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I am not convinced that your rod and reel have a great deal of impact on "catching" fish, but better equipment makes the "fishing" more enjoyable.

Not only does it make you a better fisherman, it defines you as a better person. Just like the guy driving $100K Tesla with the "Impeach Him Now" bumper sticker who cut me off today, buying more expensive things shows that you are a better person. Smarter, better looking, less suseptive to marketing plans & advertising gimmicks, just an overall higher quality person. A side benefit of buying the most expensive products available is that you no longer have to have respect for others or follow societies rules of etiquette. That is for all those other slubs...

You ain't seen nuthin till you've had to deal with a full grown swan. Had one get in the boat with me and it was quite the battle.

Started a new job so been too busy to fish lately. And when I have it’s been for crappie. But, Went tonight and got this ~3.5# to swipe a white grub on an under spin.

First day on one of the smallmouth lakes of the year for me on Monday. It was a grind like I expected, but still managed to catch some. My biggest of the day had a sizable crappie it was working on digesting.

This is a Ford VS Samsung question. Different uses at different times. Sometimes use a JB to make a fish show itself then throw a jig at it.

Here, I’ll save you all a little more at academy on the whopper ploppers. Use code CC201820PCT (found it on Lunkerdeals.com) for an extra 20% off. Brings em to $7.99! Can also pick up a dobyns fury FR705CB for $72! -edit- looks like there’s only one dobyns left. Someone better grab it!

This little one took a tumble out of the nest this morning.

Was so nice today, decided to do a little 'yard work'. () A-Jay

Not for casting. The most forward has the best balance but the least vibration and is for vertical jigging. Lessens line wrapping in hooks. Middle hole is good all around, the one I use for winter casting deep holes with a pump and drop retrieve. Also works on a straight retrieve if fishing a little deeper. Usually if in doubt, start with the middle hole. Back hole is most vibration at slowest speed. Great for murky water, slow retrieves and shallow water. I can run some of my lighter blade baits in just 10-15" of water over flats pretty comfortably with the back hole. The nose hangs down so the bait actually lifts. Can slow lift and drop with this setting, too.

Had a little multispecies action this weekend.

All this grub talk gave me the itch to throw one tonight. It’s so consistent post spawn for my waters it’s like clockwork. Chartreuse Roadrunner with a white 3” Zoom grub

That reminds me. Many years ago, I put "Marker buoys" on my Christmas list for my family. I got this:

In my experience most new to baitcasters have problems due to coming from spinning reels where you snap your wrist once the rod is loaded. When using a Baitcaster that is a g-u-a-r-a-n-t-e-e-d backlash. You have to move more towards a fly casting type of motion with your arm.

And it catches fish to! ?

Took it out for the first time yesterday to a creek off of a reservoir. I was hoping for the big push of spawning bass to have started but wasn't happening. I did manage to catch a fat spawner white bass and a crappie getting ready for the dance, so no skunk on it's first run. Floated nice and high and didn't seem to have any leaks. I feel like I know how I want the deck to be now too, which was the main point in taking it out and using it before building it.

I had one for a while. I was fishing down a bank and heard a little noise on the shore that was probably 10' away. Looked up and saw a giant beaver had emerged from the hole it had dug into the bank. As soon as I saw it, it jumped in the water and went under headed right in my direction. Probably the only time in history a belly boat has ever been on plane. I was kicking for all I was worth to avoid a potential scuffle with the oversized rodent. I sold it shortly after that.

Once they've molted they can't fly for a couple weeks. The whole fight or flight thing basically gives them one option when faced with a threat. I hunt them during the season and have to remind myself it's a crime to mess with them after the season closes. It's really hard to not just grab them by the head and wring their stupid necks when they hiss at you. I just say "I'll be seeing you when the migration starts you little jerk."

If they're going to keep eating I'll keep throwing. 7 and a 5lber today.

