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Hi all, I think it's safe to say I can be stubborn at times. Most of the time it's a good thing. I will push thru at work to get things right even if my boss is not sure it can be done. At home I've been known to stay on the phone for hours just to solve cable issues etc. I'm just too stubborn to give up. When fishing I have been known to fish for hours with out a bite just to get one last fish. However there are times fishing when my stubbornness keeps me from doing what I should to catch more fish. This year my wife and I have only fished one body of water. All spring I used a KVD swim bait, and could do no wrong. Every fish I caught was on this bait, and I caught them everywhere at any time. This summer the heat and other issues kept us off the water, but yesterday for the first time in months we went. We were in a cove in about 3-6 ft. of water and could see bass swimming around. I started throwing the trusty swim bait and it soon became apparent the fish weren't interested in it. I saw a couple of bass watching it go by, or even swam away as it came close. Part of me thought it's time to try something else, but the stubborn part of me thought it's a good bait, it's worked before, so I kept throwing it. Nothing. After far to long I gave up and started throwing a spinner bait, then a frog. Nothing. By this time I knew my whole presentation was wrong. I should be doing something totally different , but the stubborn part of me kept going. Finally( again after far to long) I threw a Senko. I love Senko's. they catch fish. But I hate the wait and pause, watching for the smallest line twitch. I have trouble being that patient. First cast I hooked a fish. I posted about this fish in the fishing report section yesterday, but to recap it was by far a new PB. 7.1 LB around 24" I posted pic's in the other post but they really didn't do it justice, so at the end of this post I'll put another one in that might show better how big it really was. So at the end of this rambling story I'd like to think I could learn to be less stubborn at times, but I'm 62 and it hasn't happened yet. Thanks for listening Jim The other pic

If I'm ever tired of fishing, a week at work normally changes that

I measure for length every bass I catch; I weigh all bass 14" or over - that data populates a spread sheet. All my data is periodically transmitted to the lakes consultant that manages our water. He uses that data, along with the catch data from the local bass club, as part of his overall assessment of the health of the fishery. I am also involved in a LMB tagging program. If I am on one of my tagging lakes, I measure AND weigh every tagged bass that I catch (10" and up).

Hi all, Finally got out today after a few weeks of non fishing. With our drought this summer the water level was down about 3 ft. We almost couldn't launch. But once we got out into the main lake we had a fun day. Fishing in 3-5 ft. of water we saw some nice bass. I tried swim baits, spinner baits, frogs etc. and could not get a bite. I finally hooked one on the infamous T-rigged Senko. I knew it was a nice fish by the amount of line it took, but when I got it in the boat I realized just how big it was. Per my scale it was 7.1 and just about 24". By far the biggest I've gotten in the boat, and a real decent fish for Maine waters. Here's some pics thanks for looking Jim

I only weigh fish that are bigger for my area. Typically, that would be a fish in the 4 to 5 lb range or higher. Below is a good example of why weighing your fish is so important. This fish was 23.5 inches long and was caught in an Arkansas lake this summer where double digits have been caught. All the other fish I caught there were healthy so I suspect it was an old bass and was on its last legs. Check out the size of the mouth in opposition to the body. This bass only weighed 4 lbs 10 oz. At some point in its life, I suspect it was huge. If I reported that I caught a 23.5 inch bass most people would be thinking that I caught a fish that was at least 7 or 8 lbs. Au contraire, my friends.

Oddly enough, a beaver is usually what stops me from leaving the house at night in the first place...

I went to a local pond last night (about 10:30 pm) and decided to do some fishing. There are a couple of lights on one side of the pond but it's pretty dark. I'm throwing a black war eagle buzz bait. I can't see it in the water but I can hear when it get's close. So I'm casting and listening for the plop, plop, my bait is getting close, so I anticipate picking it up out of the water when I hear something strange with my bait. It was close to what a hit from a bass feels like but I didn't feel it in the rod, just the sound. About a millisecond later I see what looks like a 747 directly in my face and realize that a hawk has swooped down and tried to get my buzz bait. It's flight path was directly at me, and he missed my head by what seemed like inches. I felt the wind coming off of him as he passed. Instant adrenaline spike. Anyone else have any scared excrementless moments while night fishing?

