either bowhunting or to cold to get out lol. What a riot. Also was hammering them on the MS slammer swim bait. 2 6lbrs outta the kayak within 1 hr of each other. Had to find ppl on the shore to take pics. Which 6s are rarely caught in michigan and i managed 2. Man i didnt want to come back to arizona but had to be done…unless i wanted to be AWOL lol. Enjoy the pictures. 19LBS of smallies. on spinnerbaits 21.5LBS of largemouth on jigs Second day of smallie smack down. Smaller bag. 6.56lb Slammer largemouth 6.37 lb Slammer largemouth. Another slammer hog

bill, let me know if you need my address to send all the surplus to.....

It's a material issue more than design IMO. No line should groove quality metal

Watch this video: At 5:57 you will see how little action or "flair" bucktail has. This is what's wanted by chilled-out smallies swimming in water that's in the 40ºs to low 50ºs. Slow and subtle is your effective presentation.

Congratulations Cubs. We were the best team in baseball all year; you're the best right now! I hope you bring the championship to Chicago. Good luck.

Eric, I notice that most of your fish are from the same golf course pond/lake even though you identify it as a different lake in Davenport? I think to reiterate what others have said, the electric shocking of fish does not take place (in general) on smaller bodies of water. As for being a fishing anomaly and wanting to share your abilities with the world, slow down cowboy. Becoming an anomaly has to be earned on this site and there are a lot of guys on here who have proven to be great resources of knowledge for big fish. No doubt those are great pond fish, but keep in mind, that is common for people who fish ponds in Florida. Any pictures of your PB? Ever use a scale? As always, post youtube videos. People always like them, especially during the loooooong winter months. Welcome to the site,

I'll start with a few of my earlier works. My rod building and photography skills have improved over the years.

WHOA!! what's crazy is how the rods/reels you have in your trunk seem to match the ones in the ebay listing.... you and that seller must really think alike! and fwiw, $2.54 shipping on a .99 item is crazy.

His name isn't Aldo Rasado, by any chance?? There was a joke behind what I said.

The simple solution to the problem is spelled S------.

Eric glad to have you here. Looking forward to your insights and great pics. Down here in southern florida there are less 10 pound and bigger bass then one would think. Due to the shallow water and high heat its to much for them to overcome to grow that big. However 7-8 pounders can be caught quite often with the occasional bigger bass mixed in. Regardless of just the size the age also probably puts them in similar big bass habits which is the key to catching them. Looking forward to more.

Impossible, Bill. I've been on a five year long attempt to trim down my tackle collection. I have more now than when I started. It is a losing battle. I have conceded defeat, and decided to just go with the flow.

I had grooving on 5 out of my 7 Tatulas. Contacted Daiwa and sent them in for repair. They replaced the T-Wings on all of my 7 Tatulas to the thinner newer T-Wing. Didn't have any communication with them to know why or what caused it. They sent them back 3 days later so no complaints from me.

Cleaning and lube are for those cold winter nights. I try to make sure every reel is maintained once the weather turns cold. It's a good thing I don't live in Florida.

Man there's so many places I fish that I've been needing a bait like that where a bait like a Baby -1 runs too shallow but a squarebill runs too deep. Dis gon be gud

i have caught fish on swimbaits up to 11" and some of those fish have been only 16" long themselves! I think bass will hit baits up to 16" if presented properly.

I catch ALL of my fish between 6am and 9pm, except for the days I am not fishing. When I am fishing, I am sleeping, or driving to/from the lake the other 8 hours.

Oh, hey guys. How's it going?

Bass usually come in three sizes ~ There's the Small ones. Then there's the Medium ones. And then there's The One That Got Away. A-Jay

In my neck of the woods it is the exact opposite. My local super Walmart's fishing section is nothing more than pathetic. It consists of one 20' shelf section, with lures, line,rods,reels, etc. on one side, and boating equipment on the other. On the other hand, BPS's store has aisle upon aisle of fishing gear. Further, my local Academy Sports store also blows Walmart out of the water with it's selection.

