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With the Elite Series stopping on my home waters of the Potomac River I had to sign up as a marshal to see how these guys attacked it. I was confirmed for the first 2 days and got as lucky as you can get by drawing KVD for day 2 of the tournament (Friday). After launching we had some time before take-off so in between him doing a couple quick interviews we got to discuss his first day and his plans for day 2. KVD's first day was a nightmare...Other boats in his spots, timing off, best areas trashed by the wind, and lost fish. He told me that it was one of those days where everything that could've possibly gone wrong did go wrong. We spent the first few minutes in the morning on day 2 talking about the weather, he was hoping the wind changed direction enough so that his best area wouldn't be blown out again. After checking the weather a few different times he concluded that it was probably still going to be trashed, but there was enough of a chance to at least go check on it when the tide was right. When we finally took off as boat #60 he started up river to a spot where he saw several good fish in practice. The first thing that jumped out to me was how he drove the boat...It was like a race car driver, not becasue of the speed but the 'path' he takes. He runs right on the shoreline when he can (said it was smoother, and it was), as in you could touch it with a fishing rod, and cuts corners/points literally as close as you can. I knew that in some areas he was in less than a foot of water. It reminded me of race car driver cutting the apex of each turn...Zero wasted time and not even a foot of extra distance traveled. None of the other pros seemed to take it to this extreme, including my day 1 pro (Cliff Prince). It wasn't a far run to his first spot and there were 3 other competitors already there from an earlier flight. He told me that all 3 were there yesterday too and had the very best spot locked down. He wouldn't encroach on them, but said he was hoping to pick up fish on the periphery. Two of the three were Hackney and Vinson and they did not move more than 50 yards all day, for both day's 1 & 2. He caught his first fish quickly on a popper and made a joke about finally having something weigh in....He hung around for about an hour and besides one other blow up that missed his popper there was no action. His next stop was a short distance down river, a stretch of docks with good grass in front. He spent most of the time here using frogs. The new Poppin' Perch, a regular KVD frog, and a new SK toad with 'flat' feet (like a Ribbit). He had two good blow ups just inches behind his toad and had a good fish knock his KVD frog in the air on a blow up...All were decent size fish but they never completely got the bait. He switched colors a few times to see if that would get them to commit a little better but it ultimately didn't result in any more bites. As he was re-tying he pulled out a bunch of the new Poppin' Perch frogs to show me and explained how he worked with SK for almost a year to get it how he wanted....After a few passes up and back with the frog he went into the docks and flipped them with a Menace, but had no bites. From there we ran upriver to a popular creek with another spot where he saw several quality fish in practice. As we rounded the corner and set down he cursed when he saw Gary Klein sitting literally on his waypoint. He showed me on his GPS and sure enough, it was exactly on top of his mark. Klein was getting bit almost every cast on a walking bait and we watched him put his whole limit in the boat...KVD said that he probably got there just a few minutes before we did. He got close to Klein but stayed away from the main spot. The fish weren't as interested in his popper so he said he had to try a walker. He pulled out his walker box and I learned that besides his Sexy Dawg bait, he also really like the Evergreen Shower Blows...He asked if I'd ever used it and when I said it was one of my favorites he agreed and I think his exact words were 'yep, it's a baaaaad sum-b****..." . Even KVD likes a little JDM style . He got no love on the walker since he couldn't hit the main spot, so he started digging in his rod boxes and pulled out a spinning rod. He rigged up a 4" Caffine Shad and started skipping it quickly across the surface, trying to imitate the needlefish we get in the river this time of year. He cycled through colors every few casts before finally settling on one. This was the ticket for him as it resulted in 4 fish to fill his limit in the next hour or so. Nothing huge, but he was happy to get 5 after the disaster on day 1. The tide eventually brought too much dirty water into the area and it was about the right time to go check on his primary spot. We headed down river and as we got closer he looked over holding up his crossed fingers hoping for a little luck. Unfortunately, the wind had it trashed again. He still gave it a few minutes before giving up and we ran back up the river. We bounced around to a few more areas but he wasn't able to connect on anything else that helped him. I know a lot of that is a little vague, but if i went into all the details this post would 4 pages long! Honestly, the actual fishing part was awesome...But the real highlights to me we the conversations about tackle, strategy, locations, and everything else. I asked about a lot of his baits and colors and the level of detail he considers for everything he has is impressive. There is a reason/purpose for everything he uses and/or has his name on. For example, we talked about the Caffine Shad and he told me that he designed it specifically to be different from the Super Fluke. He said he wanted it to fall completely horizontal like a stick-bait instead of gliding around like the fluke. He also told me that they have the Jr sized Rage Bug in the works . His name on the package isn't just marketing, if it's got KVD on the package it's because he either designed or modified it to his liking. The thing that impressed me the most was how well he knew the Potomac. He knows this river better than any local I've met, which obviously includes me too. I'd like to think I know this river better than most and he was on another level. He never went to an area that I haven't been (and neither did my day 1 pro), but the level of detail about each area and the history he knew was insane. A few of the places he hit were some of my favorite areas and he had those places dissected to such detail that I never once thought "I wonder if he knows about 'XYZ' in this spot"...He knew it all. I know he has a long history on this river, but even still it's unreal to me how much detail he knew. He couldn't have been a nicer guy and was very easy to talk to. We talked quite a bit about some other waters in the area like the Upper Bay, James/Chick rivers, Gaston, and Kerr which was fun...Nothing like comparing strategies with greatest of all time . I know in his mind he was probably fuming since he was having a tough tournament, but you never would have known it from talking to him. At the end of the day I helped him bag his fish for weigh in and with a handshake I thanked him for the day wished him good luck with the rest of the season and he wished me good luck with rest of mine (which was cool, even though I'm just small time). It was the best day I've spent on the water and I never even made a cast. I also don't want to overlook my day 1 pro, Cliff Prince who was also great...But I'd be writing all day/night if I put everything that happened on both days in text....I'll just end by saying that if the Elites ever make a stop in your vicinity you should jump on the marshal opportunity...Even just hanging out before launch or at weigh in is awesome, every single pro was friendly and approachable. It's worth every penny and every second.

