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First couple nice ones of the year on the fairy wand and minnow. The 5.14 was caught Damiki Rigging a 1/4oz Deps MIDST/Drift Fry in about 20ft using 2D sonar. The 5.8 was caught bottom strolling the same Drift Fry setup in about 20ft as well. That Deps MIDST is a great jighead to use if you want to bottom stroll as it's the only purpose built strolling jighead that incorporates a weed guard to my knowledge. Really allows you to open up another zone of life to target with your minnow game.

I feel like commenting on this thread will cause bad ju ju.....so let me make a pointless comment 🤣

Went with the wife and k9 mango to the quarry from 5-6 pm. Caught one little bass where the water flows out of a cave into the pond. The girls saw lots of birds and scared 4 deer. Fun evening !

I lost 2 potential world record LMB. The 1st was at Lower Otay that wrapped my line around another boats anchor line. I didn’t see that bass but a highly skilled angler in the other boat did saying it at least a 30” bass. Because I didn’t see that fish it doesn’t wake me up at night. The 20+ lb FLMB happened at Castiac lake at trout point and I clearly got a good look at that bass that broke me off going over the point and remember every detail as if it just happened. This is my nightmare bass that wakes me up 32 years laters. Tom

I pay more attention to Bassresource members

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube.

Oh I'm definitely haunted - wouldn't fish with the appetite I have if I wasn't! 😉😉😉 Thankfully for everyone - I get one every now and again and manage to live a somewhat functional life. 😂👍🏼

The Otay bass happened in 1971 and fishing a point away from the bank where another boat was double anchor near shore. The ran back toward the bank and that doesn’t happen normally only thing I could have done was apply more pressure. The Castiac bass I was back seating in a friends boat and he got too excited forgetting to more the boat away from the point. I didn’t see Gary standing next to watching the bass with a net. Only thing I could have done was seeing Gary sooner and telling him to get out into deeper water. These giant are extremely strong and fast and take advantage of mistakes. Tom

It's not entertaining to me. I generally get my fishing entertainment from…actually fishing.

I have 1 rule with a gun shoot to kill. It shouldn’t be used as a warning device. Tom

I've lost a few fish over the past few years that I'd REALLY like another crack at. Not that I'd do anything different, just so if by chance I did land them, I'd sleep a little better; especially this time of year. #hauntme It's especially gut wrenching when I can see them, up close & personal in the mostly clear waters I fish. This one just nipped at a jerkbait very close to the boat. Never seemed to get a solid hook into her. I knew right away it was a plus size fish but also thought my chances of landing her were pretty slim. Despite all my pleading, turns out I was right. https://youtu.be/yfnYSE-HjIE?feature=shared&t=887 Finally, and I hate this part of it, but in my mind, I need to lose a few big ones here and there. It's one of the things that makes holding any trophy I'm fortunate enough to land, so special. Fish Hard. A-Jay

I always check take-down (bearing swap, etc) youtubes before delving into a new reel model - identify hints and tools needed beforehand. OK, I scroll through them to find what I want to find. The only guy who makes sense to me for design and niche evaluations is TackleAdvisors, who intentionall doesn't shill. His extensive take-down evaluations are 5-star. https://www.youtube.com/c/TackleAdvisors As far as buying everything, I don't work that way, e.g., all my Daiwas swap the same spools.

Long before there were any, I was my own 'influencer'. It's still that way. Admittedly, any disappointment realized, is like a boomerang. A-Jay

Nope, can't understand a firearm becoming a thought while fishing just because someone gets too close. That's more animal than human, like a wolf bearing teeth because another gets too close to its kill. Lock him up.

I fished for lmb in Ohio farm ponds, but then smallmouth and muskies had me hooked for about four decades. When I took up lmb fishing again about 2.25 years ago, I was fishing heavy weeds for the first time in my life. I'd lose big bass to the weeds and I'd think again and again about how it happened and wonder what I'd done wrong. However, I've caught so many big northern bass since that I no longer dwell on lost big bass. By big, I mean bass over four pounds, which are fine fish for someone nearly halfway between the Equator and North Pole. I boat most of my four-plus pounders now, but don't dwell on the ones that I do lose. I'm wondering if it works this way for you or are you like I was two years ago, perpetually pining for lost bass. Caveat: The only thing that bugs me still is when I hook a big bass and it surges, taking line, and then breaks free, but I never see it. I wonder about how big those bass were, but not for long. It's more curiosity than sadness.

