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Got out this evening for a few hours before dark at one of my favorite spots, started fishing right at 2:00. I really wanted to try out the new reel I picked up for my chatterbait setup, and managed a small bass right off the bat with it. Before moving down the bank, I picked up the lipless and worked my way through the spot again, and second cast with it I hooked into this big girl: My biggest of 2024 so far and will be my first FWC TrophyCatch submission in almost 2 years. Finished working the area some more but no other bites after releasing her, so I moved on. Bite slowed but I was getting them here and there, mostly against grass lines. Got a 2.84 and this 4.52 on the chatterbait out of a windblown corner. I like this Curado 150 MGL quite a lot so far. Worked my way back towards where I was parked, threw the lipless around some more active feeding I was seeing, and ended the night with another big girl, my second biggest (barely) of the year: Unfortunately, the treble just barely got her in the gill she didn't bleed when I got the hook out, it wasn't until I got her up for the picture that I noticed she had started to bleed so the picture turned out bad. Got her back in the water until the bleeding slowed, then got a weight and sat with her in the water until the bleeding stopped and she had a strong release. Both of the big lipless fish made strong runs and multiple jumps and stayed pegged. I don't want to jinx it, but I think I've finally got my lipless setup dialed in to maximize my landing ratio (as much as I can, at least). Star of the show tonight was this lipless, 3/4 oz Thunderhawk Sergeant in the new Shad color. Ended with 9 total, those were the only ones worth weighing, plus a few 1 pounders. Puts my 5 fish bag at roughly 23.6lbs for the evening.

Went out this morning and got two crappie, came home for breakfast mid morning and my wife made a French ham and cheese croissant. Went back out fishing around 2 and fished offshore, only one nibble. Then I Hit the banks with a green pumpkin finesse worm and got 7 smb and 1 lmb from 4-5:30. Largest was around 17”, one was super skinny and another fought way harder than it should have for its size. Fun day

I logged on last night intending on writing up a depressing report detailing how, despite having a great year overall, I haven’t seen a bass since early October. Zero bass all November and the last trip out my fishing buddy pulled up a nice two pounder on a Ned rig in 30ft but I had no such luck. A handful of pickerel and a rock bass was all I had to show for almost two months of effort. While cruising the site I started looking into cold water tactics and found a Mike Bucca article about float n’ fly rigs and thought maybe I could piece something together and get out one last time. I really just wanted one more bass to close out a great year on a high note. I woke up this morning to 23 degrees and quickly changed my mind, accepting that the season was over and I’d be better off using the day to start packing up my fishing gear for winter. I don’t know why by right around noon while pulling out tackle boxes something inside told me this was my last chance and to just suck it up and go catch one more bass. So I got permission from my wife who thought I was crazy, told my fishing buddy who also thought I was crazy, grabbed some gear, and made for a favorite spot that I know well. I was on the water around 1:30pm with water temps 40-41 degrees, air temp a balmy 35 and a stiff 12mph wind. I had with me a piecemeal float n’ fly rig that never touched the water because my other rod had a blade bait and it turns out that’s all I needed. I fished for just shy of three hours before sunset timed me out but in that time I had the best fishing of my entire life. I ended with 11 largemouth totaling 31.68lbs and a new personal best 4.38lbs. Two over 4lbs and three over 3lbs. I started the day throwing the blade bait into deep water off a point and jigging it back but had no luck. However, as I was quickly blown towards shore I tossed it shallow to a spot I’d been successful with spinnerbaits earlier in the year and that’s when I hooked up my first. I spent the rest of the day fishing that blade bait the same way I had been throwing spinnerbaits all year and into the same spots, throwing shallow and pulling it back out deep with a medium/slow straight retrieve that just ticked the bottom. I can’t believe how successful I was today. At times I was hooking up to bass one cast after another and they just seemed to keep getting bigger. I thought I had to be dreaming. I’ve had an incredible year and started 2024 at this same lake back in early March and caught a personal best 3.31lb largemouth only to beat that three more times and end in the same place I started, and to think that less than 24hrs ago I was ready to pack up and admit defeat. The wife and I have our second due late May so I know next year won’t be the same, in fact it’ll be quite some time before I spend as much time on the water as I did this past year making today even more special.

