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she didn't appear to be on a bed but she had her spot staked out and she seemed nailed to it. no messin' around with this one. red hot fish. she bit on the first cast as soon as the bait got near her. probably didn't take 30 seconds from cast to catch. got her on a swimbait.

Hey guys, Life was pretty busy for me this last couple of months and I decided to take a break from some online stuff. But now that I'm back I couldn't resist posting some fish pics. Bite's been pretty good here in NC. One of the reasons why I've been busy is that I connected with a guy on bass live who lives 5 minutes away from me and I've been fishing tournaments with him and learning a lot about lakes and boat fishing. It's been a great experience. The biggest bass in the first pic is the same one as the fourth. And he told me to hold it close to the camera It was 5.7, caught it on a chatterbait on Jordan Lake.

Here's a short clip on the NEW Rage Tail Swimmer that I promised during our BassResource Dinner at the Classic... Be sure and let me know if you have any questions! They should be hitting some store shelves, online etc. here pretty soon. Hopefully Siebert Outdoors will receive one of the first orders too... I'm trying to get his orders moved up the list, we'll see The differences to other swimmers out there: *More And Faster action at slower retrieve speeds. *More body action as well & RT body keeps moving at faster speeds where others only has tail action at faster speed. *We have 6 per pack on 4.75's they have 5. We have 7 3.75s where they have 6. *Our bodies have hybrid rage bug/rodent ribs where others have straight ribs. Hope you like'em!!! https://youtu.be/XC_un6to74U

I have a "that guy". He takes FOREVER, and it doesn't even matter what it is. He is always late, and every little step is as if he was a 80+yo man... Loading the boat could take an hour lol. Stopping for gas? Who knows. Could be a coffee, a sandwich, a bathroom break, all of the above and maybe a pony ride too if they've got 'em.

I am not going to call a spinning rig a "sissy stick", but I will say that every time I whip out my Met/NRX a new hair sprouts on my chest and my junk hangs a little lower.

Both! Both work well when conditions meet the need for each application.

I bought a speed spool off ebay the other day, couldn't pass up the price. The listing said "sluggish" which I think deterred a lot of buyers. Anyways I scored it for a heck of a deal, figuring it was probably either gummed up or just needed bearings replaced. I got it today and he was right, it was sluggish. I had a few minutes over lunch so I took it apart to see what was wrong. Took the side plate off and oil dripped out of the bearing... took the rest of the reel apart and it looked like someone dumped a half a bottle of quantum hotsauce in it through the spool shaft hole. Dried everything out and lubed it properly and it runs just like new. Moral.. LESS IS MORE. One drop of oil and a small amount of grease on moving parts is all you need..

I guess that's the human psyche wrapped up in one post. Our psychopathy relates to some and not to others based on proverbial peers. In the end, everyone is "that guy" to another "that guy". Fascinating.

I'm VERY particular about my fishing habits I guess you could say, if my leader is too short, I'm tying on a new one, one leg rips off of the craw on my jig trailer? New one. One tiny nick in my line? Knot feels like it didn't cinch down correctly? I'm retying. Fish looks like he's hooked really well just swing him in? Nope, get the net! My little brother on the other hand tends to stick with the idea of things being "good enough". If his leader is down to 1.5' hes still gonna fish it and not retie, and with me being so nit picky it's just painful to watch. Especially when he loses a fish because of something! So he's "that guy". Sometimes I make him stop fishing so I can re-rig whatever hes using. He's 16 and I'm 18 so it's not like I have to be his babysitter, I just can't handle watching people fish in a mediocre way. This then makes me "that guy" to all of my friends and family, since I'm so nit picky about my fishing stuff

Spent all of last week at Kentucky Lake. We caught bass every day with a few good ones. For some reason I can't access all the pictures. This is a few of the better fish. No really big fish this year. When it is windy, Kentucky Lake is not an easy place to fisH! Good trip though. Most of the better fish were caught on shakeyheads and finesse worms, with a few on Beavers. A few on crankbaits, traps and spinnerbaits. Nothing on chatterbait or A-rigs. Edit: I am the good looking young guy (in the Cablelas shirt).

