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I was cleaning an old computer when I found an old picture of a Big NY Upstate Winter Bass through the Ice. My Brother and I used to fish a lake near his house which was pretty big and if you fished it in the spring through fall, you would each catch Stunted bass on almost every cast. We used to assume that all the fish were stunted in the lake with an occasional 2lber but my brother discovered that targeting them through the Ice in the part of the lake choked out with Hydrilla so thick that you really couldn't fish most of it (This is before Braid & b4 we knew about Hollow frogs etc.) I forget how much this fish weighed, we used to call everything over 21-22" 5-6lbs and I kind of think this fish was 23" since that was a really good quality bass in upstate NY and in this lake, you could literally catch 5-6 Bass over 21" in a solid day of Ice Fishing. This Fish barely fit through the hole and I believe it was caught on a small Road Runner or small Jigging Spoon (We used to use a Hopkins spoon) We only caught the big fish in the deep areas over 15' in the areas that you could not fish during the year. I guess the lesson of my story is if weeds are too thick they can cause bass to be stunted which I have seen in ponds, but if you have a lake where you only catch small bass, try fishing it through the ice. Live Minnows will also speed up the process & it makes the cold not seem so bad. Here is the picture of my brother with one of the biggest through the Ice and this was Mid Winter with thick ice. Bass eat in the cold, especially the bigger ones, you rarely would catch the dinks in winter which still seems strange to me.

Here are some pictures and the video from the giant I caught at LaCygne this weekend. She weighed 10 ls 15 oz and released to fight another day.

At Wally this A.M. They had 75%off on all fishing clearance like lews speed spool $19 , kvdhooks $1, gamskatsu hooks.75 cents, berkly lightning shock rod $9

James- I started out with a 10' kayak, and we still have it. I think it is fine for a starter, and even a permanent if it is what you like. Eventually, I wanted standing stability and decided to upgrade to a Native Ultimate 12. Now there are 10' kayaks you can stand in, there weren't when I bought mine. Also found the 10 got cramped with gear, but that's a matter of whether I took too much with me. And that answer is "yes". Use a crate and you'll have a maneuverable fishing system. Upgrade later if you feel you need more room. Oh, and have you tested this Malibu yet?

long before solunar tables, temperature guages, depth finders, and even daylight savings time, these little guys told our grandfathers and their grandfathers it was time to go fishing. when they talk, i listen. and today, they were right again.

Do you know Scuba Steve ? A-Jay

I really like the show and the format quite a bit. I make a concerted effort to watch every show. (DVR) The one exception being that although I actually have talked to the guy at shows and do genuinely like him in person, I do not like Ike's over the top foolishness on camera, it's irritating and seriously detracts from what is other wise an entertaining 60 minutes of TV. As for the size of a score able bass, I see why they do it and I don't totally disagree with the premise. However, having 6 guys beat docks for 12 inch bass gets old fast. I'd like them to impose a rule change where at the start of each period there is a "target size bass" that has to be caught before any of the other score able bass can be placed on the score tracker. Maybe like a 2lb fish in the first period and then a 3lb fish for the 2nd & third periods. Just something that would make guys get off the deliberate dink fest they routinely seem to get on just to keep up. They obviously have the skill. A-Jay

Went back to the "mill" Sunday and had a few solid bites on a finesse jig and a megabass 110. The fish on the left in the picture had a craw coming out her bung hole after I tossed her in the livewell. All fish were released alive and well pay no attention to the audio on the video ? IMG_1567.mp4

Maybe your charger's of the fritz ~ A-Jay

The bat, the eel, and the other thing that happened which had a Rmax story kind of theme. Took a boy scout troop fishing/camping trip on private property, guy had two nice spring gin clear ponds with nice bass and bluegill. Kids caught on pretty quick that bluegill could become bait if you weren't in a hurry to reel them in, and one kid had a really nice bass - 5 lbs easy - attack the bluegill on his line. Had the fish(es) both near shore when they both broke off. Nighttime settles in, kids are doing the campfire thing so I decide to get a little fishing of my own in. Using a fly rod cast a big deer hair popper and I hook up with a big one, reel him in, and it was the same darn fish with that bluegill stuck still in it's gullet. Kids just loved it, they all have a story just like this that they can write about in a thread just like this. I have a story about a topless sunbather too, but I'll keep that for later.

Try everything. The only way things happen is if you try. Nothing to lose. Everything to gain.

Not recognizing flipping as a specific presentation you lose the history behind it and the knowledge of who the anglers were that coined the name, developed the technique and the tackle and won tournaments. Most of you don't know who Dee Thomas is and could care less, most of you know who Gary Klien is and may not know his roll in developing the flipping technique. Anyone who flips owes both Dee Thomas and Gary Klien recognition for pioneering flipping. So who developed pitching? I know you have heard of Denny Brauer, but it was Dave Gliebe who first perfected pitching and started winning tournaments. Tom

Stephen, I'd contact Jun Sonoda @japantackle.com

I'm dubious of their claim that this is a "reel lubricant." Looks like a line conditioner to me. Never tried it. I've always used KVD L&L.