Unlike much of what you see online regarding SuperTuned reels, I avoid making any similar exaggerated claims regarding casting distance. Imo the biggest advantage of improved free spool whether achieved through cleaning, super Tuning or bearing upgrades is easier casting leading to improved accuracy. Some ancillary distance gained is common. The rub is that people don’t do improvements in steps. For example, a dirty, gummed up reel gets super tuned and new bearings and gets substantial gains. A simple deep cleaning would have realized 75% of those gains and should always be the first step. This is the new baseline to compare further modifications against. Different reel models respond differently to modifications too. This also goes unaddressed all too often. Anyone with general or specific questions should feel free to contact me directly or by posting. Hopefully people I’ve dealt with will agree, I’m more apt to under sell than to push something that won’t benefit the customer.

3 Advantages Able to fish year round Sam Rayburn Toledo Bend 3 Disadvantages 3 ruptured disc

This is a no brainier for me. I’d pick my Dad no matter what, even if I didn’t think we could win. My dad has dementia bad now & I haven’t been able to fish with him for a decade. I miss it terribly!!! I’d do almost anything to be able to fish with him again. You & your Dad will have an opportunity to make many memories together that you’ll cherish the rest of your life. Plus, you say he’s coachable & sounds like a decent fisherman. You’ll prob be competitive enough with him in the boat to give you a shot at winning too. Even if you have to give him a few pointers or tell him what bait to try.

Went out Saturday in what was supposed to be light winds and some flurries. The wind was way stronger than expected and those "flurries", sure accumulated quickly when they were coming down so fast I couldn't see across the lake. The fish didn't mind, biting from start to finish. Over 30 largemouth, several trout, a couple white bass, 2 walleye, a couple drum, even a little flathead in the 48* water. One of the bass was my heaviest of the year at 6.02lbs, a full .01lbs heavier than my previous heaviest of the year.

Great question. I assume the goal is to catch more fish and you are you are asking what advantages and disadvantages we have in that regard. For me that all comes down to time on the water. So my greatest advantage is I’m retired and my greatest disadvantages are other obligations that keep me off the water. In my opinion nothing else even comes close to time on the water when it comes to catching fish. As I get older I’m starting to realize that it’s not all about catching fish. For me it’s more about understanding the game and solving the puzzle.

If we're referring to Advantages as conditions or factors that enhance my ability to achieve success, which in my case means staying safe, having fun and catching a few big brown bass while doing it, then this is what I've got. Desire, commitment & determination. Experience has shown me that it takes what it takes. The only question is am I willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. That can and does come in many different forms. It's always a test/battle of wills between me, the elements, father time & the bass themselves. Over the years we take turns winning & losing. If disadvantages in fishing refers to the unfavorable conditions or obstacles that reduce the chances of my success, deals that impose challenges and require extra effort to overcome. Or might be complete out of my control. There's plenty of those. Don't feel the need to make a 'list'. Instead I just say IME, Life is the Ultimate challenge. Whether I'm fishing or not. When such a small percentage of my time is spent 'actually fishing', seems not doing whatever I can to prepare & to set myself up for success before I get on the water, would be a distinct disadvantage for me and a big advantage for the bass. Stay Safe. A-Jay

"If you worry about what might be...and wonder what might have been...you will ignore what is."

My advantage is I live in Mexico. My disadvantage is I don't live in Maine.

You’re not the first or last to have unrealistic expectations of a reel after all the marketing and internet chatter we get our way.

I have to say, I have never seen a time where so many outlets had so many sales, extended sales with so many aggressive discounts. Items never on sale are popping up. It’s a great time to shop I guess.

Reading about @Aaron_H's and @CastingClinic's big catches has me thinking about advantages and disadvantages on the water, since Aaron caught his seven and eight-pounders from the shore and Mr. Clinic caught his PBs on a cold, windy day. The playing field is not level for us. Some of us have more experience. Some of us have boats. Some of us have motors. Some of us fish less-fished water. Some of us can pick and choose our fishing times because we're retired. Some of us can afford guides. Some of us have FFS. Some of us have Garmin. And so on. What are your three biggest advantages and what are your three biggest disadvantages and why? My biggest advantages: I have access to water without ramps, which means they're less fished, so the fish are less educated. I have canoes, which are quiet and don't need ramps to launch. I get to fish three to four times a week. My biggest disadvantages: Canoes have high sides and are bullied by the wind, so I get blown off water or simply can't launch. Canoes sit high on the water. They skate atop the water, so even a 2.5 bass can pull me into weeds. I fish in the north, so for five months a year, I can't fish.

