Leaderboard

We finally had a cold snap here in the northeast and I have not been out on the boat in a week. I was teased all winter with the above average temps. and I took full advantage of it. I have had one of the best winters I've ever had. I guess what I'm saying guys is I miss it I think I have some reel issues with this whole bass fishing thing. I might be addicted and am thinking about checking into a rehab. Last night my wife had me walk into what she called an intervention. Some of my old friends were there telling me crap like "you used to like playing basketball with us and now we never see you. They all said they were all worried about me. I got really defensive and started organizing my plastics. It got so bad that they brought in my mom and she was all like Tommy you always were bright and happy with lots of interests and now all you do is sharpen hooks organize all your little plastic things and such. I had to grab a rod just to feel safe. I mean here I was thinking I was fine but not seeing what I was becoming! Anyway it ended and everyone told me how much they loved me and would do anything to help me. That night I got to thinking that I might have some reel problems. I just can't stop looking for that one big hit from a 6 pounder. I can't stop chasing it or thinking about it. I've decided to make some reel changes in my life. I'm getting a new bass boat. Thanks for listening only guys like you who have lived it really can understand.

We are extremely excited for Wes and his accomplishment. Here are his details with his permission to post. Here is my story: There was no epic battle with climatic finish. There was no bravado, no yelling or touchdown celebrations. This is a story about two knuckle heads doing voice impersonations while swinging 1lb spots into each other. This is a story about my iPhone dying, very bad cell service, a lot of luck and most importantly my friends rallying around me. In this story, the Department of Fish and Wildlife went above and beyond their call of their duty to provide guidance to two guys who weren’t prepared for what transpired that day and who didn’t bring enough cold weather gear. This is a story of one leftover Christmas ham sandwich and one pending world record spotted bass. This story starts back in November. I was originally suppose to get out on the water the last weekend in November up to the lake but,my wife pulled my yard pass on account of bad behavior and put me on landscaping duty. As a result, I had to reschedule the trip. I will never forget the look on my wife's face when I showed her the amazing fish that Paul Bailey had caught that weekend. She apologized several times but still didn't pull me from landscaping duty. Fast-forward a month later. I finally got back out on the water on December 27, 2015. My former tournament partner, John and I were running late to get up to the Lake; so late that literally we only fished for four hours or so. The day was an uneventful. After about an hour we finally started catching some dinks. We moved spot to spot catching a small fish here and there. About 2:00pm we pull up to a SSDD spot. At that point I mentally kind just checked out. I mean I was full on sitting in the old-man chair, sandwich in one hand jig rod in the other dragging a jig on the back deck. I make a cast and I get bit right away. My drag slips and I boat another dink. I remember that was odd and realized I had not adjusted my drag since my last trip in November. I adjust the drag and make the same cast. This time my sandwich is in my mouth, water bottle in between my legs and I get bit. Again my drag slips and now I am like "great, my reel is jack". I quickly reel up the line and see the color of the fish. I tell John get the net. She made one dive and with four full turns of my reel she was in the net. The whole ordeal was a whooping 8-10 seconds. At this time, I am still grubbing my ham sandwich and John tells me "Hey bud, she is big. She is a Double and might be in contention for the world record." I stand up and see her and immediately and get his live-well going. At this point I am concerned about the fish as I do this with all of my big fish. So we get her in the box, I text my friends for help on what to do. While I am waiting for cell service for my text to go through we hung her on John's cheap mustad scale and she bounces between 11.4lbs and 11.05lbs. The scale eventually settled at 11.05lbs on the water. At this point, I remember all the issues Paul had with trying to get his fish submitted. Then I began to worry about what I was going to do because like Paul, I was not willing to kill the fish just for a record. He did the right thing I planned to follow suit. Just then my phone gets reception and my friend tells me he has two certified scales was now running across the lake to get the certified scales. This whole time I was pretty much just in shock and I felt bad that he was going to come over 3 hours to meet me. I squeak out One last call to my amazing wife that I won't be home for dinner. It is now 3:30pm and my phone has died. He boarded our vessel and checked out the fish. Unfortunately, he didn't have a certified scale. The reality is it is not part of their job at all. Their job is to protect our California wildlife resources and prevent related crime. So here we are unprepared on all fronts, in the dark and the temp is dropping into the thirties when we finally see headlight coming down the hill towards the ramp. At this time it had been 4 hours since he left his house. Tim gets out of his car and walks me through everything I needed to do. It as at that point I realized exactly how out of his way he came. He literally left the warm of his home and his family to drive in the snow on his day off 4 hours away to help me, (who he had met twice before) potentially beat his world record. I literally had to say it out loud to him and John for it to set in, for me to realize exactly what a stand up guy he is. Tim walked me through all the steps that I need to do just to be able to submit the application for my fish for a world record. In the end, she settle at 11.00lbs even on Tim's certified scale and was released back into the lake. In the end, I was highly unprepared. I have amazing friends who rallied around me to get help when I needed it. My Setup: The fish ate a 3/4 oz football jig from Siebert Outdoors in a custom color I had him make. Mike is a great guy who offers a quality jig at a reasonable price and will make any color pattern you request. Check him out at Siebert Outdoors. The rod was a Dobyns 744c DX paired with tuned 100 Lexa. I apologized for not responding to people who inquired about my fish several weeks ago. I wasn't ready at that time to tell my story and I really didn't plan on telling it today. I will never forget that day and I am ever grateful for what everyone did to helped my very unprepared self. California has some amazing fisheries and I am confident the record will be broken again. Tight lines.

I set my drag the same on every reel!

Fishing is an activity that becomes who we are. I ripped the cartilage holding my ribs in place on the right side in mid-August. Casting hurt and handling my bass boat was almost impossible. Carrying or dragging the jon boat was completely out of the cards. Then, just as I was almost healed and was able to fish a bit, I re-injured them worse in early November. Ribs were getting hung on each other and I had a spot on the right side of my abdomen that was sticking out. Even light casting hurt. It seemed that my right rib cage was moving. If I laid on my back, it would move slightly forward. If, on my stomach it moved slightly backward. Every movement was painful. I've injured my ribs a few times in my life and the older I get, the easier it seems to tear the cartilage loose. Two different doctors told me that everything was in place but that I had extreme swelling. I had to relax and let the cartilage heal. I am just now feeling like I could fish. I plan to try working out again next week, but I am going to be very careful. So . . . . here it is mid-January, and I have only been able to fish three times since mid-August. I have the shakes, depression, and I am irritable. I wake up at night in cold sweats and can't get back to sleep. Seriously, though, the last five months have not been good. Fishing keeps me sane. I can't wait to get back on the water.

Easiest. Question. Ever. http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/

Got a good deal on a couple TD-Z's /w 90mm handles. Got them in and I really wish I would have taken a before pic. Guy used a mixture of that garbage Hot Sauce + Ardent Reel Butter in both reels. Tore them down to the frame, upgraded a few bearings. Few hours later and some OG Zillion Type R knobs...good as new

Was just sitting thinking about the good times me and my grand pa had, one in particular was the spring night crawler hunts, after or during a rain at night, we would get our flashlights a bucket and head to his favorite hunting spots, These spots were highly coveted and secretive as you couldnt just go anywhere to find them, And there was a lot of other people also hunting them, The general way to hunt was to walk softly through the yard or field using the flashlight to search for them, as any quick movement or shaking of the ground would send them Very quickly diving back in there hole, You would then bend over and grab the night crawler before it made it back in its hole, I can remember catching over 100 in a few hours, he then had a cellar with 2 large stone crocks he would keep them in, He would keep the tops of the crocks of covered with moss he collected out of the woods, and feed them coffee grounds and other table scraps, We would have night crawlers all summer long to fish with, Just wandering if any one else and what states have hunted Night Crawlers

Well boys got out again this morning. Thanks to working 3rd shift tonight. Hit water at 730 am. Within first 5 min had 2 fish in the boat. I got the first one at 5.88lbs and buddy landed a 4.76lbr on the next cast. After that missed 3 fish. Fished for another 2.5 hrs and came to a small point that i swear i lost a DD on last weekend. Point is only 6ft of water and comes out from bank 10ft. Then drops off the end into 15ft and 10ft on both sides. We made at least 30 casts from one side reeling across the point and then straight on at the point. Then i throw to far and get stuck in some reeds. We go retrieve my 6xd. I pull my bait out turn around now from the opposite side of point. Whip crankbait out there. Feel it bumping the bottom then boom gets heavy. Lay into her. Get her to the top and like ohhhhh ya another beast. Bring her in and 8.33lbs on the digi. Guess she just wanted a different look lol. Thanks for reading!

I set my drag by feel and probably end up around 30% of line test (perhaps even less than that). I like to feel the drag slip just a bit on the hook-set. The only time I would go with a heavier drag setting might be if fishing in heavy slop where you have to drag the fish out of the heavy stuff, and as mentioned above, with frogs. HOWEVER, locking the drag down, and using braid, might have a tendency to result in an occasional broken rod if you have a really stout drag stack. I might loosen the drag after hook-set if I'm in open water, and am trying to protect the hook-up on the fish. I also might loosen the drag if I have a very big fish coming back close to the boat or bank, and fishing with nylon mono or flouro, to protect the line in case the fish makes a sudden run. Use the drag appropriately to protect your line and hook-up, but no need to have a different drag plan for all of those baits that you listed.

If you buy a quality jig you shouldn't have to touch the weed guard!

I'm part of a support group down here for that. We meet 6am at the boat ramp, if you're interested.

Lol! More like they've been killing my wallet! I can' t help myself. I think I'm good on glide baits for a while !! . Had to have more Negotiators ..been dreaming of them!

I fish the 200D & 300D regularly. The 200D is a fantastic cranking reel for everything except the super over sized baits. I love it for squarebills and medium & deep diving baits. Remember the gear ratio & IPT on these reels a little on the low & slow side (which I prefer for most of my billed hard baits & swimbaits). The 300D takes over from there for baits like SK 10XD & Lucky Craft SKT Magnum 120 Mag DR. It's also my primary swimbait reel for Hudds ( 68's & 8" deluxe) as well as heavy A-Rig applications. The "D" series reels are super smooth, Little sliver Beasts that made chump change out of many a would be mutant Mexican Bass at every opportunity. btw - don't overlook the TW Demo program. I tried it with these reels and ended up buying them. A-Jay

Comparing a Calcutta to a Lews is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a Corolla, being the Calcutta the Rolls.

The rocket fishing rod... As seen on TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp4d-KE3k-c

I discourage the practice of locking a drag down completely. Leave a little to protect the Rod and reel from undue strain. Most reels will give some even at highest settings. A star drag is easily adjusted while landing fish if need be. The rule of thumb is 1/3 of line rating (mono equivalent diameter for braid). I don't see any reason to adjust for technique .

Made me go dig up some old reading material. Probably time for a refresher course, thanks for the reminder.

Yes there are copyrights and patents. The best way to avoid problems is make your own unique design and come up with your own name. So if you make worms, you cannot call them Senkos, you have to use a different name. Will your baits sell as well as a Senko with your name, maybe yes and maybe no. But the brand Senko is about the creator's name and his process. It is similar in lead jigs, however it seems the people aren't as anal about using names. The Arky jig is a household name and has no patent ties. The Brush jig as well. Many of the jigs that we use are generic names and have been named by Do-It molds and Hilts molds back in the day. Now the Chatterbait is a no-no. When it came out several years ago, the original creator's fiercely protected the name and the blade design. So you will have to do your homework and see what names are out there.

last night we were relaxing at a restaurant until I saw fresh catfish on the menu. the shakes came over me and I got thrown out b/c i stormed in the kitchen and demanded to see the chef's rod/reel combo.

i'm in therapy now to deal with my senko addiction... my therapist says i can still use them in small doses, but i must try harder to listen to my guests.

Romans just arrived !

Hey guys. Thanks for the kind words about my show. The new season just launched and we have 13 new episodes this year featuring everyday folks who love to fish. It's our 12th year of broadcast and we're not going anywhere. We've had a bunch of BR members on the show, including Glenn (aka Clark Kent) and will feature more in the future, for sure... We air on NBC Sports at 3:30pm EST on Thursdays, on WFN 6 times per week and on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Philidelphia and California...and on Time Warner Sports in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas... and you can watch full episodes of previous season's shows at Lunkerville.com. I love Bass Resource... Glenn has done an amazing job embracing all that's important about bass fishing... what's so cool is that this site and forum is for everyone... and no matter what your skill level, you can come here and be welcomed and gain knowledge. I don't post much here because of all my social media responsibilities, but I'll try to check in more often. Thanks Glenn for what you do!... and congrats on the Seahawks win(barely...yeow)

Y'all ever try one? They call it a Swinging Swim Jig I see a flipping, pitching, & punching jig The Trokar hook is attached to the head; it comes in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, $ 3/4 oz.

Bait designs can be patented. Bait names can be trademarked and copyrighted. It's semantics insofar as this conversation goes. Bottom line: don't emulate others; be original, and you won't get into any trouble.

Personally I don't see the need of the extra weight, expense and maintenance being worthwhile from a purely practical standpoint. If you're a tackle enthusiast then go for it.

There are plenty ones, here are some: Color C-Lector device and Color C-Lector "approved" finish on lures Daiwa Interline rods ( which later Cabela´s acquired ) Daiwa Computerized reel Flipping Switch on BCs Flipping/ pitching specific reels ( Ardent has one, Shimano had one, yes, even Shimano screws up once a while ) Oval fishing line designed specifically for BCs ( Magnum 7-20 & 14-40 )

I would maybe wait and see what the Met MGL looks like. Or if you're looking for a DC, the new Antares DC looks pretty sweet. If you're going to spend DC money, why not get an Antares?

The first ancient bone curved hooks had out barbs, hold into flesh better and harder to remove. The harder to remove, tearing of flesh design of out barbs, limits the use with catch and release bass anglers. What I don't like is out barbs tend to nick your line and scratch up the rod and lure finish faster the inward barbed hooks. Tom

If you haven't done so already, try going on a few fishing trips to those special places where one catches the kind of bass that dreams are made of. That will leave you wanting more & more, more & more, more & more, more & more, more & more, more & more, more & more, more & more. A-Jay

My fishing partner and best friend has been a part time multi-species guide for 24 years. Over the last ten, he kept trying to get me to join him, as he was turning away business because he didn't have enough time to do the trips. (we work full time jobs). He kept insisting that I was fully capable and I needed to just get to it. One of the things for me was a trepidation regarding a USCG Captain's license. It is required when you fish navigable waters. I hadn't had to do any serious learning and take a three hour exam in thirty years...that was a concern for me. Finally, I just said okay and threw myself into the course and the exam. Three years later, I'm doing great. It's hard work and a lot of prep of tackle, boats and expensive licensing. It costs me roughly $1200 a year for a MD guides license, boat license and insurance every year and that doesn't include boat and trailer registration fees. (and I'm sure I am missing some other expense...that my wife will always remind me of...LOL) Then there's fuel and maintenance and start up and replacement tackle and ramp fees...get the picture? It's funny when some people scoff at how much a trip costs, believe me, we are not getting rich. Anyone that is an avid fisherman and thinks that it would be a dream job has never done it. It is hard work. The charter Captains I know that are full time work their butts off. For me, once I'm fishing in the black (that what we call it when we have done enough trips to cover our licensing overhead) it is a fun way to make a few dollars doing something you love to do. Every once in a while, usually over cocktails, my buddy will ask, "well, do you love me or hate me for getting you into this life"? I always answer, "yes".

In the past I tried the fanning deal and the 50/50 spread / split deal but never really noticed that it made that much of a difference. So now as long as the hook is sharp & straight, I fish it as is. A-Jay

I fish them how I build them. I cant remember the last time I modified one of my jigs weed guard.

The Shakespear "Clear Tip" - I'm not sure what the purpose of a clear tip is. Their rods are strong as can be, but both of mine have a clear tip.....for....what exactly?

Reminds me of the great Night Crawl of '98. We done rassled a 20lb'er out of that dagum 'ol manure pile. Ain't never seent nuthin' like it again.

You done goofed, man. Might have gotten one swimbait out of it, but the cat is out of the bag and lighting off fireworks now! Let us all take heed of your blunder so that it may never be repeated

I hit WC about 11 they made us quit at 2. Took a guy from Wisconsin that wanted to have our meeting on the lake. He was amazed that we could fish in January and catch LM and SM in the same place with the same bait. I did get my best fish of the year on a mikey, didn't weigh it since it had all 3 hooks. I do know it didn't go 4.

I made the mistake of asking my wife for a swimbait for Xmas... She knows how much they cost now.. She wasn't impressed with my box of them anymore. That was a mistake

It's a decent first rod if you can find it on sale. At $80 I'd save my lunch money for a week and get a $100 Fenwick HMG.

You said awhile ago that the guy she went back to wasn't good for her. Did the thought occur to you that she's not good for you? Then think about it.

To quote Bocephus: "some of us are born with it; some of em don't ever, ever get it!"

If all y'all gathered from that book was "spoon plugs" y'all need to re-read it!

It's crazy I know- It happens though, man! It's an opinion and they're like snowflakes. No two are quite alike and it is beautiful. Cheers to being on different planets and still being both right AND happy!

Bluegill Flash is a must!

I catch fish on a rat and MS Slammer all the time in KS. You could fish that little Spro Rat 30 on standard gear no problem. Don't be afraid, I promise the fish aren't.

I enjoy your show as well Mike. Recently caught an episode of you catching hermit crabs and fishing with a pieced together rod and reel, it was pretty entertaining. If you ever get the urge to come to the fishing mecca that is NE Kansas, I'll put you on some fish

That's adjusted by the thin plastic washers on the shaft under the spool. In this case remove one. If the line stacked on the front you'd add one.

Fishing was pretty tough on Okeechobee, morning was tough and really foggy but as soon as the sun started to show through the clouds we got on a pretty good bite for a few hours but not too much size.. I will admit we fished with golden shiners for part of the day and ended up catching the biggest fish just under 6lbs. After that bite shut off we were fishing in transition areas in the middle of the grass, reeds, pads, etc. with soft swimbaits swimming them on top. We landed around 10 small ones and got one real good bite but she dug herself into the thick stuff and couldn't motor over in time. Great trip regardless

Congrats on the new PB. You are an honest angler. Most guys would have rounded up to six lbs.

I watched the new episode of Lunkerville last night, kayak fishing in NC with a wounded vet. Mike D caught a pig! As I was watching I was reminded that Lunkerville was how I heard about Bass Resource when I saw an episode with our very own Glenn May as a guest. He was schooling Mike D on how to catch smallmouth.