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Well my boy's BB game got canceled Saturday, so a buddy and I went to the power plant lake to try to find a few. The wind was way stronger than it was supposed to be, with white caps rolling most of the day on the main lake, and the 18* air temp at the ramp didn't feel good with the 15-20mph wind. Plus there was probably 20 groups of duck hunters scattered around the small lake, it sounded like a war zone out there. The bite was slow, my buddy only had 1 fish all day, I got on them a little better but it was still a grind, all of them were on slow moving baits. I caught a majority of them off a shallow point that has a creek channel swing on the end of it and lots of rocks and a few stumps scattered around it. It's a normal spot for me in the winter that is usually productive. This day the south wind was pushing the warm water from the outlet straight into it, which is a big deal on power plant lakes. I could see the gulls diving from across the lake, so I knew there was bait there. What was confusing to me, was it looked like there was a bunch of big logs on the bottom that had never been there on my sidescan. Well I was dragging my Ned rig through about 3' of water when one of those "logs", thumped my bait. I thought it was going to be a drum from the initial bite, but the hookset was so solid, and then it was just and unstoppable force as it headed out for deeper water. I tried to stay spotlocked, but I knew there was several stumps and actual logs, I was afraid it would get me wrapped and be gone, so I had to follow it. I was only armed with a 7' ML spinning rod with a 2000 size reel, 10lb Seguar Tactx to an 8lb Seaguar Grand Max leader tied to a homemade 1/16oz Ned head with a #2 hook, but we played Tug-O-War for over 20 minutes before the monster finally surfaced. I've never tried to put someone like that into the kayak, it wasn't easy. I got her head in the net and struggled for a minute or two, almost flipped the kayak towards her lifting over the side and then to the other side once we both slide back into the kayak. I've seen a lot of big catfish, I've never seen a fish like this one. My 50lb scale wasn't nearly big enough. I've caught several 50lb class fish, I've never struggled to lift one like I did with this fish. My gut says 70-75lbs, but I'll never know for sure.

