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I married my high school sweetheart.

Do a search for my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar, should help to get you started, dated but still good info. Bill Murphy's book In Pursuit of Giant Bass has some good bass behavior related info. Understanding how bass relate to both structure, cover and the primary prey source is very important. There are lots of very good threads on this site regarding structure fishing by Catt, check them out. Good fishing. Tom

I have a pair of Costas....I keep them safe at the bottom of Lake Erie.

This is why I don't buy Costas. That and because I'm cheap.

Their picture and phone number on craigslist under thr personals section and into the men seeking men section ought to do it. believe me...you will win that war. if that's too much, wait for a winter storm that drops a lot of snow quick and make a post on craigslist stating you're selling a snow blower for next to nothing and put his # as the contact. Friend had that one done to him. Good stuff.

I may be old school, or maybe just old, but when speaking of beer, good and light do not belong in the same sentence.

Out fishing with the grandson this morning. We were in the shade of a big tree on shore and I'd placed my sunglasses atop my cap. A bee started buzzing him and without thinking I grabbed my cap by the bill and swung at it. Missed the bee and watched my Costas sail away.

The last two days the Top Toad has been working well. Caught six bass between 4-6 lbs. Best open water frog Iv'e used.

Wacky rig should be on that list for sure.

I'm a shore guy and use a dropshot probably 75% of the time. You can use it anywhere, all you're doing is imitating a baitfish or other food-looking-creature aimlessly wandering a few inches off the bottom. Depth only matters in that you're casting it at the depth where the fish are at. For a retrieve I recommend first dropping the plastic in front of you and looking at how the plastic responds to light rod twitches. You should only need to barely tap the rod to make the bait move (I nose hook really thin baits that also move well with just current). Sudden or heavy jerks make it look unnatural and I think can spook the fish. I leave a plastic out after a cast for a good 3-4 minutes, twitching or tapping the rod lightly, then pausing, tap, pause, tap tap, pause, etc. You're going to be doing more holding the rod still in your hand than actual rod movement so I can see how people can't stand it, but it works!

I generally retie after EVERY fish.

Workin' on it! A YT channel and a book or two. Where did I learn about bass behavior? Long-time serious angler and naturalist (no, not naturist ), fisheries and wildlife technician, university researcher in eco-physiology, ... never really stopped asking questions and looking deeper and further than most. I've hit much of the angling literature as well as exhaustive reviews of the scientific literature. I know one thing for certain: I'll die with still lots of questions. There are two ways to go about it, and both are important: study and time on the water. The first so that you gain more from the second -know more of what to look for. Read all you can. I'll ditto the IF series (all editions), and magazine. There's a lot on this site too, including a good biology section that apparently doesn't get visited as often as maybe it deserves. Most anglers are focused on techniques and tackle. Most don't care why something works. But they do care when it doesn't! Bass aren't chasing lures all the time and there are some pretty good reasons for it. That's what's on my plate and I'm... working at it. Just hope I don't keel over before I have something ready to put out there. Wish me luck... and longevity.

Two five minute battles with a 2.75 lb bass? You might want to consider some new gear especially considering the potential opportunities you may have down in Florida.

Try three fingers forward of the foot to gain a little leverage.

This is by far my favorite thread on the site. It has saved, and also cost me alot of cash.

If you want to be proficient with the Wacky Rig understand a Senko is not necessary!

When your driving down the road while your girlfriend is talking to you and you see a lake/river/pond/canal and block her out and start thinking if theirs fish in it and what lure would they bite.

You have more pics of bass than family in your phone.

You spend your off season doing projects geared toward next season. You keep spare parts for your outboard, trolling motor, electronics, reels along with extras of your favorite lures in a special compartment of your boat, but never think to check your spare tire's air pressure. You know exactly where to find that bone colored Spook knock off that you've had for five seasons but never used, but for some unknown reason can never remember where you laid your keys down this morning. You check the extended weather forecast two weeks prior to a one day trip with some guy you met last week. One more cast turns into two more hours on the water, getting caught in rush hour traffic, and dealing with an irritated spouse upon your return, but you find yourself repeating this scenario frequently because it's so worth it.

I finally finished my trailer for my 10e and I love not having to load and unload my boat by hand now. just back in and unload like a big boat and load the same way. I also put my upgraded boat seats on it also caught the bass boat seats on sale not long ago and got 2 of the nice real thick padded seats on it now also.

From the master himself, Hank Parker...

2017 Phoenix 921 ProXP

So just a small update, I found out that my boat insurance will cover the lost gear, however they want a police report since it would be claimed as a boating accident, and pictures of the gear if I have it, and an estimate of what replacing it will cost. I find that a little odd since it isn't really an "accident" but rather some gear that went in the water. So that has had me on the phone all day. Finally figured out who I needed to contact, and filed a report with the descriptions of the jet skis and their operators. They seem pretty serious about figuring out who it was and actually gave me a personal number to call if I see the skis in a slip when I go back. I should have called VDGIF yesterday when it happened since now no real consequences can come of what happened. but apparently the officer wants to drop by and have a nice long talk with the owners if we can find the skis. Either way, thanks all for allowing me to rage a little bit, and @S. Sass thanks for reminding me about the boat insurance. I would have never thought they would cover lost gear. I guess I should read up on my policy a bit better.

I throw the 90 on 20lb braid. I can go all day with no need to retie.

There's a reason why I call jet skiers "lake lice".