This winter started off with record snowfall here. My wife shot this video of Tank & Kya making the most of it. A-Jay

My advantages: been fishing forty years so have good experience. Have a good general understanding of bass behavior, and seasonal patterns. I'm open minded, and still learning. I feel like I can always learn. I LOVE FISHING! Disadvantages: I'm old, beat up from years as a carpenter, and tire out faster than I did years ago.

I guess I'll look at this through the lens of my local tournament fishing, since that is what's most important to me when it comes to bass fishing. Advantages: Age/Athleticism- At 33, I'm still younger and in better shape than most of the field I fish against. Boat- I have one of the faster and better equipped boats. Mental toughness- I can grind out tough days better than most folks without getting spun out. I also can stay locked in and fishing for the entirety of a tournament day when a lot of others are taking periodic breaks. Disadvantages: Time- Full time job, wife and 4 year old means I'm usually lucky to get out once or twice a week. Experience- While I've been fishing my whole life, I've only been bass fishing for about 4 years. Hard to keep up with guys who have been doing it their whole lives and on the same lakes we fish regularly. Location- Living in SE VA, we don't have as many large bass lakes within a reasonable driving range as others, which has made the learning curve a bit steeper.

Advantage… I live in Florida where I can fish all year in the Bass Capitol of the World. Disadvantage… Sometimes taking as my signature too literally “Improvise Overcome and Adapt” At times that adage has me doubting myself too many times that I’m not in the right spot at the right time doing the right thing. Mike

Disadvantages? I think probably - my experience is a disadvantage sometimes. We often do what has worked or what should work and neglect our child like sense of wonder and curiosity - often times the child like sense of wonder and curiosity lead to much bigger fish. I think the size of the places I fish makes it tough sometimes. Small is fun sometimes - but it makes the fishing tough as nails when the fishing pressure is high or the weather is odd etc. I like to fish with my wife and son. I realize that this means some times I probably don't catch the big one or a lot. I would rather be out there with people I love and maybe get lucky than be all alone with the odds in my favor. Advantages? I think I understand the nuance of presenting baits in bass fishing better at this point than a lot of folks. There are so many little ways that we can make fish bite with a little creativity and practice - we tend to get locked into the extremes - mechanical is how a lot of anglers I see fish their lures. I am good at not being mechanical. I impart a lot of subtle nuanced variation to my baits that surely account for a lot of the bigger bites that I get every year. Less is more - but intentionally varying the intensity/distance/frequency/direction of my bait throughout the retrieve seems to be important. And CASTING ACCURATELY (and quietly when necessary)!!!! Focus - I pick my weapons - and then I learn them inside and out, backwards, forwards and sideways. I throw baits in places and times most people would laugh at because I know they can work and I want to figure out how for each one. You can gain HUGE advantages by fishing baits that nobody thinks to fish at times nobody thinks to fish them and they almost always work fine if you understand the where, when and why of the bait for each situation. I catch tons of big fish every year fishing the 'wrong' baits at the 'wrong' times knowing full well they're the right bait and the time is perfect. Don't follow rules in bass fishing. Follow your instinct and learn from experimenting with your fish and your baits of choice. Understanding the scientific side of forage/seasonal migration/bass behavior etc. Learning about bass, water, bugs, birds, baitfish, lowland reservoirs, highland reservoirs, spawn cycles, crayfish behavior, solunar cycles and how they move bait. Studying pond management, flood control, dam schedules, online topographical maps etc etc. This is the kind of stuff that every angler should spend the majority of their time doing when they aren't on the water learning their baits and their local bass population behaviors. Much more productive than watching bait reviews 😅

Thanks, y'all. It's been a tough grind since I was last on a decent hot streak, so these two felt real nice to get finally. The year's not over yet! There might still be something left for me in 2024, but I'm 100% satisfied if I ended the year on this note. @AlabamaSpothunter I believe this is only the second time I've broken 20lb from the bank, definitely unexpected, I was already a happy camper with the 8, let alone getting a 7 on top of that. Gotta love that lipless bite, when it's hot it's HOT.

We can only fish one at a time. And I don't know about you, but I sleep better knowing there's redundancy where needed. I "may" even I tuck mine in at night. A-Jay

Clean, lubricate and protect fishing gear. Read about fishing and fishing gear. Buy and Sell fishing gear. 🤓 A-Jay

One of these days I’m going to get me an advantage or two. That’s going to be nice.

