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Finally snagged a MS mini slammer after a LOOOOOOOOOOONG wait and ultimately changed the color pattern i had ordered from the black to the bass just so that i could get one before 2020! Then i snagged a triple trout that's kind of a bone with some glitter flake in there. i've got one particular lake in mind that i can't wait to throw these on and see if they call in the donkeys!

Musky size Heddon Crazy Crawler mouse, 1940's worth about $350! Tom

Got in the Lauda, X4 and TDZ yesterday already got some good fish on them

Florida state record Shoal bass 5.2 lbs caught June 2016 Washington state record largemouth bass 12.53 lbs caught Aug 2016 New York state record smallmouth bass record tied 8-4lbs caught Aug 2016 Montana state record smallmouth 7.4lbs caught May 2016 South Dakota state record smallmouth 7.3 lbs caught May 2016 Tennessee state record largemouth 15.20lbs caught Feb 2015 Rhode Island state record largemouth 11.2lbs caught May 2016 Virginia state record hybrid striped bass 15-13lbs caught March 2016 Michigan state record smallmouth 9.98lbs caught Sept 2016 These records would suggest that bigger bass are being caught recently. I sure there are more records caught within the last few years that I haven't listed.

Kind of a slow day with post cold front conditions but I did manage to catch one pretty nice one on a LC 78DD pointer.

Only a person in Texas could think of this: From the county where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this true story. Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Austin, Texas. After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so apparently intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off--it was a fine, dry summer night, flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons' vehicles left. At last, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out and drove slowly down the road. The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and administered a breathalyzer test. To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence that the man had consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken.' "I doubt it", said the truly proud Texan. 'Tonight I'm the designated decoy.'

Anyone remember this StrikeKing spinner spoon lure? Hootie

I was waiting on my wife to get out of the movie theater, I so I hit up DSG and gander mountain. It's her fault, she left me to my own devices! After seeing the comments on the jawbone sunfish in another thread I thought I'd give it a try. Won't be a big loss if it's junk.

Many people up here fish,but they do saltwater.People that used to bass fish have gotten into red fishing.Theres also more variety in saltwater.For that reason,I do see a lot of boats going that way.Also,we don't get much in media about bass fishing here.3/4 of it is saltwater.You have to dig to find out true reports.Of course,the mom and pop bait stores all seem to struggle ( many have gone under ) ,so the reports by some of them are inaccurate/ inflated to get folks to come fish there. My theory on big bass ,at least where I live,is that most people catch and release their fish,and there's less people overall fishing so that should equal more hawgs.I also think that many bass fisherman are fairly secretive about their catches , which I totally get. I also believe that the famous lakes/ rivers up here got SO much pressure in the 70s,80s and into the 90s that these lakes got largely fished out and people just quit going,after several trips with little or no result.These folks passed this negativity on to their kids so now they don't bass fish much anymore. As for me,I quit going to large water bodies and started fishing smaller ones,so my results were much better than they had been.

Still crushing it on the jerkbaits here in NC.

"designated decoy" aka "The selfish excuse for a human who distracts the law enforcement presence there to protect the law abiding portion of society so the other dregs can possibly maim & kill others". A-Jay

I found my new DS rod and because they were on sale (130 USD) I also found the mate for my MGL for bladed baits (spinnerbait, chatterbait and swim jigs). 7 ML Fast Zodias paired with a Ci4+ Stradic FA 6'10" Medium Heavy Fast paired with a Metanium MGL. I am mulling putting my Core 100 MG instead and put my MGL on the bigger reaction series Cumara for my top water and bigger bladed baits.

Last year on Toledo Bend 139 double digits were caught during 3 months of the spawn, this years is off to a great start. Ryan Pinkston of Center, Tx caught this 14.62-pound largemouth Saturday while fishing in the Bass-N-Bucks tournament on Toledo Bend Reservoir...he had a 36 # stringer.

The weather here has been up and down lately. 70's one day and 30's today with wind. Threw spinnerbaits, swimbaits , chatterbaits and cranks. Only bites came on a crank. One 3lber and one pushing 6lbs. Gotta get out there for those pre-spawn big bites.

