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Went down to Alexandria today for the birth of our new granddaughter and had a chance to go to Pineville and hit my old little neighborhood pond. My son still lives there and he walked with me over there. Didn't have alot of time to fish because we had to get back to the hospital for the birth. Anyhow my second cast with a 1/4oz Texas rigged 6" Yum watermelon red flake lizard landed this 1lb 4oz scorable bass. Nothing else after that though. It was nice to fish thare again and to catch a bass on top of that. Will post a pic of the grandbaby when I can. We have two grandbabies in NICU at the moment. So as soon as I can I'll post pics. ?

I find it's best to have no friends.

small lake fishing in the little johnny this morning. warm and muggy early with a nice SW breeze building as the morning progressed. numbers were down slightly but the quality bite was good. i caught a solid bag of largemouths to go along with this 5.12 kicker. life is good!

Playing hooky from your consulting job - and catching fish off your client’s dock (while he’s at work) with a photo of his jet ski in the background??

Numbers were good this morning. 7 in about 90 minutes on T rigged black/blue and junebug Dingers. I also managed to catch the same intriguing fish I caught 2.5 months ago! He appears to have grown a bit. Caught in the same general area. Left side: July, right side present day.

Stop enabling. A-Jay

It's been a rough 2018 for me between working alot of OT well into May and then realizing that we were going to sell the house I hadn't fished 1 time this year Finally last Saturday the kids were gone, we didn't have any house showings and I left work early I told my wife we were going fishing at the Metropark. First time her and I have ever fishes together in 10 years of being together. Within 3 casts she catches a nice largemouth on a senko. I was fishing the Ned rig. It's my go to bait. Finally after an hour and a half with 1 crappie. I switched over to a senko. They were on it. The bass were almost pulling the rod from my hand. It ended up being a great 3 hours of fishing.

I was out a few days ago trying my new Whopper Plopper 75 Loon color to no avail. I switched to a Berkley Squarebull Bluegill color and got a Smallmouth on the first cast. It hit the water and 2 cranks later fish on! The second catch was better and proves the Berkley fusion hooks are wicked sharp (my savage hookset helps) Last picture is after I preformed surgery to remove the crankbait. You can see the marks the hook left in the Bass' side. One of the many things I hate about treble hooks.

Actual text from my boss today (I'm on vacation)

Well you said he's your friend, and he's a dude. Just be direct and honest. That easy. Next question... P.S., dude don't do this by text message. Do this face to face

Not a problem for me. My fishing partner is my 13yr old grandson. He helps out with chores and buys some of his own baits, and I let him use some of mine. He always puts them back and takes care of them. After earning the money to buy some of his own lures- he understands it can get costly

Here's pic of the first granddaughter that was born June 27th about 4 months premature. She only weighed 1lb 9oz at birth. Lots of prayers and the good Lord willing she is doing good. She now weighs 3lbs 1oz and getting better everyday. She'll be in NICU until some time in October. If y'all could please keep her in your prayers as there's no such thing as too many prayers. Thank y'all and God Bless y'all. ???

Helloooooooo Thursday! Fixed the Max 3d butt cap too.

Just checking in. No pics of today's adventure due to being directly in the water (phone, water, bad). Buddy and I have been wading for 7 miles. Taking a break at the moment. I'm sitting at 61 Smallmouth and 4 Largemouth, as well as a couple Crappie and Rock Bass. Been slaying it with the Ned Rig. Not that I'm counting, ha!

Keeping with the theme of my last two pictures here's 6poundbass with the KVD of drag racing. Most probably won't have a clue who he is but I know there's a couple NHRA fans on here.

The next part to catching big bass is the angler! Face it these guys think about big bass differently than the average angler. It's a mindset or frame of mind or whatever ya wanna call it. They understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and then fish it effectively. They understand what the predominate prey species in their lake are how those species relates to structure with each season...morning, noon, and night. They understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

Text him? I assume he's within 20 feet of you when you go fishing, no? Peek down at the two boys between your legs, and then look him in the eye and tell him how you feel.

Borrowing a hard bait? Maybe. Plastics? Get out of my boat now.

Welcome to the club, we have shirts! Mine does that every single trip out. My partner is my 9 yr old son. ? But seriously though, just tell him the truth man. If you're good enough friends then that's the only way.

Offer to place an order for in on his behalf to TW for a starter kit. Or Tell him your placing an other and ask if he wants to piggyback one Or "your becoming a pain in the a**, hit Walmart on your way home"

my grandson starts back to school tomorrow so we took the Javelin out..........just one more time

Sub 8 oz. reels are heavy....

Very good points. I should probably fish this lake more often. It's a bit far is my issue, but there are giants in there:

My fishing buddy is less experienced and much further behind on the tackle he owns, being that this is his third season ever. He'll sometimes ask to use this or that lure. If he liked it, the next time we go out, he's bought his own of whatever lure or plastic. He also pays for lunch and beer. He's not using my stuff because he doesn't want to buy his own; he uses my stuff to determine what he likes and needs to buy - and he does it.

