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Another post spawn Ct green head This time during an event on a usually stingy Lake Zoar #5.55

Boy did I have an interesting morning on the water!!! My buddies kids said they were too sleepy to fish so I was about to go by myself. Then one of them said he would go, my buddy had to stay behind with his other son. So we are fishing, catching a few twitching worms on top . Then I can hear the loudest rumbling sound, I’ve heard it before in the exact same spot years ago and knew it was a giant gator. Granted this is very close to the area where the world record gator was killed. I stopped fishing to take some pics and video, it kept elevating its head above the water to make the growling sound, I was covered in goose bumps. Me and my buddy’s son got 5 bass apiece, the kid is 11 years old and can slay fish

Walked off without my polarized glasses today, but it didn't hurt me too much despite the sunny skies and calm weather. Managed a dozen bass in one pass around a pond, calling it after landing this 4+ fish. Everything came on 'flick shake' (jighead wacky) using a Zman finessee WormZ.

The new Glitch 3.8 from 6th Sense is by far the best Dropshot lure I've used! I'm fishing dirty water, so I've got a bag of methiolate and it's a winner! I didn't have any luck with my Jackhammer, buzztoad, walking bait, or squarebill, but they hit the dropshot. I'm a firm believer in the dropshot, I used to be a power fisherman, but in a pinch I will pick up a spinning rod. Nothing beats a topwater bite on a frog, walking the dog with a topwater is a blast, a jig bite is fun because it's so unexpected, but there is something special about a simple dropshot or finesse lure. I'm almost ashamed to say I'm leaning towards the dropshot as a go to technique when they aren't biting. Today was slow, but I managed to hook these two.

Went fishing this morning. My grandson named him Jake the Snake at the Lake

Wife and I were lake camping again and she layed out the frying pan before we even got into the boat. This was a spring fed lake and the fish tasted fantastic. This was her catches and she did all the work.

Ive had an older GoPro for a few yrs and never used it. My dad lives a few hours away and stated he would like to see some vides of me kayak fishing since my accident. Anyways, I threw this together for him last night of yesterdays catches.

Took the kayak out for a few hours this morning before the lake got busy, thought I was going home skunked then managed a tiny bass(no pic). About an hour later missed the 13.5" pictured on the jig I found with a menace grub trailer. I quickly swapped rods and threw out a 10" Havoc Federale in purple brown belly t-rigged and just let it sit, twitched it twice and started to slowly reel and he hit it hard. I caught the 10.5" on the jig with menace grub trailer and called it a day. Both bass ,while not big, will help with the Catch22 tourney Im in for Veteran suicide awareness. Im hoping to cull them later on.

I'm not very smart, but I think foul hooked and snagged are also different.

Bought some adult goats to help keep the weeds down and the Bernards don't know what to think of them.

Went out for an early morning solo trip. Had some chop on the water, so I started off with a spinnerbait and ran into some eager sub-adults that were fun to catch. Wind shutoff and switched to topwater. Lots of fun despite the dinkfest. Headed to some different water and ended the morning with some better fish.

Agreed. Foul hooking a fish that takes a swipe at your legitimate bait is nowhere near the same thing as "Snagging" a fish. That being said,... I give the guy credit for admitting he foul hooked it, and agree it didn't meet the requirements for a legal catch, so in that case,... No,... Not a record. However,... I still give him credit for catching a fish that was bigger than the official record,... Even if it didn't qualify. I realize it can be a slippery slope on things like this and they have to draw the line somewhere, so I respect the rules,... But am honest enough to admit it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with them.

*Cough* Mike Long *Cough*

Is it the biggest bass ever landed? Yes. Is it the biggest one within the rules? No. Some dude named Bonds probably has had this brought up once or twice…same state as well

Caught 12 this morning and missed on 4 more who got a free Senko breakfast they'll never be able to crap out unfortunately. More of the same. Nothing of size, cookie cutter pond bass. Again bass who ignored spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimjigs, jigs, lipless crankbaits, squarebills, Texas rigs, spooks, ploppers, and jerkbaits. Right now they'll only eat a wacky Senko dropped on their head. If it's not right up against cover or in a hole and taken immediately, nothing, nada. Assuming it's post spawn funk. The best of the day:

Kinda slow this morning. Nothing on top, nothing on a spinnerbait lol. Except algae. Well, had a dink take a swipe at the spinnerbait. Nothing on a swimbait, Ned or Neko rig, either. Caught 7. One on a Roboworm, two on a Neko Macho TR and the rest on a 5” Senko TR. Only two of any size. First was a #956 Neko Macho and the second on #297 Senko.

Took a break from fly fishing for striped bass on Cape Cod and went out on a whale watch...

Spinnerbait his producing well for me recently. 20 inch, 5 lb 4 oz. on white chartreuse SBait this morning.

In Brooklyn, NY some of the boys would have to visit that group of witnesses… Ballpeen hammers and kneecaps, you saw nuddin, understand capeesh? ???