STORY: Department of Fish and Wildlife sends a letter to a home/landowner asking for permission to access a creek on their property to document the decline in a certain species of unheard of frogs. *****The homeowners response in the second letter is EPIC***** Letter From Dept. of Fish & Wildlife: Dear Landowner: DFW Staff will be conducting surveys for foothill yellow-legged frogs & other amphibians over the next few months. As part of this research we would like to survey the creek on your property. I am writing this letter to request your permission to access your property. Recent research indicates that foothill yellow-legged frogs have declined significantly in recent years and are no longer found at half their historic sites. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated and will help contribute to the conservation of this important species Please fill out the attached postage-paid postcard and let us know if you are willing to let us cross your property or not. If you have any concerns about this project please give us a call. We would love to talk with you about our research. Sincerely Steve XXXXXX Conservation Strategy Implementation Biologist ********RESPONSE FROM LANDOWNERS: ******** Dear Mr. XXXXXX Thank you for your inquiry regarding accessing our property to survey for the yellow-legged frog. We may be able to help you out with this matter. We have divided our 2.26 acres into 75 equal survey units with a draw tag for each unit. Application fees are only $8.00 per unit after you purchase the “Frog Survey License” ($120.00 resident / $180.00 Non-Resident). You will also need to obtain a “Frog Habitat” parking permit ($10.00 per vehicle). You will also need an “Invasive Species” stamp ($15.00 for the first vehicle and $5.00 for each add’l vehicle) You will also want to register at the Check Station to have your vehicle inspected for non-native plant life prior to entering our property. There is also a Day Use fee, $5.00 per vehicle. If you are successful in the Draw you will be notified two weeks in advance so you can make necessary plans and purchase your “Creek Habitat” stamp. ($18.00 Resident / $140.00 Non-Resident). Survey units open between 8am and 3pm but you cannot commence survey until 9am and must cease all survey activity by 1pm. Survey Gear can only include a net with a 2″ diameter made of 100% organic cotton netting with no longer than an 18″ handle, non-weighted and no deeper than 6′ from net frame to bottom of net. Handles can only be made of BPA-free plastics or wooden handles. After 1pm you can use a net with a 3″ diameter if you purchase the “Frog Net Endorsement” ($75.00 Resident / $250 Non-Resident). Any frogs captured that are released will need to be released with an approved release device back into the environment unharmed. As of June 1, we are offering draw tags for our “Premium Survey” units and application is again only $8.00 per application. However, all fees can be waives if you can verify “Native Indian Tribal rights and status. You will also need to provide evidence of successful completion of “Frog Surveys and You” comprehensive course on frog identification, safe handling practices, and self-defense strategies for frog attacks. This course is offered online through an accredited program for a nominal fee of $750.00. Please let us know if we can be of assistance to you. Otherwise, we decline your access to our property but appreciate your inquiry. Sincerely, Larry & Amanda XXXXXXX