This is why I fish alone unless it's tourney day. I'm trying to enjoy my time on the water and learn a little something, not babysit a grown man that doesn't understand common courtesy.

My fishing buddy does that all the time, but she's my wife ? But I do eat all the snacks she brings, I seldom take many snacks but when she goes, we have all kinds of stuff. Last time I had cold watermelon

Uni-to-uni and I go through a ton of this stuff each season. Not so much for topwater (frogs occasionally yes) but early & late season when the bigger pike & Musky are more prone to be shallower and mixed in with the bass, I have this in front of most everything; including but certainly not limited to Jerkbaits, squarebill & crankbaits, lipless baits, Spinnerbaits & Vibrating and swim Jigs, all that mess. Doesn't seem to affect anything except the improved landing of tanker toothy beasts and I don't get chewed off. A-Jay

I would just drop some subtle hints the next time y'alls out. For instance "Hey dude can I borrow some worms" "No butt face get your own tackle or go home" If he doesn't get the subtle gentle hints you may have to get more harsh.

Not a photo, but this gives a whole new meaning to the umbrella rig...lol! ?

I've been fishing since the end of May, so I am still VERY new to this, and to be honest, due to my inexperience I have allowed myself to focus on topwater, as it was how I caught my first ever fish, so it became my confidence technique and all I ever use. Well I decided to challenge myself, since the topwater bite at my local pond is horrible lately. So I tied on a Texas Rig setup and told myself I couldn't throw anything else until I caught a fish on the T-Rig. Well I wasn't having any luck whatsoever, and I started paying attention to my bait. And I soon realized that I wasn't penetrating the grass in my local pond at all, and my 1/32nd ounce bullet weight wasn't cutting it. So I grabbed some 1/4th ounce bullet weights and a pack of Zoom Brush Hogs in green pumpkin and tried again yesterday, after my full time job and before my part time job, and sure enough, this guy hit my Texas Rig so hard, the brush hog was nowhere to be found! Felt good to finally scrape the bottom and come up with a fish!

I won a $20 Amazon gift card at work and they have free shipping deal for orders over $35. So I spent $60 and got a bunch of goodies: Nichols 3/8oz Sabre Swim Jig - Bluegill (x2) and Black Plague - I was on the fence, I really like the Dark Knight and Black-eye options but I figured I could get that desired look with a trailer. These get rave reviews, so I wanted to give them a shot. Megastrike 1/2oz Evolution 2 Heavy Cover Jig - Black/Blue - this jig was cheap as chips and had good reviews, I'll report back on the quality. Zoom Bait Fat Albert Twin Tail Bait - Black (x2) and Chartreuse - these are hard to find locally and I haven't given grub style baits a shot yet. Berkley Havoc Pit Boss - Sky-walker and Blue Shiner Gold - I love these baits as jig trailers and have had success in other colour options. Strike King Twin Tail Menace Grub - KVD Magic - I can't find these locally either, but saw KVD using them on WFN and had to give it a shot. Berkley Powerbait Attractant, Bass Scent - never used attractants before but I plan on marinating some pit boss and paddle-tails in this stuff to see if it produces.

Got all this in last night! Gene Larew Biffle Bug Bama Bug 4.25" Gene Larew Biffle Bug Okeechobee Craw 4.25" Gene Larew Biffle Hardhead 4/0 5/16oz 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig Dark Water Special 3/8oz Strike King Rage Craw Okeechobee Craw Dirty Jigs T.L. Fin Football Jig Hematoma 3/8oz Strike King Rage Craw MM Moonlight Dirty Jigs T.L. Pitch Jig Magic Craw Red 3/8oz Z-Man Fin Shroomz Weedless Jig Head Black 1/6oz Z-Man Finesse TRD Junebug 2.75" Damiki Nail Sinkers 1/8oz

If it does bite you off, you can replace it, and be assured that the new bait will be every bit as good. You're paying for quality and consistency.

I have a waterproof box (for crank baits) that I fill and take with me on the boat. I try to keep them in their original package so it easy to see what needs re-filling. I keep the replacements at home.

Nolan, that was a fantastic run! One that many would only hope to do, and would be the pinnacle of their tournament achievements. But... I think you know as well as I, this is just the start. You're poised in the spotlight, comfortable in front of the camera, and cool under pressure. Champion characteristics. You're on your way buddy. You're on your way.

Next next time, on the way to the lake, make a detour to a tackle shop and tell him what to buy. Next stop at the gas station, tell him it’s his turn to buy. Have him fill the tank, and, tell him which snacks and drinks you’d like.

If you're ok with losing him as a fishing partner, and maybe as a friend, I would just tell him that you can't afford to keep taking him fishing. The next time he wants to go, he has to show up with his own lunch and baits. Don't let him walk over you. If he shows up again empty handed, don't take him.

