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Here it is October and I'm catching fish 12 to 22 foot on main lake points . Had my limit in less than two hours then went to the shore looking for bigger fish . I should have stayed deep . Caught them on Berkely Dredgers 14.5 , 20.5 and 25.5 .

Yesterday I went to a small, secluded pond in the woods you have to drag the kayak into. It's a lot of work getting in and out of this place but it holds big fish. I go there in the spring and fall looking for better fish. The forecast showed clouds and rain so I was expecting a good topwater bite; and this place did not disappoint. I was throwing a bone 130 Plopper and a Poppin Pad Crasher and I got on them right away with my NEW PB!! A 6-8; which I know isn't huge for some you you slayers out there but for Maine, it's not a bad fish. And I usually fish for numbers so getting on a good one now and then is an accomplishment for me. Soon after I had another 5, a couple of 4's and some smaller fish. I went looking for more and changed up baits to a 3.8 Keitech and could have caught all the 1.5 lbers I wanted but that's not why I go to this place. So I abandoned that pattern, went back to where I knew I should be, with the bait I knew I should be throwing and continued to catch good fish. Ended up with the 6-8, 3 5's, 3-4 4's, a few 3's and a bunch of dinks. Probably the best big fish day of my life tbh. The 6-8 A couple of the 5's

Couldn't get out this weekend but got out for a few hours this afternoon. It was cold but water temps still 61. I didn't catch many, I had to make an adjustment from a jig to a smaller profile t-rig to get big bites. It worked though, I got the biggest bite of my life! One of my goals this year was to get a 6lber. I finally got it today with a 6.28lb toad. I've been fishing for big bites lately and its been paying off. Jigs, Texas rigs basically all of the time. Once the water temps get lower I'll change things up but this has been working really well for me.

We know...

It sure is pretty here in Pennsylvania this time of year...

My new pb, 5.35. Northern Wi fall bite is on!!

White bass were stacked thick. Dad got his new PB crappie of 13". Pic doesn't do it justice. The small crappies were a respectable 9-1/2"-10" We didn't keep any whites.

My left handed Curado K finally arrived on Saturday while I was out fishing. Once I got home, I quickly opened it up and inspected it. Upon first holding it and spinning the handle, I was pretty impressed with the reel. I was bummed that it didn't arrive in time for my trip out on the boat on Saturday, but then my wife asked on Sunday if we could take the dog for a walk around the one local housing community pond. So this was my opportunity to get some on the water time with this reel. Here's my initial thoughts and first trip out impressions of the reel. Briefing: I've always had a soft spot for the Curado reels. My first baitcaster that my father and grandfather got me was an old green bantam Curado back in the mid 90's. I learned baitcasting on that reel and I still have that reel today and it still works just as well as it did back then. Since that time, I have owned (and some I still own) every model of the Curado that has come along. The model I got was the 201K-HG model. For those that aren't aware, this is the left handed model in a 7:1 ratio (31" IPT retrieve). I also have a standard model on pre-order (6:1 ratio, 26" IPT), but those haven't started shipping yet to my knowledge. Unboxing: These reels come in the standard Shimano boxing that we're all accustomed to. Upon taking the reel out, I was immediately impressed with the looks of the reel. The flat black look awesome on this reel, and it looks much more expensive than a $180 reel. The dark green spool and tension knob were a nice touch of the past. The one thing that struck me as odd was the coloring of the handle and drag star. They are a gunmetal silver color, and in certain lighting it looks more silver than gunmetal. With the coloring of this reel being so muted down, a shiny silver handle/drag star looks a little out of place. Shimano has black handles and drag stars on their other reels, so I'm not sure why they didn't stick to that on this model. Not to be confused with what I said earlier, this gunmetal silver in other lighting does look darker, so it's just a matter of what lighting you're in I suppose. Upon grabbing the handle, I immediately noticed that the knobs are bigger around that what I'm used to on my Chronarch's and Metanium's. They definitely beefed them up on this model. I'm not sure how I feel about these larger knobs, but I know some guys prefer a beefier knob, so I'm sure they'll appreciate this feature. Once I turned the handle, I was really shocked. This reel feels as sturdy and smooth as my Metanium MGL. Shimano has really dialed it in with the aluminum frame and micro module gearing because this thing is so fluid whenever you turn the handle. Comparing this reel to the previous I model, this K model feels light years better in basically every category. I'm not saying that the I series was a bad reel, but I feel like this model Curado is under priced with how refined it feels. On The Water: Prior to heading out, I spooled the reel up with 14lb. Gamma Polyflex copolymer line and mounted it on a St. Croix LTB 7'1" Medium powered rod with a fast action. My reel came with the internal brakes set to 2 on, 2 off, and the external dial set on 3 (adjustable from 1-6). I tied on a 3/16oz. swimbait jig head and attached a Rage Tail Menace grub on it for the sake of taking her out on her maiden voyage. So I left the on the stock brake settings from the factory and adjusted my tension knob until I had the desired fall rate that I wanted. Making the first cast, I was impressed with the reel. It was like the factory settings were made for my little swimbait presentation. I experienced no overruns during the cast and no backlashes upon splash down. Color me impressed considering I didn't adjust anything from the factory other than the spool tension. During the hour or so that I fished, I casted numerous different ways to see how the reel handled everything I threw at it. Side arm, overhead, back hand, roll cast, pitching. It handled everything with ease and no issues at all. I was able to pitch with ease and good distance, considering the presentation I was using was probably only around 5/16oz overall. My standard casting distance was on par with what I get out of my Chronarch's and Metanium's, so I was impressed with that. I backed my external dial knob down to 2.5 and got a few more feet on my casts. During the hour or so I fished, I managed to catch four fish and I lost two others. Everything in this pond is in the 9-12" range, so no monsters to really test out the drag, but big enough to bend the rod and feel a wiggle on the end of the line. The reel felt just as smooth retrieving my bait and reeling fish in as I thought it was when I pulled it out of the box at home. If you haven't fished a Shimano reel yet with the micro module gearing, you're missing out on a super smooth reel. I'm really impressed that Shimano has brought this technology down to the Curado lineup. Conclusion: So far, so good with this new K series Curado. I'm going to try to put as much time in with this reel as I can before we have ice here in Pennsylvania. I can't wait to receive my standard 6:1 reel either. From what I can see so far, Shimano has taken a big step in the right direction with the Curado lineup. I know people were very upset over the G series, but the I series was a vast improvement over the G, and now the K is a big improvement over the I series. Only time will tell, but I'd say that the Curado is back to being king of the $200 casting reel market. In my opinion, this K series feels better in the hands and performs better than all of the various Tatula models I've fished with. I know this was only my first outing with this reel, but I wanted to voice my opinion for everyone who is on the edge about this reel. I am going to put in more time with this reel and I will probably update this post or create a new one once I really break this reel in (just like I did with the Chronarch MGL). So stay tuned for more updates. If anyone has any questions, I'll try to help out the best I can.