I have a tendency to collect rods on deck as the day goes on, even if one or two baits are working fine. I will almost always start the day with 4 or 5 combos on deck, even if I know what's been working. You never know when a chatterbait, or spook, or buzzbait, or wacky rigged Senko, or shakeyhead , or squarebill, or scrounger might work better even if you know a jig or worm or creature will. For me, a big part of part of the enjoyment of fishing is experimenting with different baits and techniques. Don't underestimate the guy in the jon boat or the guy in the high end boat with 20 rods on deck. Making judgements about fishermen (or anyone else) based on equipment is silly in my opinion.

I have the Met MGL XG and Steez SV TW 1012XH. I've also had a Core 50 and Aldebaran 50HG. The Steez and the MGL are my favorite reels. I've had the Steez about a week and it is a smooth reel. I can cast 1/6oz Ned Rigs with it on a rod rated no lower than 1/4oz with no backlash. I haven't really put it through the paces yet, but its the first reel I went "wow" when I picked it up. Its on a St Croix Legend Elite 70MF rod - this combo balances very well. The steez is a Smooth caster, decent distance. It feels like the perfect weightless or 1/4oz weighted set up. The MGL is a sweet caster. Had it for a year and the thing is a joy to cast with. I have them on an Avid X 70MF and 70MHF. After trying some Loomis rods, I'm a St Croix fanboy. Love the Legend Elites and the Avid X line ups. I own a couple of each. The Avids fish slightly higher than their rating and the Elites are right on, tho I've never had a MH or H Elite. The Met MGL is really versitile and smooth - definitely worth it especially if you're thinking a MH St Croix. The week I've spent with the Steez SV TW has been awesome, but not enough time to give a fair recommendation.

that budget will get you whatever you want. for jigs and plastics i like a very sensitive rod and usually spend the most on rods for those techniques. you could go custom and get whatever you want. there are about 5 or so blank manufacturers that are mentioned frequently, i hope someone will chime in. if you buy prebuilt, id check out the following combos. i also fish St. Croix and Megabass for moving baits but when fishing jigs and plastics, i prefer Loomis NRX and GLX. it would be wise to handle a NRX before purchasing as many do not like the ergonomics. i am not a huge fan of the ergonomics but can live with it because the blanks are amazing. NRX JWR 852 / 15 Aldebaran HG - jigs and plastics up to 1/4oz plus plastic. also good for single hook moving baits. Not a heavy cover or heavy hook rod. 2015 JDM Aldebaran is around $300. This combo will spoil you for life. Get the BFS version if you want to go very light and line capacity is not an issue. . NRX JWR 893 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 3/8oz plus plastic. good for single hook moving baits as well. MGL can be bought for under $300 from Japan. be aware that the rod is 7'5". a bit tip heavy with a light reel. NRX CRR 873 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 1/2oz plus plastic. stiff tip. great for football jigs and carolina rigs. a bit tip heavy with a light reel. not a typical Loomis 3 power - i'd call it a 4. You could use the change to super tune the reels and get some upgrades if the money is burning a hole in your pocket. Ive never fished a Steez but it might be worth a look. You should be able to get the NRX rods for about $400.

Recently I scraped the paint off two RES and found that one had a clear body and the other a white body. This got me to wondering if they were made of different plastics which would give off a different sound. Talked to a guy at work that knows plastics and the thought was it is the same, but we did get into a discussion on how different paint schemes could give off a different sound. If they are different plastic formulations that would be interesting to know. Take clear sexy shad which has very little paint on it, vs say the orange craw which has a lot. The paint could dull the sound some. Same goes for the chrome covered baits. In the past I would have thought that a slight change in sound wasn't a big deal, but @A-Jay has me convinced it makes a difference with his non-silent silent RES. I also have a silent one that clicks very slightly I want to try out this year.

I caught a couple bass on the Mann's Hardnose fluke yesterday at my friend's pond. I saw a video recently of a guy using them nose-hooked with a finesse hook. I thought they'd be too big because of the cooler water, but was pleasantly surprised. If you haven't used them rigged this way, give it a shot. The action is better I guess because there is no hook in the body. And the Mann's fluke is just "wigglier" than Zoom's and the material is much more durable. I also got 5 on the Ned first time I tried it and 3 on the Finesse Worm and missed several more, mostly on the Ned.

Anyone have any fun tackle or gear finds? These three arrived today from eBay. I've always wanted a Coriolis!

