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My spot that was producing nice smallmouth (and a few largemouth) on a swimbait when the water was in the 40s and 50s is now home to many largemouth. Catching them in 20-30' on a drop shot, Carolina rig, football jig, and a 6xd! I don't have a boat with me right now, so I am floating around fishing blind from my kayak. I have spent enough time there that I don't really need electronics anyway . Let me tell ya, longlining a 6xd from a kayak is an interesting procedure.

Certainly catching big bass on big swimbaits is not new. However, this approach is something that I've not seen before. Sort of looks like 'figure 8-ing' a muskie . . . Check it out A-Jay

I was very disappointed to discover this video did not feature an A-rig with 8 lipless crankbaits...

My dogs asked me to put this up out back ~ A-Jay

Great day on the water. All quality fish. Poppers, frogs, spinnerbaits and jigs caught them today. Caught them deep and caught them shallow. 2nd cast of the day, the MegaBass Pop Max yielded a 4-0. Got some more decent fish on frogs and spinnerbaits. PB Rock Bass slammed a jig in a laydown. And I stuck a 5 right at the end, courtesy of a @Siebert Outdoors jig and Paca Chunk trailer.

Since retiring Mrs Mike and I full time in a motor home and currently we're on the east coast of Florida. We got a new neighbor last March who lives in Canada but spends the winters down here. He bought a 18ft skiff and wanted to go bass fishing for the first time. Since Stick Marsh was only 30 min from us we made a plan to go. As we were driving around I saw an area I wanted to try but there were 2 boats too close to it so we kept going as I don't like crowding someone off a spot, but I kept an eye on them. They were both throwing sq bill's but after not catching anything for 45 min they left. I told my neighbor that I have a hunch about that area and wanted to try it out for a few minutes. I set him up with a wacky rig and myself with a Fat Max ribbon tail rigged on 14# Sniper with a 3/16 tungsten weight as I immediately found that we were over a submerged grass flat in 7 fow. It must have been fairly heavy as I kept getting hung up so I tighten the drag a bit and made a few long casts keeping an eye on him as he kept reeling too fast. After about 1/2 doz casts, working that worm through the grass it just felt different. I set the hook and just knew I had something special. She started to come up but no matter what I did she jumped clean out of water and my heart rate went up. All I remember about that was my boater let out a groan and said "What do I do?? What do I do??" I yelled "reel your line in and stay where you are"!! When she got within 5 ft of us she went straight down and dived under the boat. I thought the rod was gonna break but then I remembered I tightened the drag earlier and didn't back it off! As soon as I did she came straight up and jumped again! I said get the net! but he didn't have one!! He leaned over the side and said "I'll get it". I said in as calm a voice as I could "NO! Leave her." Anyway, I lipped her in and as I was pulling her up, she kept coming out.!! She was 11.34 and the prettiest fish I ever saw. He grabbed his camera as I left mine in the truck, but before I let her go I kissed her on the head, thanked her, wished her well and she was gone. He said he would send me the pictures but 2 days later he left for Canada again. It took 2 weeks to track him down and when I did he said he would send them. Anyway, finally after 2 months of unanswered calls and sincere begging he finally did. This is the best picture but doesn't do her justice. Mike

No weight for river smallmouth, I use a 2/0 hook for a 4" model and a 4/0 for the 5" fluke. I actually fish a River Rock Jointed Jerkbait but super flukes, caffeine shads and the like will all work well. Make your cast and let the fluke sink about 2' of so and give it 2 hard pops and let it sink for a second or two and repeat. That cadence seems to work on fish that aren't very active but the active fish will also hit it when fished in that manner. You'll be able to tell how active the fish are by the strike, inactive fish will often just be there, the bait sinks and before you can pop the rod the line will be tight. Active fish will practically rip the rod out of your hand, if you get bit like that a fast retrieve that keeps the bait almost on top of the water is what you will want to do. You also need to remember that there are times they won't hit a fluke at all, that is when a tube or a finesse worm or ned rig is the way to go.