^Self contradiction

I had the pleasure to fish with both Glenn and Kerri at this year's roadtrip. I have a pretty good pulse for who in the world are genuine good people, and these two fit the bill. While fishing with Glenn, I was able to hear the story of BassResource and its beginnings. I also heard the beginnings, motives, and accomplishments of Tackle the Storm. I was moved by the concept and thought behind it, to know what can be achieved in the heart of a child. Simply the smile it must bring knowing they have lost everything, but in some small way reach towards normalcy by fishing. A sport we all love and ourselves would hate to lose. As I told Glenn, the world is a cold, cruel, evil place and that's not going to change. But to know that I can somehow change that for a child for the price of a pack of plastics or crankbait......well I am all in. so here is what I am going to do, I hope you may also follow suit. For every "big un" I catch this year I will donate to Tackle the Storm, enough to purchase a child a rod and reel. Everyone's "big un" will be different, as everyone's water is different, so you decide. I have chosen 4#.

Hi geo g. It all depends on water color ,temperature , bass activity and several other factors. I am currently trying to post pics with brief descriptions but after get the loads of pics added I will start describing the conditions and lures use in deity . (To the best of my knowledge and memory) Thanks

Eric what baits are you using? You are certainly surrounded by some wonderful fisheries.

Eric my friend, I'm one county over in Hillsborough. I know what you are talking about. If you fish the right places with the right techniques it is very possible. You just have to forget about targeting anything under about 7. Most folks will think you are feeding them bs, so I usually don't talk about it. I fish primarily for snook nowadays but concentrate on big bass during the spawn. Once you let go of the "limit" mentality it becomes a lot easier. Be prepared, a lot of guys on this site and others are going to call you out on your post but not me. Been there, done that. We are blessed with where we live.

welcome to the site. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures of the 10lbers....someday i might catch one myself

Hey guys. I just caught my PB largemouth bass over the weekend. I was really excited about it and just had to share! I'm pretty new here and to bass fishing in general so my PB may not be all that impressive. In fact, I don't even know how much it weighed because I don't own a scale. Anyways, here is my story. I've been regularly fishing a local lake specifically targeting LMB. My go-to rig is the drop shot with 4" soft plastic worms and I've been doing very well with it, it definitely catches fish. This time, I tried switching things up a bit by using a double hook drop shot rig. Starting from the bottom, I had a 1/4 oz drop shot weight. 12" up was the first hook and 12" further, a second hook. Both were Gamakatsu 1/0 drop shot hooks tied with a Palomar knot, and each hook was baited with a nose hooked soft plastic 4" worm. I generally switch between Roboworms and Bio Spawn Plasma Tails. I caught 3 small bass (under 1lb) and was about to call it a day when I got another bite after pitching it towards a boat dock. From the bite, I thought it was just another small bass, but once it started fighting I could tell it was a good size. I was a bit nervous landing this one since it was my biggest LMB to date, but it went without any issues. I caught, photographed, and released all fish. Unfortunately, I was fishing alone and couldn't get a really nice photo. Here is what I ended up with. Thanks for reading The rig: First catch: Last catch:

C and G I think the Cubs and Mets will be a great series. Of course, there is not a team in baseball that I wouldn't cheer for against the Dodgers.

Bold move, but honestly a needed move. At this point, every loss with him as a coach did terrible damage to the schools "atractveness". Kudos to coach for the brass to step up for the team and school future.

I let the fish tell me when I need to use a trailer but I tend to use a trailer when the water first gets into hair jig range and for me it is the low 50s. If the water is 52 degrees and I can't get a reaction bite, I will use a rabbit hair jig I tie called a "creeper jig" that I make specifically to use with a chunk style trailer. When the water is in the mid to upper 40s then I will often use a bucktail jig with skirt material strands tied on it and I won't use a trailer, the silicone skirt material will provide just a little more movement and bulk without having to incorporate a trailer. When the water is in the low 40s to upper 30s the only trailer I'll use is tied on the jig and it is almost always a rabbit strip tail, it adds very little bulk and it will provide me some action if I needed it but not too much. The lower 30s is a time when the hair is used plain, I use bucktail or marabou, that is it and no trailer. As for dragging and swimming, it depends on the type of water and the mood of the fish, the way we drag is just slowly reel with the rod pointed right at the bait and it is only one or two cranks and then stop for a bit. We will drag it of give a slow lift and drop depending on what the fish want and what kind of jig, for example is I use a rabbit hair craw jig tied on a football head, well that jig is one I use with a drag or hop bottom presentation while a small 1/6oz or 3/32oz marabou jig will be slowly swam along the bottom with a few pauses during the retrieve but it depends on the mood of the fish and I'll usually start based on the weather conditions like warming or cooling trends.

