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Got out today for what will be my last trip this season. The sun was shining bright keeping the air temps pleasant and the wind was blowing like it always seems to do here in the fall. The past few days have been nice and I've been on the water for each. Plenty of bass to keep it interesting and a mess of walleye for the freezer. All on blade baits. While fishing a 20 ft hump today, a brown submarine ate the bait right at the boat and the fight was on. It was brief but very intense. Between trying to keep her pinned and trying not to fall over the side, it was a pretty hectic 30 seconds. (I may have even used a little colorful language there . .sorry) Weather will be turning more seasonal starting tomorrow but this bass was fun and a good one to put a wrap on the 2015 season. A-Jay

More spinnerbait action: The bass fishing has been hot but unfortunately due to time constraints I don't think I'll be able to squeeze out more than one or two more short trips. However, this year has been incredibly enlightening and I feel quite a bit more confident going into the 2016 season and this time I won't just be armed with a tacklebox full of frogs.

It may not be as quick as you think right now to establish a pattern. This is the exact time of year a lot of people start to struggle. If you were fortunate enough to catch the short window of very aggressive feeding, then you may be expecting the fish to just be going crazy like they were a couple weeks ago. Front after front, extreme fluctuations in barometric pressure and temperature, oxygen levels changing dramatically, angle of the sun, and of course going from low low water, to very high water, are all your main factors in what mood those fish are in. Will you still find bass near food supplies as always? Yes, pretty likely, however, finding them there (or anywhere) with this particular set of environmental circumstances, is sometimes challenging. I'm a big fish hunter, so I choose to always start on my off-shore humps, and points first, and this time of year, I want to know where any active fish are immediately, if not sooner, so a crank will get in there and scout a section of the area I wanna hit. If I get hit, I'll go to a jig, see what happens. At least 3 flips to each primary target. If I get on fish that way, I have a pretty good idea my depth I should be working, and to what they are relating to. Depending on how those first two presentations went, If I need to keep looking for fish, I will check shallow, often using a topwater as my search bait first, tossing it all the way up onto shore, and slowly crawling it into the water, and creeping it back to the boat. If that works, sweet, if not, I'll switch to a swim jig, and make my way through the water column, see if they are on those wind blown shorelines following baitfish. Of course, I'll never pass standing timber if it's in my target depth, and a jig or a Tx -rigged Lobster, Bug, or Space Monkey on braid to check all those. Again, hit as close to the tree as possible, then try the other side, then put a couple behind and to both sides of it. I could flip trees all day, every day, and be happy. Just be versatile out there, keep your lake changes in mind, don't be afraid to try as many things as you need, and you can still have a successful late Fall, and they are all fat right now, so you just might mess around and catch a PB. I'll see you out there.

Personnaly - I'm not a fan. I believe Competition is good and Monopolies are bad. A-Jay

Caught this 7.5lb bass on my third cast with a jig today. Missed a couple of bites, but I still managed to catch 7, one of them weighting 5.45lb. I still can't believe this small ponds holds such big bass

My friend and I fished the Virginia B.A.S.S. Junior State Qualifier this Sunday on Lake Anna, and boy was it tough. I got to pre fish for a few hours with my friend the day before, he showed me some areas where he had been catching fish, that was a major help in what we did. Most people in the tournament chose to go up lake where the fish are supposed to be according to seasonal patterns, we went down lake so we wouldn't have to worry about other people fishing. Down lake has super clear water so it's pretty much finesse stuff on spinning rods, we caught our fish on drop shots and shakey heads. 3 of our fish came from the exact same docks I caught fish on this spring. Had to work our butts off for 5 keepers but we got them, all 12-13" with a 2lb "kicker" . We ended up placing 2nd with 5.32lbs, first place had 5.38lbs, 30 boats and lots of people blanked. Top 15 teams fish the state championship this spring, we are ranked 3rd so as long as we catch a few fish at our last qualifier on Lake Gaston in April, we will be good to go for the championship. And the top two teams from that go to Nationals! If I even think about the state championship I start getting that feeling I get the night before a tournament. If we end up fishing it I'm gonna be a wreck! There have been lots of tournaments on the lake lately, 114 boats last weekend and another tournament going on the day of and the day before the one we fished. Two of the bass we caught had cull tag marks, that lake gets no rest!

Just like fishing from a boat, when fishing from shore, you have to do your homework, and choose spots based on seasonal patterns, the structure, and cover present. Spring and fall are two of your best bets for locating shallow bass, easily accessible from shore, irrespective of how big the lake is.

