Leaderboard

Long arming some 14"ers for all the folks that love it. I caught about 30 of them drop shotting some brush piles, it was pretty neat, I dropped to the individual fish a couple times.

I snuck out to a pond tonight, in spite of the hot sticky windless miserableness of the weather. I swear the only breeze was that generated by the beating wings of my personal congregation of gnats. Why do they love my ears? Anyway, the Menace Grub came through for me tonight. I tried the Delta Red for the first time, on a whim, and it brought me a half dozen 2-4 pounders in an hour. It was nice also to spot the gallinule chicks with their mom.

I was fishing at Bull Shoals and there was a storm in some far away hills . I wasnt too frightened by it . I was using a tube on a quarter ounce jighead . I made a cast and my line would not lay on the water . The lure was in the water but the line was trying to stand straight up in the air . I connected the dots rather fast and got off the water .

Caught my PB spotted bass at Folsom Lake last night! 2lb 13oz. 1/2oz Jig with Sweet Beaver trailer. Fishing in about 20 ft of choppy water.

my oldest grandson [12] and I went last night he beat me 9 fish to 5 he got a 4 1/2 a 4 two 3 1/2 two 3's two 2plus and a 1lb. the grandson in the red shirt [8 years old ] just got this 5 1/2 tonight. I think they are addicted. it sure feels good to see them smile like that.

So, being hit by lightening is just like getting married?

Water temp is bathwater, outside temp is armpit. This bass felt like it had a fever. And one while I was avoiding the storm:

Thunder, meh, not so much. Once I see the flash, I am in. Even on my guided fishing trip to Lake Baccarac, the second I saw lightning, take me in. I think immediately of my wife and kids and the selfishness involved to keep fishing. It is SOOOOOOOO not worth it. Give me rain, hail, snow, wind, downpour, some distant thunder, but lightning, time to go in whether the person I am fishing with gets offended or not.

Just about everyone who has ever been struck by lightning has probably experienced the same thing. I never have, but I don't go outdoors waving a fishing rod around when there is thunder and lightning in the area.

This is from earlier in the summer. 3-4 chain pickerel.

Chunker from yesterday, going back today to finesse some bigger ones that followed but wouldn't commit.

MEH...

Night fishing after a storm I was throwing a t-rigs when I noticed my line "jump" a couple feet up, I'm like what the when it did it again & suddenly it dawn on me time to leave! Below are the results of an aluminum boat stuck by lighting.

Like Catt said, everyone has their own idea of what's 'best' for a given situation. The reason is because we have become so familiar with how that jig acts when it contacts cover and the information we deduce from what is sent up the line from it when it approaches the cover. We have a history of what will get that jig, not only out of the cover, but how doing so will assist in getting bit. All of that comes from putting in a lot of time with a jig and is also why a seasoned jig fisherman relies on only a few styles of jigs. That said, a heavy cover jig works best when pitched, or flipped short distances. That angle of the line to the jig works to it's strengths. I prefer an Arky head with a horizontal line tie that will flip the jig over a branch when popped just right. That flip not only clears the jig of the branch but gets the reaction bite a crank or spinner bait gets when bumping cover. I put that jig hook in many a branch learning how to achieve that result.

This ^^^^^plus When it comes to jigs everyone has their own personal repertoire of confusion! What I look for in a jig is a smooth transition from the line to the eye & around the belly, which requires the eye to be slightly rolled forward. The reasoning is I want my jig to follow the line up to the cover & then slide over or through the cover smoothly. I want a quality brush/weed guard & a quality hook, both are more important to me than head design. If I'm working a shoreline or offshore structure I do not switch jigs just because the cover changed!

No, you got $700 worth of rods for $450. "Warranty " often gets confused with replacement program.

The only smallie to show up on a five-hour river float today (but I'll take it):

Had a decent weekend, not a quantity weekend, but did well on the size.

Please don't buy another Daiwa. It very likely won't meet any of your expectations because they haven't changed anything on them enough that it would satisfy you any more than what you had previously.

Took me a while to learn how this one could equate to locating fish holding areas. I'm actually ashamed of myself for not getting on this a whole lot earlier - probably missed some primo opportunities. But once The Light Dawned on Marble Head ~ It was game changer. Works for me right up to turnover most seasons. A-Jay

For many years, I was right in the middle of many a storm - all kinds, including electrical. It was an occupational hazard. Now, not only am I not out in them, I usually will not go if they are predicted. Just don't feel the need to tempt fate as I feel I already beat the odds at least once. btw - trying to outrun water spouts is a real good time. A-Jay

I don't use the thermocline as much to "find fish" as I do to eliminate water - basically discounting anything underneath. A thermocline is just a form of "breakline," so look for where it intersects the bottom, preferably on or near structure or cover ("breaks") to locate active bass. With some other species of fish that roam more such as white bass, crappie, walleye, etc., using the thermocline as a "false bottom" can sometimes produce, especially trolling.

As long as your not holding a Berkley Lightning Shock rod you should be safe ?

Lightning is where I draw the line. Given the weather apps available, it is totally available. In the Summer I borrow a lightning indicator that our athletic trainer has. ( It's awesome) Like anything else, if you ignore you accept the consequences. To get back to my home dock, I have to get through 2 chanels and that's not likely if you wait till you hear thunder. Seasoned boaters know the law and will tie off to a vacant dock and wait it out. The last time it happened, the owner invited me in for coffee..........I love "Golden Pond"!

If a thunderstorm is approaching, Leave!! It's just fishing Mike

Lightning can strike 5 miles out from the storm. If you are hit and survive, it will be like having a stroke. Recovery is very slow and your sex life is over. Of course, that is the good news. If no doctors or EMS around you probably won't make it, anyway.

