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I'm convinced. So is @AlabamaSpothunter. So is @Pat Brown. So is @Dwight Hottle. So is @WRB. So is @A-Jay. So is....

Well...... That didn't work out like I'd planned/hoped. 🤦‍♂️ The past two years, the week after Thanksgiving was the best week of the year for the A-rig bite. So... This year I scheduled a week vacation for it. We had an Arctic blast blow through last week, and I figured the crashing temps would have 'em putting the feedbags on. NOPE!!! 😂 It shut 'em down. I couldn't get bit on live or dead crappie or shad, let alone lures. I'm talking 2-3 dozen fish per day coming up and looking at my baits, often for several minutes, then swimming off without touching them. I fished 8 of 10 days, a few with highs in the 20's, got blown off the lake for 2, and took 7 strait skunkings. Grrr... Today is my last day of vacation and I was blessed with a bit of redemption. I went 2 for 3. I bagged a 37" on a live gizzard shad, a 36" on the rig, and lost a mid 40's on a live shad. That one stung. Time is running short and I'm still 7 fish shy of the century mark. Looking like I'll get to fish three days next week, so it ain't over yet. 🤞 37" 36" Not biggins, but they're a couple of beautiful fall fatties.

This bass is not the Kraken, it is the Kraken's tiny sister. I have seen the Kraken, she wrapped my line around a barbed wire fence, and ran off with my lure. I swear I saw a middle finger as she jumped next to my kayak while I tried to get her untangled. She wanted to see if I would quit my job, and live in a tent at the lake the rest of my life. It has been 3 years, and I have not seen the Kraken again. I now wish I would have quit my job, and camped at the lake. The Big Bass That Got Away is a real and serious mental disease, that is easily cured, by catching the big one, but I haven't been able to convince anyone that this disease qualifies me for full disability. In order to have the time and afford the tackle it takes to cure myself of the disease I need to have some form of income. I have had health insurance that would pay for substance abuse rehab, why can't it pay for a more serious illness like TBBTGA. Right now I am able to function in life, but the sleepless nights, cold sweats, and nightmares are starting to take their toll.

I want to catch one like this only longer and fatter.

This is just the start LOL

My wife was in Nashville for a concert this weekend, therefore I fished Saturday me and a friend floated 11 miles of shallow river in my small long tail boat , started off with temps in low 20s but fish were still biting ok, I was just mainly missing them. We ended up catching 5-6, my buddy got at least one with the fly rod. The two better ones I got were with a 2” helgrammite. I’m still waiting on him to send the pics of the ones I caught 😂. The old predator engine still runs like a top, no clue how but she does. Of course Mr or Mrs eagle went along with us Sunday I took my wife’s kayak (on top of the Honda, fuel efficient rig all the way around) fishing down by the lakehouse, got 3 fish I believe but two were decent keepers, a LM and a spot or maybe meanmouth which I got on the way in right next to the neighbors dock. Winter drawdown created a nice little dry storage for the kayak 😂. Pretty scenery and the clouds were doing some crazy stuff, also had loons screaming at me most of the day

@Swamp Girl it takes real skill and dedication to catch the smallest fish in the lake

Early Xmas present:

How about long & fat

One I caught yesterday looked to be hungry. Also looked like she'd been caught recently. There was a big tear at the corner of her mouth.

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.

I like Big Game as well. It's been the standard for me when it comes to 'comparing' all other nylon lines. However, while I do prefer Tatsu in almost every FC scenario now, I started out with InvisX and it treated me OK. Landed this Freaky of a Musky on 10lb InvisX while fishing casting gear & a jerkbait for Smallies. So it's not too bad In my mind, especially for price. A-Jay

Sounds like an "influencer" trying to sell Autopilot for kayaks. 🤣

With all the JDM sites, people often forget Ali sometimes could have even better prices for new reels, e.g., Curado M for $115 now after $18 coupon: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806844748439.html These are CDM reels, Chinese Domestic Market, which is one of the largest markets for Shimano and Daiwa, given the population number there. I've purchased a Curado K from Ali before. Except a different sticker in the bottom, I don't see any other differences inside or out. It's still one of my smoothest reels, even oddly smoother than my JDM Metanium.