You also got to remember that BPS has 2 different stores, a mega, and an outpost. The Mega having the restaurant and or bar, plus the candle shop etc with the larger selection of gear, then the outpost is smaller with non of the frills and less gear. Op might be comparing an outpost to the Walmart.

"Hair" can mean any number of things. Beyond the manipulations you make, what hair jigs offer in terms of triggers are speed (they tend to able to be fished slow), and the wake (water moved) they make. Bucktail is great for both bc of its buoyancy. "Craft hair" is quite soft so it can move in the water and being a synthetic offers more and brighter color choices. If you are fixed on material's movement, you need really soft hair such as rabbit or, the best, marabou feathers. A heavier jighead also allows the material to move more when you pop, jig, or shake. Otherwise, the addition of a trailer is what gives the movement. Bottom line I guess is, hair jigs work great, esp in colder water, bc they can be fished slowly, and if tied fairly bulky, can pull a meaty wake -which bass always appreciate. If you want movement in the jig materials as a trigger, and it can be helpful at times -esp when the fish don't have all that much get-up-and-go- try a marabou jig with a pork strip (pre-softened). I tied my own marabou jigs, fished with a pork trailer -the Uncle Josh' "Spinning Strip". It was killer.

Both stores are unreliable, easier to just save money and time searching and buy everything on Tackle Warehouse, plus the 20% off sales are clean af.

Late summer/early fall is a tough transitional period that sees the fish really scatter out and become very difficult to pattern. We're getting past that point and more into the fall here and the fishing has improved but still hasn't hit the full swing we'll see in the next couple weeks. I imagine in your area you're really in the first period I mentioned though, which in that case, you really shouldn't feel too bad about it.

You need to get some of those lures that work every time . I see them posted quite often .

Preach on brother . . . A-Jay

Heres a better question: Whats the difference between a 14' canoe with only a trolling motor, and a 20ft ranger with only a trolling motor? Answer: In the eyes of the law, NOTHING. Pay it or strip the motor. I decided to pay.

I keep it simple. Always reel with my left hand. I don't get why people would ever want to cast then switch hands to reel, or why they want to work the bait with their non dominate hand... Just my 2 cents

The best time is any time I can go!

I catch fish all day long.

I have one but I haven't spent enough time with it to have an informed opinion. I like it a lot so far, and would buy more, and probably will. I will say that this is the last reel in my collection I'd load up with #20 flouro, lock down the drag and take out dumpster diving.

Wow Brian! What a great idea! I'm absolutely humbled by your generosity and initiative. When db (Don Barone, founder of Tackle The Storm) read this, he said, And just this weekend at the BassResource RoadTrip, we raised enough money to add 119 kids to that total. This came from a combination of the raffle, Siebert Outdoors Storm series jigs sales, and a very generous $75 donation from Brian himself. I know Brian isn't looking for recognition, as he pulled me aside to quietly gave me his donation, but I just wanted everyone to know what a wonderful and caring person Brian is. In addition, Alpster (Ronnie) custom built a fantastic spiral-wrapped rod to donate to the raffle, and Dinky (MIke) added items including an autographed tournament jersey from Randy Howell. I also wanted to thank all our sponsors for donating prizes to raffle off. Everyone can make a difference. It doesn't take much to change a child's life. Every $7.50 raised puts a magic wand into a kid's hand, and puts a smile on his face. Again Brian, what a wonderful idea. And a big thank you to everyone stepping up to the challenge. Thank you, Glenn

