Leaderboard

Was supposed to be a day of chasing striper but they didn't want to play so pretty quickly became a bass fishing trip. All fish again on a flashy swimmer.

Fun day! Water temp 66, caught fish with sassy shad, Drop shot , and jig

I caught this bucket mouth on a spinnerbait Oct 5. It wasn’t a 1 ounce version though. It was a 1/2 ounce terminator. My biggest bass of 2024. I own some super sized muskie versions. Never considered using them for bass here though.

I wound up purchasing a second Dream Tackle Design reel from A/E last week to pair up with my medium light BPS Crankin Stick. I paid $108.00 to my door and they’re currently showing them for $91.10 vs the $150.00 I paid from Amazon earlier this year. As a gift they included some plastics I’ve never heard of.

I found another deal on a Megabass P5 I couldn't pass up on. I debated on what reel I wanted to put on it. I considered a Daiwa Exist or an Airity. Then I took one look at my Shimano Twin Power and thought for money, I wasn't going to beat it so I got another one. I've been fishing it for about two weeks and the Windbuster is like a Swiss Army knife. I fished a crankbait, jerkbait, senko, free rig, a topwater popper, and a jig on it. I caught fish on all and it did well with each bait. The sensitivity is good but not NRX+ good. It can cast a mile though. It's versatility makes it a great rod for kayak fishing and bank fishing. If I am going to take only one rod, this might be the one.

Y'all need to catch up 😉

It’s been very slow past weeks. Today I decided to flip the bleeding bitsy jig down some grass. 3:00PM, no clouds and moderate wind. 3 bass over a pound, jig bites are awesome! Hard thump, set the hook with a hard sweep 😮‍💨 Rod: Daiwa Aird-x 6’6 MF Reel: Daiwa 24 Tatula 100 TW

This Saturday was a far cry from last weekend. Today was 100% cloudy with intermittent showers (raining steady now-thank God as we need it bad). High of 80°. Last week they were smashing baitfish in the shallows everywhere. Today, I saw that twice and very late in the morning. Only caught two and two hours apart, so slow, slow, slow. But many are getting ready to call it quits until spring, so no complaints! First bass was on an A-Jay Special (1/4 oz. pegged bullet weight; Dirty Jigs 60 strand skirt in Dirty 420 on a Boss punch hub in green pumpkin; 5/0 Gamakutsu EWG; Rage Craw in green pumpkin) and the second on a dark pumpkin w/black flake Fat IKA. That one was nice. I saw a swirl deep inside a blowdown and hit the spot dead nuts from about 90’. It got smashed immediately. Both were 17”.

St. Croix Premier Casting Rod been looking for a short creek rod and it is now almost impossible to find a pistol grip rod. This St. Croix is 5’6” med/fast, 8-14# line and 1/4-5/8. Looking forward to putting it to use,,,,,,soon.