Hmmmm. My wife does not question when I buy anything and I do not question her.

Dry Creek has a tube for every occasion, and they are awesome sauce. Check them out.

While I don't fish the Rage Craw I love me some Rage Lobster! During warm water periods I like the quicker rate of fall of the Texas Rig (un-pegged) During cold water periods I like the slower rate of fall & horizontal drop of the Rage Rig

Just got a MH/F Volkey, and added my Fuego to it. Fished with it right after work during the last 30 minutes of sunlight that remained. It's the 2 piece version that I picked up in the flea market from pondasassin. The finish on these rods is really nice! I can understand all the buzz about them as of late here with many of the members!

Clh I don't know how long you and your wife have been together but this fishing trip may not be about catching fish but about getting to know the man that his sister is married to. With that said if it all about fishing take Sam's advice bring nightcrawls you can't go wrong with that.

Forget about you lending him your gear, you go out and purchase him a nice ( I said nice, I din´t say expensive ) spinning setup, simple lures ( like in-line spinners ) and worry about him catching a bunch of fish, it doesn´t matter if it´s 8 inchers, just make shure he catches a lot, never forget you are taking HIM TO HAVE FUN, it´s pretty much like taking a kid fishing.

This happened many years ago.It was November or December and I was the only person at the 80 acre lake I was alone and launching my 15 foot Skeeter tri hull but it was not in the water far enough . So I get in the vehicle and back it in a little farther and the wheels go off the end of the ramp and my boat which is now unhooked floats away . I cannot get my trailer out, its stuck off the end of the ramp . I walk through the campground and found someone to help me. I wade out in the water and its freezing , lift the trailer up and the guy drives it out . Now I have to retrieve my boat which is still running . It floats about a quarter mile away and gets stuck in a weed bed . I walk to it and then have to swim out and climb in . It was freezing but it was the only way to get it .I get it back to the ramp load up and go home .

I just ordered two of them myself! Got both shipped to my door for $116! Can't wait to give them a try, not bad for a two brand new rods that retailed for $130 each!

None of those around here. I spend the winter buying things online and then usually drop a few hundred at the sportsman expo where you can get some really cool custom home made deals at good prices. everything from hand poured plastics to jigs. It is a good way for me to stock up for the upcoming season.

It depends on the level of competition y'all are accustom to competing against. Over an 8 year period from 1973-1980 I fished a total of 250 tournaments winning 18 of them. This is the list of anglers I've fished against & have beaten on Toledo Bend. Harold Allen, Jerry Dean (Honey Hole Circuit/Magazine), John Dean, Villis P "Bo" Dowden Sr, John Hall, Tommy Martin, Darren "Mad Man" Mooneyham, Larry Nixon, Terry Oldham (Oldham's Jigs), Ron/Rick Pierce (BassCat Boats), Zell Roland, Bob Sealy (McDonald's Big Bass Splash), Lonnie Stanley (Stanley Lures), & John Torain. I respect Mr VanDam but on Toledo Bend I aint afraid of him!

the Pflueger supreme casting reel is a good beginner reel

Great video of some great catches. Congrats, A-Jay. I liked the victory fist pump.

No, black is the new pink.

... My wife is going to leave me....

Here, Nomad makes gorgeous nets - if you can call a net thus(?)... But they're a tad on the $$$ side of things.

They can keep it!

Not exactly across the street from you, but there has been a fishing flea market at Rolling Meadows High School every year for the last 16 years. It's held around the first Saturday in March.

I'm gonna be on the water all day Friday and will be sure to share what I find...

I agree with the spinning rod/reel combo, use 8 lb mono like Trilene XL. My suggestion is a split shot, slip shot or drop shot rigs, 1/8 oz with size 1 drop shot hook, nose hook Roboworm MM II or oxblood red flake 5 1/2" curl tail worms. Your guest will be able to cast and drag the rig along the bottom. Show how to rig and let him do it! Enjoy your on the water. Tom

I've always found everything is more active in the cool fall waters so a speedy return on your jerkbait to keep it off the bottom is no problem. Fluke Jr and Storm Wildeye Swim Shad all day during spring and fall for this guy. crank it up, let it drop, crank it up, let it drop. That's my go to classic right there.

