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11 lb 9 oz caught near Fall Creek Falls, TN, small electric only lake. my previous best was 8 lbs

Junebug is prettier.

New Addition To The Family 7' 0", Medium-Heavy Power, Fast Action, Shimano Clarus Spinning Rod & Pflueger President (5.2:1) Spinning Reel (40X) WolfyBrandon

Hello All, So I’m brand new to bass fishing, there is a big pond at the front of a buddies sub division that I have been trying. I woke up early and got out there at first light a few hours before work. The weather is cool, lots of overcast about 70 degrees, and very windy. I have no tackle or gear yet(for freshwater) so I’ve been borrowing a friends for now. The water was stained I think is the right term. So I picked the brightest crankbait I could find(it was a little square bill) I was using a top water frog a few days ago until I realized there were no lily pads. I had no idea how to really use a cranking bait. First my rod tip was up then it was down, I really had no clue how to properly work the bait. In any case I managed to fumble around long enough to get a sense of If I kept my rod up and reeled at the right speed I could feel a wobble or vibration from the bait doing it’s thing. Thats when it happened. Caught my very first bass. After that I caught a few more but for some reason I didn’t hook them well enough to get them out. Every time I got them to the bank and got them out of the water they would break off with that initial thrash. Not sure how to correct that just yet. P.S. - I also caught the ever elusive, extremely rare...rock fish! See picture below.

Caught a few before the small storm passed through this week. All spotted bass, biggest being 2lb 2oz. The bite is getting better

Got done eating supper and went out back to cast a little. On about the 5th cast or so I got this 6.3 , 23 inch tank on a spinnerbait. She was full of eggs. Shout out to @Fishing_FF for giving me that bait when he was up here in feb.

Gotta brag on my son....he got a 10.9 oz giant from a local lake last night in our first Tuesday nighter. What a way to set standards for starting the year!!!

Well they are holding the Classic weigh in within sight of my porch! Still not sure where they will launch but I guess that’s not terribly important (my guess is the tellico canal). Also not sure if they will allow locking through dams, ft loudoun lake is probably the worst bass fishing lake on the Tennessee river. Oh well, pretty cool to see it on the home water !!

Congrats on your first bass! Surely, there will be many more to follow. By the way, I caught one of those elusive rock fish last weekend. I've actually become quite proficient at rock fishing. Yours looks like a little male rock. If you want to catch the big female rocks, I suggest changing your hooks to Mustad Triple Grips. I get much better hook ups on rocks with them.

Picking up the Tracker. Dealer pick-up plus 45 minutes, at the ramp ready for the first outing. On the water! First impressions: Boat feels more substantial than expected. Steering is heavier and slower than the Lund with the Honda 50hp that my father-in-law uses. 4100 rpm indicated equates to 21 mph. Boat is pretty quiet and smooth even in rough water. Boat is wetter than the Lund in rough water. Boat is very stable when using the casting decks. All of the access panels are loose and I've started routing the cables for the new depth finders I'm installing.

I sat on this TW gift card for 6 months!

Much better than the last couple trips. Half a dozen dinks, couple 16", and one right at 18".

First time jig pourer. These are my first jigs ever!! I am waiting on the epoxy to cure. Jigs shown are 1/2oz with a 4/0 Owner 3X 5317 jig hook. Thanks Jigman for the advice. I’ll post some pictures of the completed product. I got the powder all over my shop, and there is powder all over the hook eye. Looking forward in learning more of this stuff. I looked like a medieval Knight, fighting the crusades. I had on every piece of safety equipment there was. I guess I have found another black hole to throw money at!

The weather was perfect in Deerfield Beach, FL today. 80°F, a slight wind out of the south and partly cloudy skies. I went to Sailboat Lake at noon and started throwing a purple rocket craw but no action. Switched to a 5" stick bait T-rigged with a 1/16 oz bullet weight and the bites started happening. I ended the hour landing six and lost as many as I caught including these two Lake Monsters. No trophies today although my personal best and the fish in my profile picture was caught in this lake. These put me up to 160 bass for the year. It was tough making myself go back to the office.

So 42 setups? Now yur talkin'.

Good question. I throw Junebug far more often than b&b, not sure why, but when I was throwing a lot of b&b I did catch some nice bass, but then that color just stopped catching. When I added JB to the mix, the catch rate has been far more consistent year-around. Totally unscientific, just my experience.

I've been using Invisx and Abrasx a lot lately, and have been really pleased with them so far. Abrasx is actually more supple than Invisx, which I didn't expect because it's more abrasion resistant. Tatsu is the king of fluorocarbon, hands down. I use it a lot, and might use more now that it cost less. And the finesse fluorocarbon really does perform best for spinning/finesse tactics. I don't have any line issues at all with it, the baits act more naturally, and it's extremely sensitive. btw - I don't use leaders, so I can't comment on that application for any of these lines.