Very good tips here & +2 on the MegaStrike scent. Also, click on the sponsor link on the right for Siebert Outdoors. IMO the best jigs for the money out there.

Crappy lighting, but it's finally back together again.

Funny you should ask. Glenn and A-Jay both asked what I was thinking. Here is my reply. Since I joined the staff, and now read every post as often as I can, I've noticed something. There may be thread about a particular reel, or rod, or bait; and somebody will jump in to say use braid. Not in every thread, but often enough I took note of it. I was online one evening, with my mouse in position to hide one of these off topic posts, when my wife said, "guacamole sounds good; why don't you make some?". What squirted out of some odd, unused corner of my mind was this. Don't delete these posts, don't hide them, leave them as is. But, in every thread about braid, I say something about avocados. And try to make it fit the theme of the thread. Trying to make a point, in a somewhat humorous fashion. Been waiting for somebody to ask if I've been smoking that stuff again. No, I haven't.

Hit the river last night out of Occoquan on my buddy's boat, just to see if the pros left us anything. It was a pretty decent night, we caught 12 or 13 bass in total largest being around 4, another 3+ and the rest smaller. Senkos, jigs, and spinnerbaits. It got a kinda wild as the storm was rolling in. We were on a main river spot and catfish were going nuts. In my time on the river I don't think I've seen as an aggressive cat bite as this. It was like the were schooled up in shallow water. You would stick one and several others would boil around that fish after the hook set. I was getting cat bit on every cast. Tried to weed through because we had a few decent bass bites, but the cats were overpowering. We saw the weather coming for us so we ran back to the Occoquan. Didn't make it in time, because we foolishly stopped to fish a grass mat before we came in, my buddy caught a 2.5lber but we paid for it. Caught in the storm under the Rt.1 bridge. A small lull in the front gave us an opportunity to upgrade to under the 95 bridge where we waited the storm out for about 1.5 hours. Cranked the radio and made the best of it. Fun night. AP

Several years ago my son and I hit the jackpot. Central Florida, July, hotter than he&% ! Fished the early AM and got quite a few then tried an offshore ledge about 3/4 of a mile from shore about 11:00 am. Drops from 12 feet to 18 feet which is pretty deep for around here. My son caught 17 in 17 casts while I caught 25 on 25 casts, missed one then caught another 15 on the next 15 casts. That was 40 in 41 casts. Hasn't happened since and probably never will but I'll never forget it. None of the fish were very big, I think 3 of them were about 5 each with the rest between 2.5 and 3. This is central Florida so "big" is a relative term and a 5 lbr is not considered very big here. It was fun though.

I forgot what this thread is about.

I can relate to the OP....what I do to help is, for example, on a t rig I'll drag back to the boat. On the next cast, I'll hop it back. On the third cast, I'll slowly swim it with a little pump. I keep the same retrieve all the way back to the boat so I keep track what I was doing. Once I catch a couple of fish, I'll stick with that one for a while. One other thing....no need for a death grip on a rod. A looser grip will help detect light bites. You have to stay focused but it doesn't mean you can't relax.

Thanks for the safety reminder! When running at slower speeds, you'll need to trim down farther than you realize! You'll almost feel as if you're "plowing" the water, especially if you've been running WOT previously. It's simply a perception thing. When you trim down, you may even have to give it a little more throttle to maintain speed and stay on plane.

Here's some more pics from Day 1 with Cliff Prince and a few from morning launches.

