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Fished with a friend this afternoon. Windy conditions out of the south, which is the hardest wind to fish in my lake. Caught 9 total , mostly on speed worms. Joe got a 3.90 20 inch fish, ( not a good pic of his fish) and my big fish was 2 poundish. Both were caught in one of the only places we could escape the wind. Caught most of the fish in the first hour and a half. It was the slowest day Ive had there in a long time…

2024 is going to be one to remember! I had two DD largemouth, one that was ounces shy of a DD and broke my smallie PB 5 times (of the five smallies, three 7lb smallies I caught in one day and had a solo 34lb 8oz bag of all bronze!) I'm grateful for all the time I got to spend on the water and for the big fish God blessed me with! Looking forward to 2025, the goals - teener largemouth and 8lb+ smallie! Here's the run down of my best 5 largemouth and smallmouth: Top 5 largemouth (46lb 12oz) - 10lb 4oz - 10lb - 9lb 12oz - 8lb 8oz - 8lb 4oz Top 5 smallies (35lb 8oz) - 7lb 4oz - 7lb 4oz - 7lb - 7lb - 7lb Photos are too large to attach, more pics on IG - 22RangerZ520R

I get lucky once in awhile.

I'd need to add two brown bass together to have a locally caught applicant worthy of this thread. However, if international accomplishments are allowed, Here's some of mine . . . A-Jay

It's been brutal. I've caught a total of TWO muskie this month, and lost two others. Ten skunkings in eleven trips. Those slimy rascals know how to hurt a persons feelings. 😂🤦‍♂️

And I also got set up with an anchor. Not sure on a spool yet. Used an old handlebar pad from my dirt bike.

My PB caught in July of 2023 - 11 lb 5 oz

My buddies all laughed at me when I first showed up at the ramp with the old Home Depot step stool I use in the garage. The next week they all had them. They make a 3-step if you don't like the $25 2-step.

It doesn’t matter how old you are. Why not make things a littler easier for yourself?

Chartreuse was never a good color for me...One day my son wanted to use one after I told him that the color was a totally useless and unproductive color. He went on to absolutely obliterate me using one even after I switched ... can't tell these kids anything nowadays

No tears from me. 20 years of torture under Tom Brady gonna take infinity to heal or to feel any sort of anything for that team. Go Bills! I would like the anger emoji as an option for anything related to the chiefs. High ankle sprain? Yeah right.

I believe knowing the history of bass lures and those who developed the lures and presentations is priceless so I share it before being lost. Why not learn from the pioneers who spent countless hours perfecting specific lures and techniques, can’t do that if you don’t know. Tom

I didn't really notice if the longer ones drifted further. The plastic is sort of along for the ride. Just have to have the flat side down and slightly "short thread" it on the head.

Nobody is immune to skunk streaks when it comes to muskie. I haven't been suffering alone. Everybody around here has struggled mightily this month. I'm hoping this warm front puts them in a better mood for the next few days, but I'm not really expecting it to. We'll see......🤞

And I'll let you know how the 5-inchers work, but you'll have to wait a bit.

Ahh, I totally misread that then. So I did try, many years ago, trying to put 2 blade on swivels like you did and there was too much torque. I have done double clevis with great success. It was such a great lure that I ended up rebuilding it multiple times because it got chewed up. Instead of stacking the clevis, I interlocked them. Blades are placed cup out and perfectly opposed to each other. That’s a titanium worm sinker on top of a plastic bead. I believe those are #3 colorados and the whole thing comes in just shy of 1/2 OC. Easy start up, less thump but more whir. Meaning you won’t hear; chop chop chop in the water. More like whiiiirrrrr in the water. This started off as kind of a fun let your mind go wild kind of project. I used chenille and a zonker strip. The treble hook is stripped of 1 hook so the hooks ride upright. My mind was running amok that day. Crazy huh? Boy does it work

Take an exclusive deep dive into fuzzy baits, a new bait style you won’t want to miss!

December 12, 2024 B.A.S.S. announces Elite Angler Advisory Board, modifications to payouts, enhanced Angler Services BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In an effort to facilitate better communication and collaboration with Elite Series anglers, the Bassmaster Elite Angler Board of Professionals (ABP) has been created, B.A.S.S. announced today. The Advisory Board consists of six Elite anglers who were voted on by their peers and who will speak on behalf of the entire field in communicating with B.A.S.S. in order to provide a more direct and efficient way of discussing any current challenges and future opportunities.

Last fish of the year most likely

Completely agree that chartreuse and white performs differently than solid white, which are both great colors. My guess is that it’s a shading deal. Chartreuse might look like white but what shade of white?

Oh, I believe you. It's just that my empirical data disagree with the laboratory data. It's a mystery to me and I'm okay with that as long as I can determine which dang color to cast.