@Koz you’re just trading one headache for another. I just turned 70 and through the years have had too many boats to count from fishing pontoons, canoes, jon’s, deep V’s and Ranger bass boats and my current setup is the best,,,going forward. If you enjoy kayak fishing and tournaments you have a great setup now with all the equipment and accessories you’ve added, so I’d say enjoy it. Give it some time to become efficient and easy. You can chase perfection endlessly and end up poorer for it just to realize you had what you needed all along.

JDM Alphas would be a good alternative, which could be had for around $150 new.

We have hands so sensitive that we can feel the hit and bass-fighting skills so specific that we can nurse the babies to our boats. I'm guessing the big bass catchers have hooked and lost dozens of tiny bass and not even realized it.

Impressive, @LrgmouthShad. If that bass ever reaches five pounds, kept all Pomeranians away from the water!

@Lottabass: That is the fattest bass I have EVER seen. That bass does the impossible: It makes @Bluebasser86's bass look svelte. I do. I like 'em all!

You didn't try the mata? Remind me to show you one when you come to NC. Pretty cool.

I'm thankful for all bass, but who takes pictures of the little ones?

Yep, I went swimming a couple of summer's ago when the auto-deploy on Ulterra got hung up. Thankfully it was late June, and water temps were in the mid 70's. But still... When there are other boaters around, I use auto-deploy and spot lock to minimize my time blocking the ramp. When there is no one else around, it's the tried-and-true rope method.

Had to see what all the hubbub was about with the dredge brush jigs. I normally really don't like jigs with a lot of lead in front of the hook point but we'll see if I can make an exception for Mike. I'm hoping the dredge hook offsets some of that. My favorite by him is the G2 football. That's a great jig. I have some on the way in 3/4. Also trying dredge dock rocker in 1/2oz and some sniper jigs. Every jig I ordered from Mike is living rubber because how many other places can I get some fine living rubber jigs?

She took the photo for me ~ And if money was our biggest problem, We'd be Golden ! A-Jay

Holy sheeeee. And I'd love to see the look on your better half's face as you were setting all that up on your table for the photo shoot. 😅

Just Nailed It ! A-Jay

@A-Jay WOW!! You win. That’s a wrap folks

It's a Bait Monkey Christmas up in here ~ A-Jay

I'm with @FrnkNsteen Med spinning is as high as I go. In my bass fishing, a MH spinner is a niche stick, most anything I'd use it for I'd rather throw on casting gear. If you need that then go for it. A-Jay

Definitely wasn’t as good as yesterday, but did score one over 3 lbs. this afternoon on blade bait. Three days of rain starting tonight might really change things here if we get more than the 2.25!inches they are forecasting.

I understand validating bass caught by kayak tournament anglers use length on a calibrated board being the rule. Length without girth eliminates to true weight of bass being caught. The length board could add a width measurement to be more an accurate system. Use the same board to measure the bass width. Eg; 21” long bass + 7” = 28 and a 21” + 7.75”=28.75” 28.75 bigger bass. Tom

Here ya go The Oysters are good sellers.

So I began the process of storing my boat for the winter. First step was emptying all the tackle I keep in it. That tackle takes up 2/3 of my workbench. What isn't pictured, because it's behind all this, is my buzz and spinnerbaits, paddletail swimbaits, and a peg board that runs the full 7ft. length of the workbench filled with tube baits. Next up, putting the trailer up on jack stands, removing the wheels and greasing up the axle bearings.

I winterized my Ranger the last week of October. I pay the dealer shop I bought the boat at to do it, as they give me a discount for being a loyal customer. I paid $247.50 for it. They also point out any issues if they find them and address those if they’re in the “minor” status. I didn’t have any issues this time around. My boat sits in my insulated, unheated garage all winter. Even when it’s bitter cold out, my garage stays pretty warm. I have a ceiling fan in there for air circulation. This past week I pulled the old on board charger and will be installing the new one when I have time and will power. I don’t mind having an off-season. There’s more to life than bass fishing.