I've got about half a box full now of a mix of shadow rap and shadow rap deep's. I haven't had any of them crack or break and I've caught a bunch of fish on them. If you're having problems with them give Rapala a call and see what they say. They might replace them for you. Also, I don't throw jerkbaits very much in the summer unless it's a smallie dominant lake, otherwise it's spring and fall/winter for me. They've caught me and my dad a lot of fish, and a lot of quality fish as well. Just a sample of what they can do...

You smoke avocadoes? i'll bet it's kinda hard to keep 'em lit. Tom

I use braid mainline with a leader of fluoro/copoly with my shakyheads. It makes a huge difference in the number of hookups I get with them and doesn't seem to effect the number of bites at all. Fluorocarbon has a lot of stretch, even more so the lighter the line you're using. Combine that with a fairly light rod, long cast, and potentially deep water fishing, hooksets can get pretty difficult.

I seldom follow the pro tournament fisherman, but I certainly know who KVD is. How cool to spend a day in a boat with him during a tournament!! Great post!!

I thought it was about taking an avocado and carving the face of one of the mods (your choice) into the avocado and then casting it off the back of the boat to scare the bass to the front of the boat so we can catch them. Darn. Now what do I do with all of those avocados I bought?

Last Sunday went to a pool and it was crazy over filled with LMB. It was a over cast morning nice mid to upper 70s temp and we were instructed to catch and keep at will. The owner knew it was over full. So anyway me and my fishing partner proceeded to start casting and catching fish. At one point I pulled my crank bait rod out had a little Mann's 1minus in crystaglow bass tied on. It was ridiculous for the next 20+ minutes every cast was a catch. Sometimes the bait would hit the water and sometimes I swear it was like they were watching and would jump to catch it. Guess I've never seen starving fish like this before. But most were in poor condition. Some real bad some not to bad. Jeff my partner he was amazed and started calling the strikes. It was pretty simple they loved that lure. I quit throwing it because I didn't have another to share and it was to the point of embarrassing. Just going out on a conservative guess I'd say I consecutively caught 15 fish on 15 casts about as fast as it hit the water. How about you guys? Ever get on a run catching every cast non stop?

This past weekend, on the Snake River in WA, I was 6 for 6 and then got hung. Broke my line. Re-tied and proceeded to go 4-4 before I didnt catch one. I count it as 10-10 LOL BTW the Vibragrub on a drop shot is DEADLY for smallies! I recommend everyone try them out!

Theres a small lake I fish and once found I routinely catch 50 to 100 bass . Most will be between 12 to 15 inches . I never counted consecutive fish caught but I bet I have had hits on fifty consecutive cast . Many time I have left them biting , to search for bigger fish .

I almost fished there last week because we were staying at the jellystone campground but decided not to...i just might next trip there though

The usual Lenexa dinks?

Fished Lake Lenexa for a couple hours early Sunday morning, Caught 2 on a white buzz bait, 4 on a BHW in crappie I think the color is called, caught 6 on a watermelon red fighting frog.

Top off with JJ Magic

I use the Owner Ultrahead 1/16oz-#1hook jigheads for Neds about half of the time. They are the perfect size and are pretty inexpensive. They do want a stiffer rod to insure good hooksets, but once the lure gets worn in they seem to be about the same as an exposed hook. I also really like the Decoy Nail Bomb jigs in the same size and weight, they have a slightly longer shank so they hold the lure a bit better.

And attach the kill switch! Porpoising is usually a trim issue. It can also be a prop issue, though I doubt that's the issue.

BRAVO!!!

Do you know what cuts avocados with precision? 65lb test PowerPro Braid.

Jigs! I have two identical 6' 10" medium heavy extra fast Shimano Crucials, one is designated Texas Rigs & the other is designated Jigs.

Unless you're working with really minute diameter braid, it's all mostly over engineered, and all of them are strong. It basically comes down to personal preference, and since you typically leave braid on for a long time, you generally get used to what you have, if it works. At least that is how it is for me. I don't know that I've run into a braid I truly disliked.

