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EDIT: Here's the article Louisiana Sportsman wrote on me and the fish: http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=9644# PB went from 6 something to 11.12 last night! Last year I lost one that I "know" was over 10, this makes up for it. Didn't break me off this time because I was prepared with the right equipment. It qualified for Toledo Bend's "lunker program," so I'll get a replica for free. I weighed her in on an official scale and let her go back into the lake, it was a beautiful sight. WOO!

Man o man I have been in a small drought for finding big bass. We have had a lot of rain and the ponds look like chocolate milk. Welp, I have a few ponds that I fish from the bank but I also have 3 that I put my boat in. One is great. I've caught my PB of 7.13 last year at this pond as well. I had 3 hours last night and so I hit it up. It was muddy...not orange but still. After an hour I had thrown a black zoom worm, a black/blue Ned rig, a black and blue jig, then with a rage craw trailer and was getting ready to throw a spinner bait but then..... With a black 4" lizard, I casted into a spot that I had caught a 5 on the spawn last year. It's under heavy cover and I can't skip sitting down so... My lizard landed on the bottom of the tree limb. I get this a lot but this time my lizard was dangling in the water. Well, since it was slow fishing and I hadn't had a bite, I let it set there and pulled it up and down letting it tap the water and go in and out. Since it was up in there deep I thought "hey maybe I'll get lucky" so after about 15 seconds of this I let it fall to the bottom (2 feet deep here) and I pulled it back and let it rest on the surface and this big fat girl took it!!! The entire limb went underwater!!! I set the hook so hard that my back is a little stiff this morning!!!! She fought and fought hard! I knew it was a new PB! Maybe over 8 this time! She went under the boat and I knew it was over but my 30 pound braid and 5/0 hook stayed true. She finally gave up the ghost and I netted her. She was just 3 ounces from last years PB! 7.10. I haven't checked my notes and pics but she may Just be that PB from last year. I just wanted to share. It's been a tough grind for a week for me. A total dinkfest but that's why we go back right?!! For the record her tail was mangled and had open sores on the belly side as well as her stomach. I was sure the spawn was over as its so late in the year but she was in an area that holds beds and was in 2 feet of water but I just don't know. This water has been in the 70's for a month now. Besides her bite I didn't get a bite at all. Nothing. Hence the title I'll take lucky over good any day! Have a great day guys!!! And yes she went back in. Big catch and release guy here. I have also got full video of this. May slap it on YouTube. I'll post a link if I do. It even shows the limb going into the water lol.

My partner and I left Jacksonville yesterday @ 0300, and were on the lake by 0530 waiting on twilight. We made the quick run to the eel grass and found the fish somewhat cooperative. Spinner baits and top water started the day and as always ended up with stick baits. The fish have not taken up their summer pattern as of yet but should not be long before they pull back and head for the trenches and the 7' water. We ended the fishing day with a couple picture fish and a total of 23 LMB then made the ride back to Jacksonville with the truck A/C wide open the whole way. R/ Chris

I can no longer relate to any of that - nor do I ever plan to . . . A-Jay

I have been busy fishing for the last three days, on Saturday I spent most of the day crappie fishing and trolling for white bass. Ended up with only two crappie between 7 am. and 12 am. and after that trolled for white bass until 2:30. I caught a ton of white bass, so many I lost count. Later on in the afternoon I switched to largemouth and caught thirty one, but only three over fifteen inches and all on the Ned. On Sunday I concentrated on catching bigger bass, only throwing jigs and swimbaits in deeper water. I saw no increase in size whatsoever, only a severe decrease in numbers. I only caught thirteen bass and zero over fifteen inches in three hours. All of the fish are a jig skipped underneath docks. Today I started with jigs again, but after four hours and only six bass in the 12-14 inch range and none over fifteen, I switched to the Ned rig. Over the next two and a half hours I caught about 35-40 bass, with five over fifteen inches. There goes my theory of catching bigger bass with jigs. Most of the bass were caught under docks, but once the sun started setting they moved to the shoreline in one to eight feet if water. The bigger bass came five to twenty feet of the shoreline while the more numerous smaller bass were closer in. All of the bass ate the half of a zinkerz fished with a swim glide and shake retrieve. So I have came to the conclusion that I don't necessarily need to upside my baits to get a better size, I just need to cast a little farther off the shoreline and under deeper docks.

