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Interesting day ! Fished my way up the river and wasn’t having anything but dink nibbles . After a couple hours I finally got a solid hit and it was and 18.5 + inch SMB on a black jig! Ambassaduer 4600c and 50 lb seguar tactx braid . Great fight lots of fun. For some reason I went way on upstream and tried some different stuff until I drifted back down to where I caught the first one. I tried one of @Bluebasser86’s bladed jigs with no trailer in sparse millfoil and a 4.82 lb large grabbed it! Using the st croix mojo rod seviin reel and seaguar jdm braid. Only two fish but they were two nice ones for here

Last day out for the season. 2 nice bass were the highlights of the day. It was a great way to finish a great season.

Full clouds, light rain. Slight breeze. Thought it was going to be a great morning. But one missed (dink) bite and one catch. That was it. But the catch was unique. I saw a bass busting baitfish against the bank and cast a TR Senko to the spot. It took it right off the bat then it felt like it was gone. Then it started fighting again but it felt completely different. As I got it near the boat I saw it hooked in the belly. But I saw my Senko up near its mouth. After netting it, I saw it was an old, almost rusted through hook stuck in its belly and my line was threaded through the gap in the eye. As I lifted the bass out of the net, both hooks fell out. So I caught one bass and helped it get rid of an old hook.

With the end of daylight savings time, our Saturday after work trips have been shortened up and there aren't many left this year. We only got to muskie fish for about 2.5 hrs today, but Tammy got to put a 37.5" in the net with the crappie rig. That's #12 for her this year. Her first year getting into double digits on 'em. Then the Muskie managed to catch a sucker when it buried a #1 4x strong treble in my index finger clear up to the bend, then it proceeded to go ape while we were hooked together. That was fun!!!🤬 😂 I'm here to tell ya'll, those Knipex cutters are worth every penny. I screwed up by cutting the point that was in my finger at the shank, thinking I'd just push it through. WRONG!!! It was too deep and I almost lost the whole thing under the skin. I ended up having to apply pressure away from the barb and rip it out with pliers. Lesson learned. I'll be cutting them at the eye every time going forward. Then I can pop 'em out with braid. Anyway, It was a good trip. I'm always happy when I can put my girl on fish.

Fun BFS fishing morning. Found a little school chasing a bait ball they had trapped in a grass pocket. The bass would only bite when they decided to flash through the school but it was consistent for almost 4 hours.

Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans —living or dead— but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. Thank You Brothers & Sisters. A-Jay

Dad at 17,000 ft

More after work fun. They have been slamming the shad on this bank all week. The mayor and hybrid swim jig. I need to dig out my scale.

I've been keeping an 85 lb. Old Town two-person canoe at my pond and paddling it backwards from the bow seat. It's a goofy design as it mimics the vintage birch bark canoes with their raised bows and sterns. Being high up front and in the back means it catches more wind and paddling it from the bow seat and backwards means I'm not centered in the canoe, although the bow seat does move me a little closer to the middle. So, tomorrow I'm buying an Old Town NEXT canoe. It's 29 pounds lighter than the current canoe at my pond and a solo boat, which means it'll be more efficient and faster. Of course, it's shorter, which means it'll be more crowded. It has a kayak-style seat, which is padded and will be more comfortable. I'm buying it used for $550. I'll leave it at my pond and I expect to catch a few bass from it. I'll keep the tandem boat at my boat for when I have a guest and for friends to use. Here's the new canoe:

Choosing fall techniques and lures by water temperatures. Just posted! Viewers demanded this video!

Mrs. Chunkworth in the fog right after breakfast this morning… a hair under 6, good start to the day..

RIP Ben

Some folks like myself are wired hyper sensitive and trigger happy, having a little duller sensation and significantly slower action inherently imparts some delay into the equation, thereby allowing fish to eat the bait better before the angler both detects the bite, and then sets the hook. If you have a natural delay built into your game, than I don't see why you wouldn't just go with a parabolic graphite action. In some situations and for some anglers, too much sensitivity can actually negatively impact hookup and landing percentages. All that said, were kind of splitting hairs here. Individual angler preference is many times based more on confidence rather than theoretical advantages of a particular piece of equipment or bait. If you buy a glass rod and have success with it, most likely you're going to stay a glass rod man.

