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This is my seasonal rant. This holiday season please don't drink and drive and remember to wear your seatbelts. You know how you always hear and see commercials on TV that say don't drink and drive and wear your seatbelt or you might die. I say that is a bunch of crap. A buddy of mine works in one of the largest and busiest trauma centers in the Northwest and I can tell you from his stories that those who die are the lucky ones. Those commercials need to say don't do it or you will end up paralyzed, limbless, with skin grafts on your face because the windshield peeled your face off. You will ruin your life as you know it. In many cases, after you get better, you will be arrested and spend several years behind bars. You could kill or injure other people. When you come into the trauma center this is what will happen to you if you aren't dead. You will be laid on a hard board to support your back. They will proceed to cut your clothes off and you will be laying there naked for everyone to see. After the nurses stick a couple of IV's in you and draw some blood, the doctors will roll you up on your side to check your back for spinal injuries then before they lay you back down they will put a glove on and stick a finger up your butt to see if you are bleeding internally. Then they will lay you back down on that hard board and you will be poked and prodded and questioned by the police. Then they take an x-ray or two, and possibly take you to surgery, or to have Cat Scan to see if your brain isn't swelling. They may put a catheter (large tube) into your pecker so you don't pee all over yourself, and draw your urine to give to the cops. Eventually during this process someone will take a thin sheet and cover you up. Then there you will lay, cold, until all your labs and workups get processed. Trust me, this sucks. This is what happens to YOU. Now think about what your family has to go through, and those of others whom you might of injured or killed. So be smart and be careful. We want you around for another year of great fishing and stories. Enjoy the holidays responsibly.

If it will bite and grows large enough to provide any sort of decent fight, I'll fish for it.

In this thread I will talk about my strategy to fishing docks. Feel free to add comments or suggestions. Docks can be a great place to find fish. I serves as a home for bass and small fish. The fish feel protected there. Docks are also a great ambush point for bass on baitfish. The best docks for fishing are ones with large surface area, made of wood, has a pontoon boat on it, and can easily be skipped under. Access to deep water fast is also a must. Don t underestimate the metal docks, or docks with out boats. Although less likely to hold fish, the still can. Here is a 5 pound bass I caught on a metal dock for example: I like to fish docks with several different baits and presentations. Swim jigs, skipping jigs, paddle tail swimbaits, senkos, wacky rigs, rattle traps,squarebills, walking baits and spinnerbaits are many of my favorite techniques. I do not typically fish all techniques in one day. Instead, i match the aggression level of the bass to the style of bait. The more aggressive the fish are, the more aggressive my baits will be. In early mornings or overcast fall days, i will throw the moving baits for reaction strikes. In tough conditions, i will throw less daunting baits like small swimbaits and swim jigs and senkos weightless. More active fish will not hold as tightly to the docks as less active. I typically fish the perimeters of docks with moving baits then pick off the ones tighter to cover last. I hope my experience fishing docks will help you catch more fish. After all this is what this place is about, right? Here are some more big dock fish from Pennsylvania where fish aren't typically huge.

My personal best went 8-4, but I was by myself so the pictures weren't that great. 2 weeks later, I caught an 8-0 while playing guide to a friends sister, so we got a much better picture.