In order for a fish to qualify for a IGFA record it has to be caught according to IGFA rules as well as be a legal catch according to the regulations of the state it was caught in. Weather the regulation in a particular state is unpopular, legal in other states, or makes zero sense to most anglers is irrelevant. Being a record does not mean it is the biggest fish of that species. It only means, it was legally caught by sport fishing means, and all IGFA rules were adhered to. If a world record bass was caught in the state of Idaho at night it would not qualify, because it is illegal to fish at night in Idaho. It wouldn't matter if the angler thought it was still day light, or hooked it before the closed time, but landed it afterword's, it would still be an illegal catch and would not qualify for a record. Many potential saltwater records get disqualified because of an IGFA rule infraction. The fish was the biggest, but a mate touched the line above the leader, leader length was to long, main line tested above line rating, mate helped move rod and many other rule violations, that doesn't take away from the quality of the fish, but does break the rules of a record sport catch according to the IGFA. In Alaska it is illegal to snag salmon in fresh water. A skilled angler can perfect a skill called lining or flossing. It involves having the line slide through a salmon's mouth and hooking the salmon in the mouth with a single hooked fly. It is illegal to intentionally snag a salmon, but impossible to prove the salmon was snagged intentionally. In order to have some way to enforce the no snagging law, they consider a fish snagged if it is hooked behind the gill. If Dottie was caught in Alaska, it would have been a legally caught fish and a new world record. She was caught in CA where the definition of snagging is different, so no record period. I agree Dottie was the biggest bass of all time, but she was not a world record sport caught bass in CA, therefore no IGFA record. She does have the record for the biggest large mouth bass ever weighed on a certified scale. No other bass, even ones farmed raised or caught in a commercial net have ever been as big

While I'm at it , I dont have Drop Shot weights either . A bullet weight , bobber stop and overhand knot works .

You must understand why it doesn't count. Most importantly, catching a game fish this way is illegal in most states. It's also completely unfair. Do you want to compete in a tournament with guys using large, weighted treble hooks they are dragging behind their boat to foul hook bass who aren't feeding or striking a lure? Have you seen people using this technique to catch salmon? You wouldn't stand a chance in a bass tournament if others were doing that. I'm certain this guy wasn't intentionally snag fishing, but many people have been caught doing just that in bass tournaments. We have to have rules. We have to draw the line somewhere. I think this guy achieved something amazing and we should all honor him...but it doesn't officially count and I'm good with that. And you know what? That gives us TWO records and something to talk about!

I'm not wasting cash on tungsten Neko weights . Just take an old crappie jig head that you have laying around , clip the barb , bend the wire and insert it into the worm .

Go to a hardware store and buy a few sizes of screws. They work great, and screw right in. You probably have some laying around anyway.

Couldn't edit original post. Rods off market. Tried them for the first time and decided to keep them.

Almost done with the old 51-sized round reels from Shimano. My first centrifugal brake BFS reel. Will use it with aerodynamic lures like stick and twich baits.

Guys just got this in mail. It is huge. And have some kind of weight with knock in front part. Cant wait to see how it swims in water. The weight is the same as my hinkle trout, But longer. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Deps_GiraGira_Kougeki_370_Glide_Bait/descpage-DGIR.html

Plenty of LM have been caught on tubes. I like the Reaction Innovations Beaver lines, but I bet nearly any beaver style bait would work pretty well.

I would fish in Walmart for really big Americans...

Was walking on security patrol last night and accidentally kicked this guy. He was stunned for a few minutes and eventually hopped on off…

Well, I changed it. What a night of fishing. Took my buddy out around 6 tonight. I started off with a big 6.8” keitech to try and get a big bite. No dice. Switched to the trusty roboworm on the drop shot and oh man did the party begin. Fish after fish as I worked my way around the pond. Had a handful of 2+ pounders and my thumb was getting torn up. Was having a blast and was 12 bass in before my buddy had his first lol. Caught 2 more as I made my way to the half way mark around the pond. There’s an old broken down dock there with just 4 posts remaining of it. 2 weeks ago I saw a really nice fish near it and it’s always been a hot spot. I made a cast next to it and got short struck. Threw back in, felt the bite, reeled and leaned to set the hook on my 6# line and just listened to drag peel. What a glorious sound. Knew immediately it was my PB and I was doing my best to just let the fish work itself but keeping her away from dock. Finally got her in and I was pumped. I thought she was gonna go a little bigger than what she did but I guess I was just amped up. New PB at 20.5 inches and 4.95 pounds because of course she couldn’t have just ate a couple more bluegill fry first lol. Once I recovered from that excitement I made my way around the rest of the pond and caught a few more. Continued on the rest of the night and did my first little bit of night fishing, catching a few each on a shallow running crank and on the cavitron buzz bait. Caught 24 bass and let a half dozen get away. Don’t know if I’ll ever top those 4 hours of fishing but I’ll try.

Cuda 3" Micro Scissors

?This kid is turning out to be a natural with the big baits.

So I know I’ve posted pics of both the rod and reel which I have officially fished both but not together. I just finally put it together on Memorial Day. Can’t wait to try this Sonny & Cher combo out? #love a color match? I cannot thank @FrnkNsteenenough for making me “an offer I couldn’t refuse” on the rods. This pic is 1 of the 2 combos for the upcoming season ?

