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New personal best. Unfortunately, I left the scale at home, so I'll just have to catch another one to weigh it! Pickwick Dam, TN, 11/28/2018.

The view coming in this evening from an afternoon of fishing was rather cool. The fact that the crappie were biting was a bonus.

Our "puppy's" first snow today...

BF Box 1 of 2 came last night.

Merry Christmas to all.

Because no matter how serious when we catch a fish we still feel like this.

fishing is my passion. if i’m not doing it, i’m thinking about it, reading about it, watching it on tv, tinkering with my gear or my boats, all the above. i love being on the water. i’ll fish alone or with someone, doesn’t matter. i’m that guy on the water when it’s raining, or when the winds blowing too hard, or the water is too muddy, too cold, too hot or too whatever. this doesn’t mean that i always catch them or that i’m any better than anybody else. i just love to fish. i love the challenge, the sporting element. i dont want to beat the other guy. i dont need to win anything. i dont want a tv camera to put me on the fish. just man vs fish, amidst all that God has given us to enjoy. simple as that.

Local pond. Which tree do you fish first haha!

Black Friday order arrived, excited to try a couple new baits

They are so cute at that age....

My Revo S reels came in tonight for the new Duckett Terex rods.

Slightly damper day today out chasing the pheasants around. Little dog enjoyed it despite the weather.

A R clutch looks damaged

You may want to direct any questions and or concerns regarding the bait you received to Mike Bucca at either his website or email address http://www.bullshad.com/contact.html ~ www.BullShad.com / mbucca@comcast.net Mike's a straight shooter. A-Jay

BPS Speed Shad is a lesser expensive alternative that works great as a trailer.

A sensitive rod helped me gain confidence. It helped me gain confidence in what was on the bottom. I switched from a Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Jig/Worm rod to a Daiwa Tatula Elite and I started feeling things I had never felt before on the bottom or in brush piles that I had fished numerous times. Because I could feel the bottom and/or brush better, and because I fish a jig like I am trying to map something, my retrieve varied a lot and I really started catching a lot more fish. In other words, I started getting a lot more feedback from the bottom and I think that helped me become a better fisherman. I even switched back to the Skeet Reese rod and fished those same areas again after fishing with the Daiwa and I felt like I was fishing with a wet noodle. Honestly, I was surprised at the magnitude of the difference. The reel and line were exactly the same (Daiwa Tatula SV spooled with 20 lb Tatsu). At the time(s) of purchase the Skeet Reese Rod was $80 and the Daiwa was $180. I haven't compared many other rods, but in this case the $100 seemed to make a lot of difference (although brand change is a confounder).

Yuk, make sure they don't put any romaine on that chalupa.

I also don't use a trailer or trailer hook. I also rarely burn a spinnerbait. I do recommend that when you are retrieving normally or slow rolling that you slightly pause every 4-5 cranks to make the skirt pulse. For me, right after that slight pause/pulse is when it gets hammered!

I think you have it all wrong. With an old Ugli Stick with mono she would feel nothing. With a modern hi mod graphite with braid she definitely will feel most bites.

8th from the right, second row in. That’s the one for sure ?

Yep. A while ago I started in the south and fished at least one lake in each state; caught my PB largemouth, a 10 lb smallmouth, several muskie, and then woke up.

My needs for fishing gear prevailed over my wants for more gear, so purchases were...0

Old timer... Humph young whippersnappers thinking we don't know nothing bout them new falooting high dollar expensive scientific lines.

Score!! My TW order came in! The Black Friday email came a little before 10PM CST and in less than 10 minutes I had placed my order. I STILL had an item that showed available be put on backorder! Man, that place is popular!! Anyway, Got my Hydrowave and already mounted it!! Can't wait to get on the water! Trying Defier for the first time. Hope it's worth the price. First time trying Big Hammer Swimbaits too. @AJ conned me into getting the Spro Aruku Shad in Old Glory... You guys are bad for my wallet. Thanks!!

My opinion is this: the best way to locate bass is by keeping the rods in the rod locker and learning the Lake in relation to the season. I’m amazed how often I can determine something relative when I set the rod down and observe the conditions for 10 minutes. That being said, if I’m still spinning my wheels after some reflection and lure rotation; I Texas rig a 6 or 7 inch Plastic worm and get back to my roots !

Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue in shallow water -- very shallow... good fishing....

Shall we dance?

I guess somebody wanted a late snack before they went to bed for the winter, I’ve never seen one around here still out and about this late in the year before, especially with the weather we’re getting.

My 4 lures for winter are: Sweat pants Sweatshirt Slippers Recliner ?

The tricks of light and shadows. What looks like a shoreline at the end of the cobblestone walk is really just an asphalt driveway. The shadows and light produce the illusion of water. It's something I just noticed as I was going through some photos. What looks like the horizon in the distance is just where the camera's top of the exposure ended. Different time of the year, but from the same perspective.

