Big-O

She was a LARGEMOUTH Bass... But NOT so LARGE that my Head would fit in it, I know - I tried Could've been the Rage Lobster was in the way, Just sayin' Pitchin 12ft brush in the middle of a creek channel, 65# braid, 3/4oz SK Tungsten, 5/0 Moaner Stick'r hook, 7'11" Hvy action St Croix Rage Rod. I place a large rubber chair leg tip on the bottom of the handles for better hooksets with less slipping in my rib area. YEP, that's a HawgTech Handle on that old Curado... Love'em! For pegging or holding the larger weights in position or tight to the bait, I'll use the Paycheck Punchstops because they make more line contact and don't slide up and down as easy. Still use the Bobber Stop style of weight stops with lighter weights and below tungsten if I'm using Fluoro lines, to protect the knot

Space Monkey for me too...

Thanks All For the two days I could be there, I had a great time with all of you as well! Sharing a day on the water with Ghoti and then Long Mike was a blast and KOOL memories from both days for sure Believe it or not, it was a much needed relaxing couple of days for me after a 6 day Fla jaunt. Accomodations were terrific and THANKS to everyone there for the FUN and FRIENDSHIP

One of my young facebook pals Cody Ross made a statement Flipppin the Rage Lobster at the Collegiate Bass Open on Kentucky Lake. He anchored his Bethel Univ Teams win with this PIG! This kid makes it a habit of catchin big fish and one to watch for.

I Like'em ALL Mike And that reminds me... I think I need to go Feed some Fish tomorrow

Here are some factors to consider that may cause change in line choices: Water clarity and or daylight conditions, jig weight, type of habitat or structure your fishing, depth your fishing, type of equipment like rod and reel used, average size of fish you are targeting or expecting to catch, the style or jig fishing technique you've chosen, whether on waters with HEAVY fishing pressure or otherwise... and there are others. You can see when it comes to jig fishing, as with ANY other style or Lure presentations chosen, it's possible and often necessary to match the line size and type with the jig chosen to the conditions being fished, to increase your success. An Example to give some clarity... Smaller diameter lines that are harder to detect and Fluoro's may be the best choice for lighter smaller weight jigs in clear calm water and skys where the fish are pressured and in more open water conditions Then as conditions change, you may be able to fish with more durable, heavier lb test and more visible lines. This is just a basic explanation and hope it helps

I don't understand your set up either... I would have the weight on the braid main line. For a fact different types of tungsten or weights will cut your line easier than others whether braid or fluoro etc. and especially at the knot. With fluoro, I'll place a rubber weight stop both above and below the weight to protect the knot from abuse. The Paycheck weight stops have a point that will extend inside the bigger weights and they also stay in position very much better as well. Hope that helps

You gave'em a Yak-Attack Clayton Nice photos too!

Congrats SunFish, Knew it was just a matter of time for you

Thanks! Great read and photos too

By referral I ckd out Tuf-line right after last years Classic and it was either 60 or 80lb test... I think it was good in the strength and longevity area but it lost it's color quickly during use and wasn't as smooth going through the guides and sticks as I'd like. I think Kanzen is the only one of the newer braids that I haven't tried as of yet, but MM referred it to me and I plan on giving it a ck up as well

If I'm on the water 8 hrs using the same line and in heavy mineral or lightly stained water, once mid day and at the end of it. In the boat, it takes about 2 minutes to clean one set up and then add drying time for conditioner... I keep 2 to 3 rods rigged with the same bait set up on the deck at all times... I don't like to take time to rig only one rod when any given problem arises

Over stretching any line is obviously not a good idea, but a light stretch on clean line is not bad at all. it's actually bringing it back much closer to original condition than otherwise and since there is no hardened scale or mineral build up on it, there is much less chance of causing the micro cracking in the lines surface that causes some of the cloudy effect as well as reduces the original line strength. I've been able to get HYPER mileage out of the fluro I now use compared to what it was before I started servicing the line... When you try it, you'll like it and like I said... from a boat it's a simple and fast procedure that's well worth your time

I like this thread as well And I too am reminded of a lake I fished when I was much younger and my Dad was still living. He had fished it with me the first couple of times and we seemed to struggle to find a dependable pattern during those outings... I told him that I was disappointed and didn't like fishing it as much as other more productive waters we regularly visited. He chuckled and said that if I just wanted to be a fish catcher, we could go to those other lakes and leave that one alone. But if I wanted to be a fish finder, I should continue my efforts on that particular lake... As it turned out, that lake had many off shore changes with good numbers of hungry fish and it helped me to understand mid lake fishing much better than the other lakes where the close to shoreline fishing was much easier. I caught a few bigger than average fish there as well but the biggest plus on that lake turned out to be the mid summer night bite, it was GREAT. If you decide to try it a few more times, the warmer water should help things alot and from your description of it, chances are the shorelines are pressured more so that mid lake areas and the christmas tree sets are possibly good targets for you seek out. But don't just look for those, search out other changes both natural and/or man made that aren't as obvious to the masses... Electronics would be a must, a topo map or google map could be a big asset as well. Good luck with whatever you decide and the main thing is Have FUN or Don't do it