@Glenn's latest video, "Eight Ways to Become a Better Bass Angler," ends with the question of whether you should stay in an area, trying a different approach, lure, or depth (Glenn won a tournament this way.), or mosey because your memory of once catching bass there isn't applicable to the current reality. So, I'm wondering if you're a twitchy angler, always looking to mosey, or a patient angler, generally looking to continue plumbing an area until you find the fish. I'm as twitchy as a horse with a swarm of horseflies on its back because I'm looking to catch the most active bass with big, fast-moving lures. One the scale of 1-10, with 1 being as serene and patient as Buddha and 10 being Joe Cocker, I'm full Joe, a 10.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO ? The age old question. The one so many bassheads, including myself, ask themselves at least once a trip and often times it’s quite a bit more than that. I’m referring to when we are on a spot, whether it was producing or not, we’ve given it what in our own minds is ample opportunity to produce and it hasn’t. So, do we stay or do we go ? Let me back the truck up a little here and say, since this is The “Brown Bass Tools” thread, the following thoughts will relate most in that direction. Also, I do not fish competitively so “Time” has a different meaning to me. Clearly no hard and fast ‘rules’ can be drawn upon during these deals but here’s my version of it. I am going to start off with a couple of ‘deciding factors’ that often cause me to lean one way or the other. Seasonal pattern and what I’m fishing, so boat position. Early season before and of course during the spawn, fish are looking & wanting to come shallow. Not exactly a new flash and something we don’t even need FFS to figure out. This can be one scenario where I am often willing wait it out on a known or recently producing spot or area. And if I do chose to relocate, I’m generally not going very far, like maybe just 2 or 3 cast lengths one way or the other; depending on what type of structure/cover I working with. If I’m feel particularly confident that the fish are ‘coming to me’ (eventually), I may Talon down, shut everything off (electronics wise) and have a sandwich while the area ‘settles down a little.’ Might be just enough to have a few more fatties roll right into casting distance. Sometimes it happens by itself if I need to retie or perhaps change baits or hardware. On scene weather conditions can & do play a role here as well. Especially is skinny water;10 ft or less. Increase or decrease in cloud cover and or wind speed can effect my decision making matrix. Forecast or not, if it’s been a sun’s out bite and clouds move in, I may wait them out if I can see an end in sight. Reverse can be said if it’s been a cloudy skies deal. Bites in the wind rarely get better if it flattens out, so I’ll usually not put too much extra time into an area if it and when it goes flat calm. But going from calm to windy is a whole different ballgame and one I like to play. Chuck & wind baby. As the season progresses and the spawn is done & over with, the local brown bass population on the bigger inland lakes, makes themselves very scares by spreading out all over the place. This goes straight into summer and is the time of year where I do The Most moving around and will only stay on spots very briefly. Except for some early morning or late afternoon topwater off the end of long deep main lake points, I’m almost always fishing deep(er). Trying to focus on targets of deep bottom cover (rocks/wood) that could hold bait/bass. If I can get a bait in front of them, they’ll usually eat. Maxscent flat worm is a confidence bait here for me. Need decent conditions, some sun helps, boating traffic does not. It’s easy to admit that this IS the toughest fishing of the year for me. Accordingly I don’t spend a whole lot of time on these bigger lakes late June thru most all of July. But sometime in the first week or two of August, things get much, much better. Bigger bass start showing up shallow again. It’s almost always on flats. They seem to be a bit more scattered/spread out but there’s some real brutes up there. And they are looking to EAT. As the shallow weeds die back and the bait fish become more and more exposed, the fishing just keeps getting better. Almost becomes the same type of deal for me as in the spring. Fish are coming to me so I don’t move much. But that’s sort of a relative thing, I still need to cover water, but it's just over one or two special flats. So I’m not running all over the lakes, just doing a lot of casting. From August to say mid September, it’s all about horizontal moving baits. Could be topwater early and just about whatever you want to throw after that, Vibrating jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, swim jigs, A-Rigs, Squarebills & rattlebaits. Some of the best flats are also the biggest. A basshead could spend an entire day just crisscrossing one flat with different baits at various depths. And this one does exactly that. So in this case – I stay. Come October, the weeds have died back completely, the waters cooled off considerably, the bass start looking deeper for their winter time haunts. If the the weather cooperates, and I can fish the deepest flats that have hard cover effectively, this can be the best time of the year for me for sheer numbers of 3-5 lb smallies. Blade baits & swimbaits on a jighead are Big time players for me now. I’ll stay on a spot long enough to get a couple of biters and then hop over to the next spot and do the same deal. It’s usually late enough in the season where boating traffic is not an issue (everyone’s deer hunting) and the few boats on the water are targeting walleye and rarely on anything I’m looking to get on. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Fish Hard A-Jay

Dude - WHAT!?!? You caught a sea monster! What a day!

@Bluebasser86:

Saw one of the local news outlets in Memphis posted this on Facebook recently. Shows the Bass Pro at The Pyramid during all the snow on Friday. Pretty cool shot. Supposedly we got around 7” of snow……… don’t laugh all you Yankees! 🤣 That’s a lot for us down here in the South. We don’t know how to drive in this stuff. 🥴

Right now Clayton is fishing for Great Whites off the coast of South Africa. He's fishing with a Snoopy rod and water wings and said, "I'm afraid that this setup might be overkill."

I'll take 80s songs for $500 😉 That's one of those game time decisions. Body of water, time of year, current lake conditions, current weather patterns, moon phase, water temperatures, ect. I can be a 0 at sunrise & a 10 by sunset!

I know, huh? Clayton isn't content landing the fattest bass on Bass Resource and winning tournament after tournament. He has to catch these too: He didn't just catch the Kraken. He caught the Kraken in the snow. While standing in freezing water. And he played it from a boat not much bigger than the beast. He's the Chuck Norris of Bass Resource.