It will sink until it hits bottom, like any sinking bait.

Got to leave the shop at noon today for a meeting that got canceled, so why go back to work when I can go fish my favorite spot, New Orleans City Park, for a few hours? Needless to say it was a good trip. Caught 6 in just over 3 hours of fishing. 3 between 1.5 and 2lbs, ***.1lbs, and one 4.7lbs (pictured). Got em all on a custom 1/2oz flipping jig that I made during our shop meeting this morning ?

So you're clear, the bass are often initially introduced to a new lake, and then time and nature do the rest. It isn't a "put and take" situation, like you see with trout.

On the way in the other night...

I suspect it’s more profound the farther north you live. This time of year I’m happy that the hot humid days are done and the fishing can be spectacular but... cold and hard water are pretty close. Im on my lunch break from work.... looking at a perfect fishing day... knowing only a few of these days remain... hoping the forecast aligns with my days off (Not looking good at the moment). Ice fishing just isn’t my thing.

Not too graphic; just guys with shirts off. Bodybuilding...my other time consumer. Not sure who else is into it but i've been bb'ing since I was 14. Absolutely love it! There's the physical side and then there's the mental side of it; both very pleasurable to me. A few years ago, I had 3 surgeries in 2 years that set me back from my training. Well I healed up nice, got back on the horse and realized if I'm going to do a show, I better do it now while I'm in half-way decent shape. So at 48, I did my first show; now I'm hooked. I have another planned for April 14 2018, another that fall, then another the spring of 2019. Here's the vid for those who dare.... I'm 48 so usually there is a Master's class which is for competitors 40 and over. This show did not have a Master's class so I had to go into Open Novice and then a full Open class. The oldest competitor in each class was half my age. I placed 4th in both classes which I was very happy with, considering. The spring show will have a Master's class so I'm looking forward to that. Any other BB'ers out there?

Oh yeah, cloudy days will be gone in a few weeks leaving us with clear blue skies, blazing sun and high 70's/low 80's temps ....... oh sorry, wrong part of the planet .....

I echo your sentiments and can certainly relate. All except for that 'work' thing you mentioned there . . . . . . . A-Jay

How do you know they are bass ?

Good thing it wasn't, your wife would have been ticked! ??

My personal best over the weekend...

3/4 to 1oz Jig with a big trailer or a big crank like a 5xd or 6xd.