Docks are one of my favorite pieces of cover to fish, because they ALWAYS hold fish. Not every dock, but if there's docks on a lake with bass in it, somewhere, there's a dock with fish under it. Another thing I like about dock fishing is how I can almost always pattern the fish when they're under the docks. There's several little lakes near me with lots of docks, and then the dock fishing capital of the midwest is only a few hours drive (LOZ). There's lots of different kinds of docks; wooden docks, plastic docks, concrete docks, metal docks, floating docks, anchored docks, docks with foam floats, plastic floats, or metal floats. There's docks with wood pillars, concrete pillars, and metal pillars. There's docks with cables, docks with ladders, docks with lifts, docks with boats, docks with rod holders, docks with hanging walkways, floating walkways, just a ton of variables and it can get overwhelming. One of my first things that I think is one of the most difficult parts, pretend the docks aren't there. Look at a map, find the places the fish want to be even without the docks. The docks that sit on those places are going to be your high percentage docks, the ones that hold the most and biggest fish, the most often at that time. Then you have to fish those docks thoroughly to try to get a few bites to figure out what the fish are doing. When you get a bite, pay attention. Those bites are the fish talking to you, telling you what you need to know to have a successful day on the water. I like to fish docks with several types of baits but I will always have a skirted jig, a stickworm either wacky or T rigged weightless, a shakyhead, a bladed jig and/or spinnerbait, a buzzbait, and a swimbait. The jig is usually my primary attack bait because I can put it almost anywhere and I can fish it anywhere in the water column. The shakyhead will be to dissect the dock further if I get a few bites and want to see if there's more fish that are just too finicky to eat the jig. The stickworm is skipped under walkways, docks floats, boats, and pitched to potential holding areas like dock post, swim ladders, and crossbars. The bladed jig, buzzbait, and swimbait are all fished similarly, along the edges of docks and inside dock stalls, especially around floating docks and extra bonus points if there's shad, gills, or other baitfish seen around the underside of the docks floats. Once I get a bite and pick the dock apart, I'll fish the adjacent docks and see if fish are holding on nearby docks or just that one. I also make note of where on the dock the fish were holding, and if they were holding on a piece of cover, on the bottom, up high under the floats or walkway, ect. Then it's a matter of finding and fishing similar docks to find out if I've discovered a pattern, or if I just crossed paths with a random fish and still have work to do. Docks with rod holders mounted on them and fish baskets or minnow buckets in the water are often worth fishing because those items are a sign of crappie fishermen, who often place brushpiles in the lake, and those brushpiles will also hold bass along with the crappie. One of my favorite local lakes to dock fish is very patternable. Often times, I'll have to drag a jig slowly and the fish will be on the outside corners of the docks. I've also had times on that lake that I had to cast to the front and center of the docks and the bass were there on the first couple movements of the bait. Sometimes they want a stick bait skipped under the docks (usually a technique for bigger smallmouth). I've had a couple trips there that the bigger fish were on the ladders. One that stands out was when they were on the ladders but wouldn't bite my normal presentations. It was during the spawn when the fry had hatched recently and we could see large fish guarding fry near the dock ladders, but they wouldn't bite anything we offered. We had all but given up when my buddy tried a Ned rig pitched directly into the ball of fry by a ladder. His line sank a foot and stopped. We ended up with over 80 fish and badly outfished the other boat on the lake that tried to force the normal baits on the fish but never got them to eat. So if you make sure to really pay attention to details and focus on what they are trying to tell you, it will make you a much better dock fisherman. Once you figure it out, it's really a great feeling. First place at Grand Lake, fish were positioned behind the docks along the cables and the bait had to be drug along the bottom very slowly. This was a time they were also very color specific (had to be purple somewhere in the bait). Fish were positioned on the north (sunny side, early spring), deepest corner of shallow docks with metal poles. Holding on the dock ladders on shallow docks, 3 docks in a row. The Ned rig/dock ladder/fry trip.

First fish was my biggest.App. 9 pounds.Caught on a grape Mann's jelly worm when I was 19. Second fish is my best in the last 10 years.Scale was on the blink so not sure of the weight.Caught this one on a small watermelon seed fluke.

5lbs 8oz Manitoban Smallie, I have never caught a Large Mouth

It's not pretty. I'm the guy that gets to come sit with you at the hospital to make sure you have leg irons on one of your ankles that's attached to the bed, so when you finally do heal up, I can transfer you to jail. Call a taxi, call an uber driver, call a friend, just don't drink and drive.

My local waters are home to a good number of large predatory gamefish besides bass. They are often holding right alongside or at least in close proximity to the bass I'm often targeting. They are going strike at my baits at some point. There's no way around it. Might as well roll with it. Here's a few from this season. A-Jay

Time to try another brand. Try shimano or daiwa.