Happy Birthday Pops, as well as my uncles and all Marines here at home and overseas! Here’s my Dad’s almost 70 year old campaign hat and swagger stick from back in the day.

Both 😉

Original bags or bait bags purchased HERE - then stashed into Plano 3707-10 or 3607-10 single compartment boxes by type - Senkos in one, curly tail worms in another, craws in another, etc.

Bucees is the worst place you could imagine, 0/10 would not recommend

JDM prices are too good on daiwa and shimano to waste money on any other brand.

I spent nearly 11 hours in my stand today for the gun opener. Easily the best opener I've had in years. I saw 12 deer, including 6 small bucks. Took one of the antlerless deer and filled my bonus tag with a plump corn fed doe. I also saw 8 wild turkeys and about two dozen pheasants. Nearly constant action and a stunning day in the stand. Now I just wait for Mr Big the next 7 days.

Not intending to insult you personally, other than you happen to fit in this group. People like you that have never owned or operated a boat have no business starting out in a 21', 250 HP bass boat. You have no basic boat skills and are now going on the water in a boat that probably will run in excess of 70 MPH. It isn't the same as driving a car. I really isn't. I would be much more concerned about my children's safety in a big, fast boat driven by someone totally experienced than the size of the boat. You can learn all the technical stuff. Lots of good sources out there. What you can't learn without serious water time is basic seaman skills. Get you a small boat. Stay off big water. Learn how to launch, retrieve, tie up, fish, maneuver, and all the other basic skills. Spend lots of water time. I'm 78 years old, started out a long time ago in my dad's 12' jon boat with a 5.5 HP motor. Worked my way up through various size boats until now. I'm running (because I choose to run this size boat) a 19.5' Skeeter ZX200 with a 200 HP motor. I can run almost 70MPH. I've been running high performance boats for almost 30 years, and I still scare myself occasionally.

there are no gears when you are casting. When you click the button, you are in freespool. There are a number of bearings and bushings (it varies by reel) that keep the spool spindle in place. When you click the button, your lure should free fall to the ground (fast or slow is personal preference and style. The zillion should be fast if you’re using the brakes). The gears and bearings should have negligible resistance on the spool when the lure is in flight. The amount is governed by the spool tension knob which on a zillion should be ‘negligible’ tension. On other reels that have good brakes you also may want negligible spool tension and let the brakes do the job. There are two different but acceptable ways to set up a reel. 1- negligible spool tension and enough brakes to not overrun. 2- negligible braking and enough spool tension to not overrun. you could crank both up to eliminate backlashes but distance will be poor. You can crank both down and just use your thumb like old timers but it takes a lot of practice. Scenario 1 above is the recommendation for a zillion, SV spools, other reels with shallow spools and good braking mechanisms. The spool is free and flows with no effort or restraint from tension. When the spool spins fast from a cast (like a hard cast or quick flick) the brakes slow down the spin to help prevent overruns. This type of reel setup works well with high lure speed wrist casting, roll casts, etc because the brakes help tame that initial burst of input. Scenario two is often where new casters start and many never leave. It’s the “add enough spool tension so the lure drops slowly and the spool stops when it hits the ground” club. This is how my dad has cast for 40 years and how I learned. The spool tension is constant through the cast and more than negligible. It’s constantly slowing the lure. This type of setup works best for casting styles that have a smoother application of power and more constant lure speed. A casual sidearm cast is a good example. This often pairs well with slightly more moderate actioned rods that have a smooth power stroke over a longer casting stroke. If you are experienced, you can pick up either type and get on just fine. I sometimes have both types set up in the boat at the same time. You just have to remember which one you picked up before you make that first cast. are you sure you haven’t over spooled the reels? Shallow spools don’t take much line and over spooling would cause the issues you’re seeing.