Went out today even though it was rainy and chilly this morning, but turned out to be an awesome day. Started out with a vision 110 and finished with the same vision 110, never even touched another rod. I caught 8 today with a 6.47# LM and a 3.89 smallie being the best two.

pocket knife

On my last trip to Toho in 2008, I hired a guide..........without him I would have gotten lost out there. I hired him for a full 8 hours, and we spent the morning fishing shiners. I didn't catch a super sized hog by Florida standards, I caught one over 8lbs, and a bunch more 3-5lb fish. It WAS NOT fast and furious fishing, probably just average. About half way through the day I said "dude............I can't take it anymore, sitting here watching a bobber. Give me a flipping stick and lets get to work." He complied with my wish's , and we went to flipping worms and creature baits. Caught a bunch, and another one over 6lbs. All in all it was a good day, and positive exp. I'd do it again. The guide was a super nice guy. Picked me up at the resort, and dropped me back off. He had a "no fish, no pay" policy, and like I said, he let me do "my thing". The first hour on the lake or so with him was a little dicey.................#1 I am NOT used to running 70MPH in a boat through dirt shallow water with cattails whipping by my head like and angry swarm of bee's LOL, #2 It had been 15 years since I used shiners for bass (actually never for bass only pike) so there was a slight learning curve, and #3..........I imagine he gets a ton of clients who are 100% not fisherman, it took him a little while to realize he didn't have to "dumb down" things (other than the shiner fishing 101) for me. By the end of the day we were both on the front deck flipping and punching, talking trash to each other, and joking around like long time tournament buddies. His name is Steve Boyd, I just did a quick google search, and he popped right up and is still guiding. HTH.

Is anyone else ready for winter to be over? On topic, the Daiwa Alphas platform or various Shimano 50E reels are good starts that won't break the bank. I greatly prefer casting reels for shad raps and other small hardbaits.

Been in the JDM reel hobby for a long time now (since the early 90s) and started Hawg Tech, because we saw a need for JDM type quality handles, but for more reasonable prices. For example in my opinion the best JDM handles are ZPI, but the handle alone is $90, without knobs. I have tried Studio Composites, and unless you just want the Studio Composite looks then why not the ZPI and if that is the case then why not Hawg Tech? Lastly, try giving ZPI, Studio Composites, or Avail a call if you have issues.... Cost Comparison for a Shimano Curado (The largest market segment) Hawgtech 94MM without knobs (Transfer Shimano Septon knobs from your existing reel) $59. You can add $10 for Septons Knobs, $20 for Winn Knobs or $35 for 100% cork knobs. So your price range is $59-$94. Studio Composites 92mm with Carbon Knobs $149 w/ Eva $139 ZPI Carbon 92mm are $89 without knobs. We also offer 90mm for those of you that want a smaller profile handle for 50 series reels and our most popular 102mm which adds $10 to above comparison. If you have any questions our would like to order a handle send me an Email at robert@hawgtech.com or you can call me just send me a PM.

well the bait monkey waited to whisper until i was browsing Costas website by the time I knew what was happening I was clicking place order and my bank account was a little closer to zero. Ended up with some Cortez green mirror 580G, worth every penny.

Nice work! As long as one is truthful about the weight and size of a fish, I don't care how you hold it for the pic. That one definitely matches up nicely with the weight you provided.

That's why you have to use a spinning setup I guess it's all what we're accustomed to. If I tried to accurately cast a baitcaster I'd end up stuck in the tree or with a bird's nest. Easy for me to just chuck and wind them on St Clair where there are no targets within a 360 radius.

yes, the fish are probably in prespawn patterns. I would start targeting coves in three to eight feet of water. Fished for one and a half hours this afternoon, but the bass had completely shut down from the cold front. Only caught four dinks on the ned rig. The wind wasn't as bad as it was predicted, except the horrible gusts, but it kept changing directions making it impossible to find an area protected from the wind for long.