If I have to walk a bank, wade a creek, push pole a perouge, run a Jon boat back in a marsh, or a 20' BassCat on Toledo Bend. If I have to drag a lure behind the boat, throw a Crappie jig at bass on a screen, stroke a Jig-n-Craw in 30', punch through matted vegetation. I'm gonna catch bass by whatever means necessary.

Big ones that get away haunt me. I always think “what if that was a new PB”.

Um not for me 😂 I lost one in the Osceola forest one time I’m saying went an easy 13 I saw that fish twice, and the second time she got airborne partially and threw my jig. My best friend at the time and we fished together, always.. said that was bigger than your 11.2 by a good bit, and it was.. her colors were beautiful like most Florida strain lmb. We all thought we could catch 12-16 pound fish, we were all boating 7-10 pounders fairly routinely. Central Florida was the Mecca in bass fishing in the 80’s. Even in February the fish had beautiful color. There were no efforts to kill the hydrilla like now, the Florida fish I saw this past Elite series schedule were sad. Bad color and oddly shaped, the last good looking fish I saw during a tournament was watching Clunn smoke check 2016 - 19 to win . Watching Clunn over the years he knows how to fish Florida. It’s a hard grind for sure but some of those lakes and rivers still give up some big fish, but I doubt we ever see a 16 pounder come out of Florida now. But yea, the 13 is very etched in my mind like a picture in a photo album. The best of days. I’d choose Texas over Florida now for big fish. Definitely Texas.

Yeah I've always heard the Ice fisherman are the most hot headed out of all anglers. Over the years I've heard a bunch of stories about brawls and confrontations on the ice. Turns out Grumpy Old Men was a documentary.

I hope nobody in here got influenced by googan squad, and bought their rods🤡

I like this channel better. 😆

I just watched five minutes of a "shootout" from the thread title channel. While I couldn't watch any more than that (I wanted to stab my eardrums with chopsticks, then watch paint dry while also keeping an eye on water boiling), I found the comments HIGHLY entertaining. One of my favorites referred to the sensitivity of the reel for feeling bites. I can't make this stuff up.

Ditto x10 No interest in watching some guy hawk products or tape himself to expand a channel for his own personal benefit Mike

I don't buy anything based on what someone says on a video. Most of them are so obviously biased for certain brands and products they are connected to. There's one guy, whose name I won't share that did videos of "5 best rods and reels" where every option was from one manufacturer and imagine that,.... Turns out that brand sponsored him. I am not a fan of TheReelTest either. I watched some of his videos and quickly found that he is the ultimate Shimano fan and in his mind, nothing compared. Plus he seems to think casting distance is the only factor in choosing a reel. Then, as @GetFishorDieTryin said, his tests aren't set up very up equally and if anyone makes a conflicting comment or question, he gets rude. The one I really liked, and wish he was still making videos was Tackle Advisors. He goes in depth, digs deep, and gives you the positives and negatives that he sees. I HAVE went and checked things out based on his reviews and bought some, rejected others. I will have to check out "Punch fishing" that someone else mentioned.

I've been actively bass fishing for about 25 years now. I've never fished for bass from the water other than ankle or knee deep. No boat, kayak, canoe, float tube... 100% bank beater bunch 😂

I've seen some his content, and Reel test gets on my nerves, he's arrogant and hypocritical. Some of his casting battles aren't even because he might use different rods or line. When someone politely points that out in the comments, the guy who quotes the bible in his videos replies with these heinous remarks about the commenters mother or family. Tackle Advisors had great content and was open about his bias if he had any. I trust his reviews. I don't know I've bought anything outright just because of his recommendations, but I take them into consideration. I've run into him a few times over the years during the fall run and he's pretty cool, he likes to talk.