Been just over three weeks ~ and a busy / rugged three weeks. Each week has included several eye exams, blood draws, at least two chemo infusions as well as visits to the hematologist, rheumatologist and nephrologist. Like just about all folks waiting for 'test results' the waiting is mind numbing and brutal. Almost don't want to answer the phone. Either way, got some good news and some not so good news. Good news, Lynn's kidney function numbers continue to improve. Enough that she's scheduled next week to have surgery to remove the device in her leg where she was getting her treatment through. We're pretty happy about most all of that. Not so good news. Although the eye surgery successfully removed the blood that was in her eye, Lynn's vision was not improving as hoped/expected. Upon further exam, and not that the surgeon could see what was going on in there, Lynn's retina has been irreparably damaged. Something they couldn't see before. So while she has 'some limited' vision back in her right eye, unfortunately it's not nearly as significant as we were hoping for. Much of this has taken a toll, always does but we're Still taking one day at a time and trying to make making the best out of the cards we're dealt. Our 25 wedding anniversary is on the 13th this month, not sure how that's going to go. I do know I'll be taking a break from adding anything here for a while. At least until after the New Year anyway. Stay Safe & Healthy. Thanks again A-Jay

Tomorrow morning it's time to head out on vacation! After nearly four years without taking a vacation and months of deliberation between heading to Florida or Texas, I'm heading to Texas to do some fishing at Lake Fork. I had considered hitting Rayburn and Toledo Bend as well, but since I am fishing the Native Watercraft No Limits tournament on Fork I'm going to put in a lot of pre-fishing. I will probably spend a day at Caddo or Bisteneau on the way back. One cool thing about this trip is that @LrgmouthShad is going to meet me later in the week and he will be fishing his first kayak tournament. It's always great meeting BR members when I head to events. If any more of you will be at Fork from the 10th through the 17th, please let me know. Tournament day is on the 16th. Speaking of this tournament, it's a unique event. Normally, in a kayak tournament it's the total length of your 5 largest fish that count. But in this tournament, ALL of your fish (over 14") count. First place is $1,000 - $3,500 depending upon the number of entries. But wait, there's more! There is an hourly Big Bass Bonus every hour of the tournament. The payoff is between $700 and $1,000 per hour depending upon the number of entries. They also have giveaways every hour. I've got a 14 hour drive ahead of me and I'm thinking of stopping in Mississippi and fishing Barnett or I may stop and fish Caddo or Bisteneau on the way down. My hotel reservation doesn't start until Sunday, but I'm leaving Saturday, taking my time, and giving myself the option to fish somewhere Sunday morning. Monday I'll set out somewhere on Fork on my own, but Tuesday I hired a guide to help me learn the lake and find some places to fish. Normally, with Bassmaster, Bass Nation, and Hobie events fishing off a boat and / or with a guide during tournament week is prohibited. But since this tournament does not have that rule I thought I would take advantage of some local knowledge. I can mark waypoints in my Humminbird or Garmin app for when I hit the lake on my own. The biggest lesson I learned fishing the few Bassmaster and Bass Nation events I did this year is that I can't just show up to a lake I have never fished before and find fish. It doesn't matter how much I studied maps or what articles I read online. They are no substitutes for pre-fishing and covering water. I guess that's why anglers in the Elites and BPT were buying and selling waypoints. My pack out is done on my vehicle, and holy cow I have a lot of stuff including backup props and shear pins, tools, fuses, wiring, soldering equipment, battery charger, power inverter (to charge from my Bronco if needed), tools, spare tire for my trailer, clothes for all weather conditions, and a few bins of tackle so I should not have to buy anything once I get there (good luck with that, right?). I did pick up a few sponsors recently (i.e. I get steep discounts and occasional free stuff, no cash) and they want social media engagement so I'll have my GoPros rigged in hopes of getting some decent video. Hopefully I can put together a decent recap of the trip when I get home in a few weeks. My goal with the social media is not only to promote the sponsor products, but also to show what it's like for an average angler to fish in some of these bigger tournaments highlighting preparation, equipment, costs, etc. Anyway, I'm hoping this turns out to be an epic road trip. I'm going to try and post some updates throughout the week.