@Swamp Girl I too am intrigued by the color choice of what the bass wants. What works there doesn’t work as well here and so on. Sometimes it’s a variation of the same color, green pumpkin doesn’t work as good here as well a watermelon for me, both green but different, different regions too. @Jigfishn10 I might have to try chartreuse again, or a least buy some, since I just made the statement that , I’ve never caught anything on chartreuse. It’ll be the only thing they bite next time I’m out and I won’t have anything yellow. Totally agree, I keep trying different ones

If this is true, then a totally white bait would catch as many of my local bass as a chartreuse and white bait and they don't...for me. I've tried all white many times and they're okay, but not great. My consistency, i.e. catching 30 and 40 bass per morning, gives me a pretty good sense of which colors are working best...for me. I remember days in northwestern Ontario where an orange Rapala was the bait and I'd catch 100 smallies. Then, the next day it was blue. Then black and silver. I think as the light changes, their preferences change, but I know that it's important to keep experimenting until you pinpoint what they want in each moment.

Air temps have been well above freezing for 4 days and nights in a row. Big snow we had is dwindling quickly. Add in off and on rain and we've got a bit of a north woods mess. A little to early for frozen mud season but we're getting close. Despite that deal, there's still a pretty good vibe up in here. 103 days ~ A-Jay

Looks like a Ryoga without brakes meant for jigging.

Bass see Chartruese as a white. We have 3 color receptors. Bass have 2, they see colors differently than us.

I like color questions because the answers highlight the regional differences in bass. I don't think it's the bass that are intrinsically different, but the differing qualities of the regional water. Most of the water I fish is shallow, tanin-stained, but clear too. I own quite a few soft plastics in bubblegum pink and have cast them all, but I don't get enough hits to keep them tied to my line all morning. These were my two big producers in 2024, the first a Yamamoto Zako and the second, a Crush City Mayor. You can see that they're pretty much the same lure. I used them both on underspins and spinnerbaits, the underspins for heavy cover and the spinnerbaits for more open water:

@Eric 26, if a titans game broke out in my backyard, I would close the blinds so I wouldn’t have to see it 😂 im a bungles man and they are still somehow alive for the playoffs, burrow leads pretty much all passing categories

@Swamp Girl The reason I ask about the colors, was if you picked them because that’s what works for you there, or was it on suggestion of these colors work with this lure and presentation. I’ve never caught anything on chartreuse, now bubble gum/ pink was one of my biggest surprises….. I’m really hot pink, won’t leave the dock with out some now. I’m going to order these, and try them out. Thanks

You're looking for a little "hump" in the back. That helps movement. Also, the Mylar Minnow (one of my favorites!) is recommended as a great replacement plastic. Here's an excellent video talking about proper hooking, bait replacement and technique.

Question, has anybody actually here broken a reel frog fishing? We all put labels on what’s good and what’s not for heavy cover but haven’t seen it any failures of lighter more compact reels. Sure. I like the bantam but my jdm zillion that’s almost two ounces lighter drags them in left and right without complaining….

So you normally hold a plastic to the shank of the hook and you see how and where the hook will pop out of the bait. Pop the hook out 1/16" of an inch or so in front of where you normally would. A 1/15" will cause wildfires and I don't want to even think about the horrors that will arise if you are only 1/17" short. I digress lol... but when you hook it a little short of "normal" the bait sort of bends down sort of creating a cup. That cup is what catches the water for the glide (in part). Save this in case your New Year's is as hoppin' as mine will be.

Don't stop sharing, Tom! I always find your history lessons fascinating and very educational. You are absolutely right about learning from the pioneers.

@TnRiver46 Good lord I don’t know if Brian Callahan or the offensive coordinator made the choice to score the touchdown instead of eating up the clock in regulation time but either way an extremely exciting ending which I personally enjoyed.

I keep misreading the title of this thread.

I never did find gloves that worked for me on my Fall Muskie trips to LOTW. I cheated by putting a small propane heater in the boat so we could warm up our hands periodically. Bulky gloves just don’t work when casting. Thin gloves get wet and useless.

No apologies needed as far as I’m concerned. I have found myself frustrated on numerous occasions on this site and I have only been here a few months. I hope you enjoy your Zillions. They are great reels.

As recommended, I will pair the rods with Zillion SV reels. I feel ashamed. I humbly and sincerely apologize to everyone here for expressing my frustration on this thread. I deeply regret my last post… and its tone. It was never my intention to cause discomfort to anyone. After reflecting on my words, I realize how it may have come across, and I am genuinely sorry. Thank you to those who have offered their guidance, patience, and suggestions. I greatly appreciate it, and I will take all your advice to heart. Once again, I sincerely and humbly apologize. -Edward

Our water temps were 41-42 last Sunday and I caught over 40 in a few hours on a Ned rig.