Caught my first blade bait fish this year at the pond with @Pat Brown. I was inspired by @AlabamaSpothunter and @Team9nine to try it. I'm far from dialed in but looking forward to throwing it more. I do find I lose them quickly though. Pretty sure I found since crappie Fisherman brush piles they thought were well hidden 😎

Living in western MA, I’ve found very few retailers carrying the major brands of fishing gear so I do rely on various social media “pundits” for advice/recommendations; however, I take all advice with a shaker of salt. First, almost all reviews are of a single sample of the product. Comparisons are performed similarly - one sample of each comparable product is tested. Given the inconsistency of quality in most products, the results are ambiguous at best. The only partial solution is to locate as many reviews of a product as possible … at least that’s the best solution I’ve identified. Second, I attempt to consider the reviewing agent’s track record / reputation. This is information that is s-l-o-w-l-y accumulated but, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary. Finally, I take out my credit card, burn incense at the altar of the Bait Monkey, cast my fate to the winds, and hope fearfully that my chosen purchase will arrive in good shape. So far, the BM has rewarded my fealty with satisfactory results … well, with one exception; that was before I discovered the necessity of the incense.

Every time I get on the internet...

Happy half to all it concerns. I can't believe that after 50 or so years of going to the boat and fishing show, that this year i bought Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Always would spend near/over a hundy. Looking forward to Gim's photo of sitting in a $120,000 bass boat.

Bass Pro Shop being built in my town. Set to be done by summer!

LOL!! We sound exactly the way old farts are supposed to. Talking about ailments, surgeries and body aches.

Ice goes your tea, not on the ground!

I Get upset when people pull up next to me or cut me off so I get it but I'd never even get close to this level. I usually just move but I guess with the elaborate ice fishing setups it's hard to do. I come across stuff all the time I wish I could share with you guys so screen shot will have to do.

^ “that boy ain’t right “

I’m a fish where your at kinda angler. I keep a backpack with tackle and a collapsible rig in the truck. I’m a reverse universe green eggs and ham fishing kinda person. “Yes I could, yes I would, I would fish in the dark, I would fish in a park. I would fish in my house, even with a big ole mouse. I would fish on solid ground, even fish and make no sound…… Somebody stop me, think I could do this all day.

Speaking of this I need to buy my license, charge my flasher and get my ice gear ready going to be sub zero windchill temps here Monday finally a real winter.

I literally have had ten or so boats troll around my boat when they saw me catching fish after fish after fish.

Next time you see him, tell him to get his ass back making videos.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I picked her ashes up today on my way home from work. My wife is getting better each day. What really surprised us was our GP Hank has been a bit depressed. We’ve lost other dogs and it didn’t seem to bother him. The only thing we can come up with is his ‘flock’ is now gone. GPs are flock guarding dogs and our pugs were his flock. He’s slowly starting to come around and is eating more now whereas right after we put her down he didn’t really eat for a couple days. Each day it’ll get better. Thanks again!

I still use my Little Cleo's with the bare chested lady on the back.

Just ordered a Stradic, all in all paid $130 for it Expride and PA are gonna have matching 2500s Stradics and I’ll move one of my 2500 Tatulas to the 6’6” LF Premier

What’s the bet he’ll have a video about fishing old firewood out by tomorrow?

Ya , but I’m casting a spinnerbait.

@Swamp Girl I would fish a Bog I don't care if its a 10" from the bayou across the street or a 10# on Toledo Bend...that tug is my drug & as a good Basshead I will get my fix!

@Catt: You write "by whatever means necessary," but are you willing to struggle down to the water when I'm wrapped around one of your ankles, begging, "Take me with you!!! Take me with you!!!"

I fish mainly in the Susquehanna river so I need something that handles skinny, rock filled water. My boat is a 2015 Crestliner 17 foot with an 80 horse Mercury Jet. This was the picture from the dealership where it came from last year.

Because I was nervous about dropping my $1,200 iPhone and loosing it to the bottom of a lake, I bought a Minolta MN40WP, 48 mega pixel camera. You can get this waterproof camera for $85-$90.