Im sure most of us have had that rod or reel, maybe even several, what ones were yours? And whats the story behind them. First up is the Shimano Sienna spinning reel, most of my life i only used what my grandfathers or dad had, my first combo i owned had this on it. I used it for trout and panfish for quite awhile. As i wanted to get more gear i was looking at spinning reels at a few local shops, they were between $50-150 and i couldnt imagine paying that for reel to fish for trout in the creek. I saw the Sienna and its price and bought another, and then another, and now ive got about 8-10 of them. from 1000's for panfish/trout, 2500/3000's for bass/walleye, and 4000's for salmon and steelhead. I have not cleaned a single one, but have dropped them into water, mud, dirt, thrown them down on rocks, etc.... They may not look new, but they keep working. Some when reeling in feel like metals grinding, but hey as long as the handles turning their fine right? This reel expanded my love for fishing, and is probably the reason im so addicted to fishing now, im very glad they had these reels on shelves for the price they were at, i didnt have much of a budget back then.... Since then ive bought several Daiwa Revros reels, and while they are much, much nicer reels, the Sienna will always have a place on my spinning rods. And still to this day i cant imagine paying that much for a spinning reel but to each their own? In my heart i will always love the last gen Abu Black Max casting reel.... I bought the combo on sale at Walmart, the rod was okay but for me it was the reel. I wasnt sure about learning how to use baitcasters, so i held off for quite awhile. This was a very budget friendly way for me to find out if i could even use it. I had tons of backlashes, hours of frustration picking birdsnests out, lost a few lures in the process, but after a few weeks i could cast further and further without them. I bought a second one used because i didnt want to have to retie every 5 minutes when i changed to another lure, also bought an a new MH rod for that and i was able to fish almost everything from the bank. They never failed me (aside from user error of course), i did everything with those reels, skipped baits, frogging in the pads, punching in the grass.... Both are still going to this day, not in use currently, but i have them on my desk spooled up and ready to fish. Are there better reels? Absolutely, most are miles ahead of them. But for anyone on a budget or who doesnt want to spend alot on gear these things were great, sadly Abu ruined the newer ones..... After that i decided to spend more money than i have previously and bought a Daiwa Tatula CT, it was an extreme difference to say the least. I could cast farther than i ever thought possible, i also had a tremendous amount of confidence now that i had a real reel, that didnt have a plastic frame. This really sold me on casting reels, and it just snowballed from there. I have Daiwa reels that cost alot more than it, but they will never live up to the Tatula CT for me. But the one that has the most sentimental value to me is my dads old, (80's? maybe) Daiwa Black Widow spinning combo. I spent most of my life borrowing it when we fished for trout or at a friends pond for bluegill. The rod would be equivalent to todays medium rods, but with the tip of a ultra light action. When i got back into fishing this is what i used for awhile before getting my own.... Lots of fish caught on this combo. I loved the very minimal outdated reel so much, it was simplicity and looked like nothing like something from a space ship compared to the designs of modern reels. I found a better condition one for sale and bought it for my dad, but sadly years ago when we went out fishing my dad slipped on mud and broke the rod near the handle If it werent for these rods and reels, im not sure if i would be bass fishing, or even into fishing at all as a hobby today.

Chasing fowl this weekend. Ranger got some work in...

What a coincidence ~ I have a scale that does the same thing. 😎 A-Jay

I'd say we're all just a little bit different in this one. Just about any decent quality stick can get the job done for me. And that doesn't mean super high end IMO either. However I do believe that there are 2 more elements to this at least for me, that help to improve confidence that I can detect most bites. (I'll never get them all) One is having balance tackle; rod, reel, line & lure. I'm not over the top with this but it's a part of my preparation for sure. The other is, well, experience. Experience on the water, in the conditions I'm faced with and of course, the specific tackle I'm using. An example would be sliding a bait along the bottom in flat calm water vs rock'in & rolling in 2 footers with a 15-20 kts wind. A $700 wand will probably not make or break that second deal. Fish Hard A-Jay

Sensitivity matters most with bottom contact rods. There comes a point of diminishing returns though. I say buy the best you can easily afford.

30 years ago I preached the importance of rod sensitivity as loud as anyone ever has. Today, I’m convinced it was all in my head. Detecting bites is a skill you learn. You cannot buy it.

Well, it's been a fishing season for the ages for me. In many different ways. Definitely did not get out on the water as much as in previous years and tried to make the best of the opportunities I was given. Had to work a bit of overtime to clear my mind for each and every trip. There were a few fish caught, some pretty decent one's too. Highlights included: For the first time in 2 years, getting out on the water a couple of times with my wife easily tops the list. Not able to put that one in words. While still hunting big smallies, I landed several 5 lb class fish, two that went over 6 lbs, and my 2nd ever 7 lb mutant smallmouth bass. Another speechless moment. I was lucky to see many beautiful sunsets and sunrises, throw in some plus size pike, one freak of a musky, and that pretty much took care of it. Pro-V bass is being winterized now and I'm settling in for the hard water season. Here's a little something I put together to remember it all. Fish Hard Stay Safe & warm my friends. A-Jay

There's a video of P.D. Vinson handing me the keys to the truck. It was strictly ceremonial, I had the truck sold & the check was in my wallet.