Actually buzzed bait, the comment is that Flake and salt makes soft plastics firmer in texture or feel... durability is most ALWAYS better regardless of the recipe of plastisol when there no salt or flake, so you're on the right track when discussing durability for sure! Also in response to your other question, any soft plastics that are removed from a quality made soft plastic bag and placed in fishing boxes of most any type will start to lose it's oil and elasticity. That's just the nature of the beast, lol... hope that helps!

I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread were we can post the latest deals and sales we see to help each other save some money, sponsored by the Bait Monkey!

Here's pics of 4 of my 5 best from Saturday that went for 21 lbs. (4.75, 4.5 4.5, 4.2, and 3.5, one of the 4.5's I forgot to get a pic after weighing)

Attention: Disgruntled Shimano Ci4+ 1000 spinning reel owners. Contact me to sell your Junky reels at a low balled price..

hauled this hog in today, plus a few spawning fish too.

Got to get down and fish lower Potomac Sunday. Fished the Kyle Hoffman memorial tournament out of leesylvania. It turned out to be the best day my partner and I have had down there. We scooped up first place with 20lb 12oz. The weather was unfavorable but the fishing was great.

Ed is a d**n good fisherman I have to say, turns out I finished 2nd behind him and not third after some math errors were corrected. Definitely was a good day to be on the water. Here's the 2nd biggest fish of the day.

For my Calc class we had to do a final project of anything related to calculus. I chose to use our 3D printer to print a lure. I printed a spook lookalike, because of the simplicity of designing. If interested I'll include the math, I used to prove it would float before printed. Still awaiting the paint job, as all my school has is purple filament. Math: I used this function, as it mimicked the shape after revolved around the x axis- y=0.01x³ - 0.13x² + 0.51x + 0.14 Then rotated around the axis with this integration, from 0-7 π ∫((0.01x³ - 0.13x² + 0.51x + 0.14)^2)=Volume Volume=9.92cm^3 Now calculating the density from the mass given from the printing program Mass 7.83 grams So the density is .789g/cm^3 The density of water is 1g/cm^3 so this lure will float, and it does.

I know it's like talking to the wind but if you quit making that mess with a extra knot and just tie a Palomar Knot on your lure all the problems and questions you just asked will be answered. Including re-ties. Of course some are fanatics and think that fish just can't keep their eye off your line... hint hint many of us catch fish just fine strait braid. If that fish doesn't bite because of your line she wasn't biting anyway because she can see the steel hook too. duh

Signs like that are for the most part Shot & Ignored. A-Jay

Academy has all? their hardbaits and hard swimbaits on sale for $3 a piece right now, killer deal. They are built really well and have premium VMC hooks. Just placed a massive order lol.

Weightless senkos - I used to fish them braid with a leader but have now gone to using straight FC.

Friday was a high pressure cold front with only 5 largemouth, biggest being 1.5#. Saturday was windy rainy and shutdown. Sunday bright skies and low pressure and warming water all day got the bait up on the flats and once I found them the bite got better all day. 36 total, my wife caught 6 and I caught 29 all over 2# and several over 3#. Erie is always in control but some days she gives up her bounty.

While having a cruddy go of it in finding Smallmouth in Erie, we happened into a pod of Walleye. To lessen the sting of sucky bass fishing that day, dinner that night was certainly tasty...

In that range of gear, why don't you just buy it there and give it to a kid on your way to the airport coming home? Would probably cost less than the airline is going to charge you to check it.