Here's my Crank bait selection. Let me know, if i should add or remove from the list? Black Chartreuse Blue Chartreuse Chart. Sexy Shad Firetiger Sexy Shad Red Crawdad Rootbeer Chartreuse Tennessee Shad

I just posted the stuff below for another member with the same concerns. The pics below are of an Avid X caster, but I own a 7' ML Avid X as well and the guides are identical. **From a previous post** Here are some details of a couple of my setups regarding how the FG knot fits "micro vs standard" guides. In the two examples that I show below, we'll look at the guides on my 7' MF Avid X casting rod next to my Dobyn's 733c with standard guides. The Dobyn's is spooled with Power Pro slick 30lb braid to Sunline Sniper 12lb FC while the Avid X is spooled with 30lb Suffix 832 with a Sunline Sniper 7lb leader. The tip guide on the left is the Avid with the right being the Dobyn's. You can see that the FG knot doesn't take up much room in the micro guide of the Avid. The knot travels in and out of the micro guides of this rod just fine and really isn't much larger than the diameter of the mainline or leader. I measured the ID of the standard tip guide on the Dobyn's, and it showed 3.39mm. I'm not sure if this is correct, but it may be close. The calipers wouldn't fit into the micro guide, so no luck there. Micro guides come in different diameters with some getting really tiny from what I have heard, so take all of this with a grain of salt. From my experience, if you want to run a leader on your Avid X, you shouldn't have a problem if you're tying a good FG knot and probably other joining knots. I had these same concerns, so I'm happy to help. Let me know if there is any other way I can help.

I'd be just fine if they'd knock a little off the price and give me a bait with just the hook hangers. I'll add my own rings and hooks myself and be happy doing it.

I got absolutely obsessed with dirty jigs last year. This year I am forcing myself to get into cranking after pulling in a ton of fish late fall with the lipless cranks. My last order was a ton of jerkbaits so I am going to be having fun with moving baits in the spring!

Losing 'some' bass is & will always be part of fishing for them, just the way it is. But realistically it should be a very small part. In reference to line type choice, as long as it allows for proper bait presentation, the actual line type / characteristics may only come into play on the hookset. During 'the fight' itself, the angler's actions often dictate the outcome, not the line. While line (and leader) choice is important, so is using a proper & balanced outfit that includes quality terminal tackle (especially hooks). However IMO, the best gear in the world may not make up for poor fish fighting / landing technique. It's an aspect of this sport that is often overlooked. It's also something that one can 'get away with' when dealing with smaller fish, but may rise it's ugly head when the fish an angler has spent the whole season (or a life time) looking for, strikes. There are as many different ways to fight & land bass as there are lures to catch them. And if the fish ends up in the boat, I guess one could call that successful. But bigger bass have a way of showing us when & where we may be lacking. For example, if I chose to horse & speed reel a big bass to the boat in a few seconds flat, I should not be surprise when that 'still green' fish loses it's mind boatside on a short line while I'm trying to land it. More than my line type, I believe that a net improves my chances of landing a big fish everytime; where as the boat flip, does not. A-Jay

I'd say that there may be a belief that the move broadens one's overall Income Potential. A-Jay

Alright scent fans, time to find out what all the "stink" is about! @A-Jay, you convinced me to give it a go.

So all this talk about Walmart deals I decided to hit 5 Walmarts near the Raleigh, NC area. They were all having clearance and in general a lot of them were cleaned out or had stuff I decided I didn't need. I did however found one Walmart with Gamakatsu 3/0 EWGs for .75 and found a Seaguar Red Label 6lb for 7 bucks. I bought 12 of the hooks (10 left) I decided I didn't need that many.