Tatula 200hd has a stock 100mm handle also. My suggestion of changing how you hold it would be the first thing I'd change. It's free and from how you said you're hitting your knuckles it sounds like the problem. A 100mm handle is 5mm longer from center to the knob post. I don't think that's enough to stop you from hitting your hand. It sounds like you are trying to reel like you'd be turning a crank on something.

I pretty much never Rage rig a craw. It's on a traditional T-rig, with the weight pegged or not (cover decides this), or I use a jika rig.

What does rod power have to do with sensitivity ?

There used to be a time ( during the Curado B series ) when the difference between a Curado and a Citica was noticeable, Citicas only had one bearing while Curados had 4 and it only cost $20 more, then it made no sense in purchasing the lesser Citica ( in my opinion ) when for only 20 dollars more you were able to get a reel that had 2 sizes from where to choose and with 3 more bearings, then the Super Free feature and the drilled spool were incorporated to the 200 size Curado for only $10 more, still made a lot less sense to purchase the now even more lesser Citica when for mere 30 dollars you could purchase a reel quite close to the next step up in the Shimano line up, I talk about the Chronarch. Then the D series ( Citica and Curado ) made it´s debut and that series redefined the Citica completely, no longer it was the ugly duckling or the poor cousin of the Curado, it was a beast and even much better than what the Curado 200BSF was at it´s time, it was almost up par to the previous gen Chronarch, the thing people criticized about that series was the increment in weight ( weight weenies ! ) and the not that large increment in size on the gearing side plate. Then the E series made it´s debut and here we go again, why purchase a regular size Curado ( not talking about the 50 size because those are a completely different animal ) when you could purchase a great performer & value Citica ? I can´t comment on the I series because I only went as far as the G series but let me tell you, and those who know me are aware that most of the time money is the last thing I consider ), nowadays I seriously doubt I would purchase a Curado when the Citica is so good, as a matter of fact, my last purchases were Citicas or Chronarchs when previously the Curado was the reel for me to get.

I *can* idle around, but in practice, that's limited when I'm on lakes I *think* I know. The point is, I see things in the kayak without trying. It's inherent to the activity. With fishing, I generally live in the moment, so I'm probably not going to stop, turn off the big motor, get up front, drop the troller, grab a rod, and test a theory based on a blip on the radar every time. In a kayak, it's as simple as putting the paddle down and grabbing a rod to make a cast. I think it's a misnomer to assume that idling at 3-5 mph with a purpose is the same as wandering over an area with a kayak. Yes you can slow down, but it's not the same. Just like the opposite. I can generally cover 6-8 miles in a trip in my kayak. I probably cover the aboiut the same fishing in the bass boat, while there's the additional water covered not fishing, but going from spot to spot. I have both, to compare the two isn't false, but the if you've spent a legitimate amount of time in both, they contrast more than compare.

LOL, I'm pretty confident in myself right now. But.....No. LOL, not a chance.

Exactly this right here. If the added weight makes it suspend weird then remove the splitring. As long as it seems ok with both on it then it don't matter really/

I hear that. Absolutely hate those plastic bearings....jk. Hootie

Consider bringing along some Nightcrawlers so he will definitely catch something.

I'm in a kayak, (or kyack) right now, wishing it was a bass boat.

So what is it that you didn't like about the boats you fished out of? Too much room for you and your stuff? Too easy to get from spot to spot? I'm not a fan of kayaks. I float rivers in a personal pontoon. I can stop and hold myself just by putting my feet down, I can spin around on a dime, there is nothing more stable, I can transport it in the trunk of a car, and it is very comfortable. I don't want a "challenge" when I'm fishing. I get enough challenges at work. I'm looking for fun, a nice day on the water and a chance to catch some fish. Some days, lakes give me my best chance to do well. That's when I take the boat. I can cover a lot of water without a lot of energy in comfort. On days when the river is my best shot, I float in the pontoon.

That is quite a fish! What a TANK

I think most people will like whatever gets them out fishing. I used to fish out of a boat until dad retired and moved south. I took one summer off and then got into fishing from a kayak. For me it is about space and ease. I don't have the room for a boat and trailer, but a kayak is easy to store for me. It is also easy to load up and go whenever and wherever I want. It is peaceful to get out on the water. There are very little restrictions in where i can fish from a kayak, streams, rivers or lakes, it all has access for a kayak.

