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I wish that Bass could come on land and take care of the Mole problem in my yard. Look for the next lure from Savage Gear to be a Suicide Mole

Well, my day started off rather mundane. Feeling somewhat defeated after just landing dinks, basically relegated to just using Senkos, for the quite some time. I ducked into the woods behind a public pond to a more obscure, less fished, but separate pond. Two casts into ~6" water with the green pumpkin and I had a massive hit. I was quite surprised, I thought it was some sort of carp based on the length. But no! My first gar! I didn't even hook him, he clamped on the hook and I just dragged him through the mud to where I could assess where to go from there. I stood there for a few seconds trying to figure out what to do(while also being ecstatic that I landed a gar!). Donned my pliers and pulled the hook from his viscious looking jaws. Hook's free, what now? He was flopping about slinging mud all over me. So I just kept using my feet and edging his backside to get him back to the water. It was an intense few minutes. Apparently my day wasn't over--I FINALLY, after about 2 months of landing dinks(my last 3+ was almost two months to the day), I pulled in this chunky bass. Went 4.4, but she certainly felt bigger. I was making my way back to my car and stopped to cast in this shallow corner of the pond. A lot of activity, small fish, threw my bluegill squarebill and kept pulling up with leaves/sticks/etc. Felt some dead weight, "obviously this is just a big stick". Nope!

Haven't been out much this year but finally caught a decent one. Caught it throwing a spinnerbait around bridge pilings.

Quite unusual, but hey, if it was swimming, it was food! Via Nat Geo: http://relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/2017/06/moles-bass-missouri-fishing-picture-spd

Amazing! Thought that I may of been the only fisherman on this site that ever "SPOON PLUG FISHED"... I still have his Books and Magazines that he sold many years ago... I have his special "Rods, Reels, Lures, No-Bo Metered Trolling Line , Stainless Metal Trolling Line , Stainless Swivels , Stainless Interlocking Snaps #3, Stainless Interlocking Snaps #2 , and Spoon Plug Lures"... All of the information that he was teaching back then was "Trail Blazing" and still holds true for today's Bass fishing... Please check his web sites out for additional information... WHAT SPOON PLUGGING REALLY IS! When most fisherman are asked what spoon plugging really is, most will say it is a method of "Trolling", or "Suspended Speed Trolling". Many others think it is the exclusive of the "Spoon Plug Lure". Very few fishermen know what the true definition and meaning of "Spoon Plugging" really is... "Spoon Plugging" was the word that was coined by Buck Perry to describe the basic knowledge needed to become a successful fisherman... It means being at the right place at the right time, presenting your lures in the right manner to arrive at the fish consistently. http://www.spoonplug.net/ https://www.bucksspoonplugs.com/

the pond near me has been slooooooooow fishing the last couple times, but i managed to fool this little one into smacking my frog!

Don't know about the OP but there are a number of guys up northwho fish the Great Lakes and other large bodies of water for walleyes who run 2 starting batteries because getting stuck on the water with a dead battery because of running electronics and pumps all day can be dangerous. Also, Minn Kota makes a motor called the Vantage which may be used in lieu of a kicker motor. So one may have both a bow mount and transom mount trolling motor on the same boat

Went fishing for Bowfin last friday for the first time and caught my first one. Not that big but still a nice size.

I coaxed this fat little piggie out of impossible pad cover tonight, pitching a black/blue Menace Grub.

We used to push an oar down in the water. If we hit bottom, it was shallow. If we didn't hit bottom, it was deep.

I wouldn't pay attention to any of that. just buy the highest thrust motor you can afford. you can always dial it down. better to have the power and not need it. there will always be times when you will be glad you had the extra power.

Best for big bass is how your question reads... Luckily I don't live in big bass country so my reels are more suited for dinks. Shimano or Daiwa make the best IMO. I have had reels by every manufacture but they are the only reel brands I have left in my "regular" rotation. Which reel is best? No such thing especially for those with technique specific gear. A 50 or 70 sized shimano is not going to be your deep crank or swimbait reel. A Tranx or Curado 300E are not going to be your weighless plastics reel. I am not sure I could pick a favorite reel as majority of my reels are technique specific.

Spoonplugging also helped me out quite a bit in the early years as well. God Bless Buck Perry!