The last couple of years I have conducted a stretch test of a variety of fishing lines. I have now tested 20 lines – mono, co-polymer and fluorocarbon. My initial hope was to go beyond line manufacturer’s claims of “low stretch” because I found it varied greatly, and find out for myself. I’m just an amateur and not affiliated or sponsored by anyone, but this was an interesting exercise for me. It will influence what products I buy going forward. Like anything in fishing, I don’t think any single product will work all the time. I mostly use braid as a main line but usually tie on a leader for low visibility and abrasion resistance. In these situations I may actually opt for a leader material with more stretch to offset some of the no-stretch characteristics of braid. Other times, like when casting crank baits, I want a line with some give so I don’t tear the trebles out of the fish’s mouth. But then again, I don’t want a long hook set with a line that stretches like a rubber band either… I hope you find the results as interesting as I did, it was kind of a fun way to kill some cabin fever the past couple years… -Fry Here are the results, the primary update this year was selecting certain lines to be tested wet vs. dry ~ LINE STRETCH TEST I used a 12 foot piece of each line and hung an 8 pound weight to see how much each line stretched in inches. Below are the results - least stretch to most stretch. All Lines 8 lb Test Lines Trilene XT (Mono) 21-1/4 inches of stretch Yo-Zuri Hybrid (Co-polymer) 22-1/8 Sufix Seige (Mono) 22-5/8 P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 Trilene XL (Mono) 24-3/4 Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 Original Blue Stren (Mono) 29-3/4 Gamma Edge (Fluorocarbon) 31-0** Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* Stren 100% (Fluorocast) 31-3/4* Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 P-Line 100% (Fluorocarbon) 33-0* Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** Berkley 100% (Fluorocarbon) 38-3/8 Line snapped once and was re-tested ** Line snapped twice - length estimated Broken Down By Line Type 3 Co-polymer lines average stretch: 23.4 inches 6 Monofilament lines average stretch: 25.1 inches 9 fluorocarbon lines average stretch: 32.2 inches Line Diameter Line diameter can have an effect on stretch, but 9 of these lines all had the same diameter (.009 inches). Those lines are broken out below. The overall results are similar for the 3 different line types. P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** ”Wet vs. Dry” The above line stretch test was conducted with dry lines, which raises the question of whether mono, co-polymer and fluorocarbon lines stretch differently when wet? Two lines in each category were soaked for 24 hours and re-tested. Results were as follows: Fluorocarbon lines Sunline Sniper: dry 26 1/2 inches vs. wet at 27 1/8. Berkley 100% fluorocarbon: dry 38 3/8 inches vs. wet at 39 inches. Co-Polymer lines Yo-Zuri Hybrid: dry 22 1/8 vs. wet at 25 1/4 P-Line CX Premium: 23 1/2 vs. wet at 35 1/8 Mono Trilene XT: dry 21 1/4 vs. wet at 28 7/8 Trilene XL: dry 24 3/4 vs. wet at 36 1/2 Overall observations *Newer Co-polymer lines being marketed specifically as “low stretch” for the most part seem to be accurate (when tested dry). *Fluorocarbon tends to be the line with most stretch. *Monofilament tends to be somewhere in the middle, although those with a thicker diameter (i.e. Trilene XT .011 and Sufix Seige .010) did stretch less. *Line diameter may have an effect on the stretch of certain lines, but overall, lines of the same diameter seem to reflect that Co-polymer and Monofilament lines still stretch less than Fluorocarbon (when tested dry). *Mono and Co-polymer lines tend to stretch more when wet vs. dry. Most “catch up” to fluorocarbon in terms of overall stretch, however one co-polymer (Yo-zuri Hybrid) tested lower than any fluorocarbon either wet or dry. *Fluorocarbon lines tend to break easier when stretched to their maximum breaking strength.

Join a lure collectors forum and show it off . I did that with a 1940,s bicycle that was in my parents attic and got 400 dollars for it ,without the handlebars chain and chain guard . .

Are you kidding it's worth 350$. Wow jackpot...guess it's my lucky day got this lot for 5$ Thank you for the help any idea on age and value with the jitterbug in the middle... never seen one with the straight duel hook

And here's the modern version.........

Almost spring, pretty soon the bobber trees will bloom.

Decided to try out the new Live Target swimbaits, (blade on shad is not included) only downside so far is that they reak of chemicals. Also picked up 2 Crazy jigs, 1 Crazy Blitz (chatterbait football head) and 3 of the elite series for the trokar hooks.

Genetics! Not every bass is genetically capable of reaching 10# status. Past genetic research focused mainly on the female but the ShareLunker program is showing the equally important role of the male's genetics. 2014 Nacogdoches Texas, a lake record of 12.54 lbs was caught on Lake Naconiche; genetic research showed some interesting facts. The mother was ShareLunker #370; 14.28 lbs from Falcon Lake. The grandmother was ShareLunker #187; 14.05 lbs from Lake Fork. The great-grandmother was ShareLunker #9; 16.13 lbs from Gibbons Creek. Plus ShareLunker #305; 14.67 lbs from Lake Fork. All 5 were from the same father; an almost 8 lb male. Each female bass listed was hatched at the ShareLunker hatchery in Athens, Texas & stocked a fingerlings!