Please welcome are newest partner, LunkerHub! If you have a hard time finding custom fishing products, LunkerHub is the place for you. LunkerHub is an online marketplace to buy and sell custom fishing products. They provide a destination for independent makers to offer customers a one stop shop to discover new and unique products. Their goal is to make it easy to buy and sell custom products and gear so you can stay ahead of the competition. Please help me give them a warm welcome!

No... I don't mean sneak in. I mean ask. Ask more than once. You may get to know someone there. Ask about a waver. A while back I worked near a large set of ponds and got to know the manager, more or less, just in passing. Eventually I asked for permission to fish and eventually I got a key to the gates. There were two sets of ponds -52 ponds in all. And I had them all to myself. Even got to duck hunt back in gorgeous flooded timber, all by my lonesome. There was a large tract of land down the road from my home that was managed as a pay to play hunting club. I went and asked anyway. I hit it off with the owners and they granted me permission, the stipulation was that I prioritize spike bucks, and secondarily, a single doe. Perfect. Who'd a guessed. Oh, this is kinda cool... Just a couple weeks ago I put some field time in collecting willows to plant for a wetlands restoration project. Turns out the collecting location has a series of large private bass ponds/lakes. The guy I was working for has keys and said, "Maybe we can fish it sometime." And the restoration project we were supporting just happened to be one of my favorite bass quarries that was breached during the big floods here and access closed. Guy has keys to that one too, but he tells me that it'll open to fishing by the end of June this year. I'll probably be the only on there too. So.... who knows.

That's what I was getting at with them feeling like they weigh more. Put a 1/2oz tungsten in your palm and then a 1/2oz lead, the tungsten feels heavier because of it's density.

I had no idea what I had until I got her to the surface. When they get wrapped up a two pounder came make you think you really have something lol 10 pound Sunline FC Sniper.

You may be onto something. Might explain why some baits are just better producers. Beyond the difference between, the RES traditional rattle, the silent bait & now the 2-tap, if there is a subtle difference, I'll admit that it is well beyond anything I can detect. And where I do believe that the size, color, flash, profile, sound & vibration all play some role in peaking a bass's interest in the bait, many of the bites I get with these lures come on the fall. So whatever is going on with the bait for that brief moment in time must be fairly critical as well. A-Jay

Agree with everything said by Darren above. No matter what you are sitting in, if things are a little choppy and you are going with the waves; if you get hit sideways at the same time from the wake of a boat, you're flirting with disaster. Try to stay out of these danger zones. Having warned against the rough water factor; even if you try to avoid it, conditions can change fast so make sure you always have a PFD on. Additionally, make sure everything you bring along is secured or floats so you can retrieve it if you are dumped. My first kayak was a WS 10' Tarpon. It was good to start with, but I eventually sold it as it was not that stable and even worse, it was uncomfortable. A crate on a small kayak may add to instability and I found that it was one more thing for the wind to catch and throw things off course.

We have several members that swear by Red Label, but I only use this line for leader. For spinning tackle Inviz is more manageable and I REALLY like AbrazX for baitcasting.

Thank you!

I'm a big fan of goby colors with purple or gold flakes in them.

Really an incredible fish. How long did it take for you to realize it was a bass? I've caught a ton of drum off that bank, that's what I would have been thinking the whole way. Good to hear she's back in the lake, looks like the ol gal was about to pop.

I agree with "it's 2 separate independent styles of presenting a bait to a specific spot". And it is about distance but for me it's more about depth! While Flipping & Pitching can both be done in shallow but once we get to a certain depth flipping stops & pitching continues.

Anybody ever use these!! Brings back memories!

I would contact the tackle trap for that. Probably could get you it quicker. Its just the drive shaft nut and cover/screw. Have them source you them and you can use any nut as long as its the correct size to get you by.

To everyone who can't find the Trokar hooks in stock at Dicks (2 packs for $5.99), the same deal is online at their website, and they have more options. I bought more this morning there, and they had free shipping on order $25+, and had almost every style and size in stock including weighted swimbait hooks

So far, March has been 10 times worse than January and February for me. Only been in Housen, Six Mile and Sandy. Feel like relocating! I'll be glad when the "spawn" and the millions of humans go away too. Thanks for the reports and good luck to all.

Get a Bass Mafia...

It's not unheard of that's for sure. I also caught a bird once in the same manner. The evening hatch will bring out the bats right at dusk, they are eating the same things the fish are it's just they are picking them out of the air instead of eating them as they have stumbled or fallen into the water. When you cast you throw the fly backwards and then forward at least once, maybe two or three times as you work line out so that fly is in the air for a bit. It's a weird feeling as the rod loads up all normal like, and then you start forward and the weight thing is just all messed up. Think of that sensation of picking up an empty can of beer when you think it's full, reverse that and x100 and that gives you an idea of what it feels like.