Advantage I think too much I’m persistent I read too much Disadvantage I think too much I’m persistent Fish aren’t reading the same material Not trying to be a wise guy but all are true . I do work and can’t get out often and I do a lot for my parents who are experiencing health issues. Those can’t be a disadvantage tho. That’s just part of life.

Id choose my dad.

Well I'm at least 1,000 miles north of you and up here once there's open water, anything below 38-ish is cold. 40-42 is cool. And 44-54 is Hammer time. In the fall the entire process goes in reverse. Polar Fleece is my friend. #dressinlayers A-Jay

@Bluebasser86: Clayton, I don't hire guides because they're above my pay grade, but if I lived in Kansas, I'd scrape and save the money to hire you. I wouldn't even be focused on catching fish. I'd be focused on learning. That six-pounder has a mountain of a back! However, I wouldn't want to fish in the snow. I can do that in Maine.

The advantages are 1 retired and can fish when I want 2 live where I have a boat in the water 3 go to FL during the winter Disadvantages are 1 age and stamina 2 can't take cold weather

Advantages: I have time ( retired from work) I have a boat I have experience Disadvantages: I don't have enough time. I live north and rivers and lakes are frozen 5 months of the year ( December to April). Also, there are closed seasons. Bass fishing starts in the middle of June so no prespawn or spawn time where the BIG fish are more accessable. I'm not young anymore I like to fish for other species

Like you, I fish from a canoe and have only focused on lmb for three years. When I started posting at Bass Resource, I did not know the majority of the lures and techniques. I still Google a lot to decode some posts. Like you, I stumble upon bass because I don't have @Pat Brown's analytical mind and I don't have FFS to find fish and I don't have @AlabamaSpothunter's wealth of knowledge. The difference between us is that I would frame your catching those big bass as hunting them down. So what if you were casting a blade bait for the first time? That's one more time than me. And so what if you happened upon them? I happen upon the majority of my bass. I just keep moving and trying lures until I find a lure a bass wants to hit. My only expertise is canoeing. A canoe is a stealthy platform and I just ordered more adhesive-backed rubber strips to attach to the gunnels to quiet my canoe even more. Play to your boat's strengths and sneak up on 'em. I remember a couple guys pulled near my canoe this past fall in an aluminum canoe. They were making all kind of noise and it was the worst kind of noise, like striking their canoe with a paddle when they set it down clumsily, which makes a canoe vibrate like a bell. I caught a three-pounder, a 3.5-pounder, and a four-pounder while the noise-makers caught nothing. So, keep moving. Keep switching lures. Keep casting. And keep quiet. Age is huge. I should have mentioned it. I wish I could still fish all day. On one of my last 2024 trips, the one where I caught about ten bass that were four or more-pounders, I had launched in a cool fog, paddled miles, landed scores of bass, and returned to my takeout right beside a dam. The shoreline was slick and sloped and the dam was sucking water through it, so I could not tip. I ever so carefully moved from my canoe to the shore and tried to stand, but I immediately failed and collapsed onto the mud. That was my age and I feel it everyday. Here's one of the bass from that morning and whenever I see it, I remember driving home with a muddy bum and I smile, for age humbles us all eventually:

Advantages Like @Mike L I live in Florida and can fish year round. I’m also semi retired and self employed so I can pretty much choose when I fish, which is 99% of the time during the week. Disadvantages Age. @A-Jay and @Swamp Girl and others can attest to it as they are close to me. Being in my early 70’s I just don’t have the stamina I used to. Desire yes, stamina not so much. Living here in Florida my entire life, I think I tend to fish history a lot which as you know can be a detriment. Also being on a fixed income affects my decisions as to where to fish.

There’s only one advantage and disadvantage I can think of. Advantage: Most of the time I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’ve only been seriously bass fishing off my canoe for the past three years and so I am still very much learning the ropes. I find myself throwing baits I have little experience throwing, into places I shouldn’t throw them, on days I shouldn’t have even tied them on and I’ve caught nice fish and learned a ton doing it. I read and watch all the orthodox tactics and techniques but prefer to experience it myself and will purposefully do the “wrong thing” over and over just to see what it feels like. Sometimes the “wrong thing” isn’t wrong at all. Disadvantage: Most of the time I don’t really know what I’m doing. Things can get brutally frustrating and some days I’ll find myself tying on new baits every few minutes or wasting tons of time moving from spot to spot, back and forth, with no idea what the plan is. Most of the fish I catch feel like luck of the draw because the odds that I had tied on a different bait and thrown it somewhere else are so high. My last trip was the best day of fishing in my life but the truth is I caught every bass on a blade bait and I had never caught on that bait before. In fact, I had never caught a fish on a lipless crank of any kind and only brought the blade bait because it’s a “cold water bait” or so I’ve read. I know next year I’ll find myself once again hopelessly frustrated by the blade bait because a few hours fishing on one cold December day may have been a ton of fun but I learned only a tiny bit. I didn’t head out and hunt those bass down I just kind of stumbled upon them with a bait I know little about.