A-Jay

still have one. right next to my silver minnow spinner.

My overall favorite spinning reel is the "Shimano Stradic" (they run abreast with my Stellas). Roger

Wera and Wiha make the best tools you can get for reel maintenance imo. I use the wera screwdriver set and the hex driver set. Hedgehog trust wrench is great for handle nuts. Their spool pin tool is also the best design I've used.

Nice, you know your doing something right when they hit the head of a vision 110.

A few Walmart clearance items: hooks for $1 a pack, KVD's for $3 and a Rebel for $1.50.

Bought a Curado I 200HG at Basspro for $133.73 today, that's tax included and the $5.34 it cost to buy a zebco 202 and trade it in for $25 off. For a reel that recently retailed for $179.99 I'd say that's pretty d**n fair. Now I get to see what all this Shimano fuss is all about

Yup, I'm surprised he doesn't have a split ring sponsor, agent sleeping at the wheel.

Pre-spawn ~ Jerkbait & a Jig Spawn ~ Jig & a Jig Post-Spawn ~ Spinnerbait & a Jig A-Jay

Interesting subject.I would say that bass are more pressured now than ever in the past,but there are more opportunities for people to catch trophy bass,especially if you are willing to travel for fishing.This year alone there has been more than 5 bass over 13 pounds documented in Florida,including a 15 pounder caught from a kayak( all from Central/North Florida).Other states have been having better than average bass fishing with many state records being broken in the past couple years.

I can crank both left and right, but setting the hook is more natural with my right arm, so I crank left

Same for me, but I chalk it up to me.

Why dont the have it on the mega bag fisheries. Its supposed to be the biggest baddest event all year. Have it on somewhere world class where you need to catch 25lbs a day to win.

It's certainly a mixed bag, and both sides have valid points in the discussion. In the case of the largest bass on the planet (LMB), that was a window of time (late 70s through early 90s) that opened up due largely to genetics and the introduction of Florida strain bass into Cali (and arguably TX and TN to a lesser degree). Also, technology (and media) in a variety of forms has increased the pressure tremendously on both the fish and the best fisheries in the country. On the the plus side though, catch and release has almost become dogma among bass anglers, so more fish are being released to continue growing. Largely gone are the days of huge stringer shots. Additionally, and not being political, climate change is definitely extending the growing season in several parts of the country, and cool water species in particular (spots, smallies) seem to be benefitting. There are other factors that could be mentioned like the Clean Water Act in the 70s, invasive species (think Lake Erie and smallies/walleye as an example), genetic engineering, and social media, among others. It all makes for an interesting study.

Make absolutely no difference what hand ya use! I cast with my right hand & before the lure touches down the switch to my left hand has been accomplished. Flipping, pitching, or punching I may or may not switch hands. Casting, pitching, flipping, & punching I set hook with both hands! If all ya got to beat me at fishing is ya don't change hands...ya in trouble!

We cast the rod with the right arm on both right and left handed baitcasters so theres nothing to adapt to there. I use LH bcasters only and im right handed. The whole designation is backwards. LH reels should actually be called RH. If a RH person makes the switch to LH they will realize this. I picked up my buddys RH reel and tried to cast. I noticed the star drag gear box and handle were hitting my knuckles on my right hand making it annoying to try and thumb the spool on a cast. A LH reel gives your fingers all the room in the world. I also noticed its not easy to convince someone to switch to LH reels. Im ambidextrous so i do everything with both hands except writing. Try this. Take your spinning reel. Switch the handle to the right side. Now go fishing. It'll take 2 casts before you realize how ridiculous it is to switch the rod from hand to hand each time you cast. Think about it....

I was out there got a late start caught a whole bunch of one lbers in canalon worm than got this one on spinnerbait

ive never felt that my reeling hand (left) was lacking when reeling in a fish. i can control the bait much better and get better feel in all presentations since i switched to left reels years ago. i am right handed. its all preference. use what feels right.

One of my favorites. The hooks aren't great so you have to change those, but other than that they're real fish catchers. I like the French Pearl, Herring Bone Chartreuse, Cosmic Shad, Pro Blue, and Purple Green Apple are my favorite colors.

I'm gonna miss her- Brad Paisly