I weigh most smallies that I think may be over the 4lb mark and LMB over 5 lbs - which is a decent fish north of the 45th parallel. I also get a length if it seems like an overly long fish. A clean, safe & healthy release is important to me. This is easier to manage in a larger vessel especially with a live well. I like to get the weight & length and also guess before putting the fish on the scale - just to see how much my optimistic eyes are clouding reasonable judgement. A-Jay

Went fishing in the rain today, and this bass and catfish decided to fight over my torpedo. First time I've ever doubled up, and definitely my first time seeing a bass and catfish hit the same lure! *Both fish were returned to the water alive and swimming! Has anyone else ever seen this happen?

Converting physical dimensions to mass is rarely accurate. Doesn't hold any water with me. You catch a fish up here over 20", and I'm like, "Yeah! Nice fish!"

So, my opinion is that for tournaments, we should use displacement. That will ALWAYS tell what fish is bigger. We don't really have that tech yet, so for now, mass will have to work. I wish they'd start measuring weight in tournaments in a tank. It's pretty simple, Newton's laws apply, even if they're underwater, just zero out the tank before adding the fish. Mass is mass (meaning weight) and the weight will show, and they fish won't be flopping around in a basket, and you won't have the issue of extra water being weighed as well. They do this in many college level tournaments. That said, I do a few online tournaments, through TourneyX. They all use length. I have a bump board for this. If it's a beast, I'll weigh it too. The thing to keep in mind, is be prepared. In my boat, I unhook the fish, put a cull tag on it, which prevents unnecessary handling when getting the fish out of the livewell. Then I prepare my measuring device, and camera. get the fish, weigh it, snap a pic, and return it to the water. In the kayak, the process is similar, except I use a cull tag attached to a retractable tether made by T-Reigns. The fish is on the tether, and in the water near the boat. I suppose others would be interested in girth measurements, along with length and weight, but I'm not interested enough to do it. The point is, I do not have the fish out of the water for more than 30-45 seconds. You keep your fish out of the water for more than a minute, you might as well release it into hot oil. Out of the water time is a bigger killer than any livewell, handling, "breading the fish" in the dirt on shore, or even prolonged playing the fish out. Remember, the second that fish is out of the water, the clock is ticking. Try this, run a 100 yard dash, then hold your breath for a minute or more. Tell me how you feel after...

Weight is king! I have caught bass 7 to almost 11 lbs that are within 1.5'' of each other in length! That being said, I only weigh fish that I believe to be over 5lbs, and only sometimes do I take a length measurement(mostly when fishing alone). I do however, weight and measure length and girth of all PB status bass! Jeff

Went back up to Toledo yesterday. Found a good school of fish early and caught 37 before 8 am. Had a 8 and a quote a few between 3-4lbs. They are on top of humor and ridges early feeding, then after 8 they suspend and become almost impossible to catch. I did find 3 more big schools later in the day but had to work hard just to get a few of them to bite. Most fish were caught on a big worm. And I've had quite a few guys asking what these fish look like on my graph. Here's a couple pics I took last Friday.

It wasn't in heavy cover, but it was a pretty heavy load and my 70XG handled it flawlessly in only about 10 minutes.

I do both, especially on larger fish when I'll take the girth in addition to the weight and length.

It's a spotted bass. The spots below the lateral line are a dead giveaway. You can tell from the first picture where the mouth is almost closed that the jaw isn't going to extend past the eye. I bet the fish felt rough too. Something about spots, their scales feel much rougher than a largemouth, just a personal observation. Both spots and largemouth have a dark stripe down the side (not actually their lateral line but often called that), whereas smallmouth do not.

Bass tournaments are determined by total weight, the measuring done during contests are minimum length for that event. Recreational bass anglers tend to mimic the pros they watch or follow, weekend club anglers are fishing club tournaments so weight is the benchmark. Catch & release anglers often measure the length with mouth closed and the girth, some will also weigh the bass if they have a scale. When you see weight in digital number the scale was digital. All anglers are notorious for stretching the truth, in other words they are liars except you and me. Tom

You might just need a rest. Maybe it's time to just fish for fun. You can always go back to tournament fishing if the desire arises.

If I ever get that burnt out feeling. I find new waters. I get an undeniable excited sensation fishing something new. Whether it's a river , small lake or pond. And that rush is back again. Just wondering what's lurking.. I'm excited just thinking about fishing somewhere new lol

If it was dark - it was probably an owl. My night time bass fishing nemesis is The Beaver. The sudden & always unexpected close aboard wicked loud tail slap & splash always leaves me weak in the knees A-Jay

It's a rare occasion that I put a trailer hook on a buzzbait, but I'm sure glad I did. 5 pounds 14 ounces. They bite was HOT Thursday.

