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I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was! Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.

Peak fishing would have been in my 50’s when the local trophy bass lakes were peaking and I was healthy. Making annual trips to fish off shore Marlin and tuna in Baja down to Cabo. Casitas and Castiac were producing giant bass. My in-laws had their Lake of the Woods home for musky fishing. All my fishing buddies were alive along with my family, life was good! Now in my 80’s everything has changed, enjoy life while you can. Tom

I fished Presa Corinches for two days. I landed 10 total bass, with 4.5 pounds being the biggest. I always struggle at this lake. My best spot is a concrete block next to a barb wire fence. This picture was taken in May when the water is low. This cover is now 15 feet under water. I hooked a couple nice bass, here but hooking them in this cover and landing them can be difficult. Best bite is on crankbaits, but I try to catch them on a T Rig before attempting to work my crankbaits around the fence without getting snagged. I did manage to land 5 bass, and only lose a few baits.

The lakes around here close on the 31st, so I played hooky from honey do's today and got out on the water. I only had four hours to fish, but I made the best of it: Four LM bass, the biggest was my best for the year from this lake, 4.5lb. Six trout, the biggest was 16in. Four giant perch and the the grand slam on my last cast was an eleven pound cat, all caught on the same BFS combo and a 1/4oz. Blade bait. I never picked up another rod. Last game of the season, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and I crushed it! Freddie Freeman ain't got nothin' on the old man.

This is what I can do with one...

Went out with son #2 this weekend, Friday night saltwater, Saturday freshwater. Flounder (pic), about a 3 pound red, unfortunately no pic that was good. Saturday I caught 5 bass and this lovely crappie. 2 bass over 2 pounds, the rest under. Keitech micro-finess jigs and a TRD on a drop.

I keep my ripped physique covered up with a layer of blubber. I'm not a show off like @A-Jay. 😂

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

If I don't consider the arthritis in my joints, my poor eyesight, loss of hearing, and other obligations taking up most of my time, I might be at my peak, not sure, I can't remember. I do know I enjoy bass fishing as much as I ever have.

I'll stick to sorting my sock drawer, thank you very much

Being at my Peak in bass fishing, guess it may depend on how we define Peak. If it's centered around making long drives and then the physical ability to be & stay on the water for long periods of time, then I'm a bit past that. If it's based on knowledge & experience, I am clearly a work in progress. Either way, it's been quite a ride so far with plenty of ups & downs. Admittedly far more downs, but when a trophy class brown bass of over six pounds is the goal, it's part of the game. The satisfaction of putting it all together a few times a year and holding a fish few bassheads ever even see, is overwhelmingly satisfying. Location, Timing, Presentation and boat Loads of dogged Persistence, always ends up being worth it. I've still got plenty to learn and if I can keep myself in shape I'll stay at it as long as I can. Fish Hard. https://youtu.be/l4JGH21R93Q A-Jay

If I bought a rod that cost over $150, my bank account would hit bottom, and my head may get contacted by my wife. That is what sensitivity means to me.

Let me explain it this way! I could put any high end reel on any high end rod, spool it with braid for maximum sensitivity, tie on a Texas rig & then give it to my wife. She could not "feel" any difference if I had rigged it up on a Berkley Lightening rod! Why? Cause what is transmitted up the line, down the rod, through the hands will be lost in the brain. She doesn't fish & would not be able to interpret what she is feeling. Even for the average angler a certain amount of "sensitivity" is lost in the brain.

Centrifugal or dual brakes are most user friendly. Daiwa’s system is in a class of its own but there are variants, some better than others. Don’t waste your time looking for “backlash proof” reels. Learn to thumb the spool and it will open up a wide array of options to you.