@bowhunter63 I’ve had Elvis’ Blue Christmas bouncing around in my head all day, thanks….hahaha ” Blue, Blue Christmas “

I just learned the fishing community in my state has been hit again with another sudden loss. Without going into any details, I wanted to share a few helpful encouraging words in case you or someone you might know is struggling. Winter can be hard on us all, days are long and dark - especially for those who fish hard in the summer! If you or someone you know is struggling, here are a few resources that can help. If you’d like to add any resources that I might’ve missed, please add them in the comments. - Call OR text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - The National Mental Health Hotline: (800) 662-HELP (4357) - National Alliance Mental Illness (NAMI): (800) 950-6264 OR Text Helpline to 62640 - CRISIS Text: Home to 741-741

He sells skirts separately I believe if you want to stock up. Send him an email if you have questions he's great to work with.

Let us know! I think Abu rods are a touch soft sometimes but MH on spinning isn't my first or second choice. That'd be a really nice rod to let a coangler borrow who isn't comfortable with casting gear so it can serve a purpose if you want to use it that way.

I would say maybe see if your friend will let you try it out. I didn't plan on getting one but found a really good deal on one a while back and this style of rod has grown on me since then. These days I mostly use it for flukes but I've also used it for a bubba shot and sometimes for medium size swimbaits (although I usually throw those on my MH F casting setup). It should also be fine for wacky / neko rigs and I personally like it when I'm throwing a fluke or a wacky rig around docks since you don't have to worry about backlashes.

How far is Guntersville? Guntersville is arguably the hottest LMB lake in the world right now. The numbers coming from that place over the last month are absolutely insane. Future Elite Series pro Tucker Smith and a partner won a black friday derby there with 35lbs. There were 5 other bags over 30lbs. Last week a dude caught 40lbs+ (it was either 43 or 47lbs)!

Yesterday's trip to Cabela's ended up with $250 spent on fishing gear. Includes a bunch of odds and ends to outfit a new kayak (Scotty rod holder, anchor, etc), and only one new lure which is a Bass Pro Shops XPS Boss Glide Swimbait - Bone - 4-3/4" - .8 oz. First time seeing one that small in person. Looks like a killer little glide bait. Hopefully the action is ok.

Thank You for your service to our great country. No Bread A-Jay

Thanks for the mention @Blue Raider Bob. Now here's the bad news...I wish I could give you some great words of wisdom that would work for you, but I've come to believe that while 'a bass is a bass,' that only takes you so far. All success IS a local thing, especially when it comes to big bass. I've been fortunate to be able to push the envelope by fishing as much as 175+ days a year or more for a few decades now, and I can tell you that there is no such thing as water that is too cold to catch bass out of. I've literally caught them in about every cold weather/water scenario imaginable, right up to drilling holes in a frozen lake. But how you actually catch them - what will work or won't work for your waters - is literally based on your waters, your approach restrictions (boat, bank, kayak, etc.), and lots of trial and error. While all of us could rattle off our favorite winter presentations and locations, there's no guarantees any of them would actually work for you where you fish. You have to take the basics of a technique option and just give them a try. The same applies for location. We all are good at posting our successes, but what you rarely see is the hours and hours of our unsuccessful attempts with a variety of baits in a variety of locations - but that's how we learn, and what ultimately leads us to the good catches you eventually see. But to try and be a little bit positive in all this, I will say if I had to start a list of my most successful winter baits, it would include things like blade baits, Ned rigs, jerkbaits, and hair jigs (bucktail or float-n-fly style). Those 4 will cover the water column from top to bottom. I could also say with some confidence that being near or in deep water (which is relative to your lake) is also important. Steeper banks (>45 deg.), whether that be creek or river channel bluffs on a larger body of water, or the deep water end of a pond, are a great starting point. And from there, the trial and error of baits, presentations, retrieves, exact location, best weather patterns, all play. When you do get a bite, consider it a data point that hopefully you can use to expand and build upon, leading you to your next bass. Go out there with an open mind, and know that it's an extremely rare instance in which there isn't a bass somewhere willing to bite on any given day

Thank you!

They don't have a dam, I can't figure out where they're living. I'm going to have to follow feeder creeks to see if I find anything. I chatted with neighbor farm and they practically begged me to shoot them so it sounds like I've got community support. Guess it's time for an adventure.

My Remington LVSF 221 Fireball is my beaver gun. It has stopped hundreds of tree eaters. Break their dam and snipe them when they come to repair it.

Really messy day of fishing and I made a lot of bad decisions but got lucky with one over 6lbs on a jerkbait. Long fish. About 23”. Windy, cold, rainy. Pardon me if I don’t look more excited, lol. Fun fish to catch