Found a Lew's Mach Crush 7' MH rod in the clearance rack at Dick's today. Came from combo missing the reel. Couldn't pass it up for $49. It paired up nicely with the Lew's Tournament MB that I picked up a couple of weeks ago! Oh, please excuse the mess on my workbench! I've been trying to do some cleaning and mending and it was the only place available with some light for a pic!

Hi guys, I've been lurking these forums for quite some time and actually set up my account early last week. I started to post a greeting and thank you all for the excellent content posted here but it just didn't feel right until Friday, at 3 PM, after working through some new techniques that I'd never tried before. I've always been primarily a finesse style fisherman, and I'm really big on my spinning reels and weightless senkos styled worms. Friday, I decided to try out casting jigs. I'm familiar with weighted Texas rigs, so I applied every retrieval technique I could come up with throughout the day and caught many dinks and a nice three pounder. Then, I casted deep where the old creek channel of the pond I was fishing in cut through before it was dammed up. My Booyah Bankroll Jig in Money with a YUM Craw Chunk in Craw settled to the bottom and I gave my bait two subtle pops with my rod to emulate a crawfish darting. I reeled my slack. The dinks had been producing the machine gun tictictic all day. This time, there was a solid thump. I leaned into my hookset and after what felt like minutes, but was probably less than one, I landed my first double digit bass. 10 pounds, 5 ounces on the scale. I now fully believe in the power of the jig.

Was rigging up some baits for the May opener and a conversation on instagram inspired me to rig the Rage Baby Menace on a Ned head and man it looks like a winner. The second was I cut down a Zoom UV speed craw by removing 2 or 3 sections to see how that works out. Thinking both of these baits will work well.

Here's a bunch of peas and largies I've been chasing all over Central Fl and a little south. It's been ages since I caught these drag peelin peacocks. Bass ranged from 3lbs up to the 9lb pig I caught today!

The forecast looks ok and the wind shouldn't be that bad, but who knows. I have a bunch of deep stuff marked that I want to fish if possible.

A goose certainly does not replace your Christmas Turkey. To avoid wasting them, we remove the breast and have the local butcher make jerky. You would be surprised what a lot of spices and dehydration can do! Honestly, still not the greatest but tolerable.

Pretty quiet in here. Heading north tomorrow for a couple of days. Hopefully I will have something good to say.

My season starts in a couple weeks up here. It's been cold and wintery so hopefully they won't be hened up by the time I get out.

Love is in the air!

I am pretty live and let live but geese do not respect the food chain and at times need to be reminded of their place on it. I used to work with a lady who boarded her horse on a farm with a huge geese population. The horse girls would be sent out with 5g buckets to steal their eggs in hopes of keeping the numbers down and the eggs would make their way to me. I will say that for all the PIA geese can be, their eggs more then make up for it. The yoke is about the size of a chicken egg and is a vivid orange. They are super rich and a goose-egg quiche is amazing. Two of them make a huge omelette and one of my coworkers made a cheesecake out of them.

Interesting...didn't think was being judgmental...just giving my view. If you like football,basketball, track....GREAT....AWESOME...enjoy...it's been around for a long time and has millions of followers. Life is about choices and I'm grateful for them. If I offended you due to the fact I choose to like and participate in something else...I sincerely apologize. May your teams have a great season.

Get an order into Siebert for a 3/8oz Arky head jig in black and blue, green pumpkin, and Missouri craw. You'll be good to go anywhere with those.

Old style of Tatula rod can be had for $109 if you shop around online. The 7'2" Med-heavy "Regular" rod is a phenomenal rod for so, so many uses, and for that price everyone should own one IMO.

Ya I have been using the Z Craw with good sucess this year. Or these lil guys on a 1/8 weedless head. I guess we are gettin out of the proper NED rig tho. And the ones with the flappin claws def dont skip as well.

