paul.

yes!!! how loud did you holler? PB's rock! sometimes i wonder if the fish go back and tell their buddies, "i was caught by a new pb today. this one had to go at least 200 pounds." awesome. now go get another one.

great start to the year bud. that sly grin says "i'm on a bunch of fish and i'm fixin' to wreck 'em." hope ya get a bunch more.

jealous of both the fish AND the short sleeves. good goin' RoLo and Lois!

the one and only.

now that snowpocalypse 2015 is over and we finally have some nice weather, me and my good buddy Chris got to go fishin' today. they were hungry and spinnerbait was the special of the day. big bass, big fun, big grins. and in case y'all didn't know, this dude can flat out fish. way to smoke 'em bud!

the only time i know they're there is when i can see they're there or see signs that they're there. if i don't see they're there or see signs they're there and i think they're there anyway, i fish there. if catch one there, i keep fishing there. if i don't catch one there and i still think they're there, i fish a different presentation there or go back there at a different time. they're there or they're not there. you cannot make them be there by feeling, thinking, or hoping they're there. there. but yeah, sometimes i just have a feeling there's a good one there.

i have always felt like genetics determine what the growth "ceiling" can be in a particular fish IF all other variables (food, habitat, climate) are at optimum levels. we are all looking for the bass with good genetics that has lived in optimum conditions. that's what makes a "trophy" fish, whatever that means in our particular part of the country. but if i have to choose between a bass with good genetics that's lived poor conditions and a bass with poor genetics that's lived in optimum conditions, i'll take the later. i don't think anyone can argue with the success of texas sharelunker program. the results speak for themselves. but it is ironic that most of the largest bass on record in the U.S. were caught in california which developed an "accidental" lunker program simply by stocking trout in their lakes. go figure.

awesome. aside from time spent with family, for a hardcore basser there are few moments in life that rival holding your very own double for the first time. congrats big time and may your next one come soon.

fish more than last year.

can't keep a good man down. way to get out there and smoke 'em even when you ain't supposed to be able to. you got skills bro. better days are ahead this week. spring is coming. like spongebob said, I'M READY!!!

gorgeous pics. man after a long winter it's good just to get out there and make some casts. judging from your pics, you are a guy who gets it. this ain't always about the fish. for folks like you who just learn to appreciate the day and whatever it brings, there will never be a bad day of fishing.

i've got 2 lexas. love 'em. i can't speak for the ardent, although i have picked them up and fooled with them and they feel legit. they are crazy light too. both are good reels and i don't think you'll go wrong either way. i'd say if reel weight is an issue, go with the ardent. if not, i'd take the lexa.

yep, definitely sounds obsessed to me. lol. and that is a dang cinder block of a fish. she is already huge but she is built to become a giant. wow. hope you get her man.

dude those are some MONSTER fish for that far north. heck, those would be monster fish pretty much anywhere. and to have hooked one that seemed that much bigger than all those? wow! i really hope you get that fish. definitely sounds like you are putting in the time on her. props!

tried it. successfully landed the board after an epic battle. released after pics since i couldn't figure out how to fillet the thing.

14 lbs. 2 oz.

you could also try using weedless hooks like these http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1168 until you get your timing and swing down. these remain snagless (as long as you don't get careless in rocks or wood), don't require as much pressure to set, and give you a much wider margin for error.

awesome pics guys!!! i must give the nod to BooyahMan for one of the coolest pics i've seen on here. his pic demonstrates that he is clearly proficient in 2 categories - bass fisherman and contortionist. just messin' with ya man.

1 down. 9999 to go before 2016. right? i hope so. awesome catch man.

i don't mean a particular SIZE bass, like say a 10 pound lm or a 6 pound sm. i mean a specific fish, like moby dick was to captain ahab. maybe you caught a glimpse of her when she threw your bait. maybe you just saw her cruising around. i bring this up because in a little while, i'll know if "SHE" has survived another year. like a deer hunter who intentionally lets a big buck walk for the mere chance that it will get bigger and he will somehow manage to come across it again, i fight the urge not to chase this fish until the spring when she's at her biggest. the clock is ticking. late march or early april will probably tell the tale. so what about it. am i the only person who is crazy like this? or have you ever been obsessed with a particular bass?

you are going to get lots of answers on this as hooksets vary about as much as golf swings. and there are A TON of variables that come into play. in the end, you're gonna have to pick something that you are comfortable with and have confidence in. with that said, i never let the line get completely "tight" before setting the hook. if you do, the fish may feel you and be in the process of spitting the bait, which might or might not explain your trouble. i want a LITTLE slack in the line when i start the swing. this helps generate momentum. it's the difference in trying to drive a nail in with a hammer vs. trying to push it in. i am also bringing the butt of the rod into my ribs and the reel into my chest vs. trying to jerk over my head or away from my body. this creates leverage. those are your 2 ingredients in a good set - leverage and momentum. this is worth a thousand words. watch winch 'em out I and II. nobody illustrates what i'm trying to say better than this guy. set like this and you'll be air mailing fish to the boat. http://www.ragetail.com/news/rage-videos/

here ya go.

i once caught a paper thin bass on a white spinnerbait with a mouth i could stick both my fists in several years ago. when i first glimpsed this fish in the water before i got a good look at her, i almost lost it. i was just sure i was about to top the state record. but i realized pretty quickly something was wrong. she gave up too easily, came in too quickly. when i got a good look at her, i couldn't believe the fish was even still alive or had the strength to bite at all. literally that fish could not have looked any worse. 9 lbs. 15 oz. only lacked a hair being 29" long. i have a regular pic around here somewhere, but nothing i can download. probably about as disappointed as i have ever been to catch a huge bass, if that even makes any sense.

a bluff is threatening your buddy when he won't split the costs. and a drop off is when you have finally had enough of his cheapskate ways and kick him out of your truck and make him walk. j/k some pretty good definitions given here and i agree people call all of our favorite fish hideouts by different names.

great jig. great fish. great pix. and dude you win the hardcore fisherman award in my book. i ain't about to fish out of a kayak with temps 30's with the wind blowing 10 mph unless somebody writes me an ironclad triple your money back guarantee that i'm gonna catch a giant.