Glenn - He seems knowledgeable and knows a lot of people in the industry. I'm sure he has some great stories to tell Francho - He's somewhat local and I'm hoping to meet up with him next month and chase some torpedos in the creeks WRB - This man is an encyclopedia of knowledge Dwight - This man probably knows Erie better than anyone, and pulling footballs up from the depths is fun Montaro - Another fairly local guy and I know we've fished some of the same waters. I'm sure we could share some spots. Raul - Those Mexican fat girls sound like a lot of fun and I'm sure he could show me how to catch them Bluebasser - He seems like he knows his stuff and is always catching some nice fish A-Jay and Catt - both seem like great guys WPC - We both have similar tastes in gear Preytorian - We both write fishing articles, so it would be cool to bounce ideas off him Rippin-Lips and 5fish - We could debate Shimano vs Daiwa all day I'm probably forgetting a few, but I've encountered a lot of guys on this website throughout the years.

Probably A-jay, Dwight, Catt, Steve Parks - the usual suspects. There's a few guys local to me that keep meaning to get out with, but we never quite hook up. Mostly, I'd like to show them something different - northern pike in a kayak. Casting shallow for salmon, browns, steelhead, and smallmouth - all in the same spots. Dwight knows a little about this mish-mosh of species in transition seasons. It's fun. Next cast could be 4# smallmouth, or a 40# king!

Fenwick Aetos. On sale at Fenwick website. $180 rod for $95.

waytoslow and waynep fishing is easy but maximizing your boat and electronics use is a bit easier if you have an expert with you once to learn.

You've got that right ~ There's plenty of room - just no demand. A-Jay

I'll only weight if it's a large fish. And unless I am looking to put in my live well it doesn't get measured unless again it's a larger fish.

Weight! Bass fisherman should always talk in terms of weight, IMHO. As bass fisherman in Minnesota we are in the minority due to all the Walleye anglers, they go only by length. When they catch a bass they NEVER weigh it (most of them don't carry a scale) It's funny when you casually talk fishing at the dock with someone in Minnesota you can immediately tell if they are a "Walleye guy" or a bass guy simply by how they describe their catches.

Good subject. No I have never lost my fondness for bass fishing.Never.I truly enjoy the hobby of bass fishing and I will never give it up,regardless what new species of gamefish I catch next.You need to not care so much about tournament bass fishing, it's not even a true measure of how "good" a bass fisherman really is.You need to remember how fun it is just to catch a bass and not worry about less important things.Having fun is the #1 priority in bass fishing, everything else is 2nd place at best.

This will be moved to the fishing line forum. Most 8 lb test mono is around .011 to .012 diamter, how about .011 diameter 11 lb test Sunline Diefer Armilo Nylon mono, not 8 lb but ranks up there in the superior mono category. Tom

i use 10 lb. Sunline SX1 on a Pflueger Patriarch 9525 (1000 size) and this line is very thin and strong , i see no reason to go lighter ....

If its not fun, I would not waste my time doing it. Try fishing for fun, and just enjoying nature and the sounds of a morning on the water. Concentrate on the surroundings instead of the competition.

My takeaway from this thread is that Strike King has responded with an offer for support. Says volumes about how they value their customers.

Found what was left of this unlucky fella the other day while fishing at my local pond. Just thought I'd share because the colors are amazing. THis is the same claw, just flipped over. Want to match the hatch so to speak, but I've never found a craw bait blue on top and red on bottom. May have to have some customs made. BTW, this old boy would have made a fine bisque. This claw is every bit of 3" long.

I was casting a Siebert Dredge Brush jig out once from the bank and a goose flew right into the line. The lure "slid" up the contact point of the goose and hooked it in the wing. Fought that thing all the way in. Finally it figured out it wasn't going anywhere and calmed down. I grabbed its neck just below the head so it couldn't peck at me, and somewhere amidst the feathers flying and beating wings it dislodged itself. I wasn't necessarily scared, just worried it'd throw the jig and stick it somewhere in me So all you goose hunters, hit up Mike for some Dredge Brush Jigs! Haha

I keep track of my pond's health when I fish there, so I weigh and measure everything and update it in my log. If on public waters, I only weigh/measure the large ones. It is fun keeping the detailed log and referring back to it for conditions, lures used, and judging the overall health of the fishery.