Lot of big smallmouth, yes all 3 species and meanmouth as well but they usually count those as spots in tournaments. 14" minimum keeper limit for largemouth and 18" for small mouth. Spots you can keep 15 of any length so I guess they will put a 12" limit on them for the classic. There are two reservoirs connected by a canal, ft Loudoun and tellico. Ft Loudoun is the main channel of the Tennessee river and is typically more stained and has more current. Tellico is on the little Tennessee river and comes out of the mountains from North Carolina. It is much clearer water and not nearly as fast. The holston and french broad come together just upstream of Downtown Knoxville to form the Tennessee river. These rivers can be moving up to 3-4 miles an hour carrying logs and junk if Douglas and Cherokee dams are pumping hard. There are a couple sets of shoals they could reach on the holston side, really only one shoal they could legally fish on the french broad side. The current can be somewhat slack and water can get very low in the spring when they begin to raise the upland flood control lakes, could see a lower unit or 3 busted (like mine). Other years it's plenty deep and chocolate milk colored. Once the current slows down into each lake, there are a ton of boat docks and rip rap and vertical bluffs. It can be challenging at times but 20 lb limits are not uncommon at local tournaments

One really good rule of thumb for knots is to use the one you tie best. If you tie a sloppy uni junction knot, you are asking for "double trouble" since either of its two knots can slip. It is playing Russian Roulette with two bullets instead of one. That said, it is a great knot for those who tie it really well. Very strong. One other advantage to an Alberto type junction knot is it has the braid pressing itself down into either the fluorocarbon or monofilament's softer materials. For anyone suffering bad Alberto knots, know that it is not okay to form the loop with the braid then make your wraps with the softer material of fluoro or mono. Those two line materials won't "grab" the braid the way the braid grabs them. Yet, I have seen it tied just that way by a saltwater angler on video. I tie a great FG but I just think it is generally overkill except in a few circumstances. Keeping a fresh Alberto or Uni junction knot is a good strategy. So much faster to tie, easier on a vessel especially a canoe or kayak. Brad

This ^. I really only fish an EWG when fishing a crazy thick bait. I know the EWG has a lot of fanboys, but the hookup ratio is just not as good as a round bend or straight shank.

The jig looks good. The paint on the eye won't hurt as long as you can get the line through the hole. If you want to keep the paint off the eye, hold the jig by the eye with pliers or hemostats. It is a bit tricky but you will get the hang of it. I'm looking forward to seeing some of your Poison Tail jigs. Look at Cadman's avatar. When you want to really get going you can learn the tap method. It is what Cadman's is widely known for being, one of, if not the best in the business. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

My son is gonna be really excited! These tix were just given to me...Complete surprise! My son's birthday is Sept 3 and this game is for Sept 13th so it will be a nice little birthday gift.

Very nice. Now you'll branch out into more colors and more money. Don't worry it's only money. LOL

Rattle or no rattle ~ There are some situations where one may be a bit better than the other. I've had success with both in the same situations on more than a few occasions. Perhaps checK out the 6th Sense Crush 50X and 100X Squarebills. Designed for crashing thick shallow cover, ripping out of grass, cranking rocks, or just burning in open water, it dives to 5 feet. Comes stock with quality hardware and a premium paint scheme with realistic 3-D gill plates, 3-D eyes, and 3-D scales really brings this bait to life. The new Backwater Bluegill pattern is Sick. My personal favorite aspect of these baits is it's Faint Rattle Chamber - Creates light knocking sounds. Sort of the best of both worlds. https://6thsensefishing.com btw - the 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X Squarebill offers all the same features and REALLY EXCELS in cooler water. A-Jay

I have been fishing out of a pescador 12.0 pro for a little over a year. Pros: Light 65 lbs You can stand if the water is calm lowrance ready It's easy to maintain a steady 3mph on long journeys great seat Cons: The molded rod holders are useless The rear hatch is close to useless If you use the tackle storage under the seat you need to plug the scupper holes otherwise your tackle box will be under water I like humminbird I don't feel it is currently the most competitive kayak in its price range

Round bend are standard worm hooks or any plastic that isn't too thick that when the plastic slides down during a hook set there is still plenty of room for the hook to penetrate and hold the fish. Thicker plastics call for EWG I myself prefer EWG for all but the smallest of worms like finesse worms, but I'm in the minority on this

I would recommend Dual Pro. Have a 12 yr old 15 amp, 3 bank in my Ranger. Absolutely no issues. Had a Dual Pro in my last boat. I would say one bank per battery, and 15 amps minimum. I can totally recharge within seven hours or less depending on how hard I run the TM, and be ready for my next day.

Sweet.....yeah, those spinnerbaits are small and don’t look like much, but they outperform the Stanley’s, Revenge’s, and River-2-Sea’s spinners I have.

Because of this sunshirt I wear whenever I am hiking or fishing. My hiking buddy likes to make fun of me for it, I think I look mysterious and important

Well I'm regretting posting the Simpson's meme when @slonezp posted the picture of snow the other day. Our forecast for the weekend has taken a drastic turn. The forecast calls for rain tomorrow, rain/freezing rain Saturday switching over to all freezing rain through Sunday afternoon with ice accumulation up to 1.2" of ice. It's pretty deflating weather man uses the words "incapacitating" in his forecast. ? @A-Jay you better turn the dogs around, I think you might fair better than me.

