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The consensus is to put the money into bottom contact rods, but if you fish purely for recreation then I say put the money into your favorite techniques because it will be the one in your hand the most.

Water temps too cold for bass anymore in Minnesota, so switched to do a little Muskie fishing before ice up... Actually caught two... magic day - -

Back in August of this year – I purchased a Tranx 300HG. Planned on using it to throw bigger baits here in northern Michigan as well as on trips south of the border. Figured it would come in handy heaving swimbaits there. Prior to this purchase, I have been fishing a Callcutta 300D for a couple of years now. Really like this one – the size, the line capacity and the power of the Callcutta D is formidable. What I didn’t like that much was the 5.7:1 gear ratio. Great for working swimbaits but not the best for trying to catch up with big fish coming at me. The mad million mile per hour reel handle turn thing has cost me a fish here & there. Not something I want to do fishing in Mexico where any cast can be The One. So I picked up the Tranx 300HG. Initial impressions were that it’s not that big, it’s lighter than I thought and very palmable. I could see myself using this for a few more local applications than I’d originally anticipated – A-Rigs & Glide baits for instance. Fished the reel here for about a month before I took it to Mexico. I had the Tranx 300 mounted on a Departure 3pc 8 ft MH swimbait Travel rod spun up by F5 Custom Rods. This is the stick I took down there. It’s pretty beefy and balances out well with the Tranx 300. The rig Cast great. Feels super smooth. Manages the 20-25 lb fluorocarbon nicely as well as the 65-80 lb braid I tried on it. The line capacity seems very close to the Calcutta 300D and is advertised as 150yds of 17lb. I was using Tatsu 20 - 25lb and I’ll say I got at least 150 of the 20 lb and something less in the 25; but still very fishable with plenty left after a long cast. And then there was the real world test. The actual swimbait fishing on Lake Baccarac. I was really hoping the Tranx would not be too fast to work the bait effectively and have plenty of speed & power to be a reasonable option when fighting the bigger fish we would not doubt encounter. Questions answered with a resounding YES ! The Tranx is a beast. Super comfortable to fish all day, launches baits and does everything else I mentioned with authority. The reel comes with a single doorknob looking power handle. I gave it a try but frankly I’m not a fan – doesn’t really suit my style of fishing. So I ordered the standard double paddle handle that comes on the 300 (non-HG) version – like that one quite a bit more – perhaps I’m just used to it. And then, in a very interesting and unexpected turn of events, I was able to obtain a proto-type custom carbon fiber handle for it from Hawg Tech. I have several of their handles on some of my other reels and I love them. So I jumped at the chance. Besides looking pretty sweet the added length (110mm) and the custom knobs make fishing an already very nice reel something very special. I was cutting off baits from other rigs so that I could keep fishing it. So when it’s all said and done, despite having an almost unhealthy affection for round reels, I could actually see myself replacing the Calcutta 300D with the Tranx 300 standard speed reel. The low profile seems that comfortable. There you have it. If you’re in the market for a bulletproof reel with a bit more line capacity to handle your long casts with 20-25 lb mono or fluorocarbon – I’d encourage you to check out the Tranx. I’m certainly glad I did. A-Jay

Caught my new PB Smallie a few weeks ago from my kayak. 22" 5.5lbs. Crushed my previous PB of 16". Yes I used a scale and didnt guess the weight and the fish was released to be caught again. I caught her on a white chatterbait with a small white swimbait trailer. I was sitting up shallow casting into a deep point and slow rolling the chatterbait up the point. I guesstimate she was sitting in 25 feet of water. https://i.imgur.com/GkLrnPL.jpg https://i.imgur.com/H2Tvmqj.jpg She also bent the hell out of my hook. https://i.imgur.com/TPeH7UU.jpg

Temps in 60s yesterday for probably last time until March, so used a vacation day. Was a dink sort of day for first several hours until this guy came along

I'm just wondering how I'm going to manage my fantasy team this season with all these fresh faces around. And I totally agree with A-Jay here. There's going to be 2-3 names on there that we may not know right now, but by the end of the season we're going to be saying "Whoa, this guy is the real deal."