Don't knock saltwater fishing by characterizing as bait fishing. All types of sportfishing offer whatever you want to put into it wether it be Golden Trout in a remote High Seirra lake or stream, big tuna and Marlin crashing baitfish at sunrise off the Baja coast, the call of a loon in a remote wilderness Canadian lake or bass fishing at your lake, it's all good. Tom

Why do you fish for bass? To old to chase women & it cost a lot less!

me. at 14. i was hooked waaayy back then. i'd bet $5 that if i still had that mitchell reel, it would still work perfectly. it took so much abuse and never failed once

One sage piece of advice......stand sideways to the bait. Don't ask me how I know.

Pre-storm finesse fishing after work. Got run off in under an hour by the storms, but managed 18 fish in one pass before that happened. Fish were up a little shallower than expected. Fun stuff.

Any of you guys land any swamp donkeys lately? Was throwing a KVD Caffeine Shad last night and managed to lay into this fish. Had a strange hump on its back but still she still pulled alright. If I had to guess it was around 5.5LB.

My brain tends to be a little more creative when I've had a few 'white pop's. With that said as of I've aged I'm not as short sighted so you won't hear me say "hold my beer watch this". Life's to short not to enjoy it! I came to that realization at 19 while getting pumped full of chemo. Life always works itself out and everything happens for a reason so there's no need to stress, worry, or get down. I told my mom when I was sick and she was bawling (understandably) and she asked "how are you so strong?" My response "you just gotta role with the punches". @Choporoz go out and have fun life will take you where you're supposed to go, it's up to you to enjoy the ride! ?

I have A shorelander trailer with the center light and use the extreme max transom saver. It comes with a bracket that attaches to the existing bolt on the trailer and " twists " into place. To attach or remove, turn the TS 180 degrees. No crawling under the trailer. It also adjusts for length. I have a 50 Mercury and am very happy with the TS. Here's a pic of how it attaches. The end of the TS spirals into a slot on the bracket.

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ A 7 ft M or MH rod and a 6.3:1 to 6.6:1 reel should work nicely. A-Jay

Gill's moved off the beds now, but still had a good day to start my grandsons summer vacation, he's primed for the summer now. Supper over a campfire after hammering out a limit of big O'le gill's has em always want'n to go back to fish camp with grampa,, I love spoil'n em,,,,

Perfectly normal. A lot of reels come very over-lubed from the factory.

Wheeler has been doing this for 6 or 7 years. Believe he picked it up from one of the Tour guys back when. It was a quiet secret for a while, but of course given the coverage these days, not much gets hidden for long. He's done a couple videos on rigging it that way and how, why, etc. You get a lot more weight than a traditional buzzer that makes for some pinpoint casting as well as better distance. Buzzers also skip better under trees and docks with that frog body on there. Have to believe the profile difference might also help some on waters where more traditional buzzers get thrown a lot. His namesake buzzer from Accent Fishing comes packaged with a skirt that isn't attached, making it easy to fish it either way. It also has a wire keeper on the shaft to help hold the frog on better, though in the early days, he would simply slide the whole toad over the buzzers head and add a little glue to help hold it on. Really helps with skipping that way, but you need to play around with different toads as some plastics used in making them don't hold up well to that level of stretching and tear rather easily. The toad body also gives a good amount of mass for when a bass just tries to suck it in instead of completely engulfing it, making for better hookups at times compared to plain skirted buzzers.

