Leaderboard

Got his first victory in the Friday night derby. 3 fish limit for 6lbs and big bass 3 lbs 3oz. Had to get off the water an hour early cuz it looked like it was gonna storm. It didn't until weigh in. He woke up the ole lady and my brother with a phone call stating we'd just won the bass pro shops tournament lol

I sent something to a friend at BASS, I'm not sure if it will get published or not, but I will let you guys know in the event that it does. If not, I'll post it here! What I just wrote isn't the usual analytical tournament recap that I do, it is purely about my final day, and now, and what I'm feelin! Heavy stuff for sure. I think I will probably do an analytical write-up of Milford, just because it was so unique and cool, but I'm gonna need a little time before I'm ready to do that

Write up is coming, don't worry!

Tough week for me. Logged about 14 hrs. Between tues.weds. and thurs. For 14 fish. Best I could muster was this little humpback 3-5 on the double wide beaver

Big mouth billy bass on a little brush hog. Also, I think I finally found a swing jig head that I really like for fishing vertically in different types of cover and then swimming the bait back. (Zman makes these.)

Just read that they are going to begin filming a $100M remake of "Midway" at Oahu/Pearl Harbor next month. I love the original and watch it every time it comes on (even though I own the DVD.) I hope they make a production befitting this incredible event and leave out the extraneous love stories this time around.

don't comment

Hello! I just got back from a youth tournament at Candlewood Lake in CT. I caught a smallie just shy of 5 lbs. I know for many of you that isn't a giant, but I've put so much work into my tournaments with poor results, so I'm pretty proud of it. Pictures will come shortly.

Here is our August Jig. Bruised Craw. Its a combination of Black Blue and Purple. https://www.siebertoutdoors.com/Monthly-Custom-Color_c57.htm

Come on down to Florida in August and wear black. When you get out of the ER after being treated for heat stroke you can tell us all about it !

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

I know an awful lot of smallmouth that agree with your assumption that mono does just fine and I never suffer knot failure.

Introduced myself to a few of those very black or super dark colored Smallies over the years. Never seems to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason as to why as fish from the same local caught minutes before or later are closer to the traditional coloring & pattern. But after just a few minutes in my live well, which is basically a white/translucent colored tub, most every one of those "Old Blackies", turns back into looking like all the rest. So I've learned that any pictures or video of them need to happen right away if there's any chance to capture it. A-Jay

Enjoyed a day on Great East Lake yesterday. I'd never seen GE before despite living very close to it. The lake is about 1,800 acres spanning Acton, Maine and Wakefield, New Hampshire, nearly a 50/50 split. The water is very clear, even in the shallows at the boat launch where there's less circulation and where other lakes in the area tend to get murky. Pretty much anywhere in the lake you could see 16 feet down. @jbmaine was kind enough to spend a day introducing me to GE (not to mention doing all the driving, using his boat and giving up three slots in his rod locker for my gear). We went looking specifically for largemouth, and started out by motoring 5 miles from the launch to the farthest point east before wetting any lines. Along the way we stopped at hole where the depth went from (something I can't remember) suddenly to 100 feet, in a very small area. We didn't see any activityon the finder but it was interesting to see just the same. On towards the farthest east point - this area has meandering channels and quite a few islands and ends in a shallow cove. Along the way is lots of largemouth-friend looking shoreline, overhangs and a few laydowns. We threw topwater frogs into the pads for a while without much success, other than plenty bites from small yellow perch. One bass followed a frog to the boat, stared at it for a while and finally bit but wouldn't stay on. We left the cove and started working our way back. @jbmaine found a laydown and suggested I fish it - I tried to the sides, probably a little too far away but I didn't want to get snagged (I haven't fished many laydowns yet) and have to bring the boat in to recover the lure, scaring away the fish. Lure was a Doomsday Baby Turtle, TX rigged with 1/4 oz bullet, which I finally managed to toss just over the trunk and then popped it back over on the retrieve without a snag. A few seconds later a largemouth picked it up and we had our first fish (and only largemouth) of the day. Not a huge one but happy to have it. We spent the next several hours working our way back through the channels fishing laydowns and floats, staying only long enough in any area to know we spent enough time there without catching fish. And we weren't catching a lot of fish. Or any fish. Not even a bite in all these largemouth looking areas. Back out on the main water the supposedly 5 mph wind was picking up to a whitecap-inducing something more than 5 mph, and it was almost noon so we started thinking about Plan B. We just didn't know what that was yet. We crossed the lake into another basin on the west side, found a narrow channel and fished that for a while. Got one chunky sunfish (surprisingly on a 5 inch black/blue worm TX rigged), and one strike on the topwater frog in the pads but missed the fish. "Anchored" (Spot locked) at that spot to enjoy shade and lunch, and a large snapping turtle comes up to the boat and just wouldn't leave. It was super curious, just kept floating around staring at us. It went on for at least a solid five minutes. Back to fishing, no fish, but not for lack of trying. As we left the cove the wind died down and we thought we'd give one more try, this time out to a shallow area 900 ft off shore with a rocky bottom and boulders. Shallow markers guided us in and @jbmaine located a steep transition on the finder so we set up in that spot just as the wind really picked up again. Feeling the bottom was difficult if not impossible, lines were bowing way out yet he landed three smallies on a ned rig almost back to back, and me one smallie on a 4-in paddletail with 1/4 bullet. Strangest thing about the day was we looked in all the right places for largemouth but it ended up turning into more of a smallmouth day. We would have stayed longer and caught more of them if not for that wind. It got up to 18 mph gusts later in the day (by then we were off). Not quite the number and size of fish we were aiming for but my most enjoyable day of fishing so far this season: a full day, exploring new water, a Lund outfitted just right, fishing with a friend, and neither of us got skunked. What struck me most about Great East is how great a variety it has to offer: countless docks, open water, protected water, super deep water, shallow coves, pads, vegetation, rocks, sand, mud, islands, laydowns... it seemed to have everything. Thanks @jbmaine.