Somewhere on that list, hiding & buried in relative obscurity, is a name - a name we will all get to know quite well. So well in fact that his face will appear on packages of lures, line & assorted tackle of all kinds. And let's not forget the rods & reels that will also bare his name. Perhaps even on tires and Truck caps, bass boats & cereal boxes. Who is it you ask ? Only time will tell - but it will happen. It always does ~ It's the dream. A-Jay

On an island in the China Sea, 1994. "...I stood at the top of the mountain And China sang to me In the peaceful haze of harvest time A song of eternity..." -Tai Shan (Rush)

This one was a pound & 2 ounces shy of the PA state record. 22.5" by 17" measured & weighed on two different scales.

2019 Bassmaster Elite Series Field BASS just released the 2019 elite series field. Some fresh faces on here, and a few coming over from the FLW it seems. 1. Matt Arey Shelby, N.C. 2. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, S.C. 3. Drew Benton Panama City, Fla. 4. Stetson Blaylock Benton, Ark. 5. Scott Canterbury Odenville, Ala. 6. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, La. 7. Brandon Card Knoxville, Tenn. 8. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, La. 9. Hank Cherry Lincolnton, N.C. 10. Gary Clouse Winchester, Tenn. 11. Rick Clunn Ava, Mo. 12. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, S.C. 13. Keith Combs Huntington, Texas 14. Drew Cook Midway, Fla. 15. John Crews Jr. Salem, Va. 16. Clent Davis Montevallo, Ala. 17. Rob Digh Denver, N.C. 18. Greg DiPalma Millville, N.J. 19. Seth Feider Bloomington, Minn. 20. Micah Frazier Newnan, Ga. 21. David Fritts Lexington, N.C. 22. Chris Groh Spring Grove, Ill. 23. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin, Canada 24. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, Tenn. 25. Ray Hanselman Del Rio, Texas 26. Jamie Hartman Newport, N.Y. 27. Matt Herren Ashville, Ala. 28. Dale Hightower Manford, Okla. 29. Harey Horne Bella Vista, Ark. 30. Derek Hudnall Newport, N.Y. 31. Mike Huff Corbin, Ky. 32. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, Ala. 33. Carl Jocumsen Frisco, Texas 34. Chris Johnston Otonabee, Ontario, Canada 35. Cory Johnston Cavan, Ontario, Canada 36. Steve Kennedy Auburn, Ala. 37. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, Fla. 38. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, La. 39. Shane Lehew Charlotte, N.C. 40. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, Tenn. 41. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, N.C. 42. Lee Livesay Longview, Texas 43. Ed Loughran III Mechanicsville, Va. 44. Bill Lowen Brookville, Ind. 45. Mark Menendez Paducah, Ky. 46. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, Texas 47. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, Fla. 48. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, Mo. 49. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, Va. 50. Brock Mosley Collinsville, Miss. 51. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, Conn. 52. David Mullins Mount Carmel, Tenn. 53. Luke Palmer Coalgate, Okla. 54. Garrett Paquette Canton, Mich. 55. Chad Pipkens Lansing, Mich. 56. Clifford Pirch Payson, Ariz. 57. Brett Preuett Monroe, La. 58. Cliff Prince Palatka, Fla. 59. Tyler Rivet Raceland, La. 60. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, Fla. 61. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, Ohio 62. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, Mo. 63. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, Texas 64. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, La. 65. Jesse Tacoronte Orlando, Fla. 66. Frank Talley Temple, Texas 67. Patrick Walters Summerville, S.C. 68. Bill Weidler Helena, Ala. 69. Clark Wendlandt Leander, Texas 70. Brad Whatley Bivins, Texas 71. Jake Whitaker Fairview, N.C. 72. Jason Williamson Wagener, S.C. 73. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, Ore. 74. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, Nev.

LOL. On a serious note a good workout plan will make you stronger which will make bass fishing much easier.

Why not?

Selfies in the bathroom????

There are many factors that determine what feels cold when fishing in the winter. I've found that if the fish are really bitting it feels about 20 degrees warmer.

