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Just so you all know...it's not just you boys having fun out there...?

Still picking up deep water smallies. Nothing huge but the largest was 2.8. Boy do they fight!!!!

Out with the team on the newly completed boat. Having so much fun with the boat, and the dogs are loving the poop deck on the front.

Only one I was able to pull out of that pea soup. Caught on a Texas rigged and pegged Bk/Bl flake RT Structure Bug off of a stump in a bout 3 fow.

2nd grandson Archer, made his appearance this afternoon and was considerate enough to let Bubba get his morning time on the water in......

Dunno if I posted this one yet. Not a remarkable Larry by any means, but hands down my favorite fish I've ever caught. This dude fought like a 3lb Smallie. Just unreal for a Larry. So it got me itching for Smallies. Went to the river today with the ole Ned Rig and put a whopping on them. Caught 40+. Mostly small. Different species called for a shave.

So a couple months ago while fishing at La Cygne, which is about a 2,500 acre Reservoir, my son Lake decided to see if this net my parents gave him would float in the 15' deep murky water, it did not, sank pretty fast actually much to the dismay of the misty eyed 4 year old as he stood in the back of my boat. Well Friday I was fishing close to the same area with a 6XD bumping along the bottom when it caught something but didn't feel like a fish. Could not believe when I saw his net rise from the depths, still in good shape even minus needing wiped down. Never would have guessed in a million years I'd ever be able to do that.

We've had some very minor runs in with Mr Porcupine - although he & his friends have set up shop all around my property - they only 'visit' once or twice a month. Dogs got into one that was 'sleeping on the side of the road' during a run last year while I was in Mexico - sad day for everyone involved. A-Jay

Bump!

Hey Folks, I just wanted to reach out to say thank you all for all the contributions to this site. I just started bass fishing this year, and it has been a slow, painful start. None of my friends or family are fishermen, so I've been learning by the knowledge shared here, and a few helpful YouTube channels. At the beginning of spring, I would fish for 2-3 hours sometimes, and literally not even get a bite. I couldn't find the fish, and even if I did, I wasn't even enticing them to bite. My luck has changed big time due a a drought in Texas- I have a creek not 5 minutes from my house and the water is quite low. This has created a few pools that have 3 pound bass isolated. This has been especially fruitful because they are HUNGRY!!! I've now caught them on texas, wacky, splitshot, shakeyheads, and dropshot rigs. Crankbaits (both lipless and squarebills), frogs, poppers, and the infamous whopper plopper. I was even able to get my wife interested by setting her up with a dropshot rig and she caught a 3 pounder on her first cast!!! I still have a hard time catching on spinnerbaits and jigs, which is weird because I've read that they should be solid baits no matter the time of year. I haven't found it easy to learn being bank bound in high pressure areas (I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area). To make all this even better, my wife WANTS to get a boat! Next up, take our skills to Lake Fork! Again, to the entire Bass Resource community- thank you for all the tips and expertise.

2018 appears to be the year that mono is making a comback. Sufix Adavance is being toted as the next generation mono/Copoly with Advantage over FC and other mono line with better abrasion resistance, low stretch and sensitivity never seen before. I thought maybe simple comparison between Sunline Deifer Copoly and Armilo Nylon would be interesting based on diameter. Sufix Advance Sunline Deifer 10 = .012 11 = .0108 12 = .014 13 = .0118 14 = .015 15 = .0126 17 = .016 17 = .0134 20 = .020 19 = .0142 22 = .0150 25= .0159 It will be interesting to follow the other mfr's offerings this year. I prefer using diameter as a comparison because it's measurable and published on the line label. Tom

Big minnow on the Pats this morning; along with a few smaller minnows.

Bailey *almost* got a woodchuck last night. Never seen her run so fast. Luckily, she's very obedient off leash. When I yelled, "No - Down" hissed a little, she stopped dead, and got down. Good Girl! In other news, Rage Craws on Jika Punch Rigs are total waste of time.

The most comprehensive test I have ever read was performed by Tackletour.com. It can be found here: Fluorocarbon test The results are quite clear. While only 4 out of 14 fluoro lines tested were more abrasion-resistant (while dry) than the same diameter Berkley Trilene XL, a popular monofilament line used here as a baseline, all 14 were better than mono when wet. Trilene lost 56% of its abrasion resistance when wet for just 10 minutes. Any advantage it had is lost in actual fishing conditions. The difference between one fluoro and another? Just as one would expect that those that were softer to accentuate casting tested more poorly than those that were intended to be stiffer for leaders. Another cool "mention" in the article? While formulas certainly vary from one to another, there are only three sources for fluorocarbons: 2 German companies, 1 Japan source. What we most often see is just stuff made by the same sources, private labeled. *** Just one last observation about the comment about if you nick fluoro, it becomes more easily broken. There is certainly no material reason for this: the chemical bonds in fluoro greatly exceed those in most monos, so the remaining material should still out-perform a similar partial break in mono. So, what I think is actually happening is a nick in fluoro, harder to make to begin with, but that since it is harder, more dense, that it likely creates a little area that will then subsequently get snagged more easily. Brad

Hit the Quabbin on Sunday with my usual partner in crime (smallmouth abuse)... We showed up at gate 43 a bit later than usual and lucked into the last rental. Unloaded the truck and began to set the rental up and discovered I was missing two fairly important things.. a net and a battery for my fish finder. Bad start... we went at it for a while targetting some of some my typical summertime smallmouth haunts using a GPS app on my phone to help me locate the underwater humps ledges and points. We didn't make out too bad for forgetting the net and battery, I wasn't counting but think we landed around 20 smallmouth between the two of us, and lost a few on dropshot rigs that we would've landed with a net. No scale breakers, best went 3.06lbs. Lost one that looked like a 4 on a dropshot boatside. Dropshot, football jig, Ned rig, tube and spinnerbaits all caught fish, top two producers were the dropshot and jig. my boat finally arrived at the dealer last week, I'll have updates on that once I pick it up! Been wishing I've had it for months and found myself doing a lot less actual fishing because of it... but now I'm stoked that I'll have it for the end of summer and all of fall fishing.

Can definitely tell that he's going to love fishing as he puts fishing first even for others haha. ? Meet my new fishing partner. He'll be on the water very soon!

BreeZo wanted to meet Mr Badger on her run with Lynn ~ Not a good Plan. A-Jay

Hit the water from 10 am thru 2:30 pm today. Managed to boat 7 bass with a few pickerel thrown in. Big bass coming on a 4” pit boss from lily pads in about 5/6 fow. 6lb 12oz fatty.

u bUy dem wooper ploopiRs i know karE wUt siZe dem iz

That's because a spammer bumped this thread up. I hid the post. We try real hard to nail them, but took a couple hours to get this one. The funny part, it was spam from an exterminator service!

Berkley Big Game 15# = 0.015 ?

Bald Eagle on the Salt River last Saturday.

Fool me once... I've fallen for the "Man that looks cool!" trap that is Livetarget, not falling for it again. I've bought several of their baits and can't honestly remember catching a single fish on one.

From Daiwa: The handle can be used on both sides without issue. The post sits at a different length on each side, but there is still threading and the handle will catch on either side. There is a small black rubber collar, just switch that to the opposite side. I feel like a dummy, take finger nail and there is a small rubber seal that comes off and exposes the threads needed to put cap on opposite side.

I use them quite a bit and think they are the most important accessory on the boat. I don't think it increases my skill, a better way to put it is that they make me more effective. Here's a quick example: This is a spot that's pretty well known because you can see the top of this tire reef when the water is clear...But those single tires out deeper you can't see. But with side imaging they show up clear as day. Sitting at the wheel while scanning I can drop a waypoint on each of those tires and have them appear on my map up front thanks to the ethernet link between my graphs. When I come back to fish them, I have range rings on my map so I know exactly where to cast and can drop a bait right on those individual tires that are 12 to 20 feet deep without ever seeing them with my own eyes. I catch fish on these frequently. Side imaging, linked units, and good mapping can make you very efficient if you put the time in to use them to their full potential. Plenty of other scenarios too.

how important are your FF to you? Very - turn them on when I launch and never turn them off until loading out - every time out Did you find that your skill as a fisherman increased significantly when you were able to visualize what was under/around your boat? Definitely Am I limiting my own growth as a fisherman by not having a FF? Not necessarily...

i love Savannah

This is a case of the jury still being out in regards to an absolute answer. If you read Luke's (Salt Strong) write-up, he did go back and retest again after a 15 minute spool soak (TT used 10+ min) and came up with basically the same answer. His answer was pretty much opposite of Tackle Tour's, which found a 56% drop in abrasion resistance of their baseline mono when wet, making it worse than nearly every fluoro tested. There are simply too many variables and too inconsistent methodologies used to be able to make any absolute claims in this regard. To the degree that formulation plays a part, there are some very tough/hard monos and fluoros, and some very soft ones. You would think abrasion resistance might correspond accordingly, and anecdotally it seems to, if not popular opinion siding with fluoros in general on the issue, but it is a tough one to be able to compare "apples to apples."

It definitely has something to do with big sugar. They are calling the shots when it comes to following a money trail. Especially the trail of money to the elected officials. Big sugar and big dairy are the main players.

Two hundredths of an inch aint enough to be concerned with! My personal opinion ya get to thin then abrasion because more of a factor...less material to cut through.

Excitement as a 4+ goes completely airborne, then defeat as it spits your frog back to you . Also, this is what the Susquehanna Flats looked like the week before the Elite event was supposed to be there...Perfect conditions. Things changed fast to make that postponement happen.

Have done fairly well right off the bat at one of the river's where I'm working at. With good portions of river in manageable walking distance, I've been constantly hunting for spots that will harbor some sizable fish. The one thing that I'm realizing, is that everything, and I mean everything, is in my opinion, so much more aggressive here than back in the States. No bass, but plenty of pike and perch. While exploring the river after work yesterday, I found a back-bay just off the main channel that was loaded with lilly pads. Right away, I realized that I needed to throw the pad-crasher that I had packed. As soon as it hit the water it got blown-up. Had probably 10+ hits on it, but struggled to get any hooked. This was after waiting to feel the weight too. Then managed to get one and it turned out to be a 10.5 inch European Perch! Crazy! Kept fishing and then as my frog was probably 10 feet from shore in only 2 feet of water, I saw what looked like a missile streaking right towards the frog. I got ready and once the pike hit, I waited a second, set the hook, and was surprised to see that the fish was actually on! Nice 4.25 lber to end the day.

I've been concerned with that as well. However, the creek I'm fishing has a "low water" crossing, but it's almost like a 8 ft tall dam. The water on the other side of the road is still plenty high enough, so if the pools really start getting small, I'll just take them over and release where there's more water. Slight change from previous status, I got a few to catch on a $1 Walmart spinner. I've also found that there is a big one in this creek. I caught a 3 pound LMB on a Whopper Plopper, put him back in and caught another on the next cast. I didn't change a thing, but my drag wasn't getting reeling him in at all. By the time I fixed that, he wrapped my line and WP around a laydown. Not only did I lose what would have been my PB for sure, I also lost my $15 Whopper Plopper. I've got to catch this fish..

For me summer smallies are all about a 'bite window'. Of course it plays a role all season, but seems early & especially late season, 'the window' seems to stay open much longer; often all day long. Routinely in July for instance, Bite windows on the northern inland lakes are really small for me on smallies. About an hour long starting right at day light and then again either right at or just after sunset. This is all mid-week stuff as the weekends can be too busy & dead. Night ops can prove to be much better - usually are this time of year. Running & gunning works well for me other times of the year but with the windows so small, often less than 30 minutes, it's easy to miss them; meaning being in the wrong place at the right time. Either way, in an effort to be at the right place at the right time, I'll camp on places. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't, it's an all in type of deal. History on a lake really helps but in the end it's up to the fish to show & eat. I'm expecting (insert hoping) things pick up here mid-or perhaps 3rd week of August. In the meantime, we're just hanging . . . . That's my story and I'm stick'in to it. btw - I believe there's something to "letting a spot rest" - leaving and coming back later, perhaps even presenting baits in a different direction the next time, if possible. A-Jay

My personal opinion ? For Texas Rigs & Jig-n-Craws above 1/2 oz in weight G. Loomis falls of my list. Not that there's anything wrong with their rods it's just other manufacturers fit these techniques better. Fishing heavy cover is Redneck Bubba Bass Fishing to max, heavy rods, heavy line, & heavy weights! Dobyns Champion XP Series DC735C F/H & S/H at 7' 3" would be the shortest I would go. My personal preference would be DC765 or DC766 Flip both are 7' 6", a third option at 8' 0" would be DC805 Flip/Punch.

Hey that's why we're on here! So occasionally someone else can be the dummy rather than me every single time! Thanks for posting this. We will all remember it.

Like there was ever any doubt . . . Nice Bass right there. Congrats A-Jay

I´ve been burned one to many times by Livetarget so... i´ll wait for solid reviews on that thing before i even consider buying one, plus, i think it´s a little to expensive for what it basically is... a jig.

Fell for it AGAIN.......read through a post 5 years old ?

A-Jay

A new addition to the family today. Chloe is 10 weeks old, full of playful energy, and really sad that she ate all of her food already.

I work third shift, so naturally I am a night owl. I fish Monday - Wednesday during the day, but come Thursday I become a creature of the night. I've put in hundreds of days night fishing in the past years and it's easily my favorite time to fish. Give it a shot and see how you like it. Here is some things I figured out night fishing and they might be helpful to you. Quite a few things are different at night. Safety becomes an increased concern, as it should be. I am always on the look out for drunk boaters. Usually it's residents of the lakes I fish that go party at a neighbors then boat home drunk as hell. Most forget to turn their lights on and go plowing across the lake breaking the no-wake rules. It doesn't happened often, but it's something I am always on the look out for. I have an extremely bright headlamp with a strobe feature to alert boats of where I am because sometimes the anchor light looks like a dock light. Casting. You may think you're accurate, but nothing ever has proved me more wrong than fishing at night. I lost a lot of lures when I first started and I still lose a few a year. After a while your eyes get adjusted to the dark and it's easier, but depth perception is still really whack. I find myself pitchin and flippin baits a lot more than I would during the day. It's easy to rocket a jig up to the shoreline during the day, at night not so much. The bass are lot less spooked at night so I can get close enough to just pitch most of the time. I caught my PB best bass two nights ago pitching a spinner at docks. Bugs get nasty at night, like extremely bad. Especially if there is no wind or very little. I use high deet bug spray and wear long sleeve shirts / pants. It may be hot, but I won't get eaten alive. Having more lights on than necessary attracts many more bugs. Having a red light on your headlamp helps. I always use redlight unless I need to navigate. Then I turn on the beam or break out the flashlight. And last but not least, obviously less people or no people are going to be around. If crap hits the fan, you're pretty much on your own. I always have my cellphone charged 100% and bring a flair gun / air horn in case I need to attempt to signal for help. I always tell a family member where I'm launching and when I expect to be back. I also carry a gun because I feel extremely vulnerable at the ramp when it's pitch black and 3am. I don't fish in any ghetto area's, but it's good peace of mind. Go out and have some fun! You won't regret it.

Fresh water wasn't in the cards this weekend so tried salt from the yak at around high tide, and for the first time landed a salt water species, first striper. These guys fight hard. Landed 3 more before going home.

This was my latest purchase...Paw Paw Mouse, 1931-1932.

change your plans and go to either keanansville or garcia. i like garcia because it is paved lol. i have been to both garcia and kville 6 times this month. giants in both. if you're looking for a 10+ go to kville, if you want to catch a 30-35 pound bag go to garcia. hollow body frogs, spooks, prop baits. flip the hard lines with hyacinth. last trip to garcia we had an 8.4 and three sevens with a mess of 3-5 pounders. insane. the last trip at kville biggest fish was 9.5. only caught about 20 fish between 2-4 pounds. however, i lost a friggin giant at the boat. high sticked it and my rod broke and i watched this 10+ swim away slowly. kville has a 14 mile dirt road that will take a good 2 hours cleaning off the boat and truck. the big fish in that place make it worth while. just gotta time the bite right and you'll smashem. good luck

I have fished it four times with a friend that lives in Felesmere. It is a dangerous place to run wide open if you don't know where your going. Find moving water and bass will position close bye. I would run to the canal that divides the two sections and fish that area hard. Then run down to the pump area and if water is moving, hit it hard.. Just to the west of the pump area is a big stump field. in this area we caught 50 bass up to 9 pounds. It was a great trip. A month later we went back to the same areas and caught 6 small fish all day. Be careful when running the big motor. When in doubt, idle speed. Junebug U-vibes, blue/black jigs, chugbugs, shallow squarebills, rattle traps Chrome/blue, 6 in.senko junebug, spooks. Bad weather, big wind, hit the flood gate in the northwest corner. Don't run the big water. Shallow water waves build quickly and you may hit stump in trough. Good luck brother! When its on, it gets crazy.

My suggestion is to use much more aggressive and large baits than the general populace is using. Perhaps the bass aren't as conditioned to oversized lures. You may only score a fish or two, but they will probably be bigger!

Good ! Sorry, can’t help you with Stick Marsh, never been there but take plenty of fluids - it’s gonna be brutal during August.

Zara Spooks early, 7 inch Texas rigged worms and Live Shiners until dusk