I would like to see what most prefer for soft plastic storage. Do you keep them in their original packages, or do you remove them and put them in boxes like plano 3700? I have tried both and each way seems to have it's own pros and cons. I have also tried the bags in those binders, but for me they don't seem to store as neatly. So lets hear your preferred soft plastics storage? thanks.

There are companies that have achieved actions that are more conducive to effective crankbait fishing and some, Dobyns 764 CB really shine. But there are also some glass rods such as the Alpha Anglers Rebound that provide that delayed or slower response without being heavy or lacking sensitivity. You can have your cake and eat it too.

I feel EXACTLY the same way. It's the main reason there's five dozen bass rods out in the garage. I've really found my groove with ARK rods though. I like the seats/grips, and the tapers and powers have proven to be spot on for my taste. They've proven to be both sensitive and durable too. I've been giving the others away to friends and family.

Happy Birthday Marines! Happy Veterans Day all, your service to this nation is and always will be appreciated!

Problem IMO, is rarely are all things Equal. So the 'Superior" choice for me changes with the situation. Factors that come into play include (but might not be limited to) Casting distance, Strike detection, Long distance Hook setting ability, Fighting & landing the bass, finally, and this is so completely specific to each of us, it NEEDS to feel GOOD in my hands. Can't really expand or quantify that one, but it's a big deal for me. I have Glass, Composite & Graphite. I no longer fish the all glass sticks. #retired. The vast majority of my horizontal moving baits, both single & treble hook deals are fished on a couple of different types of composite sticks. There's always exceptions, and I make them when I need to. However over all they represent a fairly small percentage of what I do & need. But I'm glad I have them when I need them. 2 of the sticks below are Moderate action Graphite (A-Rig rods) The rest are all some type of Graphite/Glass Composite blend. A-Jay

This is how i do it in PA. I feel bad for you guys that stop for the winter, i dont know how you get through it not fishing.

First thing is to clean it. Then run a cycle and see whats what. Start with the simple stuff first.

There are a few factors. Some vendors have stock, some vendors restock weekly and ship around that schedule. If they ship JP Post EMS, the package will always be delayed in a USPS ISC for US Customs. If they ship courier, they can arrive as quickly as 40 hours, because the couriers handle their own US Customs. Ali Express? Generally takes a couple of weeks, possibly more - they fill a shipping container, import through a Customs broker, ground freight to delivery post office. Whomever you bought from, try using their tracking, but I wouldn't risk e-mail to change delivery address.

Winterizarion? You mean put gloves and a beanie on right?

Change the valve Depending on how it’s piped, DON’T SHUT the gas off at any junction other than at the source OUTSIDE the house. Mike

12 days? That's almost enough time for TW. Jokes aside, my japan orders have never taken longer than a week and are usually in the 3-5 day range. JLS is not one I have ordered from before though. Maybe @bulldog1935 can chime in, he's been importing from Japan for many years. scott

I also did maintenance on my two canoes. I set the Kevlar canoe on sawhorses in my garage and I pulled the Royalex canoe from the water and flipped it.

@little giant is onto something here. I have two friends who can't load a rod for boo. While both swing their arm/rod back, they always stop and let the rod unload completely (even turn around and look at it), then snap their wrists hard for forward cast stroke. Their rod acceleration is only one half of a normal cast, and they make up for it with severe wrist jerk. This gets a working cast result with spinning tackle. If they tried this with linear-mag-brake baitcaster, they'd get bad start-up backlash. If they tried this with MagForce/Z/SV baitcaster, they'd only get half a cast, because the brake design is doing its job, subtracting all that jerk at start-up.