Rapala baits flat out catch fish and work. Yet I loathe them. They break if you look at them funny, and their customer service leaves a lot to be desired......for example: I had multiple x-raps that took on water, sunk, fell apart, had the weight transfer system get stuck...you name it, I had a problem with them. I also, in the same season, had multiple Strike King Red Eye Shads split at the seam, take on water, or have the rattles "stuck" on the inside............. yeah I know, bad luck from two batches of baits, at the same time. Here is how Strike King handled it: I sent them an email, the responded quickly, told me to return the baits directly to them for evaluation and replacement if they were found to be defective. Fair enough. I sent them in, less than two weeks later, I get a package from Strike King....all faulty baits were replaced IN PAIRS...yeah thats right, for every bum one I sent back, I got TWO new ones in return. Plus they threw in a hat, some misc baits, and other goodies. A+ and above an beyond in my book. Compare that to how Rapala handled it: Same deal, sent them an email asking how to proceed. They took weeks to get back to me, and then told me, I needed to send the baits back , WITH the original packaging, original store receipts from purchase, along with a form that needed to be filled out. I told them, "some of these baits were ordered online, some were received as gifts, some bought local. I don't save the packages, I open them put them in my tackle boxes, and but them in the boat. Same with the receipts...they are long gone. But I will gladly send you the faulty baits for inspection, and as proof that I am not trying to pull a fast one on you."....They basically told me to pound sand. I haven't bought a Rapala product since.

You've heard guys argue about leader? Where? I do use a leader for drop shotting.

Why Florida? There aint no bass here. I assure you the stories for double digit bass are greatly exaggerated. Fake new and photoshop. Plus, we have winter here. We have had our cold, rainy, and/or cloudy days. If you want fish, sun, and warmth, Florida isn't the place.

I bet Mr. Defoe is one happy camper.

So its settled...We all move to Florida. I'll go there and scope out a few places to live. I figure we will need about a 3 bedroom (bunk beds and we sleep in shifts) apartment with 1 1/2 baths and an eat-in kitchen. Oh, and plenty of closet space for all the gear. Is $600 a month within our budget or should I look in the "seedier" side of town?

Next to the pool noodle, behind the giant inflatable swan.

I was hung up and then suddenly my lure started coming back to me. (Thanks fish for saving my crankbait. I did end up losing 3 due to the landscape matting they put under the gravel/rocks that is starting to come up. I will probably have to stop fishing trebles in this lake. I have lost a total of 5 crankbaits this year due to the matting crap.)

Don’t think of it as my screen name ... think of it as truth in advertising!

It's ez to blame the bait or weather or the fish. It's hard to evaluate bad days on the water and realize it was lack of focus not working hard enough or not being willing to look for fish or patterns one may not be comfortable with. Thats why i have some tough outings.

Actually right down behind the Bush. I was to the right of the chairs when I made the cast lol.

In the Spring, the days after warm rain, are usually accompanied by wind. Go back to your basic rules and follow them for pre-spawners

Look very shallow on warming and rising waters. The dirty water makes them brave and as water rises they are looking for food.

Sounds like a neat place. I'd go in expecting good things to happen until the fishing proves otherwise

Older fiberglass rods will take a set when stored for long periods when flexed. Improperly supporting a rod that is stored horizontally can lead to this as well. With graphite rods, it is not really an issue. If you are going to store a rod horizontally, it's best to support its entire length, but not really practical. If you are using horizontal rod racks, support a spot near the butt of the rod and a place in the midsection of the rod that won't introduce a significant bend in the rod. A third support near the tip wouldn't be a bad idea, but not necessary, unless the rod is particularly long and limber in the tip. Since I don't have the luxury of a rod locker in my boat, most of my rods that see regular use are laying on my casting deck with 2'-3' of the tip section not supported. Other rods, I try to store as vertical as possible.

Easter Sunday my two boys and I had a pretty good day on the Bend. We had 30.59lbs best 5 including a 8.28,7,57,6.30,4.24 and a 4.1. All caught on a 12" Magnum Ol Monster in the Mid Lake area. All fish were females ready to bust. Great day with my two sons.

Texas lake fork wasn't kind this year. the day we arrived a 1902 people big bass tournament just ended. only 6 keepers over 24 were brought in. with all the storms the lake was way up and muddy. water in upper 50's low 60's. most days 20 plus mph winds.we did manage a few good ones but only one lake fork worthy bass at 9.5 and 241/2 inches. the locals did say they were having the worst year they could ever remember.the game warden reterating the same thing. saying most people only brining in on average 2 to 4 fish a day. we had a few 10 to 17 fish days and a few 5 to 6 fish days. I still love the lake and the lure of knowing the big ones are there. so the season begins for me!

Best. Wife. Ever!

Snuck in a 3 day trip to the big pond, weather was horrible but did manage 8.25 Hawg!