Living here in the south it's common to get thunderstorms almost every evening during the summer. If we see any lightning or thunderhead clouds we pack it in right away. I also have the Weather Channel app on my phone and have it set to alert me when there is lightning in the area. It's simply not worth the risk.

First thing that comes to mind was a last minute trip to the river after buying my last boat. Ended up running into a family broken down on there pontoon boat. Me and the wife pulled them back to the ramp while a storm blew up out of nowhere. As I was helping them line the pontoon onto their trailer knee deep in the water with lightning popping all around. It was not cool and while looking back I would still help them I hope I never have to do that again.

While bass can get spooked, they are not spooky. Many I would even consider curious by nature. It goes hand in hand with being a predator. I believe mother nature is a bass fisherman's biggest foe and noise created by a graph is....meh

The pike that everyone hates (hammer-handles) Snot-rocket, not Roger

Hank Parker explains when and where to find elusive summer bass. It's not what you think!

Nothing wrong with the jig your using. Normally if I'm working through thick wood cover I'm not very far away so I can work the jig up instead of horizontal like if i was far away. If you feel the jig hanging up don't pull, just give it a shake and let it down then pull it over the branch/stump

The Bottom Dweller features Razr Blades which are thinner, narrower cupped blades that don't cause as much resistance. Because of that, the blades have less “lift,” and the bait stays on or closer to the bottom than conventional willow leaf spinnerbaits. When I fish these baits, the heavier models allow me to fish deep & fairly fast while still maintaining decent bottom contact. When presented on the right gear, these bait will fish effectively as deep or deeper than all but the most magnum crankbaits but are a whole lot less fatiguing. So that makes them a decent option. A-Jay

Got into some really big bluegills over the weekend. Had a blast with the ultra-lite tackle, and we were reeling in gills this big every cast.

Ross Barnett Reservoir, Brandon, Mississippi -- Life is Good

Fixed that one for you. A-Jay

Yeah, when your line starts going toward the sky or you get a small shock when you pick up a rod, it's scary.

I spoke with Dobyns and they will honor a full warranty even though I'm not the original owner as long as they determine that's it's a factory defect. If not I will have to pay a replacement fee. I honestly can't ask for more than that.

When a spinnerbait is leaning to one side it is very seldom caused by the wire form being off. The biggest cause is the blade size is too large for the speed of the retrieve. The easiest way to know is by slowing the bait down, if you slow the bait down and it is upright then you know the blades are too large to go too fast with it. Most spinnerbaits on the shelf are what I call "all purpose" baits, they use a larger blade set to optimize flash and vibration but if you reel them a little faster than a casual cranking speed the torque from the blades will pull the bait to one side. The bottom dweller has thin blades as A-Jay already mentioned, the thin blades don't create as much lift or torque so you can fish them along the bottom without having to slow roll because the bait will not lean or get too high off the bottom because of the reduced torque. If you use a standard 3/4oz or 1oz spinnerbait you'd have to slow roll it to keep it down and from leaning because the blades would create much more torque and lift, the only way to compensate would be to use a size or two smaller blades which would cost you much needed flash when fishing them deep.

How ya know it did!

Parts delivery 2/3 for the Itö arrived today. Just waiting on the last one to get it together.

In South Florida with our thick weedy Lakes, I could not agree with Hank Parker more!!!!!!! Our water temps are often in the 90's in August and September and the dead vegetation falls to the bottom and decays. This kills the quality of water deep in our lakes COME SUMMER. Bass will seek out shallow weeds because the weeds provide shade from the intense summer rays, ambush points, and most importantly oxygen. The exception to this is if you can find an underwater spring pumping fresh, cool, water into the lake. The old timers that know the lake cherish these spots. It can be a game changer not only in the heat of summer but also in winter when a severe cold front passes through. Florida Black Bass don't take to sudden cold spells, and will seek these constant water producers.

I'll be honest. 95% of all my bass catches are by-catches of when I am targeting different kinds of gamefish species. Usually it's "I want to catch a walleye... 7 smallmouth catch and released later I realize that's not going to happen.

But , how do you know it didnt effect the catch rate ?

Got out at daybreak today. Lake was slick calm. Pulled out the booyah on my froggin rig. Nothing for 1/2 hr. I turned my head,and when I looked there had been a relatively small blow- up with no noise. Very subtle . As I pulled up to check I felt pressure moving to the right and then realized it was a heavy fish. Fish never tried to jump .It weighed 7.3 pounds. Other than the big fish,I caught 5 more on various worms.One was really cool because I caught it on a late 70s vintage 6 inch grape Mann's jelly worm. Day sha vu!!!

Well, I'm not trying to argue with Mr. Parker, one of the worlds greatest bass fisherman of all time, but some lakes are different. Most of the reservoirs built on the Tennessee River do not have a thermocline although Kentucky Lake might be an exception. Our river system is commercial and has some current all the time and a great deal of current some of the time. The water is aerated by electricity producing turbines on the bottom of each dam. River water is "churned" throughout the system. During the summer and especially right now, the best fishing is on ledges. Last Saturday all of our bass were caught on the upstream drop of a trench in 19' of water. The bottom was virtually flat then dropping to 25". The trench is approximately 100 yards long by 20 yards wide.

The answer is Forrest Gump. Watching Forrest jump off his boat waving all the way down to see Liutenant Dan makes me laugh every time. It's a good movie with a lot of subtle humor about some of the biggest historical events in the USA at the time; love it.

I buy and sell a ton of rods, I've had rods in cardboard tubes arrive broken, I've never had an issue with PVC. If I sell a rod, it get shipping in PVC and packaged correctly. Sure they can break pvc but I think it happens a lot less frequently.

Had some fun with a TRD and my conquest 50 today

I actually like either 49 lb or 66.