An egg carton is a nice trick. I like something heavier duty:

Spent the last 3 days chasing steelhead with the fly rod. Nothing of great size but great numbers, the shoulder and forearm are going to need a day or 2 to recover. A lake run brown was the icing on the cake.

Getting back on topic, how a rod balances is just as important as overall weight, even for a frog rod. A balanced rod is more comfortable to fish. I'm off to the gym.

I have a red plaid shacket. Don't know the brand, though. It is warm and I use it for all manner of outdoor work. It got bleach on it once and I used a red sharpie to "fill in" the white bleached area. The ultimate in high fashion. : )

Check out Gamakatsu short shank ewg magic eye. Still like the KVD option but the magic eye is very good as well. A-Jay

Probably wont work but here is a link https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/watch/c356e8c75f79428ed58ce2107831acb4/

Thank you for your input. I went with a Diawa Fuego CT 8.1:1 and swaying towards the Dobyns735C. I have taken the suggestions posted on this forum . This seems to be a good combo and won't break the bank. UPDATE Just found the 735C for $91.99 and free shipping and I went for it. Should have both rod and reel in a few days. Total cost for Rod and Reel is $161.19 no tax and free shipping. Thought this to be a good deal.

I absolutely agree! I aint that good with crankbaits, I can feel the bait going through the water, I can feel it when it hangs a limb, & I can feel when a bass hits it. I have friends who at excellent crankbait fisherman, they can feel the line contacting the limb before the crankbait hangs the limb!

I spend more money in gears for the techniques I like more, jigs, drop-shot and texas in my particular case. I think this depends if you used to compete or not, if you compete you will need to have the best you can afford, if not I would spend my money in what I enjoy more.

This bait and the new Ima Glide Fluke are my 2 favorite baits right now.

I wish all of them the best. I really like the BASS format better than the MLF. Time will tell.

That’s why I really enjoy bass live. Even with MLF, I found out on instagram who won the championship. I still watch the show, but it does take away some of the suspense. If you don’t want spoilers for the season, don’t follow MLF on social media. ?

Yep. I said the same exact thing about Brian Schram's "9lb 7oz" from LSC.... #fake news........

Two things to add: 1) Reel... I think the Daiwa Tatula CT your targeting would be a great reel. Consider upgrading to the SV TW if you regularly skip the frogs under docks, overhangs, etc... works great. Also consider the highest gear ratio - I use an 8:1 and it’s great for picking up the line when you pop it or walk the dog. 2) The rods I compared directly that I DIDN’T buy: A) I’m a former St Croix fan but think almost all of their models MH or H are heavy broomsticks. I compared the Legend Tournament Bass and returned it once I screwed the reel on. Heavy and poorly balanced. I cannot imagine walking the dog with a rod like that very long at all. B ) Daiwa Tatula L/T Frog rod. The “L” in LT is to be Light and it’s not... very similar to the St. Croix. C) Carbonlite, ok overall but not quite as light/sensitive as the Tatula XT (which is also very strong in the slop) that I finally bought. I spent $80 on the XT and chose it over the $270 Legend Tournament Bass! The other alternative worth considering IMO is the Fury. Typically well-balanced rods that won’t wear you out on a long day in/around the weeds. Good luck in your decision... some decent options in that $80-100 range.

Color for November, Macoupin Craw. Thanks @Siebert Outdoors.

I am trying to get back up there next weekend. If I do and I head south I will tie a jug tight to it to mark it. Do you think that is the best way to mark it?

I figured I would share too because I asked others too.This deer is what I would consider my special deer. My dad, buddy, and I had planned to head down to our farm to hunt on a Thursday night with plans to hunt the rest of the weekend. Well my Dad had to head down early because his father had fallen into poor health. We made it out Friday morning and my dad decided to hunt close to the Vehicle in case he had to leave. I was sitting in a spot where I could see him and not long into the sit, I saw my dad get out of the blind and head out. I knew that bad news was headed my way. His dad and my grandfather had passed away that Friday morning. He trooped out the next morning (I think it was a way for him to get away from it all) and shot a decent little buck. I continued to hunt and Sunday morning I rattled this guy to me. I ended up making a good shot and we found the deer a few hours later. I believe my Grandpa was watching over his farm that weekend, and helped my dad and I out.

