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So I am outside with the leaf blower cleaning the last of this years leaves out from around the house, and my wife comes out side and says " I just ran some stuff thru the clothes dryer that had a lot of lint. I cleaned the trap but was wondering, since you have the leaf blower out maybe you could use it to give the vent a good cleaning." So I go inside but can't get the leaf blower at a good angle. My wife says " could you try it from the outside?" I said " sure, just make sure the door on the dryer is closed" So I go out side to the vent, My wife gives me the thumbs up from the window, and I let her rip. A few seconds later I hear a pounding on the window, I look up and my wife is looking real mad and signaling me to come inside. She is standing there in a cloud of fine lint. Apparently when I turned the leaf blower on it blew the dryer door open as she was standing in front of it. I guess Mistake # one was using the leaf blower. I'm thinking mistake # two was laughing, and I'm pretty sure mistake # three was offering to use the leaf blower to get all the lint out of the house. I'd love to say I made this up but sadly it's all true. Jim

Do Both ~ A-Jay

Awesome day today on Istokpoga. 2 over 7lb and a bunch of smaller ones. I lost a monster punching mats too.

Creepy

Wow Report:....Was a good day with good company. We had eight guys fishing on Norris and only four caught fish. Very tough. I had big smallie and third for 2.10. Four and change won!! Was kind of funny....was throwing a small football jig on a spinning rod (1/4) When I landed fish the hook fell out....so....put it on a level wind to get better hooksets....#@$!....lost the next four keepers. Sadness....but was a beautiful day and ended up getting Angler of Year for club and get to go to Cumberland I believe as a boater for semi finals....whooohoooo. Now the research starts. Tight Lines

Didn't catch any picture worthy bass, but this rainbow was a nice unexpected gift and looked more like a steelhead than the trout we usually have around here. Weighed in at 4.5 lbs.

Was prefishing yesterday for a tourney and first thing in the morning caught a very nice walleye. Now usually the last thing I want to do is keep a fish for dinner but my inside voice was saying my wife would really really like some walleye. Hardly ever bring one home as I don't care to clean fish after a day on the water but....I did it....points....got lots of points.

I think chatter baits don't require much of a rod or reel. I think that if one tournament fishes with a particular lure, it makes sense to practice with the same one. I think bass guys over think fishing. I think in the big picture, none of that makes a difference.

December-June is usually when I fish more for largemouth bass.

Army 16T/14T 1993-1998

Not new to me, but I would say the technique I gained a lot more confidence in this year was... Deep Diving Crankbaits / Crankbaits. The past few years I've focused mostly on soft baits like Grubs and Tubes. I felt like if I tossed one of those two baits into a spot holding a bass I had a 90% chance I could get the bass to commit to it. Well credit goes to my fishing buddy Jeremy changing it up one day and throwing one of those new Berkley Dredgers. On one of our trips this year the fishing was slow. I was using a variety of baits, but fell back to my confidence baits (soft plastics) to try and make something happen. Jeremy makes a cast with the Dredger and hooks up (We were fishing one of our honey holes). So I make like 10+ casts in the area with a Zoom Mag II worm and nothing... He's all like, "Man I'm telling ya... Cranks!". I had just recently put together my box of Rapala DT's, so I broke out a DT-16 and first cast - the rod loads up! Jeremy makes another cast while I'm working the fish to the boat and hooks up again... After that day we both kept a crankbait tied on for the rest of the year. We caught a lot more fish with them (both bass and pike) and Jeremy even managed to hook into one of his largest bass this year on it. WolfyBrandon

Any particular reason you built the rod? My wife is spinning only and has St. Croix Rods rated up to 2 oz. and plenty of inshore rods if there isn’t a freshwater specific on that would work. I kinda laugh at the finess only idea. Caught sharks, AJs, Goliath grouper and a ton of other stuff with big baits on spinning gear and there wasn’t an issue. I use casting gear at times for fun, but it’s not inherently better, just user preference.

I catch a few smallies - many that feed on crayfish. In fact my live well often looks like a grave yard. As for the teeth thing - I have never really found this to be true. If you've watched a bass take in a crayfish - there's little to no teeth involved. They suck it in - crush it inside their mouths and then down it whole. All this take place well past their 'teeth'. A-Jay

IMHO, If a bass is in the mood to eat, and sees a crayfish, he will not pass it up because it is not the right color. Even if the bass has never seen a crayfish before, if he thinks it's edible, he'll eat it. One of the most popular bass baits of all time is a worm. How often have you ever seen worms swimming in your local waters?

You sound like me! i can't sleep before a tournament either, never could. I try to lay down about 8 then start thinking.... Do I have the right line on the right reel on the right rod for what I plan to do.... How am I gonna change things up if I break a rod??.., What was my boaters name again??..., What kind of boat did he say he had??.... What did he want for lunch??.... How many bags of ice?? Anyway, don't feel alone. Good Luck Mike

US Navy 64/70

I think your idea of the Shock and Caenean would be a great beginner combo.

Great! With all the tax money they will save when do we see the price drop on the rods?

I went a little nuts on BF, but I figured if I was going to get into swimbaits/bigbaits, then it would be the day to do it. I think this little collection should get me started. I do wish I had gone for the larger Mattlures gills, but being able to fish the U2 gills on a "normal" rod will come in handy I suspect. I also picked up a rod, a MB Hygua 72H, but annoyingly it didn't make it home from the UPS store with my wife, so I am here posting instead of being out fishing. I also picked up a spinning reel for my "wife and friends" rod, a M/XF custom. It was pretty tip heavy with the 2500 Ci4+ I had on it, so I went for a Daiwa BG 2000 as it seemed like the perfect weight to balance it out. I was right and it's perfect now, with the balance point right at the front of the spool. I have only cast it around the yard so far, but it feels super smooth and sturdy.

Everyone above is probably right you don’t need an expensive or high end rod for chatterbaits, or for a lot of bass fishing. There are just a ton of amazing options for rods today in the $100 bracket. But it if you like higher end rods and enjoy collecting them then there’s nothing wrong with getting what you like, it’s your money. Another great rod that is close to your price range is the Megabass Orochi XX Diablo Spec R, on clearance at The Tackle Trap for $189 right now, Spinnerbait Special would also work but it’s a little shorter. I only bring them up because they’re killer deals right now and they won’t be available much longer. I know they push your budget just a bit. Both of those rods are super versatile sticks. I throw all my swim jigs on the Diablo. But that St Croix should do a great job. I have 3 of the Chronarch CI4 + reels, good reels no doubt. But at the $150 mark in today’s market even for chuck and wind baits I’d suggest the Tatula SV TW, mine is a fantastic caster, feels great. And it has just a touch more line capacity and will give you a leg up for any skipping under trees, docks, etc and well controlled casting in tight. Good luck and and let us know how it turns out.

Catt is absolutely right. I've experienced it just in the last couple months. I've had my son catch them behind me on a T-rig when I was pitching a jig and vice versa. Also, weight absolutely matters. He's caught them behind me in exact spots using a 1oz jig while I had a 1/2oz. Same exact color jig and trailer. Sometimes they just want the bulk of a jig and sometimes they want a tiny BB cricket on a massive tungsten weight. I always have a couple jigs, T-rigs and punch rigs in different sizes and colors for that reason. Fun part is figuring it out before time's up.

Sadness for those in the land of hard water.....have caught my share of the slime rocket species out west and it was fun....now I'm making up time chasing the bass's and more bass's.

Lol, agree. I throw a chatter bait on the same rod I throw a swim jig on, which is whatever might be lying in the rod box without a lure on it. Op, that’s a good combo though, for about anything. A st. Croix moderate fast has enough nuts behind it for bottom contact even. Just send it.

1. Get approval from your Orthopedic or Neurosurgeon to workout and ask him/her what exercises to avoid. 2. Avoid all exercises that make your back pain worse. 3. Stay away from the leg press, its by far one of the worst exercises that can cause your back pain to increase. There are much better exercises for your lower body that does not put so much pressure on your lower back like the leg press does. 4. Never, ever push yourself to the max. Always train below your best if your goal is to be healthy and strong late in your life. 5. Understand that your health is #1 and that you have to train smart to avoid injury.

Rate Of Fall Y'all really need to understand how it entices bass into striking. Not just fast or slow falls but falls straight to the bottom or glides glides to the bottom or spiral down like a tube bait.

I'm done too . Been squirrel hunting several times .

A folding, telescoping net is going to be your best option. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress™-ultralight-extendable-kayak-landing-net#repChildCatid=980660

Too high end for me for a moving bait, but if it works for you then hammer down. I don't throw the chatterbait much any more but use the fogy from seibert outdoors because it has quality components at entry level costs. You should look into them possibly. I do like the moderate fast action for bladed jigs and spinnerbaits.

Pretty cool topic. I was an athlete in school and thought band/music was for the "nerds". I will admit, I was pretty much an idiot and thought I was cool and those people were dorks. Fast forward 20 years and my son is in the 6th grade. He despises sports and the attitude that the jocks have. He is in choir (and really good) and is in speech and drama. He absolutely loves it and I couldn't be happier for him. He is getting a guitar and keyboard for Christmas because he wants to learn to play. I am going to enroll him in lessons and support him in any way I can.

Sometimes fish prefer one over the other. I have experienced it many times. Also, not all jigs are the same. For example, a football head jig isn't good in grass and around wood. Where as a pitching/flipping jig isnt great around rock. For me a Texas rig is good around brush piles and grass. But a football head jig is better around rock and contour changes. A pitching jig does well for me around lay downs and stumps/stick ups. Not saying some of these can't be effective where I mentioned they didn't work for me. On another note, think about profile of the 2 baits. A pegged Texas rig with a 1/4 ounce weight and a 4/0 hook with a 4 inch craw (standard for me) bait is pretty slender. But a 3/8 ounce jig with a 65 strand skirt and a 3 inch trailer is shorter, but has more bulk to it. another point to consider is secondary action. The Texas rig only has the action of the soft plastic but the jig has the secondary action of the skirt. I have a dedicated rod for both presentations and they are my confidence lures. Don't be afraid to hit an area with one and go back over it with the other. Just because they seem similar doesn't mean a fish will eat both. I've had days where one will outfish the other 10:1 multiple times

Some individual bass fight much harder than others. Earlier this evening I tossed a jig/trailer to bridge pilings and a bass inhaled it the instant it touched the water. It must have tracked the lure visually as it arced through the air. The bass then pulled with incredible strength, and even pulled out some #40 pound braid from my reel, even though the drag was almost maxed. The fight lead me to expect at least a 6 pounder. But it was a skinny 2-1/2 pound fish. That bass deserved a medal.