Laying the ground work for 2025 ! Pretty sure you said you wanted more 7's & 8's. There ya go. A-Jay

What @AlabamaSpothunter said: I watch a lot of YouTube videos of bass anglers fishing in Florida from BOATS and Aaron outfished 99.729% of them.

No matter what - you HAVE to love a snow game in Buffalo!

A 20+ lb bag from the BANK is especially epic! Congrats brother!

Whelp, the bumbling, stumbling, directionless and undisciplined Seahawks managed to pull one off.....because the Jets saw and raised them, setting the bar lower for a bumbling, stumbling, directionless and undisciplined NFL team. Both teams looked drunk.

In 2025 I want to do more fishing for white bass, stripers, and hybrids.

Most of the extra services pertain more to casting reels since the casting is mechanical. I’m always open to inspecting and making recommendations as to what a specific reel would benefit from. Email or call to discuss your specifics if you’d like. Otherwise you can send whatever you have at your convenience.

This project was from a year ago. We had a counter that divided the kitchen from the dining area and a niche by our front door that were both covered in ship lap. The fireplace was covered with stone and we decided to cover the ship lap with the same stone. This is the fireplace that was here when we moved in This is the niche and the counter we wanted to cover. And this is the same niche and counter after we added the stone veneer. It really wasn’t a difficult project. The stone comes in 24”x6” panels and we mounted them using an adhesive that comes in tubes like caulk made for this kind of material. I rented a diamond bladed wet saw and completed the project in a day and a half.

latest monkey attack

Just checking in to see if any of our YOUNG anglers who want to learn jig fishing from Denny Brauer? If there’s enough interest we’ll make a contest out of it…say largest fish of the season or something like that. I’ll throw his Tournament Secrets in as well. BTW…books are free. I’ve gotten some really good advice for free and want to give back. Lemme know …

I've read a few posts where guys said it was a night and day difference. I have to think their reels were either new and packed with grease or old and dried out. Possibly the reel had a bearing problem. I've never noticed this much difference. Maybe because I'm not an expert caster like many on here. (shrug) What I have noticed is that I can get the same casting distance (or slightly better) as before, but with less effort. Often I am able to lower the brake a little. I had a new SV105 that easily backlashed. In this aspect it returned as a totally different reel.

You need to lob cast the bobber rig with about 3’ between the bobber and rod tip. This keeps the weighed end forward during the cast without tumbling. Tom

Last year we paid a pro to paint our cedar-sided house. We couldn't afford to do the same for our 1800 sq ft garage, mostly because it needed a significant amount of cedar/carpentry repairs and I just can't pay thousands for what I can do myself...so...for two months I did the carpentry and my wife and I painted. Some of the lap cedar couldn't be salvaged so I replaced sections with board and batten. The walk-in door wasn't properly flashed and sealed originally so I had to replace sheathing, insulation, and the door as well as new board and batten on that side of the garage. My wife was a super-woman. I worked on it every evening after work and ten hour days on weekends. She was right there the entire time painting. I kept her on the ground and I did all the carpentry and the painting from the 32ft ladder.

Thanks to Susky starting this thread. Because of Susky, I've been thinking about giving myself a goal for 2025 and I've settled on one. 2025 will be the Year of the Big Bags: I'm going to keep a running tally of my five-bass-bags over 15 pounds. My goal will be at least four bags over 20-pounds. It's hard to achieve at my latitude because when I do it, I typically do it with three four-pounders, one five-pounder, and a three and a half-pounder. The last one is the only easy slot to fill.

I sure as heck am not ice fishing! 😂

Daiwa Zillion SV TW is the easy button.......right in your price range. I'd get the Tat 300 for big swimbaits. An Alpha Angler Rebound or Chatterbound paired with a Zillion SV TW would be sublime for just about any moving bait. The Rebound is a little better cranking rod, and the Chatterbound is better at chatterbaits, but both are exceptional for crankbaits.

Look at that flat brimmer 🤣😂🤣