15lb big game

Some Big Air Brown Bass today ~ A-Jay

oh wow, that thing is a tank! Maybe the wipers here PA Fish and game stock are different genetics, I've seen many double digit 10+pounders and none look like that. You get som fat ones but not like that. That fish looks like the greediest fish in the lake

Alright Fellas, Can we please keep this thread alive? It seems as if it has been declining in the last month or so and it really sucks to see happen. Lets revive this b****. Anyways, I fished three times this weekend. Saturday (Manchester, NH) Weather: 73 Fahrenheit, Overcast, 7 MPH Southern wind The pond I fished was 54 acres with a maximum depth of 17' in the middle. The water was fairly clear and a cooling temperature of 68 Fahrenheit. I primarily was focusing on flats located near deep water. To be even more specific I was fishing a 6' flat that led into 13' of water. The flat also contained boat docks on it. I tried to start out with moving baits and didn't have much success (chatter bait, crank bait, spinnerbait and under-spin). I thought it was weird because there was a slight breeze of 7 MPH, which was moving the water around. Eventually I started to drag 1/8th Texas-Rigged senkos in the flat and that seemed to do the trick. I caught a few "ok" fish and called it a day. Sunday (Boscawen, NH) Weather: 74 Fahrenheit, Overcast, 10 MPH Southern Wind I fished a larger body of water coming in at 200 acres even. The maximum depth is 32'. The water at the pond was stained and a cool 65 Fahrenheit. I followed my previous days' pattern and targeted 6' weed flats near deep water. This pattern was key. Finding offshore weed beds ranging from 6' to 8' near deeper water is where I caught all my bass that day. Nicking the top of the weeds with a green pumpkin 3/8th chatter bait seemed to trigger the bites. The bass also seemed fairly aggressive. I was reeling in my line at a fair pace on a 7:1 and still would get wacked. I assume that they are slowly preparing for their winter transition. Monday (Southern NH) Weather: 71 Fahrenheit, Overcast, 0 MPH Wind Smaller body of water, high water temperature. 70 Fahrenheit. Today was a swim-bait only day. To bad I could not figure them out.. I caught one, two pound bass near the shore, and that was the only action for the day. I fished shallow and deep and couldn't catch sh*&. I guess that is the name of the game? Curious to see how everyone else is doing? Any good stories, tips & tricks etc. ? Hope everyone is having a strong end to their season and tight lines!

I love this bar!

Lol. He can block me, I'm mostly full of useless information

My preference would be in the garage. I often work on tackle, check lines/retie, replace tackle based on seasonal patterns, do repairs and cosmetic maintenance(wash,vacuum) Also, sometimes I'll use the excuse that I'm going to the garage to work on the boat/fishing stuff and I wouldn't be able to do that if I kept the boat at a different location

6" or larger swimbait with line through or not the hook set is the same for me; crank the reel fast and use a hard firm rod sweep and keep reeling. What you are apparently asking about is when to hook set and that varies. Stopping the retreive rarely is a good idea with swimbaits after you feel a bump, continuing to retrieve or speeding up the retreive usually works better. Tom

Hover over their name in a thread. A box will appear with their info. At the bottom of the box, click "Ignore user". Don't try it on my name. You can't block me.

Senko got the big one of the outing right at 4 pounds. St Croix 7'6" Legend Elite, Daiwa RG-AB, 8# Nanobraid. Hit about 20 feet out just past a weedline in 2-3 fow.

I was plan to take the boat out to check the shallow creek to see if any big bass hide in there, but my wife got a honey-do-list for me. Chang of plan and I didn't have a lot of time, instead just went to the spot I caught those 5 bass a few days ago. Since I lost my black-blue, I tied Seibert Fogy chatterbait in green pumpkin with Zman diezel trailer. Caught total of 3 with the biggest around 4.5lbs. Video

Kokaee salmon spawning here in Southeast Wyoming

Caught a good one yesterday from a local strip pit, of course didn't have my scale with me. Some weight guesses please..? Thanks in advance. (She was immediately released after video.)

Got ahold of a good one today on the Chattahoochee. 6lber, green and red seiberts jig