I have twin 12 ft Talons. Mounted to the transom. I LOVE THEM. Total Game Changer. Pro's ~ Great for solo launch and especially recovery. Boat sits 12 inch off the dock and I can slip the trailer right under - too easy. ~ Obviously fantastic for holding position and fishing. (if you're rarely fishing 12 ft of water or less then this will not help you. ~ The available Tilt Brackets allow for the Talons to be laid flat onto the rear deck for any low approach & for storage in low overhead places. ~ Talon is an all electric unit that requires nothing additional (no hydraulics) Con's ~ The twin towers will slow the boat down 1 or 2 mph running down the lake - not noticeable really but it's just physics. The twin towers will also reduce highway gas mileage to some degree. Again not a travel or safety concern at all, just physics. On a side note - I fish alone much of the time so the back deck only gets occasional use. The Minn Kota product deploys straight down where as the Power Poles deploy out away from the stern of your boat in a sort of crab like fashion. The Talon towers remain in position whether they are deployed or not. The power poles deploy down into the water when being used and might not impede casting. For me, my situation & my style of fishing, The Pro's FAR OUT Weigh the Cons. I'd never own another Bass Boat without them. Your results may vary. A-Jay

Get your phone out, snap pics, and contact the authorities. Crap like that cannot go unpunished.

Haven't found a place where bass live that I can't catch them yet.

I palm my reels when it comes to casting gear, but I've had plenty of times when I nearly lost my rod on the hookset/strike as well, including one last night. Wasn't even a big fish, just lost my grip for some reason.

I got alot out of several years of bassmasters magazine, Ironicly its mostly geared to southern fishing but I did apply and adapt to up here. Also, In-Fisherman and every tv show I could watch. But,...There were 2 books put out by Ted Ancher called Bass Bets. That were actually reviews of New England lakes and ponds, He interviewed tourny anglers about their favorite waters and provided a in depth report showing area's/spots, and what they used to catch fish. Quite valuable for any New England angler

You win!

My two largest this summer have come on a 6 inch Jelly worm .

Mann's 1/4 ounce 1- minus. I've been burning it over the top of milfoil.

brake lines are not an option right

here's three pikeminnow (on a swimbait and a streamer) and one chunky sucker. the pike minnow, like their name implies, are basically giant carp with the feeding habits of pike. reportedly some pikeminnow can get as large as six feet!

Good to hear for sure. The guy I've been fishing with has a tr21 in great shape my other Freind has a beautiful champion 202. Anyways the last tournament my partner couldn't make it so I took the ole brown bomber and got 2nd by myself so that just goes to show

your wife/girlfriend has designated a weekend each month as "date night, no fishing" on the calendar. You have a weekly allotment in your budget titled "tackle, ramp fees, and fishing gear" that is larger than your monthly food allotment. You and your wife/girlfriend have a disagreement about what is considered appropriate "wall decoration" and you have quietly decided that keeping her around is more cost-effective then making a big deal about your rod storage. You think that cleaning your house is a waste of energy, but the boat is spotless.

Hey everyone. New guy here from Indiana. Actually live on lake tippecanoe and am in the boat repair business. Just started fishing tournaments in July as a fill in. I just bought a wake boat in spring so the wife and I and the baby can use it so a nice bass boat is out of the question but getting ready to purchase an older bomber 17 1/2 footer with a 150 on it. So anyways you should be hearing from me

So how many miles are on the car?

Check out Glen Lau's videos "Big Mouth" and "Big Mouth Forever". Absolutely amazing. I have them and watch every few months. One was filmed in the Silver River in Ocala, the other in thre Rainbow River in Dunnellon. I have fished the Rainbow many times. Water is crystal clear and therefore was great for filming as is the Silver River. You won't be sorry. Seems I learn something new every time I watch the videos Just Google Glen Lau.

In addition to what A-Jay wrote, the lack of an outboard on the rear (or one that is tilted up) can cause a smaller boat to be rudderless. Basically, there is nothing for the rear of the boat to resist against when the front goes one direction, so the rear just spins out. On little pond boats, you can use an old trolling motor chassis and convert it into a simple rudder. Here is a discussion on a product designed to go on the bow mount trolling motor but can also be used to create a rear rudder

...when you and your significant other receive two BPS Gift Cards and you quickly use them before she buys something stupid. ...when you refuse to move your tackle-box(s) and rods/reels from your car because any trip to anywhere could turn into a fishing trip at a moments notice. ...when you make your significant other sit in the back of your car (SUV) because your tackle-boxes are in the front seat.

When you spend hours, even days, reading reviews, tech specs, and articles online.... For the $8 spool of CoPoly that you just can't decide if it's "the best copoly"

You are the only one on campus that is awake on Saturday morning You see everyone heading out to party friday night as you are carrying your fishing stuff back to your dorm You have to come up with ways to store waders in a backpack so you won't be judged too harshly Your professor asks "how does vegetation tell us when we are in a wetland?" and you think to yourself "when the plants look like punching material"

I read and just started re-reading Largemouth Bass: An In-Fisherman Handbook of Strategies ... I think the suggestion originally came from a poster here, and I got it on the 'Zon for cheap (electronically). There are tons of other great articles out there, but this book has (so far) proved to be a good, one-stop shop for information.

Abrasion resistant, yes, abrasion proof, no.

You can barely spell, but Yamamoto and Gamakatsu are no problem.

WATCH YOUR LINE. I almost always see it move before I feel the bite. Especially when the fish are lazy

The 6'10" ML/XF is what you want for finesse fishing. It's my dedicated Ned rig rod.

Jointed Rapala lures have been around for decades, the newer versions like BX have brighter colors, the Shad version a wider profile then the original minnow style. Jointed Rapalas get over looked and work very good with a slower steady retreive similar to a swimbait. Very natural swimming action that triggers strikes, may be one of the best pond lures for open water areas. Tom