Trust me. There are no stripper poles within a reasonable driving distance of A-Jay. Making that a hobby WOULD be more expensive than fishing.

At 66 I still enjoy fishing small tourneys like wildcats on tues and thurs along with some club tourneys thrown in. I also enjoy fishing for anything that swims and just enjoy being on the water and enjoying the good Lords gifts. The only thing I don't enjoy anymore is when other people don't use common sense or courtesy on the water or around ramps. That is trying...but oh well.....I'm still going.

Hemphill Texas located midway of Toledo Bend Reservoir; voted the #1 Bass Fishing lake in America two years in a row, recorded more double digit bass than any lake in America two years in a row. Within easy driving distance of Lake Sam Rayburn, Lake Conroe, Bob Sandlin, Livingston, & Lake Fork.

I think we all start out as power fisherman b/c it's how we learn to feel the bite. sooner or later you gotta recognize picking out backlashes produces such undeniable pigs

I had that happen a number of years ago when I was flyfishing. Used to go and drink a cup of coffee at the riverside before fishing just to relax and take it all in. Then I would take sandwich and snacks and take a break once in awhile and just relax. It was fun and relaxing. Then I stopped the coffee because I was so intent on catching fish. I stopped taking breaks because catching fish was more important. I got obsessed with catching fish and forgot to have fun. Then it wasn't fun anymore and I gave it up for a year until I got refocused. I did and made it fun again. Now I've taken up bass fishing! Here we go again!!!

I weigh and tape measure(length and girth) all bass that I suspect to be 8 pounds or bigger and rarely bother weighing bass that are clearly smaller than 8 pounds.The reason I don't weigh smaller bass anymore is that 4-7 pounders are common down here ,but a 8 pound or bigger bass is not and they deserve proper documentation in South Florida.

We started fishing the south end and got a couple bass 1 on a crank and 1 on a worm but it was slow..we went around to a spot that is hot in the fall it's where a channel flows into the lake and started throwing cranks and they were packed in....ended up hooking the big one 5.5 on a rapala crank..,got 9 for the evening ...

If tourneys get to much like work they aren't going to be fun.

All great feedback ... thanks .... I have a week long trip to the Outer Banks for my annual Saltwater excursion with some very good friends. That might change my tune.

I scarred a pack of Manatees about 5 feet away from me in Florida once while I was in my Kayak before first light came. My kayak was rocking from the waves they caused. Pretty sure I could hear my heart thumping against my chest.

It just seems that for me I start getting burned out on fishing just about the time the snow starts falling. Then there is the 4 + months without fishing that gets me wanting to go out fishing again. By January I'm twitching and fiddling with my reels and lures. February means outdoor shows and buying tackle I need/want. In March the weather start getting warmer and I get antsy.

Power fishing reminds me of an incident a few years ago. I was fishing an offshore contour change catching numerous bass with finesse presentations. There was a boat with two guys going along the shoreline about 75 yards away and they saw me catching. They trolled over and asked what I was doing, they had not caught any all morning. I described how and why I was catching and offered them some hooks and baits. The reply was "no thanks, we are power fishing", then they headed back towards the bank again. As they were moving away I caught a couple more that they heard splashing. They turned around a looked, then kept on going to the bank. I could see them for a long time as they covered about a half mile of shoreline and never saw them doing any power catching.

From experience I can tell you that not much will get your heart pumping a mile a minute other than, that still dark, first thing in the morning, waiting for sunrise, tossing a topwater, beavertail slap 4 feet from the boat. So many times I almost soiled myself, while closely having a mild heart attack, jump from the deck to a seat, shaking from fright, til I realized "Damned beaver!" Those who have experienced this know what I mean. And being a gigantic fan of early morning topwater fishing in Maine? I've been there, done that, got the t shirt and wore it out. But they still get me every once in a while, and it still has the same effect. Dive bombed by bats? eh,... thats kinda scary. Huge herons screeching (and its not softly done) 10 feet above your head as they flee the shoreline,... scared. Is something you'd rather go without.,. But that beavertail slap? is the worst by far.

In expensive: Yo-Zuri Hybrid #6 for spinning gear, #12 for baitcasting More expensive, but what I consider the very BEST: Seaguar Tatsu #8 for spinning, #15 for baitcasting