I don't know any of you personally so I'm not necessarily saying I love you, but if you need to hear it, then so be it. I think we as a society get so caught up in being tough that we don't say it enough. My very best friend (the greatest friend I could ask for) came by today and I could tell something was wrong with him. I never asked what was wrong, but I could tell there was something going on. When he left my house I told him, "Hey man, I love you and appreciate you". I just hope he knows how much I care about him. Let those you love know it!

I've had similar wakes that still haunt me. One spring I had a fish knock like 4 or 5 feet of slack into my line fishing a mattlures soft gill. I wasn't able to catch up before it spit it, turned, and shot off. And I'll never forget the wake it left. This was fairly shallow maybe 3 FOW but it was windy as hell and I just saw this torpedo looking wake fire off away from me that stood our even amongst the wind waves.

The differences in braid over the past 15 years are Much More Significant than the differences in nylon and fluorocarbon monofilament over the past 70 years. Just a half-dozen years ago, 4x uncoated braids were best used for backing on trolling reels. What's happened in the last 4 years with fine-fiber, center-strand, fused and coated X-braids is next-level. After they increased the strength by 60%, now they're working on the coatings. We get nit-picky about our mono mainline, leader, toughness, diameter, abrasion resistance, low memory, etc (limp and low memory are polar opposites, unless you want braid). But the word braid is lumped and used generically, and if you don't try it, or maybe listen to someone who has, you may not recognize the progress or the differences.

California fishing regulations have stated it’s illegal to snag fresh water Game fish for decades. Reason was anglers intentionally snag fish using weighted treble hooks. Illegally caught fish are eliminated for IGFA records, including fishing without a license. Dottie was snagged on top of the head as witnessed by several bye standers. Tom

Hey I made some salmon/steelhead patterns, anyone think these are good colors for that?

My dad and grandpa were big believers in leaving the area cleaner than you found it after every fishing or camping trip. The popular term these days is " leave no trace", meaning, leave the area looking like no one was ever there. When my grandson first started fishing with me, we took a couple of trash bags with us. We made it a point to make a quick sweep of the lot and pick up some trash, throwing it in the dumpster. Ive seen trash of every type, and there's too much of it to list here. It aggravating to clean up after other guys. They should be cleaning up after themselves.But,If your a serious fisherman, it only makes sense to want your area to be cleaned up. You'll want your lake looking good, not looking like a trash dump. What people don't realize is that trash company's are working against time. They're running a route, and don't have time to pick up loose trash laying around. This trash will blow around, and some will eventually end up in the lake. Look at it like this: if every member of BR would have a " leave no trace" attitude, imagine how much better our lakes would look. Would you rather cast your lure into clean water, or, onto a pile of floating trash? It takes only minutes to clean up after your fishing trip. At some point down the road, someone will appreciate you doing this. I've wondered how the lakes will look for my grandkids, after I'm long gone. I hope they can enjoy fishing in a clean, nice looking area. Leave no trace starts with all of us, and should start now.

I would think pitching to the motorized scooters would eventually land you a big one, maybe even a giant.

Found this brand new Rapala jointed shad rap today just laying in grass by my truck.

I haven't found a skeleton type casting seat yet that I find comfortable. And I don't care for the SK spinning seats either. And I thought that Fuji's ACS was a pretty nice design until I put one on a rod fished with it.

Not official but, 26, 28, 31 IPT

I may or may not have had pants on either.

There isn't enough space on this website for me to list all the things I hate about braid. ?

I avoid shopping online at all cost! We have 2 local tackle shops, a country store with more tackle Academy or Dick's. If it's rod-n-reels I'll drive 2.5 hours to Baton Rouge BPS or Cabelas. When I decide to pull the trigger I want it NOW!

I started reading this thread a few days ago. Didn’t know why, as me and spinnerbaits are not on the friendliest of terms lol. But if there’s one thing I love about BR, it’s not just the “ask a question, get answers”; it’s the impetus it gives me to try new baits or keep plugging away at ones that frustrate me at times. I got home today with the single thought of stripping off old mono off a Black Max on a MH/F Aird-X and respooling with 12 lb. Big Game. I did that. And when I put the rig back in the rack, I spied my Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with a 4/0 EWG and a 3/16” oz. bullet weight and decided to tie on a…spinnerbait. I put a green pumpkin Rage Menace as a trailer and hit the pond for 30 minutes. The first few casts were snagging algae every 2nd or 3rd cast, but I stuck with it. About 11-12 casts later, I felt it snag on algae again. Except the algae starting fighting back! Holy crap. I caught a decent bass on a spinnerbait! Not a giant, but boy, I was happy with it!

The lure I'm most excited about in the ones I found this week is a big swim bait in orange clown shad. The hooks rusted off so I have to put on new ones, but otherwise it's in pretty good shape. I'll probably use it on braid with a steel leader.

I had the biggest bag ever this past Saturday. I had 23lbs total and in that bag I had a 7 pounder! I even wore out a Gamakatsu flipping hook. Best yet I caught them how I wanted to catch them, flipping stick, braid, and wood! Glory be to God for His creations of these green backs!! tight lines folks! More pics: