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Last week, I missed a big fish in a tiny pond that I never would have guessed was capable of producing a big fish. This week, I went back armed with my swimbait rod and box. I can literally cast across the pond in any direction from where I was standing. I combed the water with a Dep's 175 first, no dice. Last week she crushed a 5" Stick O that I was reeling in to make another cast right as it broke the surface. With that in mind, I switched to my trusty 7" Slammer. I did several slow straight retrieves with no interest. There's one spot where there's a big laydown and the roots of a big tree growing out into the water so I pitched my Slammer over them. I let it deadstick for probably close to a full minute before I gave it a couple twitches, BAM!! The water erupted! After a brief but intense battle, she was in my grasp. It's been a slow year for swimbaits, especially for big fish, but this one makes up for all the days I've thrown them with no interest. I didn't have a tape, but she rang up at 6 pounds even on the scales. Felt good to get my redemption after the near miss last week. I fished for another half hour but I felt like I'd accomplished what I came for so I decided to pack it in, but not before catching another future pig

Yes? I guess? I understand you want to optimize, but I tend to think a lot of people wring their hands unnecessarily about exact, narrowly-perfect gear for particular applications, and at some point you just reach diminishing returns that aren't worth the splitting hairs over. I use a Ned rig on two spinning combos, an ML/F and an M/mod-F with no issues, and don't really notice the difference. Anything you might use for a drop shot or shakey head ought to do the job. Just tie it on and catch some bass.

Fun combo I'm pleased with the k2. Handle assembly/ reel seat is clean and much nicer and a little less "chaotic" than what I've come to expect from phenix. Blank as most of you know is excellent

I've always been baffled as to why so many put their boats away so early. I know there's a lot of people up here who start winterizing things right after Labor Day weekend. There's still a ton of time to fish, not to mention fall is one of the best times to catch some of the biggest fish of the year. This year I've been lucky enough to do just that. Although our fall hasn't been really warm, it's been consistent. What's more, the night time temp hasn't been dropping out enough to cool the water significantly from week to week. The last two weekends the water temps have been hovering in the low 50's and has made for some good fishing. I haven't been doing tremendous numbers wise, but what I've given up in quantity, I've more than made up for in quality. Most fish have been falling for a crankbait, but a jerkbait and jig have also brought in some good fish. Here's the highlights of the last two weekends:

Went and did some bank fishing with an angler friend this past Saturday. Had some nice scenery at a small resivoir you have to hike up to for a good ten minutes. He and I only managed to get one each, but it was good times. Caught this guy in the shallows on a Siebert swim jig in Sunfish with a Blue Craw Rage Chunk rigged sideways.

I've been using these for a few seasons, even before Casey Ashley won the classic but I was using them in summer for suspended fish in clear water. Yesterday we had a cold overcast day and the water temp was in the mid 50s, down from the 62 degrees it was on Sunday. The fish weren't moving but we did manage to get a few early on finesse jigs and a smoke colored grub but the fish we caught were in 7' to 12' of water and they seemed to be holding close to spots where there was a gradual change in depth, not on drops but where the flat was 5' and then dropped to 8' and back up again, basically small ditches and an old road bed. Well I decided to give the fish head spin a shot in cold water to see how it work, I mean I've caught them in warm water but never really good, just a few here and there. Well yesterday was an eye opening, the 3rd cast and I had our biggest fish, a 3lb 11oz fish that just ate it, 2 cast later and solid 2 pounder and I ended up getting 4 more, 6 fish in 2 hours after we spent 2 hours to get 4 fish which all but 1 were dinks and the other was a small 13" fish. I tried it up in the water column reeling fast, and then slow, I tried hopping it and ripping it like a jerkbait but the only way they would hit it was to reel it very slow along the bottom, I would let it hit bottom and start reeling and then slow down to feel the bottom and when I'd hit the bottom I'd go just a little bit faster so that I was just ticking the bottom every few feet, that was how they wanted it. I caught 4 of them with a 4" Easy Shiner as the trailer but I switched to a 4" fluke to see if it made a difference and I caught 2 on that so it seems both an action type trailer as well as a simple fluke both work. I think if I would have simply fished it the way it was working I could have done even better but I really wanted to try it out to learn how this works in that cold water situation and low and slow seems to be the best bet for the fish head spin. I now have another arrow in my quiver so to speak and I think if you fish cold clear water it may be a good investment to pick a few up, I was using a 1/4oz with a 3/0 hook, if the fish are more aggressive next time I'll go with a 3/8oz with the 4/0 hook.

Nah, nobody's gonna pay any attention to ya! Hootie

Shimano from now on:

I'll be on the road EARLY tomorrow morning. Going to be a long drive but at least it's through some areas of the country I've never seen before. Looking forward to meeting some new folks.

Is a heavy weight better to keep it on the bottom? - USE THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT TO KEEP THE WEIGHT ON THE BOTTOM. What's a good distance from the weight? - LENGTH OF A PLANO TACKLE BOX. Can I fish ANY soft plastics or should I stick with worms? - ANYTHING OF YOUR CHOICE. EVEN RIGGED "WACKY" IF YOU WANT. I ask that last question because a lot of my Missouri/Ozark success is due to YUM Craws first and Senkos second (typically T-rigged). - USE BOTH. What size hook is appropriate?- #1, #2 OR 1/0 WORM HOOK OR A SMALL CIRCLE HOOK Have you had better luck weedless rigging the hook or simply hooking it in the head? - HOOKING TO THE HEAD Is there anything against rigging two hooks? - LINE TWIST AND A BIG MESS ON YOUR HANDS WHEN THE LINE TWISTS. Have I posted too many questions? - NO. NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

I sold my LTD and the next day grabbed this one after i regretted putting the LTD up for sale. Hate the knobs, but that's an easy fix! Oh and got a heck of a deal on it too!!

All my jigs have rattles. I look at it this way....A jig is supposed to mimic a craw, a craw will still make thier distinctive sound no matter if the water is clear, stained or muddy, so in my feable little mind there is no reason not too. But that's me Mike

It ain´t gonna hurt if you do add rattles. A lot of times doing something different is what makes the fish bite. Normally rattles are associated to complement the lure in low visibility conditions but ....... man I´ve caught thousands of fish with really noisy rattling crank baits in crystal clear water.

Scott, you're now going to be like the woman who has just bought a new "little black dress". It's time to accessorize. You ain't done spending money yet amigo.

I'm not going to say yea or nay but when snorkeling in a clear creek, around largemouth bass " EVERY TIME ' I tapped a fingernail on my watch or rap two rocks together bass would come and investigate .

Typically I do not fish a rattle. About the only time I do would be muddy water or night I will give it a go if a standard jig is not working.

My favorites are Megabass, but you don't want those...After that it's XRaps and Pointers, which you already have . Besides those, the only ones left in my box that see much use are the old standby Smithwick Rogues and more recently Duo Realis. Every bass fisherman should have at least one Rogue in their box and I've been impressed with the Duo baits I have, so I'd vote for those two. When you want to come to the darkside, the Vision 110's are waiting to catch fish for you .

Nothing ~ A-Jay

Wife and I hit the lake today we caught 7 bass and a hand full of pan fish nothing to brag about. We did have a very cool moment. My wife mainly fishes for pan fish ( bluegill, crappie ) so she was fishing with her favorite lure a striking king bitsy minnow crankbait when she hooked a 3.6 lber it took awhile but she landed it. It was petty cool watching her work that fish. I know 3.6 isn't much but on a lure with hooks about a 1/4 inch I thought it was pretty cool.

It cost me more than a dollar to make my spinnerbaits because I use high grade wire and top of the line Worth Ball Bearing swivels, those alone are 70 cents each and then 20 cents for each skirt tab with a minimum of 2 so right there with swivel and skirt I'm at $1.10 not counting the wire, hooks, blades, beads and spacers, lead, 3D eyes, paint, top coat, and of course, time. So, if I used the cheapest pre-bent wire forms, crane swivels, and cheap hooks with the Chinese 3D eyes that are cheap but lack the quality of WTP Eyes, I probably could get my baits down to about a dollar. I'd love to see 1 of your creations and since you're looking for a cheaper place to buy components I was wondering where you were buying them from to begin with. I'll see if I can paste a picture of one of my baits for reference.

do you ever drive over the speed limit? if so, would you consider riding a bicycle and getting rid of the car so as to not break the law? so a person who jay walks and another who murders are the same in your eyes? a law telling me to kill something is not one that I would follow just because it was a law. they can kill them without my help. (and they will as I live on the east coast!

Largest of 9 boated from this past Saturday. 4.2 lbs caught on t/rig 4" pitboss.

a lot of these bigger swimbaits do really well when they are being dead sticked. With the segmented bodies of these baits the movement of the water gives them a really subtle and enticing action. Ive had several fish hit my bbz floating trout when I had my rod in one hand and my phone in the either reading a text.

The 6.1 I caught right before the 8. Broke my PB twice in less than an hour!

I would be careful trying something like that, other than just water to flush it. If you use some kind of cleaner or chemical, it could be corrosive to the aluminum over the long term, especially in a area that tends to stay wet or damp anyway. Definitely don't put anything with chlorine in it.

Groovy.

My boss,err, wife, and I pretty well handle our own extra curricular expenses. That's because I follow the 'shut up... show up... pay up... regiment the rest of the time...

Talk to her about a personal budget for both of you. Neither of you should need the other's permission for occasional small purchases.

I put things aside when I found out I had cancer. Time stops when we hear the BIG C? But today medicine is unbelievable.I'm doing ok now. I think about life different now. Beating cancer is like catching a new world record LMB 10X over. If any BR brother has cancer and you want to just talk im here. Been there done that seriously. It's not the end. Nothing will ever beat me down.

The only thing that really matters, do YOU think you did the right thing? If you are OK by it then it does not matter what anyone else thinks.

I'm disabled I can't walk far. I fish not too far from the car. I mail order all of my stuff. I would like to wander in cabelas, dsgs, even Wal-Mart. I have three bad discs in my back, I'm recovering from prostate cancer. I have a golf ball sized kidney stone, bad knees. I purchased new rods just to see if I like them. Either way my family will get them. I just had a disc pop in my back the other day. I'm dying to go fishing. But I need to get better first. My son's do stop by and take me fishing. I didn't want to tell this but now some will understand. Please I'm fine. I'm down but not out. I will fish. I don't drink, smoke or drive all my extra money goes into fishing stuff for me and the kids. For every lure I buy I buy six so everyone in the family gets one. I even gave them new spinning setups. They all fish even there spouses and my grandchildren. Money means nothing family makes us rich.

The lure you choose should be based on where the active bass are located. We know the water clarity is good, the lake is shallow and you are located in Florida. Florida strain largemouth bass prefer life like looking lures, not bright flashy noisy lure most of the time. Florida usually has lots of aquatic weed growth that the larger size bass live in. If you use lures with treble hooks, the lure needs to be able work in that type of cover. Buzz baits work over the top of weed mats without a lot of above surface reeds.rip baits, both lipless and jerk types work in isolated cover areas. Jig & craw and soft plastics work everywhere. Tom

Hoping to service this Bantam reel and get it going again. It has sat idle for at least 10 years.

As the salt dissolves they start to float. Stretch them a few times then soak them in water for a hour and the salt will dissolve and they'll float.

Unfortunately its too dark for me to see it in the lake tonight. I was just trying to get an idea of what it looked like.

You might also suggest it for one of the best ways to catch fish under tough conditions....it ain't boring to me! Love how hard fish fight on a dropshot setup. Setting the hook on them is a lot of fun too.

While the Rage Rig on a Moaner Weighted hook has done well for me in the shallow La. Bayous, I find that tha Space Monkey rigged weightless has begun to take the place of my favorite : the Stanley Ribbit, as a frog substitute. Pull it over the lily pads and it catches fish!

Bought the alarm and switches on Amazon....you can spen more on the alarm and get a two-way remote....for those times when the boat is just out of ear shot. But this works great for me. Pyle PWD701 4-Button Remote Door Lock Vehicle Security System Omall 5PCS Micro Limit Switch Long Hinge Roller Lever Arm SPDT Snap Action LOT I used normally closed switches. I have a little more work to go.....put heat shrink tubing on the wire connectors and anchor the wire...but need to get something that will work. Holler if you have any questions. Mounted under hatch lid. Close up but reversed image of switch. Here you can see hatch lid closed....depressing the switch.

I just rebuilt and retired Dad's 5000 he gave to me after he moved to a Quantum 1310 on a Fenwick rod to modernize sometime in the late '80s or early '90s. I have some other 5000/5500 reels I use alongside my more modern 5500c3 reels, and one vintage 5500 (non-c) is on Dad's Lew's Speed Stick he gave me with the aforementioned 5000. I'll have to remember to post file pics to this thread when I get to the PC later. Josh

The few long (6'+) ultralight rods I tried in the ~$100 price range felt like noodles. Then, I bought a St. Croix Panfish Series... nice, crisp, fast action. Love it! I'd buy another one in a second. Tight lines, Bob

We've had threads like this every year or so...not to say that we can't have one again... Here are a couple of the past threads: Sentimental Gear Show Me Your Sentimental Setup What Are Your Old Rod And Reel Combos? Anyone still using their older equipment? Here is my response to one of those earlier threads: I started fishing around 1959 and have most of my gear that I used from then through the 1960s (Fishing Era 1). I still have almost all my reels from the 60s (2 spinning reels, 2 spincast, and 2 flyreels - missing a baitcast reel). I'm missing a rod or two but still have 2 spinning rods and 1 fly rod from back then. I still have a bunch of my lures from the 60s. I still have most of my 1980s vintage gear (Fishing Era 2) - minus the salt-water rods (don't need a 13' surf rod in Tennessee... ) I still fish some of this stuff from time to time. File photos that I had on hand: My first spinning reel - a Ted Williams (1959), and my first spincast (about 1965) - a Lido (what the heck is a Lido you might ask...it's the reel I got my first 4-pound class bass on!) Here's the Ted Williams reel on a mid-60s solid glass Heddon rod - June 2013 on its annual sortie - still reels in bass 54 years after I got it. (I know, it's not a very big bass..............but its a bass... ) An in-the-box Zebco 202 (~60s something) - I never fished this much and preferred the Lido (don't know where that non-original handle nut came from...............or IS it original???): Fly reels - a Sears knock-off of a Pflueger Medalist (right)...and a real little Pflueger (left)....along with a Shakespeare Wonderod (mid- to late-1960s): A few lures from the 60s (the Hula Popper has a new skirt): MirrOLures from the 60s: A made-in-Sweden Abu Reflex in-line spinner - I got a kit of 5 of these in the 60s (for 1 book of S&H trading stamps) and fished them over the years - lost them one by one but am saving this last one: A Super Duper - still have a couple of these around: Fishing Era 2: - I still have most of my 80s-vintage Shakespeare spinning reels and a couple 80s-vintage rods (two of the reels in the photo have since been eBayed) . I fished the freshwater-size Shakespeare reels in the photo until recently - finally retiring the last one in January 2012 (the 040 size with line on the spool): More than 25 years old at the time, the 040 size reel on the top row, right end in the above photo, scored a 9lb LMB in 2011. Finally - a Mitchell 408 on a Garcia Conolon rod (purchased around 1966) - both in excellent condition, still fished about once a year - this photo from this past June: Special mention goes to this Ambassadeur 5000, now over 50 years old, that belonged to my Dad. It's on an 80s-vintage Shakespeare rod. I still fish this every once in a while - this channel cat hit my bass plug a couple years ago. I got other stuff too - just no file photos handy at the moment. Lots of memories....

White rage craw on a spot remover colored swim jig around lilys and sparse grass. Yikes! Caught alot of fish on that this year.

According to what sources? The current DOJ ? FBI? Ask the folks in the Middle East if their lives & their family's lives are better than they were 20 years ago..you need to gain perspective my friend, that false narrative doesnt fly around here. Nice try though...

A few more of the Rebel baits I have bought In the last few months but haven't had time to post the pictures.

Yep......people ask when/where I carry......I tell them everywhere/all the time......if you knew something was going to happen on the trip/errand.......I wouldn't go. You NEVER know when you will need to defend yourself....keep your head on a swivel. Again....prayers to his family.

Sad ..only thing that stops bad guys with guns is good guys with guns.the police are way to heavy to carry 24/7

My first ever St. Croix rod and it seems like it is going to be a very nice combo. Feels perfect to cast. 12lb Trilene mono. Going to be a light T-Rig setup.

Very sad, sounds like he was/is a man of God and with that he is on a huge lake with nothing but 15lb+ bass right now. May his family & friends find peace in God in these trying times.

Awful situation. And we place ourselves in these situations all the time when we launch at dawn or trailer at dusk. Another reason to be armed while on the water. My sincere condolences and prayers to the family for a senseless and cowardly crime.

In the unlikely event that I am so fortunate that I hook, fight & successfully land such a fish ~ She is most definitely going for a ride with me back to the beach and then another one in my truck to the nearest "Certified Scale". I have been practicing C & R for a really long time but this one particular bass will have had it's last swim. And that's just the way it has to be. A-Jay