Did a lotta casting

Earlier this week a buddy of mine shot me a text saying he had an incredible day on the water. I had a business trip scheduled and I was going to pass right through his town. So naturally, like any good friend would do, I invited myself on a fishing venture for the evening. I met him on the Black River at 6 pm and were fishing shortly after. After about an hour of no strikes and a couple lost lures I hooked into the first fish. Back-peddled my way back to shore and landed this beautiful 34.5" Muskie! It wasn't ten minutes later that I made a cast next to a bridge piling and another muskie rolled on my spinnerbait but didnt hook up! I cast right back at it, and she rolled on it the exact same way, again no hookup! Well, I continued to fish that area, and 15 minutes later I cast right back at the bridge piling and hook up! This one fought much harder and offered some airborn acrobatics! This beauty measured a good 38"! All in all, a great trip to spend some quality time with a friend and get me on some beautiful fish!

No problem. It's probably over kill. I fished for trophy northerns all over Canada and never used anything that stout. Match the rod to the baits you intend to throw. Even though pike will eat big suckers, our best success never came on huge baits.

Sunscreen.

I don't use a trolling motor to propel my bass boats and use the OB for that. My TM is used to position my boat and keep me positioned under all kinds of weather condions and use it about 90% of my fishing time on the water. My 14' Lund had a 55 lb thrust bow mounted TM with 52" shaft needed to keep the prop in the water with white capped waves and control the boat. My 17'6" Triton has a 82 lb thrust TM, rarely run either TM at full bye pass power, usually the under 1/3 rd power. So why over power a TM?...simple, good to have when it's needed in an emergency and operating at lower power the higher thrust TM uses less amps/hrs. Tom

on Amazon, Eposeidon has the KastKing Stealth on lightning deal for the next hour and 40 minutes for only $48.43 I'm banned from fishing purchases until after next Wednesday, but it's really tempting me. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019F2IBV8/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I16W1SKMWTDQDO&colid=ZDZ15269F6YU

For me: Boat: 45 pounds TM: 30 pounds Battery: 50 pounds Electronics: 15 pounds Misc. Rigging & Other Gear: 25 pounds Rod/Reels/Tackle: 15 pounds Angler: 170 pounds Total: 350 pounds 350/100 x 2 = 7 pounds of thrust I think I'll stick with my 45lb TM (for smaller, calm waters) or my 55lb TM (bigger/windier water)... (Of course, my TM is my primary propulsion power as well... )

Sooo I opted for Sunline FC Sniper in 14lb. I'll let everyone know my thoughts after next week's trip.

We went out for 3 hours yesterday got 11 fish (and 1 drum). About 6 of the fish came on a storm swim bait the rest came on a range crawl or a kvd 2.5. I was surprised we got most of the fish shallow still I had wondered with the weather if they would have been pushed deeper but they were still active and shallow.

Hit one of my favorite stretches of river today and had a blast. These fish aren't quite my pets but they are pretty close to it. The last time I fished it was in November, but I have spent enough days fishing it in the summer to have an idea of what they would be doing and where they would be living! Clear low water and wolfpacks of fish. Though they are extremely skittish, if you time it right and stay hidden or far enough away, you can have a very fun flurry when you get one of the groups fired up. At one point I was fighting a 2lb fish with about 10 fish in the 2-4lb range chasing it, but once they saw my kayak I could pretty much kiss all those opportunities goodbye! Landed about 25 bass with all but maybe 4 of them being over 14".

That's the same thing my Dad says when I show him pics of the pond Bass I have been catching. He thinks I am catching the same fish over and over. Come to think of it, he might be right Closing in on 100 fish for the year. That might not be much for some of you guys but considering I fish 2 times a week for an hour and a half max I think its pretty good. I average 3 fish a trip, like this pound and a half beauty from last night. Work, travel and weather have been my fishing obstacles this year. My vacation starts a week from tomorrow. We will staying at a cabin on a lake so I fully intend to double if not triple my fish count in the week I am there. That's if my luck holds up.