I don't even know where to start. I moved to VA this Spring, and had to give up my old fishing habits back in CT. I took up bass fishing. I has been a ton of fun. I have steadily been catching good fish over the past few months, but all I could catch on was wacky Senkos...not complaining, but it tends to get a little boring when it's the only thing you do when you go fishing. I took the week off from work this past week, and fished every day, and boy did I catch! Every day was better than the last. The best part of my week, is that I learned A LOT! I tried a whopper plopper, and caught several big fish, a 5 and a 6 pounder. I tried texas rigging some 8-12" abaits, which I had never done before. I caught a lot of fish on the T-rig. And today, I tried a couple of jigs. I have been wanting to try jigs since I started bass fishing. I splurged the other day and treated myself to a new Lew's rod and Pro G baitcaster, and it handles a jig very well. The fish today were all over that jig as soon as it hit the bottom. I dropped a good fish on the jig today. It's definitely a bit tricky getting them in the boat (kayak) on the jig. I also tried the Neko rig this monrning. I was into fish but had a tough time getting a bite. I screwed a small bullet weight into the head of my senko, and BAM...started catching fish right away! Tuesday, my buddy Luna and I hit one of our favorite spots. The bite was very slow. We were headed back in, and decided to have a few casts at a piece of structure along the way. Glad we did! Luna hooked up on a 6+lbs fish (his personal best), and just a few minutes later, I hooked up on a 6+ (my PB) (different fish...mine was tagged). From Tuesday to today, I caught 3 over 6lbs, 3 over 5lbs, and 5 over 4lbs....and dozens of fish in the 1-3lb range. I had a blast. It just seemed like everything I did this week was perfect. I won't forget it, and I'll be looking forward to a BIG and steady bite like this for a long time! The best part was the new baits and techniques I learned. I feel so much more confident going out on the water after this week. So much for those "dog days of summer"!

Couple of comments. First - no one sees or hears everything. Can't happen - too much stimuli, either consciously or unconsciously, stuff gets filtered out. That's the way it is.. .. unless you're a swami or something like that. Next, it is possible to be extremely relaxed and still know, for the most part what is happening with your bait. This applies both to reaction type baits and "feel" type baits. The phrase "trance state" means different things to different folks in different contexts. I think we've all been there, one way or another, at some point in our fishing experiences. Rick Clunn, for instance, has referenced fishing in a "trance state" I'm pretty sure that he knows what he means when he says that but I'm not sure I know what he means. I have opinions on what I think he means - kinda - that aren't all that well thought out . . . I try not to get so existential about fishing . . . To address the original post, if you're having trouble remembering what you were doing right before the strike and what you did to get the strike, that's a challenge. Your options are try harder to remember or just go unconscious and be happy when you get bit. When I go fishing I'll probably have 20 or so rods rigged up ready to go. Some thought and reasoning ( or a semi-reasonable facsimile ) went into rigging up each rig. Therefore, should I get bit on my jika rig, for instance, odds are very good that I was dragging it around the deep edge of a weed line. Should I get bit on my bubba drop shot rig, odds are very good that I was throwing it at some perceived object in 10 feet of water or less. If it was cloudy, I'm probably trying to get it every so slightly up wind of whatever object it might be. If it was sunny, I was probably trying to get it to the very edge of the shade pocket created by whatever object I was throwing at. I'm probably consciously or subconsciously taking the wind into account in this process. If I get bit on a spinner bait, I'm probably checking to see if fish are holding at a certain level in the water column OR seeing if they are holding behind/next to objects at a certain level of the water column. Sometimes you will be casting as some seen or suspected object, miss it by a considerable distance and still get bit anyway. Fishing is funny that way. The original advice still holds, if you're having issues remembering what you did to get bit - try harder. With practice & effort you will more than likely get better at it - or you won't. In that case, the best advice is don't try so hard, let it come to you . .. . Hope this helps

Been using Smackdown and am extremely happy with it in all aspects. Can't see making a change anytime soon.

Determine your needs Determine your wants Determine your budget Find a happy median

Oh, if that were the only memory problem I run across when fishing. With a rod in my hand, I forget 90% of everything I've ever learned about bass fishing. This normally only lasts three to four hours and I'm able to partially regain some. Then I'll hook into a decent fish and total memory block sets in. So my advice to you is; Don't sweat it. One of the reasons we fish is to forget.