My two biggest *so far* on the t-rigged speed craw are 7.4 and 8.0 😎👍🏻 I agree that it might be even better t rigged than on a jig! 🤣

Plumber's teflon tape...put 4-5 wraps around the threads where the nut will be.

Caught a nice late season striper on ultra light gear. She hit the Dixie Jig. 2nd cast trying for shad. It was a 1/16 ounce chartreuse head white flash/white. So much fun! My jigs crush stripers! I’ve caught a lot of stripers on my 1/16 ounce jig

The curly tail on a 1/8 lead jig head always seems to catch fish no matter the condition. Also this bluegill ate it which was pretty funny

Depending on what part of the country you are in, late fall is the time to throw big spinnerbaits for LMB. I discovered this a few years ago in NY but I’ve seen it play down South as well. It’s still early for it here in TX, but farther North it’s about time. In NY I found that no spinnerbait was too big. I would use 1oz spinnerbaits with 4.5 paddletails on the back for added bulk. If you catch a nice fish on a big spinnerbait this fall, be sure to share. It is a pretty cool bite

Out fishing yesterday with my buddy on the Rappahonock River here in Virginia and I catch a tagged bass. Tag has an id#, a telephone # and the word “reward” on it. I called the number and left a message but after a little digging, I found it probably is from our local DNR from a few years ago. I have to laugh because a couple of years ago this same buddy of mine and I was fishing and we saw something odd floating in the water and we netted it out. Come to find out it was an ankle monitoring device and had a number to call if found. He ended up getting a $25 prepaid Visa card. Let’s see if I can beat him! 😂

2024 was sharply different than 2023, when I happened upon multiple six-pounders. Here are three of them: In 2024, I only caught one six-plus-pounder and I caught her early in the spring, the biggest bass of my life: I never got a weight on the fish above, but she was 22.25". The bass below, caught in 2023, was also 22.25" and I weighed her: 6.75 pounds. Their builds are quite different. The bass above also had a BIG head, but her much bigger body makes her head look small. She was a beast in both belly and back compared to the one below: I figured I'd never catch a bigger bass, unless I cast south of 45 degrees N latitude, so whereas I tried and failed to equal her, I spent a spring, summer, and fall of joy, catching LOTS of bass. I had one 70-bass morning and a 75-bass morning. I had many 40/50/60+ bass mornings and evenings. Along the way, I caught scores of four and five-pounders. Here are five of the scores of fours and fives(I didn't weigh any of the five below. The first three are all about 21 inches. The fourth one was about 20 inches. I also didn't measure or weigh her. The fifth one was only 19 inches, but thick with a big head. So, I'm guessing they're all five-pounders. I really don't know because I didn't measure the lengths or weights of any of them. Big bass make me nervous. They're rare, so I want to return them to the water ASAP.): I also bought 4.5 acres of waterfront and fished that pond heavily. Its bass don't grow as big as other ponds I fish, but I've fished it for three years and I've watched a steady increase in their size. One strange and wonderful thing about this pond is its bass are stronger than other ponds I fish. Plus, it has extensive wetlands where the bass lodge, so I got a LOT of practice playing strong fish in heavy cover. Here is one of them: Some friends built a boardwalk and dock for me to walk over the wetlands to the water. They even extended the boardwalk to open water, but I prefer to dock my boat in the inlet, safe from the wind: Lure-wise, I fished an underspin with a Crush City Mayor heavily in the first third of the year. It let me cast into the thickest cover and that's where they were: Then I fell in love with the versatility of a spinnerbait, which I could fish high or low, fast or slow, in cover or open water. This final third of my fishing season, I leaned on a Yo-Zuri popper. I remember when it was glossy and pretty. That was hundreds of bass ago. I also learned to fish a walking bait and really enjoying making them pop and gurgle. Keep the line slack and make it snap! And I enjoyed catching several 20-lb. bags. I'd rather catch a 20-lb. bag than a six-pounder. Five times the fun and whereas I need some luck to land a six-pounder, as they're rare, a 20 lb. bag is a skill marker. You don't luck into five four-pounders in a morning. A six-year-old with a Barbie outfit can luck into a six-pounder. I also took several people fishing, guiding them to the most and biggest bass of their lives. The 12-year old beat his PB several times: I never took the beauty of Maine for granted: And I also didn't take my waning days for granted. I turned 68 this summer and know that my time in canoes is coming to an end. Some season soon, I'll need a boat less tippy and I'll likely fish my pond mostly from a V-hull or jonboat. No more dragging my canoe across a meadow or carrying it through the woods. As Frank Sinatra sang, I'm in the autumn of my life, but it was a very good year. P. S. - I also caught three doubles, i.e. two fish on one lure on one cast, and three 19-20-inchers in three consecutive casts. I also caught and released what I'm pretty sure would have been a new state record pickerel. I've caught a lot of Esox and am pretty good at estimating their weights.