I don't want to contradict you but almost all of the diving depths of crankbaits are based off of 10# to 12# mono. There may be Japanese baits or some newer baits on the market that use fluorocarbon as a depth gauge but every single Rapala DT, Bomber, Bandit, Berkley, Bagley, Storm, and Yo-Zuri as well are all based on 10# -12# mono. I know this because I have asked that question repeatedly to each one of those companies listed, my specific question was as follows: " with the popularity of fluorocarbon line being at a peak, are your crankbait depths based on fluorocarbon or mono and which strength line is used"? The answer I got was almost identical from each manufacturer with some minor differences, like Yo-Zuri told me their depths are based off of nylon line using diameters that would be equivalent to 10# monofilament. Berkley was the only one that used 12# mono but acknowledged it would depend on line diameter and Bagley went a step further by stating that even though fluorocarbon is immensely popular right now, diving depths are still based off of mono since it is still the most commonly used line. I say this because your statement is how misinformation gets spread, it is one thing to have an opinion or guess but stating something as fact when it isn't gives all of us bad info. I'd suggest contacting some of the newer manufacturers and see what they say, the ones I listed are the ones I got in touch with but like I said, it is possible that newer companies are using fluorocarbon but I would still think the majority of them use mono for testing depth but make some inquiries and let us know, I'd like to find out if any one is using fluorocarbon for depth.

Fishing out of a small boat, or a yak, means an anchor is as necessary as fishing tackle. Might as well stay home without it.

The new Teckel Frog at work........

Looks like Shimano has two new casting reels coming at iCast next month. These were posted by a rep at Shimano on another website this morning, so I would assume these are accurate descriptions and pictures. The Chronarch looks to be the exact same at the MGL except with a saltwater friendly spool. The new Curado looks to be an overhaul featuring a new paint job and micro module gearing. I also like that they're now coming stock with 90mm handles. Chronarch G Packed with Shimano’s most advanced technology, the new Shimano Chronarch G casting reel delivers the top level performance enthusiast saltwater anglers require. The new Chronarch G is fitted with Shimano’s MicroModule gearing, providing a more efficient gear train with a smoother, more positive feel. -Light inshore saltwater reel, perfect for wade fishing for speckled trout, redfish and flounder. Great for spotted bay bass, calico and sand bass. -MicroModule gearing provides more and smaller gear teeth for a more positive, efficient engagement and smoother feel -SVS Infinity -Cross Carbon drag washers - Composite frame -Ci4+ side plates - 8+1 S-ARB bearings - 90mm handle (HG) 95mm handle (XG) -6.5 oz (HG) 6.7 OZ (XG) 11 pounds max drag MSRP - $279.99 Curado K The new 7th generation of Curado is a complete redesign loaded with new features. Built tournament tough, Curado is the benchmark for reliability and durability. Generations of anglers have looked to Curado as their trusted partner. Shimano gives you more than ever with the new Curado K series reels. Now featuring the latest in Shimano technology, such as super smooth, efficient, durable MicroModule gearing, and offered in multiple gear ratios up to 8.5:1, Curado builds on its legacy as the ‘go to’ baitcasting reel for both fresh and saltwater action A new matte black appearance with Curado "green" spool and cast control knob for a nod to the old B model. MicroModule gearing uses smaller gear teeth to make for a smoother retrieve. By allowing more teeth to contact each other, the gear train becomes more efficient. The latest generation of SVS Infinity allows for a wider adjustment with the brakes. The new design reduces vibration and maintenance. The result is a smoother and longer cast. Reduced frame size to allow for a more comfortable feel in the hand. The 10% reduction in both length and width make the reel easier to palm and reduces fatigue. The B side (palm side) plate is now attached to the reel. 6.2:1/26 Inches Per Crank 7.4:1/ 30 Inches Per Crank 8.5:1/ 36 Inches Per Crank 11 pounds max drag 90mm Handle Length 6+1 bearings (4 S-ARB, 2 SUS and Roller bearing) Aluminum frame, CI4+ A-side, Graphite B-side 7.6 ounces (standard and HG) 7.8 ounces (XG) MSRP - $179.99