Since I fish braid subsurface in timber and trash alot, I want the smoothest, most quiet, strongest and one that holds its strength the longest or has the best longevity. I've used the standard Suffix since it came out and the also Suffix 832 as well... NOT Sponsored by them. I can say for sure that the standard Suffix last longer and is more dependable than any other braids I've tried. Have also used many other most popular brands but they're either too coarse which causes sawing noise and vibrations when coming through grass and timber or degrade too quickly... or usually both. Suffix loses its color too easily IMO, but I use a green Pilot Marker to camo it up when necessary in clear conditions. Usually dash the line with small 1" or so marks. Not sure if it is better than marking a constant solid line but a few yrs back, a friend and I discussed it and I've been doing it ever since. Palomar knots work great tying directly to hooks, baits and most other hardware... and a Double Uni knot is good for connecting braid to fluoro, where the knot slides through the guides easier.

The first illustration is a slower fall and horizontal profile.. The second is faster fall, hooked vertically and upright swim motion

Best two sellers are GreenPumpkin Back/Pearl Belly and Green Pmpkin Back/Chartreuse Belly I trim the Toad Feet with small scissors You'll Like'em when the water's calm and so will the Fish

I figured this out some time back and have utilized these basic steps ever since. Hope it helps some of you to enjoy your Fishing MORE, and possibly save bucks on your fishing line costs Fluoros, mono's and/or standard copolymers get a build up of mineral deposits and scale on the line when fishing and some bodies of water are much worse than others to cause this. The build up forms a crust or coating on the line as it is used, dried and reused throughout a day of fishing. This causes much of the coiling effect or line to reel memory that can often give us problems. If you service the line using the following steps you'll find that the line casts farther, has less line to guide friction, fishes much better and also last much longer than it would otherwise. Line conditioner is great... but by using the following procedures prior to applying the conditioner, it is much better Step 1 - Remove any line twist and clean your line by pulling out 30 to 40 yrds, then retrieving it back onto the spool thru a clean WET rag, Repeat. Make sure to ck for line knicks during this process and adjust the wet rag often to so that a clean wet surface is primarily used while retrieving the line, which avoids excessive line scratching with the residue that is transferred onto the rag. 2) Tie the end of your line off to a solid object and stretch tight, holding stretch for 10 seconds or so... Retrieve loosely back through a wet rag again onto your reel spool. 3) Add a line conditioner to the cleaned and stretched line prior to fishing again, allowing just enough time for the drying process... If you're in a boat, these steps are very simple to accomplish. I'm afraid that it's not the same for braids... When braid first hit the market for Bass fishing, it seemed to last FOREVER, but now MANY of the different brands on the market will actually degrade in strength QUICKLY with use ... I won't mention names because that's not my style Sunlight seems to be the biggest determining factor for the loss of any braids original quality and strength (Same with ALL line types) so storing your line and equipment out of direct sunlight is advised. Hope this Helps, Now GO CATCH SOME FISH

A Rage Toad is only as aggressive as you want it to be... This shows the toad adjusted or toned down for less noise and aggression, also runs slower,

Here's a link showing hooking procedures for the RAGE Toad or any toad for that matter, that makes it run upright as they should... weighted hooks are good for adding distance to you cast or in windy conditions. Hope you like'em http://www.ragetail.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/toad_diagram750.jpg

SWEET Fish and Photos Mike and pls tell your lovely Wife that we said Congrats on her banner Day

And mine on hers, lol. My eyes were telling her THANKS for biting... and hers were saying "Hurry up and turn me loose you old Fart and forget that I was here"

That's a GREAT Day for you both and Thanks for sharing! We're getting alot of Family Fishing posts here recently and GLAD WE ARE

Your comment "Today was one of the best days of my life. Being able to share the hobby that I love most with my son and watch him enjoy it just as much.....There is no words to explain how happy and proud I am as a father." Should be placed on the back of the photos and dated, so that he can share those moments throughout his Future... You're a GREAT Dad and thanks for the post and photos

WOW, what a great day for you both, him for catching his PB and you for being there with him! I'll bet you enjoyed it MORE than he did... "Great Dads Think Alike"