Owner beast hooks are by far the best. Super wide gap and the center pin screw is great.

mine just blew a wad at some lululemon warehouse sale, so i've got the upper hand for now! (or at least that's the lie i told myself)

VMC half-moon jig heads are more like a shakey-head with a larger hook. Notice how much smaller the Gopher hooks are, usually nothing bigger than a size 2. Also, the VMCs come in nothing lighter than 3/32 oz. Most Ned riggers never go that heavy, preferrig to use 1/16 or 1/32 oz. heads most of the time. Not that you couldn't catch fish with them, but they wouldn't be considered part of the Midwest finesse (Ned rig) system. As for the weekend comedy of errors, Sometimes I fight it, sometimes I don't, but I've learned to give myself options that avoid the worst of it Maybe the rain threat will keep some of the traffic away. -T9

My buddy came down from Charlotte, NC to do some fishing here in GA. We went to 3 different lakes Thursday, Friday and Saturday. i thought for sure we'd get on some fish, but boy was i wrong! We had 3 of the worst days imaginable! He caught 1 fish on Thursday, we caught ZERO on Friday (same went for 3 other guys on the lake), on Saturday he caught one and a i got 4 tiny dinks AND THAT WAS IT!!! The only fish worth mentioning was the one my buddy caught on Thursday night. He hooked it on a texas rigged ribbontail worm and this thing was a champion fighter! He took my buddy for a sleigh ride and pulled him around in a 360 three times! short, but stocky and weight in at 5lb4oz. otherwise just poor fishing, but good times were still had!

I think you need to retitle your thread to not how overrated the CI4 is, but how underrated the Pflueger Supreme is. I agree with you 100% as I tried the CI4, but preferred my Pflueger Supreme's over it (I have 10 spinning combos and every one has a Supreme on it. Just a great reel).

Absolutely not! I quit snelling my hooks cause I saw no increase in hookup ratio!

They're my main stick worm of choice, especially if I'm using them with a weight and fishing cover because they're more durable.

I had some luck on lake Frederick., but got some great info on the guys that consistently caught 8+ pound bass. With the hundred boats that fish the lake at a time, it gets frustrating since the lake is so small. The guys in the spring time just cruise the shoreline on those windless sunny days and site fish with their white soft plastics. That is how the 10 pounders get caught. I heard some have caught Giants in the prespawn fishing the ridges in 8 feet of water with spinnerbaits. Lastly, one guy I talked to who caught numerous Giants each year predominantly fished with the shakey head and was not always site fishing. Biggest I caught there was close to 7. I never went enough to learn the hotspots. Definitely the best big bass spot in northern VA in my opinion.

Just ordered 20 crankbaits from Academy... Yes, I do hope my wife doesn't see this. Lol.

I'll offer another alternative that works well with spinning gear. A Booyah Boo Rig. It's a smaller version of an umbrella rig with spinner blades rather than jigs on all but the center arm. That arm is flexible and has a clip or snap to which you can attach any number of baits. It's a great way to get any size crank down deep.

Frogs have a lower hookup ratio, but I usually get about 75% of the bites. The trade off is it seems to be a big fish bait.

Hit up the Academy site for their $2.99 h2o bait sale. Picked up some sunfish and shad swim baits. Those things have great action amd for $3 you can't beat'em. Picked up some wake and prop baits too. 9 baits total for under $27. Even the wife was impressed. Also picked up 180oz of Sonny's dip bait for those nights on the bank.

After a week of fishing lake Anna from my boat and catching nothing over 3 lbs, I decided to fish a local pond today. Ended up pulling in this 4 lb 7 oz fish on a drop shot. New personal best! Who needs those big lakes anyways

I was able to get out to Silver Lake on Saturday. It was my first time fishing there. It was the perfect day for fishing. No wind and overcast. We hammered pike all day. Went through 3 dozen chubs before noon. Boated 20 northern pike, 3 bass, couple rock bass, bullhead and a half dozen perch.

Palomar knot.

I tie a Palomar knot, always even with florocarbon.

I've heard about this "noise" from the Ulterra from someone else too. Its an electric-driven bow mount so that's not totally surprising - I think the cable driven models like Fortrex and Maxxum are much quieter. How's that auto stow and deploy and power trim working? That commercial of the guy launching a Ranger by himself with it and then having it pick him up at the dock is a good one.