Walt & I were planning on taking the boat out today, but due to the rain forecast, we pushed it off. So, I took my UL rod down to the local Oxbow to try for some crappie from shore. Not much happening until around 8:00 am. Made a cast with the tiny jig. Felt the familiar "tick" and set the hook. All of a sudden it started getting really heavy and the "fish" started taking line off the drag! Definitely NOT a crappie. Fought the fish for a few minutes with my 7' UL bent almost double, figuring I hooked a big carp, or bowfin and that it was going to strip out all my 2 lb. test line and spool me. No way I could prevent it. However, I continued to fight the fish as best I could, holding my finger on the line spool, to assist the drag, as it surged out and started plowing through a weedbed. I figured, that's it.....here's where it breaks off. I kept a steady pressure on the fish and it actually got itself out of the weeds. How I still had it on was amazing to me. Finally I was able to start steering the head towards my shoreline. I climbed down the side of the bank in hopes of at least seeing the fish. It came up and I was amazed to see that I had a huge largemouth bass on......maybe 6 to 8 pounds(?). The behemoth rose with only it's head out of the water (it was too big to jump), opened it's mouth and - believe it or not - out pops my crappie with my jig still in the crappies mouth, not the bass! The bass just sunk back down into the depths. I unhooked my jig from inside the crappie's mouth and tossed it back, although it was pretty bad shape by that time. It was just shy of 9". That big ole largemouth just was determined to eat that crappie - period! (Maybe something for you big swimbait fans to think about!) I know the bass can grow pretty big in these waters (state record is 15 lbs, believe it or not!). I've also "heard" of people down south having this similar kind of experience. Just never heard of anyone around our neck of the woods having it happen to them. Then it started to rain so I quit after catching about a 1/2 doz. more crappie from that spot. Sure do wish I had a vidcam today! That'd be something for the books! Figured you guys would get a kick out of this one!

I own an 8 acre pond and get asked almost daily for permission to fish it. Unfortunately the answer is always no. The main reason is that it is located on my business property and my insurance policy will not allow it. Unfortunately, that is the world we live in. If someone gets hurt or dies on my property the personal injury lawyers will line up and clean me out and my Insurance will not cover any of it. To be honest, I don't want anyone else besides my friends and family out there anyway. We worked very hard to be able to afford this property and don't want a bunch of extra pressure on the fish from strangers. I always treat those that ask with the utmost respect since the did the right thing. Sadly many just ignore the Posted signs and sneak on. Those people get the Game Warden, who I have on speed dial. He likes crappie fishing and I like fast response time;)

All the time on my 17 ft tin boat. If I get out on a decent sized lake and try to stay on a point out from cove it gets used quite a bit. I also have a drift anchor that's a little oversized that helps take advantage of a wind from a useful azimuth.

Dodge, I'm a fan of Lund. I currently own 2 of them. They are probably at the upper end of your price range, as they are arguably the best aluminum fishing boat on the market. There are a couple of boats in their line up that could potentially work for you, the impact and the crossover. The issue you will notice with most fish n skis, is that they do neither well. Sacrifices are made on both designs to come up with a compromise. That's why I suggested the Reatta earlier, and I will recommend a Lund now. Both brands focus more on fishing than the skiing. You'll see that the layout and storage on the Lund is second to none.

It's of my opinion that you're on the fish that will bite that style of lure. I think most anglers don't move enough and also don't stick on biters long enough. Balance, find what's biting and why. It's usually tied to what cover is there, and what lure gets in their wheelhouse. Unlock that, and your game changes.

There is much more to large sunnfish/bluegill than just water clarity. Genes, hard bottom, and, probably more of a factor, an abundant source of nutritional food, are going to grow bigger fish. I fish for pan fish on a number of public lakes and there is one lake that holds bluegill/hybrids larger than the rest. It has a hard bottom and my livewell is littered with snails when I get home. The other lakes have soft bottoms and and it seems insects are the primary food source. There is no doubt in my mind its the snails that make the difference.

Fixed that for you

You are a lucky man. On windy days my front and rear anchors just get dragged along by the waves and wind. The heavier of the two is 20 lbs and the smaller is 10 lbs. I primarily fish shallow water with a muddy bottom though so there's nothing to catch the anchors. Definitely an effective way to fish though.

I only use the Alberto knot for leader to braid connections. I use the Palomar for my drop shot hooks. I use the Trilene knot for everything else.

when I want my swim jigs to be lighter, I shave the sides of the head with a pocket knife. You could do this before painting the heads.

Academy has Rage Tail Craws and Menaces for $3.49 a bag that beats TW's 30% off strike king that they do on black friday!