$40k will get you into a 18 foot fiberglass moderatly equipped. I'd hardly call that slightly high end and just a step above entry level for lack of a better term. $40k will get you into a well equipped 19-21ft aluminum mod v bass. and a standard equipped deep v bass...until the new Crestliner is released. OP Do you need a $40k bass boat? Only you can determine that. Do you need $6k of electronics to put in the $40k bass boat? Again, only you can decide that. Bigger boats are easier to fish out of, have more storage, more stable, offer a better ride. They also cost more up front. Cost more to operate, and are harder to maneuver in tight spaces. I went from owning (2) 17 foot boats to my current 20ft boat and it's like night and day. I normally fish alone but do fish quite often with my adult son and elderly father so I need the space. If it were just me, I could get by with a smaller platform. Do yourself a favor and visit as many boat dealers and see as many brands as you can before jumping into the purchase. Different manufacturers have different layouts and different features that may or may not be to your liking. Take a test drive if possible. I know nothing about the Potomac River. Is it shallow? rocky? If so, I would lean towards aluminum. If not, figure out what boat you like best. Also, do your due diligence researching dealers and find one with a good reputation and a good service department. Might be beneficial to make sure they are certified by the motor manufacturer. Evinrude has been doing 10 year warranty promotions on their E-tec's but without an Evinrude dealer in your area, probably not a good idea to hang one off the back of the boat. Some manufacturers also only hang certain brand motors off the back. Lets say you like the Skeeter layout but don't like Yammies, or like Nitro but don't like Merc's, not worth looking into. Ranger offers you a choice of motors. Speaking of Nitro's/Tracker, these boats are sold rigged as is off the showroom floor. If you want less or different options, you need to order it from the factory that way. You will notice that other brand dealers don't push "ready to fish" boats and will allow you to mix and match options to your liking, that either you or your dealer can install. Good luck in your search

Here is mine.

So, I started taking video notes on fishing trips this summer because, well, it's easier for me to talk to a camera than take the time to write things down when there's a bite on. This past Sunday I got out on the Susquehanna after some crazy weather (90s earlier in the week, the morning I got on the water the air temp was 35 degrees). I wasn't sure what to expect since I've seen this turn fish on in the fall, even though it usually means a rough day any other time of the year. I had kind of a mixed day and tried more to fish for larger fish and get notes than go super finesse trying to pull numbers. Ultimately, I got on a few patterns and was able to get some of the catches on video. One of my favorites was the hatch pattern later in the day/evening. There were several mayfly, a tan caddis, and some sort of gnat/small black fly hatch going on as the sun started going down that saved my day in terms of smallmouth fishing and lead to several 14" and a 19" smallie to close out the day. The last section of the video is little but me talking as current brought me back to the ramp, so if you just want to see fish, you can bypass that part. However, if you want to hear me ramble about patterns, there's a solid 8 minutes of it that may or may not be as useful to you guys as it is to me. More than anything, I'm glad I was able to get out. I've been having back and neck issues again, and that can make a day on the water feel like rolling the dice. Getting on the water on good health days has been a nice therapeutic escape from medical craziness Oh yeah, there's a surprise musky in there that almost stuck a size 2 treble hook in my hand, too!

Never crossed my mind. There is a time and place for everything, but everything doesn't need to happen in the same time and place. When I'm fishing, I'm fishing and really enjoying fishing. When I'm hunting, I'm focused on that. I used to hunt turkeys every May in Delaware County. Regulations for spring turkey hunting only allowed hunting until noon. We focused on turkeys in the morning. In the afternoon we would fish for trout in the Delaware. Never mixed the 2 things; stayed focused on what we were doing each half of the day and the entire day was fun.

? Just don't be like me and buy expensive baits that you're too scared to ever throw! Cough, Hinkle shiner, cough....

This is how I approach it at a very basic level. Topwater - Clear water=White, Anything else=Black (Obviously there is wiggle room, but this is keepin it simple.) Cranks - Clear water=Natural patterns, Anything else=Black contrasted with another color. Jerkbaits - Others will disagree but I don't break them out unless the sun is shining and the water is clear. Plastics - Kind of the same as cranks. Watermelon and pumpkin in clear, black and chart in anything else. Smallmouth are a whole different ballgame. They have a thing for destroying bright, ridiculously colored lures. I don't care how clear the water is, Chart/Black is my go to crankbait color. I always get the feeling that color is less important with smallies than with lmb. Again, others may disagree, but that is my method.

Welcome aboard! Sounds like a challenging area to fish! I fish mostly soft plastics and use the Ned rig, drop shot, wacky rig, texas rig. One thing a lot of us have found is that when things are frustrating on the water, we tend to go faster with whatever we're fishing. Not sure how you do things, but if you think you are going slow enough, slow down some more.

Who ever owned the tackle and line more than likely took proper care of it. Storing FC line is simple kept in original boxes and out of high heat, braid is almost indistructable regarding shelf life. Tom

???

Welcome aboard, @NashLouie!

Do I need a humidor for my mono now??

Check out swimbait underground, it will blow your mind. That's where I really got into swimbait fishing.

Butch Brown Thumper tail is a new 10" soft swimbait and works good, not expensive so get a few different colors. Tom

What about Some of the little creeper trash fish?

Got my first snakehead today! I was surprised he hit a Ned, I was way undergunned for the marsh I was fishing, I was pitching to open water right up next to the bank and he grabbed it.

It's hard to tell from the bad picture, but that is a drum's mug with only the blade of my 3/8oz bladed jig and 5" swimbait trailer, still visible. It was a chore to remove.