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In celebration of the 4th of July, we are launching a 10% off everything sale. Use promo code FREEDOM to redeem. Sale runs until July 7 2018. Also, if you purchase 4 bags of soft plastics or more of any mix Strike King, Rage, Keitech, Mega Strike, Moaner, Owner, Zman during the sale I will refund the shipping cost.

Caught a few walking the banks. This one was the only non-dink.

Reading about other people's 70-fish days, I just can't even imagine... you all are catching monsters. Took about 8 hours in grueling heat on the home lake to land six fish. Best of which is here, a largemouth on a Texas rigged 5-in black/blue-flake worm fishing a dropoff at a tiny island. Worth it? Totally!

Because most of the time, guys spend more time fishing, than catching. FISHING for bass, using a variety of artificial lures, casting and retrieving, throwing at targets, is more fun than throwing out chicken livers and waiting for something to happen.

I went to see my Mama for a few days and got a little time to fish. The first day me and Tresa(wife) fished for three hours and had a ball. She is my favorite person to fish with. We didn't catch anything big but caught a few average fish, got to take in the sights and sounds of the swamp, and laughed a bunch! https://www.flickr.com/gp/157266631@N05/UqP50r https://www.flickr.com/gp/157266631@N05/X7NS97

Caught my first fish on a big swimbait a couple days ago!

Only a 3 pounder but it was the first cast of the day on the first time throwing the Rico popper. A fun bait to throw....

finally got a break from remodeling house ,went out for a few hours in the afternoon, we caught eight , with one double ,the biggest only around 3lb. but sure is fun to get out down here.

I went night fishing yesterday to get away from the this heat . I havent been fishing since April . Made it to the lake at 6:30 to get a couple of hours of day-time fishing in . I find the thermocline at 18 foot and a lot of fish between 10 and 14 foot . I head off to a nearby point and dont see many fish on it but do see a lot suspended off the sides 10 to 14 foot in 25 foot of water . I toss a buoy and fish top of the point and only catch one dink . I start casting the Berkely Dredger 14.5 out past the suspended fish and start hooking up . I spent an hour there and caught about a dozen with several 15 to 16 inches , nothing big . I tried a Red Eye shad but was just guessing if it was in the strike zone . I knew the Dredger would hit 14 foot and stay there for a while , no guess work. I like those Dredgers . Before dark I head shallow with a buzzbait and continue to throw it until one in the morning . The bass [no hawgs] hit all night long , especially along the rip rap dam . Also caught a half dozen along the dam with a Storm Rattlin Thin Fin .

They eat hair jigs too, but it's a hair jig that is about 10x bigger and 10x heavier!

I gave already picked for the Chesapeake Bay . I dont study much , just pick some guys who did well there last time . ? Martens ? Hackney ? Lowen ? Menendez ? R. Lane So far this year i am 0 for 4 in making a cut with guys named Lane . Lets see if the streak will end .

I do know it is illegal to run at night with any lights other than USCG approved navigation lights. Spotlights and mounted lights are classified as Docking Lights and are not to be used while running. When I am in Wisconsin and we are out for our evening pontoon cruise, we do use a spotlight to light up the dock and to spot channel buoys in very narrow stretches of some of the lakes but never while running. I would also never spotlight an approaching vessel. You just blinded them and increased the chance they will not be able to see you. A few flashes off to the side usually alerts them if they have not seen your red/green nav lights or your white stern light. Everybody be safe and as has been said, this week is going to be extreemly busy in addition to some intoxicated operators.

Biggest news is the Googans are launching a plastics line with a game changing craw!

The wife told me today that I don't need to buy any more soft plastics. "You have enough for half the guys at your club." Of course, I had to place an order for eight bags of assorted Havoc and RageTail baits. Now about a new reel, dear. I haven't bought one this year and 19 isn't a good number.

Some say catching bass is easy, but catching BIG bass ain't easy. I may have posted this before but oh well...

Wife went to Scotland with a couple friends for ten days, it’s only been two days so far, and this guy really misses his mom ☹️.

Where in the rules does it say the boater gets first shot at all waters? As long as you're not throwing ahead of or in front of him, you are fine in my opinion. It's a narrow space and he got to pick what side he wanted to throw to. If he moved slow enough, he could have fished both sides as he moved along. I would have kept fishing, limited out on his butt from the back deck and then sat down and ate lunch ?