You will all kinds of recommendations stating the higher the price the better the feedback sensitivity. The OP is using his index finger to feel line movements, no rod has better sensitivity. The overall rod/reel balance, light weight along with high rod material modulus come into play. The rods guide train components and placement to reduce line drag and enhance casting are a big factor. Todays reel seats with opened blank contact helps. You can get all you need for under $300 for a good bottom contact rod today. Customer service and warranty are important. The only factor that counts is how the feels to you! Tom

Bottom contact finesse fishing is arguably the situation in which I would want the most sensitivity in a rod in my arsenal. I believe that braided line helps accomplish this, as it has no stretch and helps detect bites more easily.

I use Screamer* on 1/8 oz dart head jig year around and 10” Power worms at night. Tom *US Bait co, 858/395.0198 3 1/2” ribbon tail, smoke/salt & pepper and fine gold flake

The only sentimental rods/reels I have are my grandfathers ancient casting rods made of metal and the same age reels with the original cloth line. I won’t touch them. They are display models only. 😉

After Wednesdays near miss, I figured the deer would still be around. I backtracked the trail I figured them to be on and picked out a tree. Most of the trees in this bottoms are big and straight with no branches for cover. I guess I picked the wrong one. The tree was a bit wider than my shoulders and while my ropes were long enough my platform strap wasn’t. I didn’t realize it until fighting the climb up for 10 minutes though. I went further up the trail and found a smaller beech with a few branches in a pinch point near the trail. Go to ~22’ or so where the canopy kinda started and had to adjust location a couple times to get where the branches didn’t interfere with my bow at full draw but that the platform would not be interfered by lumps in the bark and could sit still. Ended up okay but with branches on my right side I couldn’t shoot from my 12:00-5:00 around the tree at all (which was my downwind and also an open woods so not awful). The squirrels were going nuts but about 530 I saw a deer in the distance. Turned out it was three does. It took them ten minutes but they fed my way and eventually came out at 25 yards. They were coming towards me so I waited, figuring they’d stop and turn. Well they hung a hard 90 and were dead away before I got a chance. Fortunately they fed around a good while and one decided come back towards me, even smelling my tree. I couldn’t twist to get the shot downward but she walked more or less diagonal away into my 11:00 and let me draw. It was fairly hard quartering away so I picked my exit hole, settled the pin, and stabbed the release. As the lighted nock disappeared I thought it was a little back but when the deer all ran off 40 yards and stopped i felt pretty good. They all stayed there for a solid 10 minutes before two spooked and ran off. I thought I heard a crash so I gathered up and got down. There was enough light that if she was heads up I could still shoot her. It wasn’t necessarily. She piled up about 50 yards from the shot. The entry was a touch back for preference, but it cut the top off the stomach, center punched the main liver arteries, and took out the lower front lobe of the right lung before exiting at the arm pit. I’d rather 2” further up the body but this will do. Full pass through most of the length of the body? I’ll take it. 50 yard tracking job? Done. Only had blood for the last 10 yards and not much, but a deer piled up in 50 will do.