In the past year, I've been out with four different guides. The big key is to figure what you want from the trip and narrow it down as much as possible for the guide. For example, "I want to catch fish." is pretty broad and will work, unless of course your goal is to catch trophy fish. Then you might set yourself up to be disappointed. Also set your ego aside. This is not a competition between you and the guide. Your past fishing accomplishments really won't have any relevance. Your skills will, but those will be on display from the first cast. I have yet to fish with a guide who hasn't helped me hone my skills, but I asked them for the tips. They work with hundreds of people a year and see good, bad, and ugly. They also pick up tips themselves, so use them as a resource. Finally, when you are on their boat, that is their investment, office, home away from home. Respect it. Don't toss cut line on the carpet, step on the paint, or poke around unless invited to do so. Oh, and don't ask to smoke. Many guides will say Ok and let you, but deep inside, they are waiting for ashes to hit their carpet and melt it.

I still have quite a few baits that I've had since the middle 1960s but many wouldn't be considered "crankbaits" - some are topwater, jerkbaits, etc. But, here's a few from back then: In the '60s, I lived in the Miami, Florida area and fished both fresh and light saltwater. MirrOlures were the BIG thing back then. Some of these baits have lips so they fit into the crankbait category: A couple River Runts: Nothin' special here - they're all Rapala floaters....but they all date back to the 60's - let's put 'em in the crankbait category since they have lips (but most folks call them minnow baits I guess). A couple "veteran" Hellbenders:

My PB Florida strain largemouth bass was 19.3 lbs, caught 5 May 1994 lake Castiac on a hair jig. Tom

Interestingly enough, this 11 - 11 LMB was actually caught this date (11/11) a few years ago. This SMB PB went 6-4. And for another coincidence, BR member Dwight Hottle took both these pics. A-Jay

5-12

Just got back from buying a leftover 2015 Ranger RT188, pick it up next Saturday. Has a 115hp Mercury Optimax, so maxed out there. Will be changing out the electronics just don't know what I want yet. Now have to figure out break in for the engine and how will pull that off.

HMmmmm?, only strong winds would negate me fishing a topwater by a dock, as topwaters dont really work well in haevy waves.. temps dont deter me either. Bass eat in winter too, I've caught bass on topwaters just before ice in up here, maybe not a "consistent" pattern, but a bass just the same (tiny torpedo)... I fish a dock as follows. Depending on the docks size,..say its just a normal short walkway and a single sized boats dock. I will make 3 casts with the pop-r, one on each side and one out front, then the spinnerbait will get tossed down each side and around each lake facing corner, Then I will pick apart the complete dock with several casts with the jig and pig, each corner usually with lakefront corners first, then the insides, behind the dock, and under the gangplank, and a few out front, if its off the waters surface? several skips as far back as possible, and just as Im leaving for the next? I will run the spinnerbait by the front of it. Thats a "typical" dock attack for me. And like stated above, the suns position dictates the higher percentage casts,.. I will most likely jig the lower percentage areas first,... then the higher ones, as to not "scare" any potential fish, by hooking one immediately and it trashing about the other areas in an attempt to get away. And this choice changes from dock to dock, as their position changes so does my casts

Not a real monster but a worthy oponent specially if caught with a ML rod and 6 lb test Caught here

Hmm... If you want to kick in $100 I'll trade you a Curado for all that stuff.

I consider myself a bass fisherman but love catching other species as well. Here is some proof.

While I typically target bass, I'll fish for anything that swims. I usually keep a crappie rig handy. If I'm not catching bass, or a nice school of crappie shows up on the screen, I like dropping a jig right on their nose. Several of the state fishing lakes I frequent also have a decent population of saugeye. They're fun to catch, and for me that's what it's all about: having fun.

Knew the pics would start coming in. What's got me is that I don't consider most of these plugs "old". Old was made of wood, although I do have some of the first plastic plugs -my grandfather's. Will post when I get a chance. Gotta say, I do have a lot of love for those "old" plugs shown above. No one should be afraid to throw them, even now.

^^^ Thats how I do it . Drop the rod , reel in the slack and hit em hard . Sometimes you have to duck the flying dinks .