Glad I'm not the only one. I can't sleep before a trip, tourney or not. I lay there and practice every pitch and every cast in my head. If I try, I can almost smell that 2 stroke idling at the ramp.

If you really want to just catch one, tie a piece of raw bacon on a string and lower it down into a chimney. You’ll feel it when they start to grab it, then just slowly....(practice your jig fishing here, move it super slow) pull it out and I bet there’s a craw hanging on. We used to catch them in ditches by the dozens like this as kids.

You're Welcome and Good Luck. While most of the baits you've listed are 'moving baits' - a jig for the most part, is not. My advice for any new jig fisherman is to do less with it. After the cast, and once it settles to the bottom, slowly ( and I mean slowly) work it back to you like you were trying to sneak it along WITHOUT being detected. Really, just inch it along. No big hops, no big wiggles or jiggles - just a sneaky & sloooow track (with plenty of lengthy pauses) back to you. Don't worry about a bass 'knowing' it's there. They know - it's their world. I bet you get bit. Be careful though - you might get your arm broke. A-Jay

@BrackishBassin Having a basic understanding of a bass's prey is a solid plan. There are 'several' different species of crayfish spread all over the place but there are some basic life cycle traits that most will inevitably follow. Here's a couple of links with perhaps more (or less) information than you may have been looking for. http://www.crayfishfacts.net/crayfish_life_cycle/crayfish_life_cycle.html http://www2.ca.uky.edu/wkrec/CrawfishBiologyHistory.pdf btw ~ It's probably time to pick up a few more jigs. A-Jay

There's a reason black/brown/orange/red/green are so popular jig colors. Almost all crayfish are one or more of these colors. No matter where you are located

I've never fished a tournament. I hope to get to that point some day though. However on fishing days that I know is gonna be an early start, I'm usually up about an hour before my alarm goes off. Haven't fished in 2 weeks and supposed to be going in the morning. I'm really excited about it and hope I can actually sleep. Don't get to fish as often as I used to now.

Usually I wake up five times before my alarm goes off... but this spring I had a tourney the day after I got home from a 14 day assignment. I slept through my alarm and showed up 30 mins after take off, luckily I got a ride with another boater we finished 1st (him) and 3rd that day. Last time I sleep through it though and good luck today!

If I'm keeping fish, it's for someone else. Can't stand the taste unfortunately.

It aint gotta be tournament morning to fire me up!

Oh wow did that bring back memories! I played trumpet for 12 or so years - from 5th grade through college. Performed many a half-time show, even for the Seahawks a few times. I was in a AA high school, where being in a music program was "cool". Half the school was enrolled in a some type of music class. You could even letter in it. I was in all the different bands by the time I graduated - concert, orchestra, pep, two jazz ensembles, and marching. I was playing 6-9 hrs a day. My high school band teacher was a terrific mentor and friend. He really cared about his students. To this day, I'm still in contact with him. Good times!

I fish a big body of water for smallmouth - Lake Ontario. It's all about locating bait fish, not bass themselves. Bass can be scattered on seemingly uninteresting structural components, but if there are bait fish, and I mean carpets of them, there will be feeding bass. On the graph, it almost appears like they craw out of the woodwork to take your bait. Use the 200 mghz setting for a narrow cone, and get the sensitivity dialed in to be able to see your weight and the worm clearly. You'll see the fish approach, and shortly after feel them take the bait. Reel into them with a light snap set, and it's on. Good luck.

Caught way more bass than I expected to yesterday, considering I set out to chase wipers. Those weren't cooperating like I'd hoped so I chased the green ones while looking for lost baits. Found 14 baits, including a Pompadour Jr, and caught one of the fattest/thickest bass I've ever caught on a homemade finesse brush jig. Only 16 3/4" long, but 3.26 pounds. Caught several nice ones on a wart my buddy painted up for me.

My small Keitech order came in already Salty Core Tubes and a couple Sticks

I have never been glad that the season was over. Until now

New PB ?

Friend of mine lives on a brackish river and keeps pinfish alive in one of those plastic 55 gallon drums. Pumps water directly from the river into the barrel with the overflow going back into the river. Not exactly sure of the details on the specifics but it may be something you want to consider. Admittedly pinfish are probably more hardy than Shad but it might work on em.

It has to be round or oval. Like you said, they'll die in no time if the tank has any corners. Most of the big striper guys go for big ovals, look like plastic stock tanks.

For basketball games I like sitting in the upper deck, preferably near the front of the upper deck. I like to be able to see everything open up!