I used to think it was for the challenge, I mean, how hard could it possibly be right? My very first trip out alone really early in the morning, I prepped everything the night before and stowed my gear in the camper because I was unfamiliar with the place and nervous about leaving it in the boat, I pulled up on a spot that was very peaceful, a slight chill in the air from the fall weather, nerves slightly rattled from the excitement of my very first boat, everything went according to plan until I stepped up on the bow and realized that I left my tackle in the camper, frustrated I went to fire the boat back up and head back, now the boat engine won't fire, no tools, no fishing gear, no one around, I took a minute to gather myself and looked around, the sun just starting to crest the bank, how vivid and vibrant the colors were that morning, the water was mostly clear and calm with a hint of fog, so quiet, so indescribably incredible, a deer sipping from the waters edge had cought my attention, then her two fawns showed up as she seemingly taught them to drink, engrossed in the moment a voice shouts out as the lights go out on his dock, GOOD MORNING! Everything ok ? Yes, yes it is. It hit me, light switch! Switch! KILL SWITCH!!! I don't know if that moment of peace is something that was meant to be, it sure made a lasting impression and helped me to realize that it is not wise to let life's problems interfere with everyday living, enjoy what we have been given and never take it for granted, I think that lesson is why I enjoy fishing so much, that and the daily dose of dock follies, they never disappoint either.

Or just start paying the bills lol, then you can hound her about that new handbag!

There are a lot of variables, like what kind of rod and line where you using along with the size of the fish and what kind of cover. Then you have to know what kind of hook, for example, I had a guy call me and tell me he bent the hook on a shaky head I made for him, and after taking to him I found him to be using really heavy tackle for a 1/8oz shaky head with a medium wire hook. The brand of hook isn't as important as the type of hook, so where you using a worm hook or was it in a jig and if so what kind of jig? Most small ball head jigs are made with a type of hook called an Aberdeen hook, these hooks are generally light wire and penetrate with little pressure but they are designed to bend so if you get snagged you simply pull very hard and the hook will bend and then you bend it back, the hook is meant to do that, but if you are using the right tackle you can bring in any fish with those hooks. With worm hooks you have tempered and forged, a tempered hook will bend a little, you here anglers that flip super heavy grass with 65lb braid with 2oz weights talking about using a hook that doesn't flex, and to have that you need a forged hook. Most standard wire and a few heavy wire worm hooks are tempered, they are good because they seldom break or bend but they can, and will flex when used with extreme tactics. That brings me to forged hooks as previously mentioned, forged hooks are often called super line hooks, these are heavy wire hooks and they will not bend much or flex, instead when they become over stressed they can break, I've had a bad batch of forged jig hook and had one break and I've seen it happen with some very expensive hooks. Most won't break unless you over stress by using too small of hook with too heavy tackle but every so often you will have a bad batch meaning the hooks might not have been tempered correctly and if that happens you need the pack the hook came from and you can tell the manufacturer and give them the UPC code which will let them know which lot it came from and if they have any other bad hooks reported from that lot then they can look to see if there is a problem with their tempering process that needs to be addressed.

Memorize your debit/credit card number, expiration date and CVV code. Problem solved.

Keitech Swing Impact/Fat

TW accepts paypal. And its hooked to my business acct. Divorce diverted!

Straight cash homie.

Never met a lay down I didn't like or didn't try to fish.

About five months ago, I was fishing Guntersville alone and ended up near the ramp I put in at. I had 10 minutes left to fish, so I fished around the ramp hoping for one laaaast bite (no luck). When it was time to go, I trolled over to the dock, tied off, got out, and put my trailer in the water. About this time, there were two boats waiting on me to launch and a couple other boats that had just pulled out. A crowd was watching. What did I do? I quickly got on the boat, started it up, and ran towards my trailer. About the time I normally feel the bump of hitting the bunks, I heard a loud bang with the screech of twisted metal. I forgot to pull the trolling motor up! Thankfully the mounting bolts gave way and snapped before major damage was done. I quickly ran to the front of the boat before the whole motor went in the drink, hit reverse, realigned, and trailered the boat. It sure seemed like twenty people were staring and laughing, but it was probably only five or six. Needless to say, every time I trailer the boat, I now triple check to make sure the trolling motor is pulled up! I also learned to not let other folks make me feel like I need to rush at the ramp. Too much bad stuff can happen there!

My first boat was a fisher aluminum bass boat with a 50 hp mercury.I pulled it with a 1984 Honda civic hatchback. one day I backed down the dock ,but could not get the boat off the trailor.I put my back against the Honda and pushed with my legs, the boat stayed but I went through the back window and crawled out the front door with no cuts.