ALSO this 😂😂😂 I been thinking back on my 4 years seriously targeting LMB and I go back to all the scenarios: Cold water Windy Slick calm Hot water Full Moon New Moon Waning crescent Waxing crescent High noon Sunset Sunrise Pre-spawn Spawn Post spawn Bank Boat Small water Big water Raining Drizzling Hurricaning Floods Drought High water Low water Etc etc etc And the only REAL wisdom about ANY of these scenarios that I can absolutely take to the bank is : GO FISHING AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN. The best scenario for me to catch a bass is with a wet line in some water that has bass. The rest of it I don't worry about anymore.

FishUSA got me with the Greenfish Little Rubber jigs being in stock.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. 😉 I got my first muskie double today, and one of them was a dandy!!! I had a big girl come in hot on the A-rig. She went around hot on it through the first turn of the 8, then as I started into the second, she went straight. I thought, she's gonna smoke my crappie rig... NOPE. I waited a couple minutes... nothing. I picked up the rig again and on the second cast got bit mid retrieve. It was a smaller fish, but things have been really tough lately, so I was happy to have it. As I get it next to the boat and start trying to net it, one of my crappie rigs gets SMOKED. I'm trying to net the smaller fish and that big girl is headed for deep water with my crappie in her mouth, bait clicker screaming away. By the time I got the little fish squared away and swung on the big'n she was 50'-60' out. Couple big head shakes and she starts peeling drag, then once I got her close she launched and tail walked twice. Pretty unusual for a muskie in 56 degree water. By the time I got her in the net too, I was shaking like a dog pooping pine cones. 😂 I think she was down there eyeing my crappie, and that little fish going ape next to it triggered her. So... the little fish is 34.5" and the big girl is 46.5". She's a gorgeous, heavy fall fish. Best of the year so far, or at least tied for first with that August full moon 46.5". She was a heavy beast too. Slow going for the next few hours, with only one follow by a mid 30's on the rig, then on my last spot I bagged a 42" on the crappie rig. All in all, one heck of a trip. Thank you Lord. I appreciate it.

Until you get slack in your line, then ya got nuthin.

Instead of Free Willy its Free T-Billy!

My local shop, picked Bates reels up a bit ago. Corner display case full of them. They look really nice, and ive only heard good things about them so far. But the lack of transparency mentioned by @Tennessee Boy, then trying to deceptively claim they are a USA made reel, while only actually "designed in the USA" but made overseas from various sources. Pair that with the price that makes 0 sense. Im a little skeptical, as im sure others are. I personally dont like Zillions, i know they are great reels and all that, they just dont fit me. But if i did like them as most of the population do i would definitely buy a Zillion (proven reel) for around $200 before buying a reel for $375 surrounded in all that baggage, or whatever you want to call it. If they came in at around $150-175 i can see maybe more of them being sold.... I speak for most of America when saying this, id rather buy a Ferrari from Italy for 500k, than a Chevy truck (assembled overseas) for 1 million.

What baitcaster do I use? All of them. The bait monkey can confirm.

If you only knew what you could do with those... @MN Fisher you made my point - you can't do that with ^^this^^ one Not casting 3 g - not casting 20 g.

My old Round abu ‘s and my thumb I know I’m old

I don’t look at it as age related. Considering my overall peak, all things considered is past. There are limitations now that I didn’t have even 5 yrs ago. However there are certain things that I think I reached and some I never will. Mike

They are big and they are mean and you are teaching them to respect the furry hat.

I think my peak as a fisherman has yet to come. My peak as a bass fisherman has likely past. I've largely moved on to a bigger and meaner fish. 😉

My “Peak” was when I was guiding and some tournament fishing and traveling doing grand openings for Bass Pro and Cabelas when working for a rep group out of Kansas and I had a full load of sponsors that I was doing retailer visits and demonstrations. I pretty much overloaded myself with fishing related activities which included my pro staff requirements with Bass Pro. I was deep into it. I have cut back and now concentrate on a few of my sponsorships and have stepped back from retail obligations. As far as my fishing, I may spend less time on the water but with age comes wisdom and my time is much more productive. I am lucky enough to be financially able to travel and fish more for the fun of it and to enjoy the experience more. I have taken, and continue to take trips to locations away from my home base. Lake Powell, Lake Lanier, Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Headwaters, Wolf River, Waupaca Chain, Big Green, St Clair, St Lawrence River, are just some of my trips with a lot more on the horizon. I fish most every week year round and enjoy it much more now that I’m doing it strictly for me. So in some respects, I’m in my prime now more than when I was in the industry up to my ears.

