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It's simple addition: 4 hours of free time + 42 degree water + nominally clear turbidity + Siebert Finesse jig + Cosmic Chunk trailer = chunky largemouths. First Pic: 4 lb 9 oz Second Pic: 5 lb 11 oz

Hey y'all, just wanted to share this fine specimen I caught yesterday (12/14/17). After not fishing for almost a month, I decided to drive to a buddy's house to fish on his neighborhood lake. Big bass was the agenda, and the arsenal was swimbaits, and also a bulky jig for extra thick cover. This is my first year in the swimbait game, which I have taken semi-seriously. I started the year with a possible PB (no scale handy) on a Mattlures Bluegill. After yesterday, it looks like I get to close the year with a definitive PB, and a true swimbait passion. After throwing the Mattlures for the majority of the day without a bite, I managed to straighten my hook on a sunken branch. I decided to switch to a Huddleston 68 Special ROF 5 to finish my lap around the lake, my first time ever throwing the lure. I had gone all the way around the lake, getting used to the feel of branches and trees with the occasional false hookset. I approached the last spot, a steep point with cover strewn about right by my friend's house, and I decided to try something different. Instead of casting up or down the point (parallel) like I normally do, something told me to try casting across the point (perpendicular). I figured if a big fish was holding there watching lures go by all day in the same direction, maybe something different would trigger it. On my second cast I felt another tap, but something just felt different than the trees I was feeling earlier, so I set the hook. I had the fish moving fairly easily, and wasn't sure of the size until the mouth breached the water. I immediately told myself "Oh crap, this is it. This is happening". I was by myself with no net, so I reminded myself everything I have learned, read, or watched online about how to keep a Huddleston fish pinned. "Keep the fish moving forward. Don't let her turn. Keep the rod bent. Don't stop reeling". As I grabbed her lip, I let out a Ric Flair "WOOO!", then got her on the scale, as my friend came over to check out the commotion. The scale read 8-8 both on the boat, and on the dock, where she was released back go the cold depths. This experience opened my eyes in a number of ways, not only with swimbait and cold water fishing, but also just approaching things differently around big fish, as they didn't get that huge by being the same...

Started the day at 21 degrees, I thought the low was 31........ anyhow we got 8-9 smallmouth and a big Striper broke my line! Fishing 2.5 inch gulp minnows on 1/8 oz jig heads. And one fish hit a tube. Water temp was 55

Since you are fishing with your grandfather, a boat he can sit/stand in rather than on may be the best choice. Maybe a used 16ft Lund Rebel or Fury

Since the cabin fever has clearly set in for some, time to start talking about the annual official, unofficial Bassresource road trip! It's going to be at Table Rock Lake, MO on April 21st and 22nd (but you can obviously stay longer if you'd like). I have a pretty good sized group of local KC area guys already planning on going, and I believe @roadwarrior @.ghoti. and possibly even @J Francho might be there. We'd be happy to have anyone that wanted to be there. Just want to put the idea in everyone's minds and give you something to get it your mind off the cold And a couple pictures from our trip this previous spring to help your decision.

I do not recall seeing that particular featuring in the brochure . . .important though A-Jay

7 years

I use a 6' 8" M/F for my main jerkbait rod. It also works very well for a lot of treble hooked topwater baits, especially larger poppers and WTD baits.

KastKing Super Power is my main braid. I buy the 547 yard spools for about $20 on the bay. It's been great line that is similar to PP but it last much better, handles nicer, and cast better. I also like that it's available in several colors and a wide range of break strains. If you don't need that much you can buy a 150 yard spool for less than $5

Big Game Mono

7" Sluggo would make a good trailer for 3/4 oz Scronger jig (Tremor), I prefer using 6" on 1/2 Scroungers. Tom

The 4 1/2 sluggo was one of my go to baits in up state NY. I threw it on 8 lb mono spinning. I'd cast it or pitched it all over the place. It shines in shallower water, as it sinks slower than the newer soft jerkbaits. I think it fell out of favor because it doesn't cast as well as some other similar baits. The striper guys started "eel rigging" the larger ones almost immediately, and they work great. It even spawned baits like Hogy, RonZ and others. I still have a bunch of the US made 2/0 "sluggo hooks" I use for a bunch of plastics. I like casting and let it sink, or a jerkbait retieve with long pauses.