A mildly offensive comment. I trust you're not a tournament angler, hence the jab. Truth is, nobody wants to fish to die after they release it. So let's get that out of the way now. In fact, many states will shut down a tournament if the mortality rate exceeds 10%. And will ban an organization for repeated violations. This often includes post-release mortality as well.

It's all about fast pressure changes that inflate the bass airbladder. If you take a inflated ballon that is 6" diameter and submerse it 2 atmospheres or 29 feet down into the water the ballon shrinks to more then 1/2 it's size or about 3" dia. Bring the same ballon back to the water surface it's inflates back to it's original 6" dia. A bass airbladder is similar to the ballon and has gas to inflate the bladder so the bass is nuetral bouyant like a astronaut in space so it floats at a specific depth. If the bass has it's airbladder inflated for nuetral bouyancy at 30' and you catch it and bring it up the the surface it's airbladder expands doubling in size pushing it's stomach out the throat and causes the bass to roll over stomach up. The only things that reduces the over inflated air bladder is the bass goes back down to where it was at nuetral bouyancy or puncher the air bladder to release gas pressure. Clipping on weights to roll the bass over in a livewell does nothing to help reduce over inflated airbladder because bass don't have gas valves to release pressure, it takes over 24 hours to consume small mounts of gas pressure. If the bass was at neutral bouyant at 50' depth, swam up to 30' feet to strike your lure and you bring it up to the surface the air bladder expands more then a bass acclimated to 25 feet and swam down to 30' to strike your lure do to higher pressure changes. Tom

The Sure Life folks have a pretty good video. I start to see issues around 30'. If immediately released, there is no problem, and no need to fizz. I've only had to do it a few times with tournament fish in a livewell.

Big Nates first green fish! https://www.flickr.com/gp/157266631@N05/eucryQ

All work if they're done right. However, there's a risk of injuring them - even killing them - if you make a mistake. The techniques, from safest to most risky (and potentially lethal) are: 1. Weights on the bottom fin 2. Going through the side 3. Going through the mouth For this reason, I never recommend the 3rd method. There's a 4th method too, but you need to be more prepared, and that is using a weighted clothes basket. Invert it, tie a long rope to it (at least 40'), and tie some weights to it so they hang off the rim. Add bass and lower the basket quickly. It will drop him to the depths where he can swim away safely on his own. Or, at least that the theory.

Except for 2 techniques, all I use is Sunline flouro and tie the San Diego Jam knot. Its simialr to the pitzen but with 1 extra step. I also like the "No Name" which is passed through the eye twice like a Palomar. It's advertised as the best knot for flourocarbon lines but there are others. Flouro gets a bad wrap on this board so don't get deterred. Just try different ones making certain they are tied correctly. Mike

I have to put in a mid-summer Yamamoto order. There's a bunch of new baits to try. Normally, I am on the prototype baits but I didn't get in on that for some of the new offerings. This is how my orders come.....

I explained to my wife how plastics (I mainly fish paddle tails) only last for so many fish. She looked at me and said "Then you have enough to last a really long time". I said "I only have 8 bags right now" and her response was "Exactly for the amount of fish you catch that should last a long time." I hate that woman sometimes.

Well....dang. I just paid a whole bunch of bills tonight. Never seems to work out for me. I got a couple spare dollars...no sales. I got no money...lots of sales.

Brand New Aluminum Boat with Warranty Oh yea - and a New Truck with Warranty as well - in case you're in the market and about to ask. A-Jay

Do you know that they are bass? Sometimes other species can fool you.

Try a spook jr.

Never!!! I just add in more swim breaks is all.

Exactly. I wasn't talking about catching 1lbers all day. That is easy. I'm talking NICE bass. Good luck going anywhere but the south and catching 4+ lbers without working your ass off.

This is why whatever I walk around the wooods I always have a cocktail in hand.

Your flood light is not 37 million lumens... sorry bud. ?