I anchored a lot with my 14' aluminum boat, rarely during the day time with my glass bass boats. At night if it's windy a take a 20lb navy anchor with 75' to 100' or 3/4" rope to anchor my glass bass boat, very difficult to stay on small areas in the wind when it's dark. Tom PS, I keep my anchor and rope in a heavy duty plastic milk create, make it easy to store the rope and anchor.

...and nose hooking flukes if the spirit moved you. oe

3 different rigs for different situations, IMO. I like a shakey head (in various weights & head styles) when I'm fishing sparse to moderate cover in 6 to 15 feet of water. IMO, baits for shakey heads are generally larger than baits for Ned rig. (trick worms, 7" power worms, and so forth). Ned rigs are for shallower spare to moderate cover. I may be in the minority but waiting for a 1/10 oz jig head with half a sinker z stuck on it to drop 10 to 12 feet drives me nuts. I'm fairly confident that it would work deep but waiting for it to drop would drive me nuts. A wacky rig is a different bait for different circumstances. I throw wacky rigs at objects and let it drift down next to them. I never randomly throw a wacky rig - got to have a target. As the name implies I often throw a wacky rig at mid lake trees and let the wacky rig drift down 8-10 - 12 feet or more. (I feel it requires at least 5 to 6 feet of visibility for this to work, which frequently doesn't happen). In cases of lesser water visibility I favor a 10" worm and a 3/16 or quarter ounce tungsten for the same scene, i.e. drop down close to a tree trunk. Other than the ned rig, neither of the other two techniques have to be a "finesse" technique per se. Depends on how you look at it. I don't have to use Med or ML rods and light line to finesse fish. I can have my 7'2" jig rod and be throwing a quarter ounce jig head in 15 feet of water and I'm "finesse fishing". I think the term finesse fishing applies more to the attitude and pace of your fishing than your gear.

If I'm throwing wacky worms, I'm using a Falcon Weedless K Wacky hook (3/0 - 1/16). I use the o-rings, like you bought. For bait though, for wacky rigging, I think there isn't any substitute for a senko. I'd go buy some senkos. You can throw those on a wide variety of gear. The senko/hook combo is heavy enough to easily throw on a bait caster setup. A long time ago I used to use a 6'6" Med action All Star rod with a Calcutta 200 TEGT and 14 lb fluorocarbon. Then after I broke that rod I graduated to a 6'10" Falcon Eakins Jig Special ( which is on the med side of med/hvy) and an old Shimano Curado. Currently I use a 7'2" Fenwick MH Aetos with a Chronarch 50 and 15 lb Abrazx. This doesn't catch me any more fish than my original rig did - however it is a lot lighter and I like fishing it better. My wrist feels better after a day of pitching at things. Or you can use spinning gear, which I often when my Aetos rig is scheduled for other duties. The spinning gear I currently use is a 7' Fenwick HMG MH and a smaller size Pfleuger spinning reel filled with 20 lb braid. I like a light colored braid so that it acts kind of like a strike indicator i.e. the line moves and you nearly always see the strike before you feel it. I like a short 1-2 foot fluorocarbon leader. Well, that's my current thinking on wacky rigs, along with some history, hope it helps. Again for wacky style fishing, ditch the dingers, get some senkos.

Trail and error. We trolled deep diving lures to find bass or did what 90% of bass anglers do today, we casted to shoreline targets and fished weed beds. Tom

I use them all the time. I am handicapped and it is near impossible to tie lures on. I catch lots of fish. Sometimes I wonder if folks just want to brag on how they tie. If you catch fish, you catch fish. I also now use omega pro & bullet reels. I have very good spinning & baitcasting, but it is hard for me to cast right now. The bullet caste a mile and the omega pro is really smooth. I am just happy to be able to fish. If I can't use the omega etc., I will be at a pond with an old cane pole. Fishing is fishing for me. I am just glad I can still do it.

I have never used electronics. Structure, current, baitfish activity, bird activity, wind and a multitude of other things. Time on the water can teach you a lot.

Ask around the neighborhood discreetly, look for likely areas that "should" hold fish, fish it at different times, use every kind of presentation you can. Bottom line is, just fish it hard every chance you get. Mike

my search tool was a texas rigged purple worm.

110 catches fish!