Wow, do I weigh in or not. I think todays rod's graphite rods from a good manufacturer are plenty sensitive to detect bites. Bite detection is a learned skill. I look at it this way. Did I reel or move that lure into something or did it feel like something alive "hit" it. If you want to learn bite detection you have to use either a soft plastic (worm or your favorite creature bait) or a jig. You'll learn to feel that tick, thump or mushy nothingness that indicates a fish has inhaled your bait. Sometimes it is just a feeling that the bait got heavy or the line is getting tight. Put in some serious time with either of the above and your ability to detect bites will greatly increase. The bigger fish will sometimes be the hardest to detect because of their ability to suck a bait into their mouth without moving. Sometines your line will just start moving off without feeling anything or other times it will just be a "light tick" and a heavy feeling. Set the hook! Swing/sweeps are free. I have to add my .02 in on the under lying line debate in this thread. I preface this is just my opinion! Braid is both the least sensitive and the most sensitive. Fluorocarbon is the best for transmitting bites on bottom contact bites. On the fall it transmits better due to it's being stiffer (less limp) then monofilament or braid. hence the term "jump" (mine line jumped a foot when that hydrilla gorilla bit) that is used when getting a hard bite on the fall. Monofilament transmits bite detection almost as well as fluoro does. I don't use the co-ploymer lines at all. I imagine that they are the same as fluoro or mono. Braided line being very limp has no bite transmission when it is anything other then taut/tight to the lure. Braided line when taut lets you feel everything that's happening at the end of your line. So it is also the best when taut and least when limp. In summation I use mostly fluorocarbon for "normal" casting and retrieving jig or worm bottom contact fishing. If I am pitching or flipping to heavy cover or through matted or heavy weeds with a heavier weight or jig then it is braid and I am tight to my lure through out the cast and retrieve. That's my .02. Fishingmickey

No, not anymore. I would say I was at my peak fishing days in my late 20's and early 30's. My brother and I would start fishing right at midnight when our season opened and we fished until day break. I did this for 10 years straight (targeting walleyes with lighted bobbers). There is absolutely no way I could do it now. It would screw up my energy and sleep habits for days. Not to mention my wife probably wouldn't like it either. Bout 5, maybe 6 hours is my max nowadays. Sometimes I feel like I could fish longer, but I have other responsibilities in life too. No one can defy Father Time. Except maybe Tom Brady and @T-Billy.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you on much of that. We're one of only two states in the entire country that still has a completely closed bass season for a portion of the year. But, I don't make the rules. I just follow them. Most of the more restrictive fishing laws here have nothing to do with the actual species they're trying to protect though. In some way, shape, or form, the restrictions are in place to protect the sacred walleye. They are placed on a pedestal here and protecting them trumps everything else. Even if there is no scientific reason, like having a closed bass season from Feb - May when they spawn after that. Make it make sense.

You must learn to practice patience, young Padawan. There are times I just love tossing out a bobber/jig with a bit of plastic on the hook and lean back, enjoying the quiet while keeping an eye on that bobber. It's very relaxing. Just like a drop-shot...toss it out, keep it semi-taunt and wait for that tap...I kinda get into a Zen state...again, very relaxing.

Because its like watching grass grow lol I'd rather sort my sock drawer

I think these excerpts from three of our astute members pretty much sums up my thoughts on this. I will add that @A-Jay's statement that "any decent quality stick can get the job done" and @WRB's statement that "You can get all you need for under $300" say a lot though. In other words, the vast majority of us who have bass fished for many years tend to buy sticks that meet a certain minimum level of sensitivity and quality. When I am on the water I want all the elements involved to be in my favor. As for @woolleyfooley's Champion Extreme rod, I think that you have plenty of sensitivity to get the job done.