Years ago I bought a bps pro qualifier for my first "serious" bass fishing baitcasting reel and loved it. Since that time I have bought a lot more reels and am mostly a shimano guy now. With that being said though, the PQ still surprises me to this day. The durability, the way it handles, casts and just feels is really surprising to me compared to reels twice as much in cost. It might have a "dated" style look to it, they haven't changed since I got my first one 6 or 7 years ago, but they are workhorse reels for sure. So now onto the reason I don't buy them anymore. They're just heavy. I can get past the looks, they aren't that bad looking but they aren't exactly sexy either. But the weight is just to much for what I've grown accustom to. They are about an ounce or more heavier than most of my other reels. So am I the only one who thinks Bass Pro should redo this reel pretty much exactly the same, but just knock some weight off it? If they did that I would be all over this reel again and probably buy a few, I wouldn't mind a slight cost increase either, as they're always on sale and can be had now for $70. Either way the reel as it is now is by far a slamming deal at $70. Does anyone feel this way or am I the only one? lol

Finally worked up to running a 5k, which has been a goal of mine for a long time. Finished that last night, and tonight I broke my record for my personal fastest mile, 5:42. I don't have the endurance to do extreme distances yet, but I'm working on it. #NewYear'sResolutions #FitnessIsAwesome

I am a young bank largemouth fisherman with not much money to spend. I also do not want to carry around a lot of rods fishing from the bank. What rod, reel, and line would be the most versatile to use in my situation.

Carried since 1974

With the notches lined up, like your pic, the braking is the strongest. Ive had magnets come unglued in a few older Daiwa reels. Simple fix. You can use a couple of drops of superglue, or just about any epoxy. Just use as little as you can.

Maybe you've heard of the Ambassadeur 1500-2500C Series reel? Been around since "75",designed for fishing light lures.

Hahaha. My one friend I've taken fishing a few times almost always ends up in the water somehow. Good guy but can be pretty clumsy. The most dangerous time was bank fishing near some turbines at a power plant. I had to pull him out that time. Glad i outweigh him by 100 pounds or he could have pulled me in too. This thread reminded me of this meme lmao. LC

I'm a devoted Shimano guy myself and I too have 4 PQ's. I myself wouldn't change anything about them. But then I am kind of old school. You know, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"....lol. Hootie

http://www.humminbird.com/Category/Technology/Side-Imaging/ That whole 'folding a piece of paper' statement made all the difference to me.

I do believe that fluorocarbon, specifically designed for leader material, is manufactured with the goal of achieving the most abrasion resistant and reduced visibility characterists. It is not designed specifically for casting, wherein lies the difference. Subtle lines, which are best for casting/spinning usage, cannot be as abrasion resistant; as this characteristic is a harder, stiffer line, which is well suited as "leader material". This is how I understand the properties and the differences.

That 21.5 pounds of smallies in my profile picture, all on sissy stick. Just sayin....

"Less is more" are words to live by in a lot of ways. Nothing wrong with with not wanting open a reel. An automotive oil change is much simpler and quicker yet what % of people do their own? Don't know exactly but it's small.

Side imaging just always had a goofy presentation to me. My biggest problem with SI was re-visualizing the screen in a way that made sense to me - so I could understand what I was actually seeing. I found a super easy explanation once that made it 1000% better to understand. (I'll try to find it in the a.m).

Regrets I've had a few but then again definitely not my SI. It took a season to learn but now I am a hunter of fish. It takes a lot less time finding those productive rock piles also.

I use trion 25s and shimano sienna and sedona 1000s for panfish. You don't need a $100 reel for crappie fishing. I make thousands and thousands of casts with my panfish rods each year and I have not had a problem other than the siennas having weak bail springs. I'd suggest the 25 trion for panfish... and either the president or supreme for bass. Size 30 for finesse, 35 if you need bigger line or more capacity.

My best friend always has a knack for hooking me, he's done it multiple times. I lost it when he accidentally got an EWG in my head. That wasn't pleasant.

I have no issues casting them on a medium fast casting rod as far my spinning setup would cast them. in all honesty though, I'm usually trying to cast them accurately and quietly rather than bomb them as far as I can.

I think you should probably find a new fishing buddy. I don't really have a fishing buddy, except for my dad coming occasionally, I fish alone. The way I look at, I don't annoy myself, I'm not carelessly breaking my equipment, I don't talk non-stop, and I don't want to quit early. Sounds perfect to me. I wonder why.