This is when I would start working my lures differently to trigger reaction strikes... Fish will bite even if they're not hungry, but you will need to give them a reason. A good example would be self defense. My favorite way to get fish to react: "jig and set" a lipless crankbait (with rattles) - a lot of people forget that there are different ways to fish these lures other than just varying the retrieve tempo or swimming it normally. "jig and set" is a term I made up to help people understand the way I will sometimes work a lipless for a reaction. Basically I will let the lipless sink to the bottom then rip it violently (pretend you're setting a hook), then let it settle back down to the bottom like a jig. The violent action that comes with a hook set also cause the rattles to scream, a lot of times forcing the fish to react. I discovered this technique during a situation quite like yours... I was so frustrated that I had to try something new. I called it the "jig and set" but later found that Tim from Tactical Bassin' also uses this method for lipless cranks. A tip that I took from him to add to it's effectiveness was to use Lucky Crafts LV500 cranks instead of Rattletraps due to the additional weight (faster sink and additional casting distance to keep the space between easily spooked fish) and a different rattle noise. Made a noticeable difference when I made that lure change also. Since, I've loaded my tackle box with LV500s. Anyways, there are lot's of ways to trigger a reaction strike, but I thought I would share my favorite. And of course, it doesn't ALWAYS work. Nothing does. But it's just another tool to add to your arsenal. Key takeaway here is REACTION REACTION REACTION!!

Had a decent day on Saturday 6/9. Managed 23 bass in the boat. The best three were in the 4’s lbs coming on three different lures. A 110 whopper plopper, a shallow crank, and 5” soft stick bait. Couple pics of the better fish.

Got my first boat (not counting old jon boat). '18 Crestliner VT 17. Lots to learn, for sure.

Take a little break from my Jig fishing (so far only 7 caught). Went out early morning and water look good for some whopper plopper, so I tied on and caught two. After awhile with no bite, it seemed the fish want something slower, so I switched to my faithful Zoom Magnum fluke. Caught either 3 or 4 on this one. Video add***

Went out last night with topwater bass being the goal. Had on a weightless Zoom O’l Monster in June bug. Got a bite with it but switched to a plopper for a little more noise and a better chance at short strikers and within a couple of minutes got a nice little 2-2.5 (forgot the scale, kicked myself as we were leaving in the car but figured I probably wouldn’t need it... I was wrong) Kept working around the pond just casting parallel to the bank. Very little cover in the pond and LOADS of critters. Probably 75 geese and 7 beavers in two acres of water. Came to a nice creek arm and cast deep in there and this big girl wanted the plopper. Measured 22 inches putting her around 6 lbs. Could be my new PB, But I don’t really care about that so much, just glad to have caught her. ?

Piranha

Just my experience but I have had some pretty tough days on my local lake. I keep going back because it is so close to my house. It can definitely get discouraging if you have a string of unproductive trips to the same place. There is a pond near my work that I fish on lunch breaks some times and can dependably catch at least one fish per trip. This helps tremendously as far as confidence goes. Give the new spot a try. It may be even worse, but it could be a great spot. As far as fishing a popper goes, I typically try to give it an erratic set of pops/twitches, then pause for 3-4 seconds. 5-6 twitches, pause, 2-3 twitches, pause, 6-7 pops, pause, so on and so forth. One of my favorite lures.

Unless you're A-Jay, or Aaron Martens, or you want them to sink and/ or deaden the action, this is what you want: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Katsuage_Out_Barb_Treble_Hooks_5pk/descpage-MBKOBH.html Size 6 for both baits you indicated.

I'm going with juvenile bluegill in both pics. Just not enough distinctive markings like you commonly see with crappie IMO.

A5. I fish Sam Miguel. I would like to join up with you one day. I’m trying to learn a little more about catching bass.

I think it would be fine.