I was making breakfast this morning and had a hankering for pan cakes. I mixed up the batter and brought the skillet up to temperature. I ladled the first one out with great care. I just felt something odd as it sizzled. It was almost surreal. I waited for the batter to bubble and the bubbles to pop, the sign to turn the the delicious treat over. Syrup and real butter had been readied on the counter. Coffee was poured. I carefully flipped it over and my eyes grew large. There before me was a distinct image, one i'd seen before that was seared in my memory. The detail was so clear. It was Ajay holding a brace of six pound smallies. It's a sign !! At least now I know someone will be having a fantastic up coming season although not me. I was depressed it wasn't me. When I get depressed I cope by eating so now Ajay and his freaking six pounders were lathered in butter and syrup and eaten in quick order. At least the coffee was good.

If you had to start over from the beginning and had $300 to get a new rod and reel what would it be? Personally I'd get an AlX Zolo and a daiwa Tatula ct type r.

You didn't even try to fight off the bait monkey.

You could ask the same of golf, or bowling, or any other pastime. There is nothing special about any of them, except to the people who pursue them.

I used to fish those rock veins a lot with minimal success. I used to ask myself where do I start when the whole lake is rock? I started targeting the isolated stuff and have had much better success. One of the nice things about them dropping the lake 20 feet every year is seeing all the places I caught fish the year before with no water on them. Say the lake is down 5 feet, I'll drive around marking areas with the same color waypoint. When the lake drops another 5 feet, I'll do the same using a different color. This makes it easier for me to pattern my milk runs.

Tyler, Both are the XL and the Big game are good line and have been around for years. 15-20 years ago Berkely and Stren were the two major players in the fishing line market. The big game normally punches well above it weight class meaning 12 lb has a 15lb breaking strength and 15 lb may be 18-20#'s. The XL is also tests above advertised just not as much over as big game. Big game is more abrasion resistant and stiffer, XL is less abrasion resistant then big game but a more limp and manageable line. Both are very reasonably priced. Take the above for what it is worth if you decide to try some out. Tight lines, Fishingmickey

The 704S and the Daiwa RG is my fathers Christmas gift, so yeah, he'll love it when we go to Canada in May next year.

Amazing. My guess is the bigger bass tried to eat the smaller one. We all know bass are just eating and reproducing machines. And we have seen the pics of smaller bass hitting bigger swimbaits.

It really just depends on what you need get rid of the rods that your likely not going to need.

Get rid of the wife and buy 4 more

I agree #2 and #4 are keepers, but it depends what you already own...

#2,#4 for my vote. #2 would work on a large range of treble hook baits. #4 would be a good all around rod for lots of single hook baits. Have stuff delivered to friends house or work to avoid wife confrontation in future ??

Have owned a couple of ZX rods. Love em'. Grips are fantastic, very good sensitivity, light and balanced. I currently still own the swim jig and spinner bait model and it goes with me every time I fish. Honestly I'd recommend it for bottom contact but it doesn't load too well below 1/4 weights. No experience with the custom, but have fished a TP1 from Lews. It was super stout for its rating and tip heavy (for me to notice it has to be pretty tip heavy). Again, the Custom may be totally different. Not to make your decision tougher, but Falcon Bucco is an excellent rod in that price range. Their rods are rated a little weird to me, but excellent rods. The king daddy in that price range to me is the Diawa Tatula original version. They are getting tougher to find but I will always recommend them. The 7'2" Med/heavy-Regular is a phenomenal rod, and what I use for Texas rigs 3/16-1/2 ounce. Never used the Dobyns Fury but have heard many people talk them up. Maybe worth taking a look. If you want, I can give more detail about the ZX, Diawa, and Falcon. This was just getting long winded

No, the 200$ range isn't part of the most sensitive rods available but they're still good rods.

Best cheap rod I have used on sale for $40 at Dick's. https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/lews-carbon-fire-spinning-rod-17lewacrbnfr6ft8mrod/17lewacrbnfr6ft8mrod?camp=CSE:DSG_pg53220_mk_PLA_454&gclid=CjwKCAiAlvnfBRA1EiwAVOEgfN7LBiHnowlsFA5zkXSi6xCpZV-bYAN8v81M8vrmge5viBxSQi6OHxoCjZcQAvD_BwE

Wow ~ what an epiphany ! And it's interesting that I as sit here next to an early season hot- wood burning stove, it's so painful each time my gaze wonders out the window. The pathetically frozen half white with snow, half brown with dead leaves tundra is starring back at me. Taunting me almost if saying "Ha Ha you poor sap - you could have been fishing". It's just so reassuring to know that someone else is thinking of me and at the same time sharing my pain. Last season Ice-out came a month late and was cut a month short - just brutal. Still I did what I could within the brief time but it wasn't nearly enough to make up for what eventually turned out to be an Epically Poor Pre-spawn. (5 & 6 lb smallies aside). And now to top it all off - I now have to cope with the image of @Columbia Craw in a deep state of depression, scarfing down his flap jacks ~ What's up with THAT ? ! ? A-Jay

The Sense O Meter lies between your ears and starts at your fingertips. Tom