First day back on the lake after nearly a week. Surprised to see a big water level drop that had 1 of the 2 ramp lanes closed. Not surprised at the heavily stained water. Got a limit of bass, and lost a real nice one right near the boat. Also caught 6-8 crappie just playing around between spots. Unfortunately, 3 days of rain in the forecast, so this might have been it until next week. Water 46 deg.

There are tons of different trailers on the market. So for the purpose of simplification you need only two. Action: these are the ones that have appendages that flap,swim, and cause commotion in the water. These are what you use in warm water aggressive bite. Subtle: cooler water, non-aggressive bites when a Subtle presentation works best. The trailers in this category are plastic chunks or pork. If you have no idea what to start with I recommend a Zoom Super Chunk that matches the jig color. I have fished this trailer for over 20 years and it has worked in every situation. Allen

Exactly. Most reel designs are usually reinventing the wheel with a pinch of sugar to sweeten it up. From what I can tell, the only real standout innovations the last 2 or 3 decades have been with braking systems like Daiwa Magforce and Shimano FTB. Truthfully, the manufacturers are mainly focusing their efforts on 4 fronts; speed, drag capacity, bearing count, and lightness. Those are the primary factors that push reel sales because of the "more is better" mentality. Super fast retrieves are good for some things, not so much for others. Drag capacity is overrated because it only matters to people that don't understand how drag works. How did we land musky and Chinook salmon 30+ years ago on reels capable of a measly 6-8lb of drag? Bearings are important, but what's more important is how and where they are implemented. One can find endless examples of off brand reels with a very high bearing count. Lastly, being lightweight is nice, but how it balances with a given rod is more important. Balance will always be favorable to total weight.

Muskies can be tough, no doubt...even for the Great Furred Musky Hunter @T-Billy.

Thank you! So how do you all find the various sizes work? Is one in particular better for walking the dog or do all sizes work?

Well, if you're talking about the 5-incher colors, I picked them because they're similar to the colors of paddletails like Keitechs and Mayors that have caught bass, i.e. the shad colored one and the bright colors. I went with pink because other Mainers have good luck with that color. I have caught some bass on pink Senkos wacky-hooked, but it's not been my best-producing color. Still, hope springs eternal. Overall, my best color for soft plastics is chartreuse and white and the lime gold is pretty close to that. I probably should have bought two lime golds and only one Seguro Katakuchi, but we'll see which works best. I'm excited to try them all and I'm pretty confident that I can learn the retrieve because I did some strolling in 2024, which is another thing I learned from Alex. I strolled with a small soft plastic and caught smallmouth, but I'm confident that 5-inchers that are coming will appeal to largemouth. Maine largemouth like large lures and I like throwing them because I can cast them farther and thus be stealthier.

My pleasure! For the first question, I don't see why it wouldn't work with a couple caveats.....first, that you use a similar weight BR fish as the senko or fluke you throw on that same setup. The jigheads come in a big range of weights, so the answer would change if you're using 1/10th vs 1/2oz jighead if that makes sense. Second caveat is that you have a reel fast enough to retrieve the line in between rod pops/twitches. It's important to remember that unlike a senko, fluke, or jerkbait, you can't really pause this bait. It doesn't stall out like a fluke or jerkbait, and it doesn't slowly sink like a senko, so you really do need a reel that allows you take up the slack generated from the rod twitches/pops. As for the second question, I think it would be great from the bank especially in the warmer water months. Combine the fact that fish are more prone to being closer to the bank with the fact fish often want a faster, more erratic moving bait in warmer water temps, you got a good bank bait in my book.

It is a walk the dog action, but there are significant depth changes while you're working it. The glide is also falling and the pull is also rising. Maybe the 1/10thoz heads are less, but it seems like working it is a +/- of 4-6'. So I usually guess my countdown a little less than where I think the bait is at. The hits are mostly on the glide/fall for me and not subtle. A M/F rod has the best hook up ratio for me, I've missed a few on a M/MF rod because you can get caught in a less than optimal hook setting position. Figuring out the pace seems to be a daily thing. Z-man trick shotz look to be a shape that could work on the head for a similar action. scott

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

Pretty strong front set in today. Highs barely broke 50, and winds were steady out of the north 8-12 with the occasional stronger gust. It was a bad setup for where I wanted to fish, but was still able to scrounge out 4 bass in just under 3 hours. I've fished in worse, for less, so no complaints Now we wait for the eventual warmup.

Well the cold finally landed, got the boats out Tuesday to avoid the snow and sleet. Here's my last gasp at feeling my fingers while fishing. Couple city bass from shore, dragging a little tube yet again; And here's the last days of having the bigger boat out, the bite was a little more open, shaking a minnow, mid column walking the dog with a BayRuff, and aggressively working a tailspin in the bottom third of the water column with my first fish caught in over 30' fow. scott