Here it is ~ A-Jay Alright Shimmy I'll share a little bit about jerkbaits. First of all my jerkbait fishing evolved around pike fishing. Big predators. My favorite jerkbaits were made out of wood or plastic & weighed about an ounce to 2.5 oz. . I would practice jerk bait strokes along side the boat to see what kind of action I could delvelop with each bait. Some baits would dart 90 degrees to either side like a walk the dog motion but under water. Other baits would glide forward or sideways & some rare baits would almost turn around like in your face mr pike. Hard violent jerks or strokes would elevate the motions. Then you have to incorporate a pause period or let the bait rest. Usually the baits will get eaten while your pausing or just as you start your next movement. Remember jerk baits work on all species. Now to jerkbaits for smallies. Typically when you first start fishing you use a search bait until you find fish unless you know exactly where they are. Then once you find fish you switch to your favorite presentation. I fish big water with lots of suspended fish spread over lots of rock structure. I seldom find lots of big fish in a small area. So my approach is to cover water with a jerkbait as my search bait until I find some big girls. Once we find them we work over the area. We put in waypoints when we get bit so we can revist each spot. When drifting on lake erie the waves cause the boat to surge & pause just like a jerked bait does when you are working it. Boat motion adds motion to your baits. I always prefer to drift downwind with the wind hitting my stern. I work one rod while i dead stick a second rod in a rod holder. When my forward progress is between .3 to 1.0 mile an hour drifting with the wind at my back it all works. Most of the time my worked rod out fishes the dead stick 3 to 1. But sometimes the dead stick rod is extremely effective all by its self because the boat is working the bait. This tells me to slow down the worked rod. This approach also allows you to run a deep diver suspending jerkbait while you are running a shallow suspending bait. Then you can decide to use all deep or all shallow baits depending upon the conditions. My prespawn smallie fishing is between upper 30 degrees to 65 degrrees surface temps. The colder the water the more subtle the action. As the water warms I use more erratic movements. I also select baits with more subtle action for cold water & more erratic action for warming water. You have to learn the action of each style bait you use and develop an understanding of what works best for the conditions you are facing. Colder water with poor visibility finds me using loud colors with subtle action & loud rattles. Warmer water with good visibility finds me using subtle natural colors with more erratic action and softer rattles. Smallmouth bass are extremely curious about noise & erratic action. Remember that statement. Your jerkbait represents a dying bait fish to a smallie if properly worked. Smallies will come up thru the water column to hit a jerkbait. How far they will travel depends upon water visibility & sound. When I can see the bottom in 15 feet of water I will not hesitate to work jerkbaits out to 30 feet. I try to use a bait that will get down to the depth I want to fish based on overall water depth & visibility. If your marking fish or marking bait you can key into that depth. My jerkbait inventory covers baits that run from 2 feet down to baits that run 20-22 feet down. Now I can fish jerkbaits effectively in forty feet of water with good visibility. Since i'm fishing relatively open waters I use ten pound braid with a leader on spinning tackle. And I use ten or twenty pound braid with a leader on casting tackle. The thin braid adds up to five feet of extra depth on the baits. Now when casting jerkbaits your depth is based on the bait, line diameter & the length of your cast. Maximum depth on most baits is increased by letting out more line up to around 200 some feet with diving bills. So I run my baits back from the boat about two to three cast lengths to achieve more depth when needed. This also allows you a more stealthy approach. I find that smallies move during the day between deeper water to shallower water based upon changing conditions. So I try to target different depths until I can observe a pattern of where they will be. I do not limit myself to just one manufacture of jerkbaits. I find that on some days a particular bait from one manufcture will out preform all others. Especially on a tough bite day. So I carry about four different manufactures jerkbaits. Now within just one manufactures line of jerkbaits there can be five or six completely different baits by action, size, depth, sound, suspending, floating or slow sink & tilt. They can all shine based on changing conditions. Generally I prefer suspending jerkbaits with rattles. Then I look for level suspenders, nose down or tail down attitudes. Lucky craft probably covers the most diverse offerings of all jerkbaits manufactures in my experience. Just remember when fishing a jerkbait that you are trying to excite a neutral fish into striking it because it mimics a dying baitfish. The more action you can impart to the bait the more fired up that big smallie gets. It is very similar to teasing a cat with a mouse on a string. Some times they want it barely moving and other times they want it fast and erratic.