There are many ways to describe how to set a hook when you're jig fishing. This video by Greg Hackney is one of my favorite. btw - this man has knows some stuff about fishing a jig. A-Jay

I have come to believe that one of the things that differentiates a Ned rig from any other type of small grub or worm presentation is the use of ElaZtech products. For example, I use GYB Senko's often when skipping docks, but there is a distinct difference in how a 3" Senko on a jig head looks in the water compared to a TRD. The way it sinks, how it stands up, the movement of the bait when you are not imparting action, all very different. For me, there is also a distinct difference in results. Therefore, if you want a Ned rig with a tail, I'd suggest using a Hula StickZ. You can cut it down to whatever size you want. There also is a new TRD Tube, which is slightly smaller than the TRD.

Here are a few Catt: I have more and when I can get some pictures I'll post them. The four hanging on the prongs are quite sentimental. The Rabble Rouser Baby Ashley Is the crankbait I caught my first 7 largemouth. The Bagleys I bought for a dollar many years ago. It has never seen the water. The other two(along with the baby ashley) are lazy Ikes that were given to me by a couple of guys that got me Into bass fishing. Move to come later....

I have never caught a smallmouth........LIKE THAT!!! Very Nice!!

Cubs won the World Series....No one will ever believe that

My PB caught on a Netbait B Bug. 7 lb 6 oz

I dont have a photo of my personal best . Heres photos of my two biggest combined in an outing , caught just minutes apart .

My 11.12 (that's about 11-2) was caught this May on Toledo. Here are a couple posts about it. http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=9644#

My overall PB My US PB My smallmouth PB

Smallie: 3lb 11 oz Largemouth: 5 lb

I didn't get a weight, but definitely my biggest largemouth, my sister hand measured it to about 24". I guessed 6 or 7 but I don't know.

I'm sure everyone has seen this photo since it goes back to 2012 - 9.54 pounds: The story is here:

The clock is tickin' .... This one went 5-12, even though it doesn't look like it. I know I look drunk, but it was 98 degrees out, towards the end of a long day. This went 8-1, and was a PB for less than 24hrs. And then.... This 9-1 became my PB...

No pictures of my PB, she was 13.8 Here's a couple of Hawgs of mine & my grandson Aiden. For reference I'm 6' tall The last one is a personal best cause she won me $5,000!

PB freshwater striper, only striper in the reservoir, actually! 14# (and yes, I released it, to the dismay of the fisheries biologist who wanted to check its age and all that). This lady was 7.5# caught during spawn in thick salad.

Pics of PB's for a lot of the older guys, like myself, may not be possible. I would say my top 10 or so PB's were caught back in the day when we didn't have cameras on our phones. I did get pics of my best fish from the last couple years though. Both were caught at LOZ from the same creek 1 year apart. Both of them were taken sight fishing while on beds so I got a quick pic and released both without weighing. Last years (top) took about half an hour to catch. This years (bottom) only took about 5 or 6 pitches before she'd seen enough.

All the talk recently about crankbaits I thought it would be good to show some of the old cranks some love. Don't even know where I bought but it's been in my crank box for years. It's a Strike King Balse Crank. More to come

No, attach the transducer to the bottom of the motor. If you do DI at the bow exchange for the correct transducer for that application--- a trolling motor PUCK. Either the XTM 9 DI 25 T or XTM 9 WIDE DI 20 T depending on the coverage you want. If you do SI at the bow do the exchange for the HDSI transducer and get the trolling motor version with a 5' shorter cable XTM 9 HDSI 180 T.

This is the latest (November 5th), I have ever caught a fish from the boat. In my neck of the woods people are waiting to get on the ice. Very warm fall. Fishing was slow, but had to go 1 last time.

On a quick Walmart trip picked up 3 lipless in my new favorite color. Excited to toss the spots as I have never thrown one before, RES is my current #1 lipless bait.

Best post of the whole thread

No picture as it was a long time ago (9/14/74). It's not that we didn't have cameras on our cell phones, we had no cell phones. Anyway, best was 14.1. Caught an 11.3 short while later and at least 50 over 8 in the same small pond. In recent years biggest has been 13.5. Really don't fish for bass as often as I used to as I have become addicted to snook. Only fish for bass from usually December thru March, usually getting 5 or 10 over 8. It's not that I'm that good a fisherman, it's just that I have been doing this a long time and live in west central Florida. I'm sure you could do the same under the same circumstances.