If you dont know why you need it what it can do then dont get it. But it can be used for texas rigs, carolina rigs, heavy drop shots, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits...etc

Haven't used the E6x, but i totally recommend the Aetos, love mine. For 95$? Its a steal

When I saw the title of this thread I was hoping it was going to be a really good read about a battle more like Clash of the Titans, not a conversation about fishing.

Yes also the Keitech spin jigs and the damikis too. Eco makes a sick one too but any of those 1/8 or less jigs work great w trds.

I have found that bass will actually follow carp around, probably feeding on the invertabrates and crawdads that the carp unbury while rooting around in the bottom. I have witnessed this many times while fishing a clear water gravel pit with 20+ feet of visibility. Whenever I see a carp I always cast right next to it (unless I am trying to snag it, which I usually do) and often catch a good bass before the lure hits the bottom.

You have to start the reel with mono, a backing of mono. This is very important to prevent the braid from slipping and to save you money on buying braid. You can add hundred yards of mono and one hundred yards of braid. The 300 yard spool will last you longer.

That is wrong. if you reassemble the seal, back bearing, hub and front bearing all correctly you should pump more grease in through the grease zerk in the axle. The grease should build up in the back and come out through the front bearing. If you see grease coming out near your rear seal then either the axle is badly grooved or the rear seal was compromised. If the rear seal can not keep grease in, nothing would keep water out when you launched your boat. I would remove the hub, clean and inspect everything again ans pay special attention to the axle. Make sure the edges and seal areas have no sharp edges, and the sealing surface for the seal is not heavily or deeply groove. If so that axle will need either a wear sleeve or replacement. This may be why you suffered a bearing failure to begin with.

Are you sure they're bass? Big enough to take the frog? Make yourself wait for the hook set. Blow up... 1 and 2 and SET! Josh

One of my buddies was there too. He got 3 good draws. Justin Lucas on day 1, Iaconelli on day 2 and Skeet Reese on day 3. I haven't heard any stories from him yet.

I'm sure there's hundreds of little things that go on in his head...But the thing that jumped out to me was how much he keyed on color. When he was switching out frog colors he was really concerned that he didn't have the 'right' color. Same thing with the Caffeine Shad, he was really concerned with it...And once he settled on his color for that he got bit almost immediately. He was also really in tune with the tides and how the wind and weather would effect it. Being a tidal guy myself this wasn't too much of a surprise, but just like his overall knowledge of the river it was pretty awesome to see how much of an expert he was at it despite not being a 'local'. Little things like looking up the offshore winds for the main Chesapeake and Atlantic to determine if the south winds would have a big or small effect on the tide height and timing.

With my $200. Chronarch on a $410. GLX, it's difficult for me to view my rod as disposable...lol. Hootie

That had to be Fan-Tastic ! Super Write Up ~ Thank You for taking the time to do it. If & when you get a minute ~ I'd be interested to hear what you thought about his casting technique & how you feel his tackle performed. I bet you're still smiling. A-Jay

365 days, anytime of the day or night. you can fish them from shore but you might lose a few because youre working them uphill. id start with small jigs (1/4oz or so) with 3" trailers to build confidence. id start with green pumpkin or black. sometimes the fish want it presented very slow. scent is up to you, some swear by it. hope that helps some!

Baby bass always have some fight in them but I've had three and four pounders which have probably been my biggest disappointments. Nothing like a lame strike followed by a single surge and then a fish that acts like its tail hooked to make you want to fish for bluegill with a bobber the rest of the day. I had a catfish hit a 10" worm on Sunday and I could not get him to the boat. He was pulling line like it was an episode of Wicked Tuna even with the drag cranked down. Six minutes of fighting and he ducked under a log and cut the Carolina rig leader. He was definitely a fighter and it was cool watching the baitfish freak out and set the top of the water on fire when this fish was running and broke the surface. He was massive. Would have been my biggest freshwater catch. Had a three pound channel cat hit a Ned rig yesterday. He actually jumped out of the water to try to shake the hook. I don't specifically fish for catfish, but those two incidents certainly make me disagree that catfish don't fight.