Crankbaits can be killer! I love the KVD squarebills for shallower water like 1-5ft. If I am fishing deep, like 10-25ft I always have a Strike King 5XD or 6XD tied on. Sometimes I use a Berkley Dredger. All of those flat out catch fish. Your 7ft rod will work for squarebills and shallower cranks, it might be overworked on a deep diver though. The skeet reese cranking rods are affordable and fairly decent. Tons of other options too. Important thing about cranks is I always try to keep them in contact with something. If it's solid bottom like rocks and stuff, I am banging it off those rocks. If it's weedy like grass, I am ripping it through the tops of those weeds. Cranks are almost always a reaction bite and hitting stuff and ripping them through things triggers that strike. Another great (cheaper) option is to slow roll spinnerbaits deep. I've been killing em this year slow rolling 1/2oz or 3/4oz spinners in 20-25ft of water. Cast it out, let it sink, roll it along the bottom fast enough to make the blade spin or to keep it above the weeds. If they're not in the mood for a moving bait at all, I go dropshot. If the dropshot fails, I drag a carolina rig.

I lost one fishing buddy to this. Notorious for always "forgetting" to hit the tackle shop. Always "Just let me borrow it, I'll pay you back if I lose it". Last straw was this past spring. I was on a deep crankbait bite and he didn't have any deep cranks... He begged to use one of my 6XD's and I told him if he loses it (like he always does) he is paying me $10 right out of his wallet. He lost it not even 5 minutes later to a snag. I told him to either get swimming or cough up the $10. He laughed and said he'd buy me a new one whenever. I told him no, you're giving me the $10 like he agreed to. He copped an attitude and said whatever. I turned around and he was tying on ANOTHER one of my 6XD's. I told him it's not even funny, take it off. He made a big deal about it. I dropped his ass off at the ramp and told him to take a hike. It shouldn't have even been an argument. I take him out on my boat for free, he eats my food, drinks my beer, and never offers any $$ for gas or anything. Now he is actually costing me money with losing my baits. Unacceptable. His wife had to come get him from the ramp. I have a bunch of lures I absolutely don't mind letting friends use and even lose. It happens. But there are certain things of mine you don't touch (like cranks, ploppers, swimbaits) or if you lose em, you pay the cost and the gas it takes me to go get em. I fish with about 3 dudes fairly often, and every single one of them always have their own gear, and always offer up cash for gas or bring food. I never ask for money because I was going on the lake anyways, but these guys get it and they're a pleasure to fish with. That other guy can pound sand though.

I have tried a lot of heads and different colors. There seems to be no bad head or bad color. Today I caught bass on chart blade chart/red with chart swimbait trailer and silver blade brown/white with brown trailer.

I'm not attempting to turn you away from a WP as your first topwater, but they are on the pricey side and it sounds as though the loss of one may be weighing on your decision. If so, consider a Torpedo. The big difference between the two is the sound they produce. Although a lot has been said about the unique sound the WP gives off, bass are sight feeders and sound is used to get them to look at your offering more so than triggering a strike. They are right in the ideal weight range of the rod you're using. Just keep an eye on hook sharpness. They tend to get dull quickly. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/heddon-torpedo-hard-baits

I don't throw swimbaits an awful lot in the summer, but I will fish the Gantarel and Gantarel Jr. around laydowns or edges of weeds. I honestly pitch and flip them more often than I swim them. Give it a sharp jerk and some slack and it'll do a 180 degree turn. If you're looking for a great bait for burning in the summer, I'd highly recommend the Jackall Gantia

Saw that too and then saw him crack the smile right after! I had to LOL! Guy is in the spotlight and just having a blast!

Megabass products are built to a very high standard, IMO their price tag is deserved. Whether that price tag is worth it to an individual angler is more of a personal decision. The PopMax has a similar reputation as the Vision 110, one of those baits that just has that special 'it-factor'. If you like fishing topwater, you won't be wasting money on a PopMax.

got this fish monday on a jig. went hunting for a good fish with swimbaits and jigs from shore. caught this on a bico barracc jig paired with a samatis craw.

Surprise catch of the day a smallmouth a rarity in this lake! 16" 2 pounds used Keitech salty core tube, 16# sniper fc, Tat SV reel, Quantum Smoke 7' M/F rod. This 20" 4 pounder used 16# sniper fc, Chronarch CI4 reel, Okuma Helios 7' M/F rod.

Right now my favorite lake is just full of schooling fish, so topwater is really the best way to go. That's fine by me because there's nothing like throwing a walking bait into a pile of schoolers breaking shad on top and watching them blow that thing up, knock it 2 feet into the air, miss it 3 or 4 times before they get it, and catching doubles. I don't know how fishing could be better than that.

I'm a topwater guy and I'll tell you why. I went out on a Saturday and tried targeting bass based off of the seasonal pattern they should have been in. This was post spawn just before they move out towards deep water. I caught 2 on a deep diving crankbait and 2 on the drop shot in the 4 hours I was on the water. seemed like I idled over every point leading towards the main channel looking for fish on the graph I went out Sunday and just cruised the shoreline throwing a buzz toad. I caught 2 fish both smaller than anything I caught Saturday but the strike(blowups) were incredible. I also had this giant blowup right at the end of a laydown about 10 feet in front of the boat. I was caught off guard and jerked like a madman missing completely. The whole entire week I could not wait to get back on the water and none of it was because of the four fish I caught on Saturday.