When I saw this the fist thing that went through my head was "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL"

A friend fished my lake early this morning and got a 6.5 that makes 4 bass over 6 and 3 over 7 since our first trip out...I am up on Barbee where it is snowing now..

Threw a set og corks I had around on the J dream and some Boca 7's

There are some good suggestions here, but if you're looking for something to flip and pitch into heavy stuff, the value of a half decent baitcaster is very hard to beat. You can certainly fish heavy on a spinning outfit, but the baitcaster (with some practice) will offer you much better control and the ability to thumb the spool can be a difference maker in your presentations, hook sets (winch down that drag!), and ability to fight fish away from the jungle. Outside of even specialized pitching scenarios, getting comfortable with the baitcaster will open up a lot for your fishing.

Metanium mgl arrived today and I was finally able to complete my newest combo. Shimano Poison Adrena 6'10 M/MF with Shimano Metanium Mgl XG

KVD will remain relevant to the sport as long as he chooses. His sponsors are not going anywhere soon, the man is a cash cow.

I use a 7'3" 13 'Envee' black HXF and Lew's BB1 Pro with 40# Smackdown. The only change I'd make is to swap the Lew's for an Exsence DC but that's more of a "someday" than a need. Killer rig.

It is all about what you are accustomed to. Bait casting gear is a lot of fun for me. But you have to use what works for you and most importantly, CATCH FISH. For me, it is natural to thumb the spool and pitch baits into pockets nice and gently. You can do the same with spinning gear, but Baitcasting gear is more fluid to me.

Nice fish man

Anyone else planning on fishing in the 30-50 mile per hour wind today?

Points; Are areas where land jonts out into the water. If I was you, knowing nothing about this body of water, I would start along the shore in the morning on points or in a bay. Or where there is it appears an island near the road is marked 132, I would fish inside of that part on the main river. Once the day got going and the sun got higher in the sky I would let the fish tell me what they want. By that I mean are they moving off to deeper water or are they going shallow up in cover.

The attachment is a sat map, no contour lines to indicate what the depth may be. The Saint Lowrance River isn't an impoundment it's a river so most of the terms you read do not apply. Bass, both smallmouth and largemouth are not the primary predators in this ecosystem, both pike and musky are higher predators, so they dominate the best feeding areas. Bass in a river tend to locate where current breaks occur and let the current bring prey to them verses the bass hunting prey. Largemouth bass like slower moving water then smallmouth bass,both can occupy the same areas. Man made current breaks are the most obvious, wing dams, rip rap broken rocks used to reduce erosion, marina's, power plants, bridge pilings etc. Current breaks are anywhere you see faster moving water making an edge with slower moving water, it's the seam in between these that offer nearly no current. Where you see tree laydowns, big boulders or any structure or channel, stream or smaller river joining the bigger river that creates current breaks is where you want to target bass in a river system. Tom

First thing to know about drag is how the fish you plan to catch puts force on your line, reel and rod combination. The fish swims against the line pressure and has very little weight in water. LMB are not fast swimmers compared to most game fish, they can turn quickly getting sideways and this act increases their pulling strength. Bass have low endurance and can't fight very long, about 1 minute. All you need to do is control where the bass is going by putting enough pressure to prevent the fish from wrapping your line into cover or structure damaging the line or getting off the hook. Rods; the lifting power of rods are rated in pounds force. 2 lbs is about 2 power or medium light 3 lbs or 3 power medium. 4 lbs or 4 power medium heavy. 5 lbs to 6 lbs 5 power heavy 7 lbs to 8 lbs or 7 power X heavy. All the above can very between rod makers within 1/2 lb. Never set the drag higher than it's lifting power, it can break the rod or higher than the line rating. There isn't a LMB on the planet that can pull 8 lbs of drag by swimming against that much force and very few bass rods that can apply that much force. Set the drag using a scale and run the line through all the guides, tie the line to the scale and pull until the drag starts to slip using the lbs shown for the rod power. Tom PS, no scale then use 1 pint plastic bottle of water for 1 lb, 3 bottles for 3 lbs etc.