Congratulations on your new Lure. I bought my first Lure 11.5 in 2014 and an Overdrive 11.5 this past April. I like being able to remove the Overdrive and install the center console when fishing shallow, weedy ponds. There's not much to dislike. They're easy to rig, are well built, and offer good storage. My only gripe is that the wheel's axle wears out after a couple seasons and needs to be replaced. Sand & dirt gets in there, and combined with kayak's weight on it while transporting, just wears out. What's best about the Lure's is FeelFree's customer service. The few issues I've had with both my kayaks were taken care of very quickly. They return emails and phone calls in a timely manner. I get 4 mph out of my Overdrive unit, but that's about it. Maybe I'll try some sprints in it next time I'm out.

Got out on Saturday to one of my favorite local ponds. It had been cold and raining constantly for the previous couple of days. Took the water temp which showed 46 degrees. Overcast and intermittent rain showers with a slight breeze. Did not think I was going to catch anything. Started with my Vision 110 Jr casting laterally and working it slowly along weed lines that transition to deeper water. Saw nothing and got no bites. Moved down the shore to a flat with depths between 4-6 feet and decided to throw out my swimbait (Biwaa S Trout.) After about 10 casts, I had an 11 inch Largemouth absolutely smash it around 10 feet from the shoreline. Caught 2 more this way and lost another before finally having to leave. Fished a slough down river of this pond and stuck a small hammer handle on the Vision 110 Jr. All in all one of the better November days I've ever had!

Had a great morning full of beautiful spots that have been gorging on 1.5-2" threadfin. Seemed like every one of them puked up at least a few near and/or in the boat and it's in need of a garbage can and vacuum. Love this time of year when things align.

My PB smallie is definitely a state record. In fact she's 18 state records. Unfortunately just not in the state I caught her in . . . A-Jay

hi all, My wife and I were watching TV last night. Around 9:30 the house goes dark, power went out. Called the outage hot line and was told estimated time for the power to come back on was midnight. So we turn a lantern on, play a game of cribbage, then go to bed. Our cat woke me up at 3:45 AM trying to crawl under the covers. House was cold, power still out. Called the outage line again, was told estimated time for repairs and power back on was now around 7 AM. By now I'm awake, so I get dressed and head out to hook up the portable generator. It's pitch black outside, 39 degrees and raining. I pull the generator out. head out to the shed to get the gas can, slip on the wet grass, wrench my back ( again), but finally get some power going. First thing I do is turn the coffee on, gotta have my coffee! I usually don't move in the morning without my cup of coffee. Later this morning we get the power back on and things settled back to normal. However, my routine was thrown off and I've spent the day kinda scatter brained , not being able to get into anything I had planned to do. I know in the big scheme of things this was a miniscule blip on the radar, but I'm finding as I get older, any change in my normal routine throws me for a loop. kinda like one day last year. I had bought a new bait, but forgot to put it in the boat. We were out fishing when I remembered it was still on a shelf at home. Threw me off all day. As I write this I realize two things I am really, really, started in the old fart club. And I like the word Discombobulated, It's a cool word. OK mini rant over thanks for listening Jim

On my birthday, 30° overcast, dragging jigs a mile offshore!

You know this is a LMB fishing site, yes? ...