If you like catfish then fish for them. Join a cat fisherman forum site because there are lots of them and popular. Channel cats, blue cats, flathead cats are all god sporting fish, strong fighters and sometimes caught on lures, usually fresh cut fish or something smelly (ugh). My son caught a 26 lb channel cat when he was a youngster on his light tackle using a soft plastic 3" reaper split shot rigged that earned him In-Fishermans award the species. I have caught both channel and blue cats on my bass lures like crankbaits, structure spoons, soft plastics and jigs because they are predator fish. Nothing wrong targeting cats, some folks even like yellow bullheads! Whatever gets you out fishing is good. Tom

Join a local bass club if they are taking nonboaters. If you can't find one, then do the following: 1. Find a local guide and go out with him for a day and ask him questions about baits and techniques, etc. Well worth the money if you can find a good one. 2. Join BASS and get their monthly Bassmaster Magazine and make sure you subscribe to Bass News, too. 3. Subscribe to some good bass magazines, like Bass Angler Magazine or the FLW magazine. Go to your local Barnes and Noble and look to see what bass magazines they have and select two or three to subscribe. 4. Don't get caught up with brand names in the magazine articles. The pros are hawking their sponsors products so you do not need a G. Loomis 7 foot medium heavy fast tip rod. You need a lower priced 7 foot medium heavy fat tip rod. Just as long as it is the same style and power as what the pros use but not at their expensive prices. 5. Go to your Bass Pro Shop or a local tackle shop and speak with the guys who are bass fishermen. They can be helpful. And consider the BPS line of products that are very good and not expensive. 6. Try to find any DVDs or books by Kevin VanDam or Ike or other pros. Read what they suggest. 7. Check the Outdoor Channel on TV and watch the bass fishing shows. 8. Read, read, read and read some more. "Like" the Forum on Facebook and get their posts. They are excellent and Glenn shares some great information to help us all be better fishermen and fisherwomen. Check out specific topics on YouTube. 9. Go to the pros' web pages and read their tips, if any, with the understanding that you do not need to purchase their sponsor's products. If you check out Woo Daves' web page it is has some great tips that are still valid today but the companies he promotes are no longer around. 10. Go to any fishing expo in the greater Chicago area and meet the movers and shakers in the local Illinois fishing industry. They will love to speak with you; give you tips; and help you in any way they can. What is great about bass fishing is that you never stop learning. And don't invest too much in your rods and reels as you grow in the sport you will change to other brands and techniques that you have confidence. Good luck and all the best on your journey through the waters of bass fishing where that little green monster can humble the biggest, strongest and meanest guy you know.

Hot as Hades this weekend. Saturday and Sunday I was out bank fishing from 7am until 11:30am before the heat really got insane. Both days I was sweating just standing with my rod in hand deadsticking a bait. No motion yet sweat was running down my face. Saturdays totals: 5 Rock Bass, 5 Smallmouth Bass including a nice one I got while fishing by a log. (pic below) Sundays totals: 1 Smallmouth Bass, 1 Rock Bass and 2 Bluegill.

Any time I can go! ?

Looks like it made you some Ned rigs

Forget about the favorite and put that mgl on a zodias.

"Success is on the same road as failure; success is just a little further down the road." Jack Hyles

My buddy came into town for a weekend of fishing and we got some nice ones!

20” this morning breakin in new gear

Biggest smalljaw of the year so far for me. Was banging flats with a Rapala X-Rap in olive color when this tank decided he was hungry. Hit like a sack of bricks and made me think I had a 30+ inch pike on the line.

Glad you're OK. It's important that boaters first, know there are rules and then what they are. Understanding how to "read" navigation lights, especially from a distance, is an integral part of boating; and not just at night. If you are by and large unfamiliar with this you may be an accident waiting to happen. In every meeting or crossing situation, daytime & during periods of limited visibility (doesn't have to be dark), Course changes should be early, decisive and in accordance with "Navigational Rules of the Road". So much so that ones intentions are Clear & Blatantly obvious to the other vessel. Small incremental course changes are very difficult to interpret making it a recipe for disaster. http://www.boatsafe.com/flash/reviewrules.html Again, Glad you're OK. A-Jay

Second best of the summer on the frog. Mid day 90 degrees and full sun. Absolutely choked it and I had to horse her through 20 feet of thick vegetation. Went for 4.63, snapped a few shots and she was on her way. Update: Went out in the kayak for round two and caught a 14 incher, on a frog again. I’m on a frog kick here in Virginia!

Got this big girl on a jig, between a dock and a pontoon on a hoist. What a crazy fight, considering I had about 8 inches to work with between boat hoist and dock. It pays to spend the dough on Sufix 832! Close to my PB, it went 22". I put her back, of course.

Wow ~ Bet that was fun. Well, except for the bleeding part. You know I love a good by-catch. Congrats A-Jay

I can't really blame them. Been doing the same for a while now. "Have you met . . . people?" A-Jay