Oh yeah, still got it. 1957 Cherokee that my papaw gave to my mother. She gave it to me since she has no interest in boat ownership, although she said she did “wake surf” behind it on a sheet of plywood as a kid, pulled by a 7.5 hp Johnson seahorse here it is back in the late 1980s And here it is around 2021 with a fresh transom

Big swimbaits. I plan on fishing big baits atleast 75% of my hours on the water.

If you’re serious about stepping up your bass fishing game, these eight actionable tips will elevate your skills and make this your best fishing year yet. Whether you’re new to fishing or a seasoned pro, these strategies will help you catch more fish consistently.

Couldn’t pass up a chance to fish in the snow. Went to the quarry behind my house and first fish was a nice crappie, never caught one of those out of there but a buddy has. Also got a little bass and missed some hits. There was a portable sauna set up in the parking lot and people were jumping into the water after they left the sauna. One girl said “there’s a guy over there ice fishing” when she saw me 🤣

Just read where one is pinging off the Florida coast. Clayton can stay in the states if he chooses. Either way, my money's not on the shark! If that thing were swimming in my pond, I could follow its wake. It would cure my otter problem! Muskrats too!

This may sound crazy to some people here, but I find that if the fish isn't biting on the first cast - it's probably not going to bite - and that could just be my waters - but it's just something I've observed over the years. I definitely pick an area apart with many first casts but I rarely do well soaking a bait or hammering a spot. I usually catch my biggest bass on the first cast to a spot and they usually bite within the first couple seconds or feet of the bait landing in the water if not instantly. I tend to not catch very many fish soaking baits or dragging them around in areas. Not to say that it's impossible. I have had luck with very slow presentations - especially night fishing - but pound for pound - when I find the right bait and it's the right day - I'm gonna be getting bit a lot and it won't be a lot of waiting. I'm usually bouncing around trying to get every fish that will hit what I'm doing off similar spots while the bite is hot!

Jeeeeeez that's one big kitty!!!! The mouth on that thing is like a whale 😮

I’m 0.5. I can fish a spot several hours without a bite, and often it pays off. If they haven’t been there to eat anything in a few hours, they will be by soon. The question depends on where you fish, because I can pull a whopper plopper and spinnerbait all over a 30,000 acre lake and never get a single bite for 5-7 consecutive years

I forgot the bait monkey had me on speed dial. Berkeley/SK - Walmart clearance. I think I paid $16 13 Fishing - Ollies, $5/ea Nomad Designs - full price at BLS. $13/ea. I just bought them because I’d never seen them. They are a soft covered body lipless with a tail.

Back in the 70’s you could buy jigs in 12 pack bags or on staple cards for 69 cents each. Bronze hooks that were tiny and nylon rope type material for brush guards. Stanley jigs had the greatest impact with a plastic Y guard, multi colored heads and dual color skirts. They ran 99 cents each on the early eighties. The fact that you can get an Owner or Gamakatsu hook, designed for jigs, a designed head, 3-D eyes, multi colored skirt in dual materials and wire tied for about five bucks is amazing. I absolutely love Sieberts jigs. Buy one and you’ll see why. As for going cheap, I fish rocky snaggy, eat jigs all up and down the Columbia. I fish Hula Grubs on football heads I buy from a local guy by the 100 count. But that’s grub fishing.

Glenn's emphasis on positioning the boat to set the hook (or make the best cast) is crucial to my and my buddies' success. I am a better paddler than angler, but being a better paddler makes me a better angler. Likewise, if you're in the bow of my canoe, I'm going to position you for success. Success like this: My buddy above is 12 years old. He sits in the bow, so I ease the canoe into the best possible position to catch the best possible fish. And I tell him to "Wait for it, wait for it" until he's just where he needs to be. Of course, you still have to make the cast and big bass often lie at the end of difficult casts.

Why did you start boat fishing？For me it's really a great moment I can share with my lovely wife and son and daughter.How about you guys?