Finesse to me doesnt always mean light weights and small baits. More of a mind set. I finesse 12" worms with 3/4 ounce weights through brush piles all the time. But I've also power fished small trick worms by twitching them like a jerkbait. But I'll stick to What's politically correct and say dropshotting a small lizzard

Saying a battery last a certain amount of time is wrong, does not matter if AGM or not. There are a number of factors that determine a batteries life and that is figured in cycle count, not time. Cycle count is the number of times a battery can be discharged and charged. Now, AGM's generally have a higher cycle count than flooded cells when it comes to TM batteries. This means if you have a battery capable of 500 cycles, you theoretically could get 10 years using it 50 times a year, but over time cell degradation from age will reduce that. The first thing is the charger. Not all chargers are equal and how they charge the battery has a direct affect on battery life. Good chargers are not cheap, and not all so called good chargers are really that good, just well advertised. Then the public mind set. I think a $300, three bank on board charger is a cheap charger and usually barely suitable, others think that's expensive and want a $100 thing that's close to useless and not suited for properly charging most any TM battery. Iwill say, you can use a smaller charger on AGM batteries because they don't require gassing like flooded cells, but then most cheap chargers don't have the electronics to properly charge AGM's. Battery construction plays a large roll in how long they last. The alloy used and how the plates are constructed, plus how the battery is constructed. The discharge level plays a huge roll in cycle count. If you have huge, high amp hour batteries, bur only use them a few hours so they are still at 75% charge when done, the cycle count is very high. If you use smaller batteries or use the crap out of the so they are only at 25% charge when done, the cycle count goes way down. You might get 500 cycles at 75% and 200 at 25%. Then you have the general maintenance, how/when you charge your batteries. Let them sit for 24 hours below 80% charge and the are going to sulfate, reducing the batteries capacity. Let it sit a month in a discharged state and it can become almost useless. Manufactures have many things to consider when making a battery for the general public, and cost is one of the key items. If the battery is too good, they can't sell enough and cost goes very high. The average Joe Blow either can't afford or won't buy them. So, they have to reduce quality enough to keep it useable within reason and cheap enough to keep their sales up. Then they have size constraints where they have to pack a lot of ump in a fairly small package. Look at industrial flooded cell batteries, they can last eight to ten years being discharged and charged every day, but can weigh hundreds of pounds or tons, and need several cubic feet of room.

It wasn't my eyes that took the hit.

You did say no set budget. If $135 is too much, look at the used market. Try to find an older gold colored Carbonlite or the Prolite. The Prolite is the finesse reel, but I have no problem casting #5 Shad Raps (3/16 oz.) with my Carbonlites. If you don't mind a round reel, look for a 1500-1600 series Ambassadeur. My Black Max 1600C does very well with light lures. It also casts very well in a strong wind. You should be able to find the above reels in the $30-$60 range. If you can find one. So far I've only used one of my three 1600Cs, but have no plans to sell one of them. If you are willing to spend in the $140-$160 neighborhood, look at used Pixy or TD-Z 105H. Pixies are easier to find and are the reel which TackleTour compares other finesse reels to. It wasn't all that long ago you couldn't buy one for less than about $220. More for the Pixilla....which is a tuned and upgraded Pixy.

If that's how you treat your boat I'd hate to see what your lawn mower looks like. ?

I use a fuego ct for some of my light weight work like drop shotting, shakey heads, knock-off senkos, and smaller finesse jigs. I think that it would be my 3rd choice behind a tatula sv and tatula ct. But my first choice in the sub $100 range

Goto youtube & search for Glen Lau's videos Bigmouth & Bigmouth Forever. Please watch both videos noting how many times a bass bites a lure by the tail & report back here with the results. Thank you very much, have a nice day ?

I like to "fish". Grew up fishing ponds & small lakes in New England. Then my 28 yr stint in the Coast Guard offered plenty of saltwater action. Inshore & especially offshore opportunities were many and I took full advantage of each & every one. Later I graduated to surf casting for Striped Bass - that one lasted a good 15 years and became quite an addiction. Have since retired to the North Woods of MI. And while chasing bass (mostly the brown variety) does occupy a good chunk of my time on the water, I'm not immune to angling for any one of the many other sweet water species that inhabit the cool, clean & deep water's here. Good Times. A-Jay

Thats how Greg Hackney caught a lot of his bass in his victory at the Sabine last weekend . Look up Hack attack buzzbait .