Hating on tennessee threads not appreciated......... @Sam, dontt you have bama to worry about? @N Florida Mike, don’t yall have Georgia to catch up with?? getting Tickled about whooping Tennessee will get you guys a 13th place trophy

Have you tried a drop kick to the head??

I'm in Central Illinois. Our river doesn't see monster SMB, but they can be big. Our river also doesn't have a ton of heavy cover, but it does have some cover. We have a lot of wood and rocks, though, and getting snagged is to be expected as much as any other river. It's also not extremely deep. 4-8 feet usually, with a lot of 3 feet and less areas, and some areas upwards of 12 to 15 feet deep. Pike and Muskie isn't a problem, not that I would truly consider them a problem. I decided on a 6'6" M/F spinning outfit with 8lb mono and 8lb fluoro leader. I picked up a bunch of 1/4oz Rooster Tails in white with a silver blade as well as Fire Tiger. Wish me luck!

12# on bait casters for worms and tubes.

Yeah, some of my local ponds have a lot of nesting Canada geese. It only lasts a couple of weeks, but it times out with good fishing every spring. The ganders will hiss display and charge, but usually won't attack. I give them a wide birth while facing them sometimes I say "Hey! I have a great duck recipe". As long as you don't try to fish on top of their nest, they will usually leave you alone. Every so often one gets too close and acts a fool, then I just bop it over the head with my rod, that usually drives the point home, and they just waddle away.

The only time I've seen them get nasty is while their nesting. They WILL come after you. Just give them some room and it's usually OK. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't hang around if you smacked them upside the head with a rod if needed.

I lose.

I start throwing them in late fall and usually don't put them away until water hits 50 or so in the spring. This year, due to not having my usual tackle with me after a move, I started using them after water warmed up above 50 where I would typically throw lipless or shallow runners over emerging weeds and algae and have been surprised at how well they've worked. I have both 42 and 55 and use them based upon depth fished. I've also had great success in ponds using an even smaller blade bait by Johnson Fishing (30 mm). Silver Buddy is a specific brand of blade bait, and I have a bunch of those, too, but is used by some as a generic term for that style of bait. I prefer not to though.

I didn't know how to make one of those evolution, missing link diagram things, so here's the next best thing... Big O Basstrix Rico RC1 Paca Craw KVD 1.5 Chatterbait Rage something or other DEPS Buzzjet Spro frog A-rig Senko Pop X Ned Whopper Plopper. Can't wait for the next best thing so I can strike through that last one.

2018 Triton 189 TRX, 150 Opti, Ultrex 80lb, hot foot, jack plate, tournament series package and tournament trailer. Still breaking her in.

Try the Rapala Rippin rap! They are very tall and thin wich gives them a nice wobble on the fall, it´s the only Rapala lipless crank that i really like. Here´s a comparison to the Aruku Shad:

More big girls wanted to play this morning. 7 and 8 lber along with a 6lb catfish.

I thought it was perfect I had the right gear I had the right clothes I had the right approach I had the right mind set I was full of determination I felt the first tug nothing gave it some more nothing finally gave it all I had results!!!! with the leaf blower on full I could finally clear the sleet off my boat tarp!!!!! Forgive me. I've had my new boat sitting in my yard for a week now. I never thought the first time I got it wet would be with sleet/ freezing rain.

I don't what the bass wanted yesterday. Big gizzard Shad dead and floating all over the lake. 67° chocolate milk water. Tried everything I had that made noise, couldn't buy a bite. I was working on being skunked. My buddy had a few on traps, and one on a jig out of a brush pile, but nothing big. Finally I decided noisy and flashy wasn't working, I said screw it go big or go home. Started throwing 8" megabass swimbait and very quickly had a 3lb bass follow it right to the boat, but it wasn't going to commit. An hour or so later have a solid 4-5lb do the exact same. Inches behind the bait just following it. Changed up to an s waver and in 5 casts got my only fish of the day. 5lbs on the dot.