Enjoy your holidays. It’s the best time of the year, bill

Went out with a buddy Friday morning for about 4 hours. I caught three nice spots, Only two pictured as I out-caught my buddy 10-1 and he was no longer interested in taking my picture, haha. 1st picture - 2.5 lbs spot caught drop shotting a tree. 2nd picture - 2 lbs spot dead sticking a roboworm

This Is a small wall for plastics. I store them here, take what I need for a trip, and at the end of each year take an Inventory and replace.

I’m going to be Debbie downer here and say save your money, get a good education, get a good job and then you can afford what you really want. Having a boat is great but it’s just a hole in the water that you throw your money in. Make sure you can afford one before you buy one.

How 'bout free? Send me your mailing address and I will send you some braid to try.

My son had the opportunity to go fishing with the old man yesterday up at Norris and it was a bitter cold day to say the least. (or B....getting older and softer) Anyway we ran quite a few places around the lake but made one more stop just before dark before we headed in. Fishing had been tough but we were getting a few...son had a couple dandy's and I had some dinks!! Seems smaller fish were shallow and the bigger ones were out deep. When we got to the last spot which was about a mile or so from ramp ol Dad was able to put a couple nice keepers in the boat I saw on the graph...(phew) could hold my head a little higher now. Also got a ton....of yellow bass...never had caught so many in this lake...all they want to do is poop in the boat when you bring those bad boys in....so it's common knowledge now they do NOT come over the side. Well, anyway it was getting dark so started the boat heading back towards ramp and it went about 20 feet and died!!! Hmmmmm....tried again....same story....Oh #@!$ (golly). Well lets see how the 112 Fortrex will do. As we were moving along I was thinking....hmmmm...wonder if I could start a fire on shore!! After all....been watching a lot of survival shows!!! (making sure that stuff will be in boat) With eye's looking up and a few soft words said we started out. Figured it would be a least an hour or more!! Heading into the wind was brutal. After 20 minutes of this I thought....one more try. First....turned over....nuttin. Second...same...Third....vrooooom......gave some gas...stayed going....Praised the Lord...ran to ramp. After turning off ... tried to start once again and it started. Think she's heading to the doctor!!! Tight Lines

Make sure the springy thing is slightly to the left of the clutch thing and engage the roller thing to the side plate of the clutch bar oil it up with food grade oil and a touch of hair spray to help the spinning bar stiffen up then dunk it in water to clean it up. Should be good after that. Or you can have your reel guy fix it that's what I always do?

The 2018 Grand Cherokee Altitude weighs about 4,600 lbs - As with any towing evolution, it's as much about the stopping as it is the pulling. Getting a load moving is the easy part. The rule of gross tonnage applies. Something to keep in mind. A-Jay

Sluggos are productive bass lures, without a question. Rigged as a jerk bait you can catch a wide variety of species on them. One of my "go-to" presentations for summer smallmouth fishing is to drop shot the 3" Sluggo, nose hooked. For whatever reason, smallies love it presented in that fashion. Use the 8" on a 3/4 oz. banana head, bucktailed jig (white jig w/pink Sluggo) and you'll kill the deep water, summertime lake trout on light gear. (Shhhhhhh!) Sluggos are extremely versatile.

Asking for any product to be great & cheap can be a tricky proposition. One that can and often does result in a loss of time, money & effort. Not a fan of any of that. While Power Pro is a quality product, in my experience, there are some better and several worse. I like Sufix 832, Seaguar Smackdown and Daiwa Samurai - each of these require a little bit more of an initial investment than Power Pro. I do think of it as an investment, as all of these quality braids excel in durability. Meaning that unless they are subjected to extreme use, they will LAST a Long time - even several seasons of regular use. So while the initial coin drop may be a little steep, what one gets in return, (zero stretch, loads of line capacity, the elimination of line twist on spinning gear & super long casts), IMO is well worth it. YMMV A-Jay

That’s a great picture. Arlington today.