Who needs practice when you're born perfect?

I was fishing yesterday and this kid was working a frog. He wanted to talk, and while I prefer solitude while fishing, I figured what the heck. So we talked. I swear I thought he was 13 or 14, but he said he had a girlfriend and a baby, so I guess he just looked young (or started early!). He asked me if I ever heard of Bates baitcasters, and tbf, I had not. He told me to check it out and gave it to me. It seemed nice (cork grips on the handle) and certainly solid aluminum. I think it was the Hundo 100. He said it was 100% USA Made. Their website states “Designed in the USA”. I think it’s rather pricy when I know there are reels out there worth that cost.

I'll purposely misspell words in memory of @Long Mike

Hopefully gets nice and fat here soon, hope you get a chance at it again once it's had a few good meals. Most of the bass here are starting to fill out nicely, but still getting a few that haven't seemed to be on that hardcore feeding pattern yet. The bigger one I got earlier in the week still had a lot of belly left to gain for the winter/spawn.

Nothing wrong with a work in progress. My marriage is 53yrs. old and it keeps changing, but I still have a marriage.

Nice, I'm sure you'll love it. The KLX I sold was also a 7'3 H/Mod-Fast. But it was only rated up to 1 1/4 oz. It was labeled as their Frog/Jig/Creature/Worm rod. I'm sure you'll be able to frog/punch with the one you ordered.

Probably the last day out today - caught a very healthy/aggressive/4 times jumping out of the water 17.5 inch smallie (Megabass BFS Griffon/Baby Bass) and an 18 inch plus smallie (Megabass Griffon/Gillko) here on Lake Minnewaska.....will try and post pics soon....temps are supposed to drop hard (rain/wind/sleet on the way) so will look to winterize the boat on Sunday or sometime this week.....would love to keep the boat active but temps are dropping and there were actually small chunks of ice floating around on the lake today....

Come let us receive warning points together.

@gimruis 6poundbass can take care of them for ya!

Got out with my dad yesterday. The wind was brutal but the 75 degree temps and sun made it bearable. The fish weren't as far along as I was expecting but the fall feed is definitely on. The fish we did catch were in windblown coves on the deep side of the weeds. The deeper vegetation was still pretty lively and the bluegills and perch were congregated in them. The lake we were at is known for it's landlocked alewives and I expected to get on a pattern chasing those but that didn't seem to be the case. I think it needs to get colder and for the vegetation to die off more before those bigger bait balls start to form. I managed 10 bass with most coming on a tailspin fished slow enough to just occasionally tick bottom. The fish were definitely not in a super active mood and a lot of my bites seemed to be reactive when I ripped it out of the weeds or paused it.

I was able to buy his 2023 Curado 70’s (3) for $100 apiece and his 2023 Loomis NRX Worm Rod for $300. I call that a nice haul!

I’m still enjoying my popcorn on this thread 😎 What next?! Daiwa and Shimano moving all manufacturing to China?!

I wish Santa would come to my house, grab the Bait Monkey and drop him down some other anglers chimney.

Got out for a few hours today with a buddy from Iowa. South metro. 50F water temp was a nice surprise. Was expecting mid 40s after the rain. Caught em on the jerkbait, jig minnow and jig. Probably 15 fish in the boat including four 4#ers.

Couldn't resist, $148 on sale, Kistler KLX incoming...

They teach boat anatomy in the 4th grade in Tennessee public schools.

Live look at the bait monkey calling in Orochi discounts to every single retailer I have an email inbox subscription with.

I say "con". Yankee here and the 5th grade was the best 3 years of my life!

I might give a big spinnerbait a toss tomorrow if the wind gets right. 😎😎😎

Got this long skinny fish on a hollow body bream . I don’t remember the name of it Ive had it so long. Noticed a bass crashing bream at my dock, so I thought of the bait. Tied it on and in less than 5 minutes , had the fish. He hit it like a bream hitting a bug on the surface- just pecked it and it was gone! First fish I ever caught on it.