Wrapped the Fury cork section with some bling.

I got out for another morning mission today. It was a SLOW and "dinky" one (and I've had many of those this season), save for the last fish. There was a stretch of 1.5 hours without a single bite, despite my best efforts to toss both my "confidence baits" and "no confidence baits" that are supposed to work under the condition. Finally I was able to locate some fish pushed up shallow, on a weedy flat. A weedless rigged 4.3" Keitech swing impact fat fished really really slow produced 3 dinks and one 1.5 lber. Then the bite shut off again and for another 30 minutes, not a single bite. I was ready to pack up and leave but decided to toss a few last casts around some lily pads. I saw a big swirl, felt the weight on my line for a second, and set the hook. This fish (4lb 6oz) provided the happy ending to my trip.

Ugh nope! Bass Cat is everything Ranger is for a lot less money!

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

I always thought that the coloration was a product of their environment/surroundings. Fish tight to the bottom look washed out with little color while suspended fish show vibrant coloration.

The FLW pro's have to qualify thru the opens to make it to the Elite's like everyone else. Then they could qualify for the Classic. Thrift, Morgan, Rose and Dudley have all said that they prefer to stay FLW. They would rather be a big fish in a small pond.

I think I heard that the Elites Series will soon be an A-Rig only deal. A-Rig All day Every Day. Sort of like a Chinese Food Buffet. Ok - maybe not . . . . . Be interested to see what if any the changes will be though A-Jay

I prefer mono or copolymer on the connection knot.Works just fine in clear water on Lanier and The Hill.Go Jackets!

Lmao who said anything about not being able to handle it? Love how people like to start drama!

It's probably harder in real life to tell your friend on the boat that they can't use any of your stuff. Easy to say on here, harder to do face to face because friends are people you care for. I think it says more about the character of a man asking how to go about it than it does about a man saying tell him to bug off. Asking how to do it implies feelings and humanity.

I have a few of the HUK Elements tops. The one pictured below is what they call Blacktip Despite being vented & mostly breathable, in direct sunlight - They Are Hot. Good for a cool Michigan morning or evening adventures. But summer mid-day, not so much. A-Jay

Yes sir ? Fished many a tournament, Seen many a tournament, That's a top 10 all time!

You know we're all waiting (im)patiently . . . A-Jay

I have a Gloomis Bronze Back that is similar. I have a Curado X70 on it. I use 6# fluorocarbon line and fish Ned rigs with it.

Small cranks, small treble hook lures

Just go with the Shimano Curado 70 and be done with it

For an all around baitcaster, MH would be the choice. For a spinning rod, a M would be best.

I suppose it varies from lake to lake, but the WP is actually one of the least productive topwaters for me. A buzzbait will outfish it almost every single trip, and I mean outfish it by a wide margin.

Throw one in your cart for me and write me an IOU and I'll pay you back. ?

Well done Minor. Slight change of plans, but we'll root for you in the 2020 Classic then I guess.

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.

I use a 3600.

I was watching Live here in London and transfixed. Very good entertainment, a real nail biter. Nolan was so good in front of the cameras, can't imagine he doesn't have a career ahead as a pro fisherman, with all the sales and education duties they need to be good at. Guy's a natural! Very impressed.

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.

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 find it's best to have no friends.

I ended up getting the 9sv. I’m glad I didn’t get the 7 inch.

Prayers and thoughts being sent to the little one. My mother was a NICU level three nurse and on the flight team most of her life she took care of these and other sicker babies that were smaller in size and etc. She told me to tell you and the parents and the family to comfort her and let her know your there for her at all times.

No, he owned a Funny car for 5 years or so in the late 90s through early 2000s. I forget who his driver was, I'll ask next time I see him.

So proud watching Nolan. You gave it your best and made a statement that your an elite college fisherman. Keep up the good work and the wins will come.

6poundbass must be a Jedi, I see the Force is with him! ?

Fishing Rhino and I started at Cliff’s Pond just before 0600 yesterday morning. Tom hooked onto a good SMB and landed a beautiful rainbow trout straight away then the bite shut off as if the tax collector was coming. We moved over to Little Cliff to see if there was any action there. Nope. From Little Cliff we went to Flax Pond, which was crowded with Cape Cod vacationers. We had some success here. I landed a couple dink SMB and Tom caught 4, methinks. Wanting some quieter waters we packed up and tried Hinckley’s later in the afternoon. Tom caught a nice SMB, 2+ pounds, and I snagged a yellow perch on a squarebill. Water temps at all the ponds were 80+ degrees, with bright sunlight, a barometric pressure north of 30, and little breeze. Great weather for swimmers and sun bathers, but not for catching fish. I’ll chaulk up the slow fishing to the weather. Over three days I fished too many ponds, threw too many baits, with the same results. The weather, however, couldn’t have been better to be on my Kayak or in Tom’s canoe. I’m still up for a couple days fishing Nickerson state park in September when the tourists are gone and water temps cool down a bit. Hopefully a few of you can make it.

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

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. ?

This week I got a 7' Heavy Fast action Zillion for a great deal from a member here. Went out and picked up a Curado 70 to put on it. Once I got over the fact that it's a Shimano reel on a Daiwa rod, it's become a fantastic combo.