Ya - but as Gim pointed out, it's illegal here. Anything MN-DNR classifies as a 'game fish' cannot be used, alive or dead - whole or cut up, as bait...that includes all the panfish species. So we're limited to what's labeled as 'minnows'...though that does include some pretty large fish as the Golden Shiner can hit 12" and the White Sucker can reach 20".

I have a Mitchell combo from Walmart, $39.98, it got me through a rough patch. My wife was having radiation and chemotherapy treatments. We were in a rental, a couch, small two person dining table, and a bed, various pots and pans for the kitchenette. No radio, or TV, but it did have a sliding glass door to a 8x8 concrete patio with a fenced back yard. I bought the combo, on an impulse, while at Walmart stocking the house with stuff. I could leave the sliders open and could hear if my wife needed anything while I practiced casting and pitching from the patio. I spent countless hours and days on that make believe boat, casting at various targets in the yard, sidearm, underhanded and backhanded and pitching. I don’t always use it, but I take it with me on the boat. Like I mentioned it got me through a rough patch, but it was nothing compared to what my wife had to endure.

Greatest little things since slice bread. Not that expensive, holds charge all season, takes up little space (about like a moderate sized book) , can start any marine engine + your truck engine.

Any condition that breaks up light penetration is a plus when it comes to bass fishing. Clouds, rain, dusk, dawn, wind,etc. is a bonus. That's when horizontal presentations seem to rule. Cloudless skies and little or no breeze is when vertical presentations seem to work better for me, especially around cover. Pitching soft plastics, or jigs tight to or into cover are the best producers. The sun also aids in finding location patterns as shade plays a big role then.

What. Have. You. Done.

And scene....

@Texas Flood For me; it's killer post spawn through summer. I'll set up in 20-25' fow and throw it at the weedline/break trying to tightline surf it down through the tops of the hydrilla. When it it hits bottom, 2-3 fast reel turns, rod pointed down still, tightline again till bottom. Repeat. It's also good on deep flats for me when bluegill are suspended. Same bomb cast, tightline, reel rips. @WRB put me on to a cps spring and a 2" piece of a trick worm as a weedguard. When the bite is on; it's a big fish bait. No dinks mess around with it, and the bite is an obvious thunk. Can't miss it. I like a longer rod, loomis 904mbr is my fave. There's some Seth Feider vids out there pimping the chicken jig. Good luck! scott

As you should.

Cloudy rainy days occur about 2 months out of 12 in SoCal but they occur during pre spawn seasonal period prime time for big bass. Lower light, falling barometer and lighter boat traffic when it’s cloudy with light rain. Storms are another story unsafe to fish in high wind and heavy rain. For catching numbers of bass sunny days, Catching numbers of big bass cloudy w/light rain. Tom

Lew's which uses a combination of internal and external brake settings.

I've personally never seen a correlation between cloud conditions and Bass feeding activity. I had some of my best days when it's sunny, and also when it's cloudy. The only conclusion I can make is go fishing when you can, cloudy or sunny......you never know when you're going to catch your white whale.

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000 (red) Heddon Mark Special Purpose #6271 5 1/2' MH Fiberglass with a cast aluminum reel seat & handle. Total weight about 2# plus! I started tournament fishing with only one setup.

The more bites you get, the easier they are to detect.

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

TW week 1 sale fun, minus the split ring pliers to replace a pair I lost last year.

Ha!!! I know how this will end. The lightning strike will come the day after I win the lotto. It'll either kill me (not a problem), or more likely, cripple me and all my winnings will go to medical bills. 😂

I love fishing cloudy overcast days. I think the fish feel safer with less visibility from above. I certainly catch more when it's overcast.