Lake has been going crazy asking me to go fishing several times a day lately, so I took him across the road and asked the neighbors if we could fish their pond. Of course nobody could say no to that face he caught a dozen in the hour we were there, including half a dozen decent ones, this one being the largest and his new PB on a wacky rig!

Yes it's a good time to go to the Glades now,should be a good time to catch good numbers of bass(+50 bass in a day per angler is common when the water level is low), but most of the bass are very small.The bass fishing in the Glades will be even better if the water level keeps dropping.

This one didnt even bend

2015 tracker pro guide 16 75hp mercury 80lb trust 24v minn-Kota ulterra

It seems silly to cast judgement on anglers that like to have a lot of rods on the deck of their boat as "wannabe pros." Could some be trying to "playing the part" like they see on TV? I'm sure. But I think there are also plenty of guys, including myself, that just like to actually use all the crap they buy. I tend to keep 8 - 10 rods on the deck whenever I fish. 99% of the time, I actually use all of them and maybe even a few from the rod locker. When the fish are really biting, I'll constantly throw different stuff just so I can catch them on different baits, rods, reels, line, etc. I see it as practice and it makes me a better angler. If I was only gonna bring 2 rods out all the time, I would only buy 2.

The Metanium palms bigger than the Aldebaran and does not hold much more line. Especially the cheaper JDM version with a shallow spool (all other things exactly the same i believe). The Metanium is still very comfortable to palm in my hands. I have all fingers north of the trigger when palming. The Metanium MGL is the best casting reel I have fished. This includes older Zillions, Met 13, Met DC, Aldebaran 2015 and 2009 51 Mg7, Core 51 Mg7, Curado 51E and 201E7, Curado 71. More expensive options like the Antares (heavy), Conquest (round) and Steez may cast as well or better, i have never fished them. The 2015 Aldebaran is the smallest and lightest reel I have used by far. Noticeable weight difference between it and a Magnesium Core 51 or Metanium MGL. Casts great. 2 bearings in each knob (Met MGL does too) but i swap the knobs for the larger MET 13 XG ones. It has the small knobs like the ones on the Curado 71. On a lightweight and balanced rod like the NRX 842 (fast action) or NRX 852 (XF) it makes a hard combo to put down. Both the 842 and 852 lack a bit of power to be ideal for pitching typical skirted jigs 3/8oz plus plastic and greater to cover IMO. Better suited for 3/16oz jigs and t-rig, shakey jigs, weightless plastics, small paddletails, small squarebills. Perfect for a 4" senko and beginning to feel light with a 5" senko but totally doable if that helps. For an all around jig rod for pitching id look at something sensitive, MH, XF or maybe F. some rods I have never used like the high end Kistlers (sensitive), Dobyns (balanced) and some of the high end Megabass rods where value starts to diminish rapidly might be worth some research. Different MB lines vary greatly in sensitivity, do your homework if you go this route. My MB experience is only with the XX line. Great sensitivity but not near NRX territory. Awesome tapers for moving baits.

Stanley Vibra Shaft is thicker & will not break! Got some that are 15+ yrs old

Depending on the size of the lake, a few....maybe more than a few....truckloads of rice dumped in the lake will absorb the water. Once all the water has been absorbed into the rice,you will be able to simply walk over to the phone to retrieve it.

Yes that's a budget and it's reasonable imo. What speed reel? If your going plastics only a 7.9 would be great but if you want multi purpose 7.1 might be better. Check out the tt review on the steez xbd rod. It is very versatile and lite. I still see them new around 475. The muted build would give you the chance to get any color reel you want. I think the green IS megabass 71 looks good together. If your more into jigs then maybe an NRX or a st Croix legend might be better. I feel a custom build should be done only if you cannot find what your looking for. Resale sucks on customs. A st Croix SC 5 or nfc hm would be the first to blanks I would look at, or maybe a k2.

Tom, when reading your story I couldn't help but think of Jason Lucas. Among the many tidbits he shared, Jason suggested to always stop close to the launch ramp, and work the real estate that every other angler races past on his way to Eden. That was long before tournament fishing was initialized by Ray Scott in 1967. Today, we have yet another reason to stop close to the launch ramp. Today you can tap into bass released after every tournament, which tend to loiter close to the release site Roger

You might have a tackle addition problem when you're on first name basis with the Daiwa parts lady...

I'll take a stab. TX rig should be utilized when vegetation is present because of the weedless attributes with that rig. Shakey head excels under docks and rip-rap, rocky areas where baitfish like to hide and eat off the rocks. Excels in clear water, similar to conditions where the ned rig shines. Personally, the ponds I fish often have a lot of weeds and vegetation on the bottom so my shakey heads pick up too much debris - so I TX-rig almost 100% of my soft plastics. The experts will add more detail, but this is for my own simple mind

There should a click washer like the one in the cap only with two legs that insert in the holes in the side plate. The gold click spring sandwiches in between them.