senile1

With side imaging and down imaging, many don't see a reason to take the time to troll and map a structure like Buck recommends. I, personally, agree with you. To get the best picture in your mind of how a particular structure element is laid out and how different pieces of cover are situated on that structure, trolling performed correctly can be very informative. However, I do use my sonar for mapping purposes when little time is available which is much of the time for me.

I had one on like that yesterday that would compete with yours, but it wrapped me around a tree and broke off.

Congratulations on your new PB!

I received some freebie spoonplugs when I bought the Buck Perry series but I have never used them. There are some things in Buck's books that are outdated but his information on structure and mapping is very informative.

Good question. Keep in mind that you can find fish suspended above the thermocline in very deep water. This means you may be in 100 feet deep water, but only fishing in the upper part of the water column. I know the rule is to find where the thermocline depth intersects structure because active fish will tend to be on the bottom rather than suspended. However, if you are only finding fish suspended well above the bottom you have to find a way to fish for them. I've caught fish suspended at 35 feet above 70 - 100 feet deep water at Table Rock lake.

I think it is an essential book. I have the whole series.

As stated, you should be able to cast a senko type bait with a baitcaster. Other than just needing to practice, I have known a couple of people who bought very cheap baitcasters that were poor reels and caused lots of problems on the cast. When I say cheap, I don't mean inexpensive. I mean poor quality. What is your reel model?

In reference to shallow water fishing: I've found something similar once I hit the typical temperatures of late July and August. When the water temps are high 80s and low 90s and after the early morning timeframe, I get more bites with a dropshot bait just sitting there dangling over shallow weeds. I love to fish jigs and plastics on the bottom, but often (not always) in the worst heat of summer, they won't bite those baits before they are fouled with weeds in the shallows. And a topwater or shallow moving bait doesn't seem to draw too many bites either. The bites tend to be very light at this time of day. This seems to be somewhat typical for the murkier, highly pressured waters I fish. In clear waters and if I want to fish shallow, I have the additional option of casting a topwater or shallow moving bait from near the bank out over deeper water and the weed line edge. There always seem to be a fish or two that will come up to hit that shallow bait in the worst heat of summer, especially if I can do this around current. I've read the same thing in In-Fisherman's Largemouth Bass Location book.

Great story and awesome fish! The next cast could always be the one.

Does anyone see buckets in this picture? I see a cooler or two on the other side but there aren't very many containers for fish from what I can see. While I do understand that there have been situations where "bucket fishermen" have hurt fisheries, in some cases people are complaining about something that they have assumed, rather than confirmed. Do those of you complaining about this actually check the buckets and coolers around a body of water to confirm they are full of big bass? By the way, in the state of Missouri where I live, most small metropolitan lakes and ponds are not stocked with bass. They are stocked with fish that most non-sporting anglers see as food fish (i.e. catfish, bluegill). The MDC website provides a description of the bodies of water and of what fish are available there.

Yep. That's why those fish are categorized as fish of a lifetime. They don't succumb to our efforts easily.

Sometimes changing the action of a bait can create something entirely new that the fish love. The first person who inserted a nail into the end of a worm ruined the original action of that bait too, only to create an enticing, new action. Now if I could just get bass to go for the action of a crankbait with the line wrapped around a treble hook.

Very nice work! Congratulations!

I've had that happen now and then on Smithville close to KC when everybody and their brother are out on the main lake for water sports or just running their bigger boats. It's not much fun moving about when you can't even go on plane!

Jon's "Time and a place" remark covers it for me. There are places on the larger lakes I fish where 90 could be done during low traffic hours. My boat has hit 72 with just me and about a third of a tank of fuel on a calm lake surface. With two people and a full tank I'm hitting 66 - 68 depending on how rough the water is. However, with the winds that we have and the waves from the boat traffic it often isn't safe unless I trim down a bit and go 40 - 50 mph. I've taken air a few times in the past trying to go faster than the conditions warrant and that's not a comfortable or safe feeling.

Usually, the reason grease won't come out is because you need to purge the air from the gun. Unscrew the body two or three turns to allow air to escape, and then pump the gun until grease comes out. At that point, screw the body back tight and you should be good to go.

For me, it depends on the day which lipless crankbait works best. There are days when only a certain type of rattle or knock will get a bite. And then there are the days when a silent bait is best.

A Google search brought me here as well. I was searching for bass related websites in 2004 when I came upon BR. I lurked and read stuff for almost a year before I joined as a member.

Very nice big Texas Momma!

Low pressure systems associated with cold fronts rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as most of you know. Often, when you experience an easterly wind it is because a cold front just recently went through and you are experiencing the winds from the back side of the low pressure system. It is not the wind, but the cold front that just passed through that typically affects the bite. Not all cold fronts are strong enough to have great effect on the bite which is why sometimes in an easterly wind you can't buy a bite while other times the fish are still fairly active.

That is an awesome looking boat, A-Jay! It looks and sounds like a sweet fishing machine. I'm looking forward to further updates once you get it on the water.

The timing belt is part of the 90,000 mile maintenance. I had a 2002 Tundra with the 4.7 liter engine. I never had any repairs required but I did do regular maintenance so I had the belt replaced. I sold it to my brother-in-law last Fall and bought a 2016 Toyota Tacoma V6 4wd. I agree that the newest Tundras don't have the best look but they last forever. I do like the look of the new 2016 Tacoma and it has more horsepower and torque with the V6 than my old 2002 Tundra had with the 4.7 liter V8.

You still have a couple hundred thousand to go before you trade it in. It still feels like new doesn't it.

Those are a couple of beautiful hawgs! Very nice color.

Nice fish, Blue!