*cough*

Like most everything else I do, it's somewhat of a high end professional style. I was originally going to build it with refractory bricks but getting to fit right I was going to cut almost every one twice. I was not going to just put mortar between them to hold them at the proper angles. To limit build cost I reduced my design from 42"ID to 36"ID. Then I looked at Forno Bravo's and went with an industrial grade castable refractory and built it modular like theirs to reduce the chance of cracking. Half way through casting the second section, it dawned on me I had planed on going back to the original 42" size but I was already on my fourth bag of refractory, and at $70 a 55 pound bag, ( I think I used 18 bags) I was not willing to trash what I had done, and start over. 36" is a small as I would want. It's large enough most of the time but still wish it was 42", that leaves more room for the fire and your larger pizzas are not so close where you have to be very careful about burning the edge. Also if cooking 16" pizzas, you can only do one at the time. That's the reason my stand is approx. 6', I could have made it smaller for the 36" but it was for the 42". It's cast in four sections with 3" thick wall, and 2 1/2" floor which is in five sections. There is a layer of 2200 degree insulating fire brick under the floor (hearth) and the concrete slab it's sitting on. The IFB are sitting on a 1" raised island on the slab to ensure no water could possible get to the IFB and also something to fasten the metal lath for the stucco that covers it. The oven is insulated with four layers of 1" thick 8# fiber blanket 2/3 the way up and 5" the rest of the way over the top. ( pretty close to 100 sqft) Then it's covered with metal lath, then a stucco scratch coat, a brown coat and then a hard coat with a two rows of tile to add some design trim. The stand is built with 2x2 angle approx. 6' square with a 3 1/2" thick concrete slab, highly reinforced with 5/8" rebar all welded together. I wrapped it in 3/4" plywood, felt paper, metal lath and stucco like the oven. I use the stand for wood storage so I put a divider in the middle put arched openings on both ends. Fired for 18 hours at over 1200 degrees curing the refractory, the bottom of the slab only reached 160 degrees and the top of the dome 130 degrees. The sides of the dome were only 117 degrees. The benefit of being modular and high grade refractory is I can build a massive fire in it and have it ready to cook in an hour and after almost a year, there are no cracks, not even a small one. The IFB can not get wet, nor can the insulating blankets so I put a metal roof over it, just to make sure no water got to it. The propane tank in the first one is for the torch I use to light the wood.

See if Motor Mate has a model to fit your motor. Keeps the motor steady and no bending over to install it.

A-Jay

Did you ever stop to think your problems are a direct result of your first statement? Not putting anything that has moisturizers and UV protection on your seats most definitely shortens the life and also allows the stitching to rot. Ranger recommends 303 for the seats, that's what I use and my seats look brand new in a 2005. You also have to be very careful on what cleaners you use because they will dry out the vinyl. Armor All was responsible for the drying and cracking of many, car seats and dashboards and boat interiors through the years and it will never touch my vehicles or boat. I would hope they have changed their formula and is now safe but I won't take the chance.

I've fished the lower end baits like the S Waver and Savage Gear baits, and I've fished the Deps, Phoneys, and customs. The Savage Gear Shine Glide and MS Slammer are by far my most productive baits, neither are what I'd consider expensive swimbaits. The initial investment might seem a little high on a bait like a Slammer, but it's a big topwater that will catch hundreds of fish and is hard to lose unless you do something careless or lazy with it.

If you want to dip your toe in to the big bait world without taking a second mortgage check Savage Gear and Spro line ups, they have very good baits that cover all the basics...

Got out for about 4.5 hrs today. After no bites the 1st 2 hrs found a few. Got 9 on a spinnerbait and 2 on a chatterbait with this one weighing in at 5-1.

Another good with with the jerkbait and jig ! To many to take pics of but got a nice photo of the biggen of the day. She swallowed the jig whole , thunk!

After a slow start today i decided to go shallow in the creek and throw a lipless Crankbait around the pads and then it was game on. Here’s the two biggest of the day.

Worked my butt off for one bite today. It was a gorgeous fish, but man was it slow out there. Air temps was 35 when we launched, and mid 40s when we got off the water at 2pm, Water temp 64. I definitely would have stayed longer but had to make it to an exam. I fished shallow, deep, and in-between. I am pretty convinced they just weren't eating today, at least not while I was there! However, after fishing tirelessly all day, I missed this fish, made the same cast and had it pegged for at least a full second after it swam my bait away from the log, and it returned to the same spot to eat again on the third cast. I really don't know what was going on out there today

I am a minimalist only in the sense of what I carry when I go fishing. Everything I take fits in a small drawstring backsack. I have lots and lots of stuff, tackle, rods, reels, etc to take but I find I do have favorites. The rest sit around as loaners for my son, relatives and friends. I like trying new lures but I always go back to my confidence baits.