U.S. NAVY TOTAL 6 years stationed on the USS Constellation CV64 Naval Expeditionary Force Guam. Naval Security Group Adak, AK

I dunno about Andy, but I use the Rapid Solutions Line Clips

"The reel test" on yt got 165' zillion sv tw using a 6'6" rod. Just saying.....

Out yesterday west of the metro. Ramp docks were pulled out of the lake. 47F water temp. Fish were aggressive but I couldn't get any big girls. Caught most fish on jerkbaits. Probably the end of the bassin season for me. Lots to do around the property before snow flies.

Sorry to hear about another roller coaster ride Andy. Nothing else matters now than spending as much quality time as possible with Lynn and your pack. Take care and we’ll be here when you’re ready to come back.

Yup ~ Especially when there's a plethora of rods and reels, both these simple deals are nice to have. Rapid Fishing Solutions Line Clips ~ https://www.rapidfishingsolutions.com/products/line-clips/ TW has them as well. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-RAPDACC.html A-Jay

Im sorry to be the one to tell you this, most Daiwa and Shimano reels are made in both those countries. In fact probably even the same factory as Piscifun. I looked at a few of their reels years ago, along with a few other Amazon sold brands, between the "paid good reviews" the real bad reviews, and the part about not being sure if the reels could handle bass without being ruined i decided id spend the extra $20. Im sure they make good reels, but if a 10lber is on the other end of the line i want the most advantages i can get. Im also sorry to be the one to tell you this as well, JDM prices are 2x higher than what most places had them on sale for 1, 2, and 3 years ago. Got most of my Daiwa, Shimano, and Lews rods/reels between 30-50% off. But for now with 20% being the best sale i can find, JDM reels seem to be the best option. Unless you like the way a Lews, Abu, or something else feels. Than whatever fits you best is the best option. In fact if Lews dropped their Mach series and went all in on their real reels and rods, dropped prices a bit, and upped marketing they would probably be able to win over the more budget oriented market and do alot better than they are now, without the competition. But i try to be unbiased, so for MSRP no brands worth it.

God Bless her.. she’s going thru it. Of course I know you are too A-Jay.. Prayers brother, that’s what I have.

Fun morning in the blind but an odd one. Seven deer in all, all at 15-20 yards and could have shot all but the first (too dark). One button buck and six bucks. No does. That’s really weird here. the biggest is the 8 in the dark cell cam picture. The rack is high off his head and decent, but one more year…. There’s a wide 8 there with short tines that I passed previously. He was with a really tall 6 where the rack is almost straight up in the air. Take the best of both of those two and you’d have a shooter. Then a couple forks and a 5. I’m going to give it as long as I can since I hear more down in the woods.

Scruppy McScrupperson has made several appearances here on Bassresource over the years. To my knowledge, he’s the only one who has unlocked the GPS coordinates to Lake Menderchuck. He and @A-Jay go way back.

or they are making YouTube content. If you’re out fishing anyway, might as well film it and turn it into something.

Pretty sure Scuppy McScuppersen had to hang it up as well. He couldn't read his FFS screens and just never could get glasses big enough Such a shame really. A-Jay

Don't get me wrong, it will make a wonderful fishing platform. If the money is not a problem, get it, you and your kids will thoroughly enjoy it. Ya'll will really appreciate the size. I had an 18'6" before the 20' and it got small really quick with me, my dad and granddaughter fishing from it. I used mine for 15 years and still had to think long and hard about selling it, even after it sat sometimes a year or more between uses for the past few years. At 75, and no fishing partner, fishing trips were just not that enjoyable anymore. I still have my jon boat and it has only been used a couple of times since I sold my bass boat. Someone mentioned a deep sided boat with the kids, I never felt mine was unsafe even in the choppiest water with white caps, it was very stable and rode like a dream in rough water. I will mention, you being a newbie to boats, especially one like that. That will be in the neighborhood of an 80mph boat and can turn deadly really quick. Being new to boats and trying to drive it 80mph ain't nothing like getting in your car and driving 80mph. Think of it like having never driven a race car and then trying to drive an Indy car in a race.

Your height has nothing to do with the rod length you choose.