Finally got the boat out for a test run today, fished monponsett lakes.,... found the females just off the spawning areas fished a rapala dt 16 perch pattern to find them and a black/blue jig and pig once I pinpointed the "highways" all fish were caught in at least 10 feet of water (guesstimate). Most of the ladies had eggs still so the spawn is still on, caught 11 fish and none under 4 lbs with the best pushing 6.5 (most 4 to 5+lbrs) I dont know what the temps were as my new lcr didnt work, (loose wire) and my primary lcr i broke the transducer at the ramp before I launched DOH! All fish were healthy and clean I saw some fishing from kayaks and a few bassboats, guys I did talk with were catching males up shallow. I like the new ulterra trolling motor, kinda noisey, and it will take some getting used to. but the spotlock feature i really liked, it kept me on one good spot til I was satisfied i fished it thru without me having to "handle" the motor and it was windy there., the autopilot is a godsend too, never mind the deploy and stow. My back and leg were fine all day WOOHOOOO! I just cant wait til i fix the loose wire on the new helix so i can lock some waypoints and such,// but all in all? Im glad i dropped the $ and got what my health called for. Now if I can just fix the broken transducer issue and the loose wire I will be fishing nh smallies soon.

A slight altering or improvement can make all the difference in action and presentation. Not to say keitech has any issues with their bait but we all know ragetail is and has always been quality and action not seen in other baits. The only complaint I've ever heard about ragetail baits is the softness and not lasting quite as long as other baits fish per fish wise. Now to be honest thats not an issue with me. I have always caught way more fish on ragetail than any other plastic. Would I rather have a bait that is extremely versatile and a fish catching machine that sacrifices just a bit in durability for the unique action it brings or would I rather have a durable as all get out bait that does not have the action nor the fish drawing/catching power? Obvious answer for me. I use ragetail along with gambler, d&m baits, and reaction innovations for one reason, design, and performance. I have no doubt the rage swimmers will give me the same confidence and gain my loyalty

At the end of the day I will have a pile of rage tail swimmers and a pile of Keitechs. Both are good companies with good baits that catch fish. I see no reason to be 100% on either side of the fence on this one. Hopefully SK will offer a dozen colors or more. That may be one of the less talked about reasons Keitechs are popular...

Trip #28 I fished from noon-4pm today.............I wouldn't say it was on fire, as I have better expectations of what "on fire" means, but it was good. Caught 23 largemouth, and 6 smallmouth. Best five were a mix of the two at : 4-9 (LM), 4-4 (SM), 4-2 (SM), 4-2 (LM) and 3-14 (LM)

I caught a can once, in about 73. Small creek & a marabou jig. No joke..we opened it up, it was gangrene looking.. To this day, I'm still amazed my little jig hook found that little pull ring and hooked that spam. True story..

Scored a new casting combo with a Cabela's employee pricing coupon. 7' MHF Avid x curado I 200HG

Heard it was a good day to fish my buddies did well to. Ed took first and my buddy Paul must have tied you. A lot of fish taken in less then a foot of water. They said the same thing about senko's and jig's did very well.

Added back to the list. It is 120 USD on TW.

In the end, ain't that what it's all about. Nice one

yeah that would have been me.... that's interesting that you say the flake makes it more durable. i'm not disputing that by any means, but it's been my personal perception all along. i do wonder if that's because most of my soft plastics have been removed from their original packaging and stored in a plano container?

My second biggest bass came on a 2 3/4 inch trd while skipping docks two months ago. It weighed in at a whopping 8.2 pounds with at least a pound of eggs stuffed in its fat stomach. And my pb of 10.3 ate a strike king bitsy tube sight fished on its bed. I have found that nearly any bass, no matter the size, will eat small baits fished in front of there faces. Big bass won't move very far for them, but they do eat tiny baits.

I honestly hardly ever even look at the arrow on mine. To re-align it though, as others have said it shouldn't be hard, you can take the 3 or so screws out of the head to take it apart and check it out. Some models you can actually pull up on the arrow to disengage it enough to turn it back without taking anything apart.

Get the 3 bank. You could squeak by with a 2 but you run the risk of being dead on the water. Sure your motor will charge while you're running, but it doesn't do it very fast and with locators and pumps running off your starting battery they get drained down more than they used to.