I'm afraid his haters might have killed him because of his gear. People have become so passionate about fishing tackle these day. 😆

Totally agree with Pat, especially about the night aspect. I will saturate honey holes at night with multiple baits and casting angles. It certainly works at night, but like Pat says it's been my own experience that during the day if they don't bite right away, they likely aren't going to bite.

Back in my tourney days, no doubt I was at least a 9. With older age, a smaller boat, and just trying to figure out the best bite for better quality fish on any given day, I’d say I’m now a 5 - that is, I’m just as likely on any given day to fish either style depending on the weather, water, lake, and how the fish are biting. Some days I sit and soak; others I’m constantly searching. It’s a coin toss, anymore.

That thing has eaten a fully grown nutria or two.

First boat was a 12’ Jon boat. Matched it up with my friends 12’ Jon boat. We took 2x4’s and C clamped them together around 3’ apart and would drift down the Juniata river with a cooler tied down on the 2x4’s with our food and drinks. We thought we were big shots like our homemade pontoon. Thing was stable as all heck.

I hear a voice too. It's quite helpful, except when it keeps repeating, "REDRUM, REDRUM."* *@DogBone_384: Now do I have to explain what "The Shining" is too?

Which one? I have different ones depending on which bass I’m after.

You’ll have to explain to the younger members exactly who Joe Cocker is…. To answer your question, I’m a mover, a 7 or 8. Patience is not my strong point.

I started specifically upsizing when the standard size bait bite is slow or non existent and it had a very positive result on quality of fish I catch. Like if the zoom fluke is working but not well I wont hesitate to throw the 7.5 in its place. I was always thought big baits would weed out the smaller fish from biting but it has had the opposite effect in my area. It just increases bite rate overall. It seems that way across the board other than with crank baits. Certain times down sizing seems to have a better bite than upsize but not drastically. I also can’t say how it changes with a frog bite as I really only throw stand size frogs. I have a few smaller ones but I can’t get the action out of them like I should. I don’t know if it’s me or the frogs or both but I’m pretty successful with regular frogs so I lean towards it being the sizes.

I got my first and current boat about 12 years ago. Was in my early twenties, obsessed with fishing, but so tired of being stuck on the bank. Somebody local was selling a little boat and trolling motor for like $400 bucks, and I had the truck to haul it, so I jumped on that immediately. One of my best decisions I’ve made.

It was a 12' Sears Ted Williams jon boat and it nearly killed me several times, as I launched it on far bigger water, like Lake Superior, than was sensible. It went to Canada many times too, as well as Ohio farm ponds and when our suburban street flooded, I launched it on that too and rowed up and down the block. I was 13 or thereabouts.

Sorry for your loss. When they leave they take a part of you with them.

True and true. I've got the gear and I've caught enough little bass, it's time to dance with the big girls.

Really Sorry my Friend. Your family and Lola were lucky to have found each other. Hope you guys can heal soon. Both Lynn & I are thinking of you. A-Jay

And they’re priced like they’re made in Japan.

Hair and marabou jigs, under a float or free. Though I think I've been saying that for 20 years

That's quite a commitment, but it sure works for @Fried Lemons.

Absolutely one of the best parts of having a dog. Unconditional loyalty and friendship. They are happy to see you whether you’ve been gone for 10 minutes or 10 days.

This is actually the 10th largest pyramid in the world. True story.

Can’t say I am either, especially after their matchup earlier this year. The Bills, if they win, will have a tough couple weeks assuming KC wins.

Jig color isn’t as important as weight and head shape. Bass will detect a jig moving near them and ignore it if covered with weeds. Color selection matters more to the angler then the bass, so use a color you have confidence with. If I told you that white with green back was best would you use it? Tom

From the moment I leave, Tank waits . . . and waits . . . and waits for my return. Every Time. You can't make a dog do that. #tankslife #bestfriend A-Jay

Bass can’t get into your tackle box to strike those Bandits. Tie them on and catch bass! Tom

Because they don’t know better