2018 Rod & Reel arsenal.... (10) Shimano Aldebaran 50 (4) Shimano Calcutta 400D (4) Shimano Exsence 3000 (1) Conquest 905C (4) Conquest 904C (4) Conquest 903C (1) Conquest 842C (4) Conquest 842S (2 not in pics) (2) G. Loomis IMX Pro swimbait 966C (not in pics) (1) G. Loomis IMX Pro swimbait 965C (not in pics) (1) G. Loomis CBR 959C DD (not in pics)

I wanted to take a fishing vacation to either El Salto or Lake Baccarac. After speaking to a few guys ( @A-Jay )and seeing reports of Lake Baccarac bigguns, I settled on Lake Baccarac from Dec 3 - Dec 8th. Multiple 10lb+ bass were caught in November and so I had to see what this lake was all about. Got there Sunday and fished Mon to Thurs and had an amazing time catching a bunch of 3-5lb bass who fought harder than I could ever imagine! These bass were MEAN and STRONG. They hit my lures like a mack truck and dove so hard I thought I was fighting small tuna lol. Top water got em early in the morning and then mainly big 12" worms, 7" senkos and 1oz jigs with 7" senko trailers were the big hit. There was no love for swim baits but I did manage some 2-3lbers on the 6.8" Keitech paired with the 3/4oz warbaits underspin and my Jackall Gantarel. Also, a bass pro mentioned how he loved Omega Custom Tackle's Raptor Bladed Jig so I bought a few of them and their football and structure jigs to take with me. I threw the Raptor Bladed jig in white/chart and paired them with a pure white Strike King Rage Tail Craw. I dyed the claws with spike it garlic chartreuse and got OBLITERATED at Baccarac. The action of the jig and rage tail craw were amazing and so erratic that my guide was super impressed and said the action was muy loco lol. I slew 30 bass on that setup alone in the morning, up to about 5lbs. It was my last day of fishing where we found the bigguns. I was using my Omega Custom Tackle Pro Structure Jig in Camo Craw with the 7" black senko and CRUSHED IT all in the morning. Landed a 7.81, 7.12, 6.94, 9.81 MY NEW PB!!!! and a 9.12 all from 6am to 10am and mainly in just two spots. I couldn't believe it. 9.81 9.26 7.81 7.12 6.94 I didn't break into the double digit club but I will next time! I'm so hooked on this place, can't wait to head back. I can see why there are a lot of repeat customers. Everyone at the lodge was great. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to experience big bass fishing heaven! I'll have some videos of the catches added later. Here's a link to all of my images:https://lensdump.com/a/JcKQ

I've always used PowerPro. This summer I put Sufix 832 on two of my reels......just because. I can't tell any difference in performance.

Thats nothing. Try leaving the freezer door open FOR A WEEK while on vacation for a wonderful wifely response , when all the fish , game , and DEAD SHRIMP thawed out. ?

May I ask what year and engine? I've owned more Jeep products ranging from 1943 to 2014 than I can count on two hands. I'm not aware of a Grand Cherokee model that has a tow capacity as low as 2000lbs. I'm not an encyclopedia of all Jeep specs but you can pull 2500lbs with a JK Wrangler. My current Grand Cherokee (a WK2) tows 6200 and it's a six cylinder.

You can afford an swaiver or gantrel

LOL, Lost internet connection and it wouldn't show that it posted.. I guess it did.. many times. It was shipped Thursday and it was priority mail.

So when you press the thumb bar down and try to turn the handle the spool won't move? When the thumb bar isn't engaged does it spin correctly?

You should be OK with any aluminum bass boat under 18'. You should have a class B, 3,500 lb hitch. Towing includes stopping and that is more of an issue than pulling, your vehicle has gears to get going. Tom

Daiwa j braid x4 is great. 15 bucks for 300 yards

Don't know about the split ring, but you know you can change out spinnerbait blades in like 30 seconds, so you can keep throwing the ones you are used to, For what its worth i like Stanley spinnerbaits, and haven't had issues with them.

I strongly disagree with this statement. I have removed a few glued tiptops that were a real struggle, always on the edge of too much heat. If you want it to "pop right off," use some sort of hot melt, preferably the type called "ferrule cement." The fact is that super glues do not melt. They degrade with enough heat and time, and those conditions are very close to what it takes to degrade a blank. Yes, it can be done, but the margin for error is very small.