My name is Jeff Turner, Active Duty Army - 28 Years, Iraq = 3 Times, Afghanistan - Once.

Ugh... what a topic!! I actually got asked this question a couple of weeks ago by my cousin when my wife and I were visiting Austin and I was unable to give a solid answer other than the smart "to get away from her" remark as I nodded at my wife (Jokingly of course!). My lack of a response really got my gears turning about her question... I mean, I've been fishing all of my life! How could I not answer what would seem to be the easiest of questions?? Then during my next time out on the water, it hit me... You see, I was diagnosed with ADD in high school due to my inability to concentrate for longer than 5 mins on just about anything. I mean, who could when there are always so many things going on, right?! At least that's how my mind works... But that being said, I could always hit the water and lose myself BASS FISHING for hours without any distractions, doing nothing else. cast after cast. fully focused the entire time. Growing up, I did some cat fishing, some live bait fishing, etc etc, but never found any enjoyment in those activities. For me, when I would just cast out a liver or live bait and let the pole sit, I could never focus on what I was doing. I found that staring at my rod tip or a bobber for hours just left me bored, distracted, not mentally present, and as I grew older, it would just end up becoming an excuse to drink beer. I would find myself thinking about school, work, why my ex girlfriend is such a horrible person, you name it. I was never really there. But when I bass fish (game fish)... something magical happens that I have never been able to experience outside of the activity. My mind empties... and for the first time since the last time, I am not worried, angry, stressed, or anything... I am just bass fishing. With bass fishing, both my hands and mind are kept totally occupied. The 10 different ways to fish each lure, the research and knowledge of color selections and when to use them, the time of day, water temp, moon phase, and everything else that goes into bass fishing effectively completely consumes my body and mind. During that time, I am not concerned about next weeks meetings at work, chores at home, or anything that could possible be stressful about life. I am just fishing, absolutely submerged into the moment, and finally living free from those burdens that life can bring... at least until I trailer the boat XD And that, my friend... is why I keep chunking those lures.

You just know! If you don't focus and concentrate to visualize on what the jig or worm is doing from the time it hits the water you miss most strikes and only detect the most aggressive strikes. You know how long it takes for the jig or worm to hit bottom because you know where you cast how deep it is, it's automatic after years of casting jigs and worms. You know the difference in the weight or line resistance between cover, structure and a live bass, it's a automatic reaction to set the hook, you do it before thinking about it. The one thing that fakes me out every time is line under the water, you set the hook and it moves.... Tom

Big ole Perch I caught while kayaking this Sunday. First time fishing a Ned rig on straight 20# braided line this weekend as I was too lazy to tie a leader. I felt every tick, bump and nibble. I was getting a lot of bites but came up short on the hooksets. Not at all like a Smallmouth Bass which was what I was targeting. It wasn't until I landed this big guy that I realized it was Perch that were messing around with my rig. Most were small and unable to take the bait in fully to get them hooked.

Simple fix for that "problem". Slide a piece of pvc pipe over the threaded rod.

I too, spend my (wife’s)family reunions fishing on their private farm pond. “Are we eating yet? When are we eating? We’re done eating? See you in a couple hours!”.

In waters near me with significant pike populations, the bass tend to be good-sized.

Are you seriously saying the GLX, what was formally G.Loomis' top of the line blank, not sensitive? Get the GLX, it's a no brainer at that price. The gains in the NRX will not offset the cost difference.

They all coexist in many bodies of water across the country without issue. Unless they have just suddenly shown up in the body of water you're fishing like someone has put them there illegally, I wouldn't be concerned.

Pike and bass coexist all across the country without issue, except for the unfortunate angler that loses an expensive bait to the toothy critters. Pike will eat bass, bass will eat pike, but neither is going to eat the other out of a body of water unless it just wasn't the right habitat for them to begin with.