What is included in the tow package this car doesn't have? Most likely a trans cooler and a higher capacity cooling system. You live in WI, so it's level, not that hot even in the summer, a BIG difference from someone from AZ asking this question. I think that if the car WITH the towing package goes above 3500 pounds, then you can tow anything up to at least 3500 pounds. If the limitation is the engine power, it's a different story. If you try to tow a 3500 pound rig with less than about 200 HP, then it's going to be a grind. I don't think you will damage the vehicle, but it will be underpowered.

Not to mention the libs in CA laundered the money that was supposed to repair the dam over the past 15 years. The same dam that if it blows out is up hill from Dobyns headquarters. This is a great move for the company!

10 ^^^

I would buy Luhr Jensen Shyster, Panther Marten, Mepps Angila and Blue Fox inline spinners in fire tiger color and try them all out before making them. When you know what design works best for you, then buy components and make your own if you think that is something you prefer doing. Tom

Make sure the yoke"chassis" is right side up. Beveled edge mates to clutch

in the early 90's, the Sluggo was my go to tournament bait for catching a limit on clear water lakes. used both the 7 inch and 4 inch. I switched over to the fluke design, when it came to market. they both work. the reason I switched to the fluke is it is easier to Texpose straight, it has a better action, and it seems a little more durable.

The chronarch spool shaft goes through pinion so it is always contacting it. If you spool pin is rubbing up against the bottom of the pinion you can try 2 things. First pull the spool out, loosen the cast control knob and re-seat the spool. Make sure it's seated in the pinion. Second, since you took the reel apart, it wouldn't hurt to pop the handle side plate off and make sure you did seat the pinion and the chassis (The piece that the pinion sits and and rides on the 2 posts /w the springs on top) down correctly.

Don't do a lot of selfies & don't have pictures of PB of 12 lb 8 ozs. Didn't have scales at the time Length: 26 3/8" Girth: 17 1/4" Y'all do the math!

I fish a 3in and 4in on a drop shot kills smallies

I caught 1 in Narnia and 1 in Oz then I woke up when Toto’s barking scared away all the fish. I wasted a lot of trips to Florida on salt water fishing. I should have been targeting big Bass on freshwater lakes.

The same warranty language is moving to Texas. Time to rest this horse, don't you think ?

And that's the issue that many people get confused with. The word "warranty" doesn't mean "free replacement" and I think that's where people almost always are misinformed on what an actual "limited lifetime warranty" really is (Dobyns has a limited lifetime warranty for what it's worth). Comparing your car's warranty isn't like comparing that of a fishing rod. It isn't apples to apples. Warranty means different things to different companies. Every single company/product (for the most part) has a clear description of what their warranty is. Dobyns is no different. It states right on their warranty page what it is. What most likely irritates rod companies the most is when people say after 4 years that their rod is broken and they expect a new one for free because it has a "lifetime warranty". Again, warranty doesn't mean "free replacement". The OP was more than welcome to send it in for a free inspection and he could have lucked out and got one for free. Companies like St. Croix, Dobyns, and GLoomis all have a fee for replacing a broken rod. There are instances where a company will replace a rod for free but it isn't the norm and it should never be expected after you have used a rod for more than a year. A defective rod will break during normal use during the first few outings and the very least within the first year. Could they avoid some confusion not calling it a lifetime warranty and instead call it a discounted xxxxxxx warranty? Sure. However, there would be very little confusion if people actually read what the warranty is on the webpage or just be speaking with the company.

The problem with this train of thought and OP’s is people equate the word “warranty” with “free replacement”. After 4 years you break your rod and the warranty offers you a 70$ replacement for a 230-240$ rod is beyond resonable. When people put in these warranty claims for a rod they always feel that their situation is unique when in reality eight out of 10 I would bet warranty claims sound the exact same. Every time it’s the same excuse… “I baby my stuff , it’s flawless” or “I swung on a 12 inch fish with a 1/16 weight and the rod snapped in half” if your rod does not break within at most the first year, there are no manufacturer defects and a breakage at that point is user error and a free replacement should never be warranted although it does happen on occasion. If a rod company took everybody’s excuse at face value there wouldnt be anymore Rod companies left.

I think that's why they are moving to texas, lower taxes and a central shipping location, to save money from the one customer that wanted a free rod after 4 years of use and abuse. And won't be returning lol