Bass Junkie

I can see it coming, but its kinda disappointing. It would change the whole style of tournaments, as well as give Bassmasters a whole new face. I can see the immediate release doing away with the fish limit, so it would become plausible that a guy catching twenty two pound bass out of a couple of schools could beat a guy with a 30lb. five bass bag. To me, that's just not right.

I've heard guys say that the negative pheromones that the fish release during the fight can negatively impact the catching ability of the fish, but that doesn't make scents (Sorry, couldn't help it). You here guys saying all the time how they can mimicking scared or fleeing pray with cranks, topwaters, swimbaits, etc. and football jigs are used to represent a craw rearing up into a defensive posture... Wouldn't the prey release negative pheromones also? And I have never really noticed a difference in the ability to catch fish after two or three fish. In fact, a lot of hardbaits seem to get better with time... Just some things to think on.

Well, if you have to cut and sand.....Just do it? And BASSclary has a legit point. Have you tried doing it the same way?

I'd try something along the lines of a mop jig... Not too many people fish 'em for smallies and you can bet that a 7lb.+ smallie would demolish one.

2011 Accomplishments- Fished jigs a lot more Tied my PB Smallmouth...Twice Caught a bass on the King Daddy Caught five bass over five pounds on the same night, the same night that my best fishing partner caught his PB largemouth on a topwater Caught a 27 1/2" Carp on a 6wt. fly rod on a self-tied fly after stalking him for 15+ minutes Caught a 4lb+ bass out of a small public pond. Hadn't seen or caught one that big in two years in that pond.... Really boosted my confidence in that pond 2011 Disappointments- Didn't catch as many big fish as I did last year Somehow strayed from topwaters (With the exception of the frog) Didn't catch nearly as many fish as I'd liked to have... But it seemed like everyone around here had off-years Couldn't stop swimming a jig long enough to fish it normally The lake where I caught my PB was totally drained because some hair-brained architect used an iron pipe for the spillway overflow. Not a lake at all, but it was the best public lake I'd ever found. Had more 5lb+ bass out of that lake than any other, and it was frog fishing heaven. Now its just a bare mud flat with a ton of rotting dead largemouth in it..... 2012 Goals- Catch more bass consistently Get back on track with the bigger fish Catch a 30"+ Carp on a fly rod Get back on the topwater pattern Finally break my 4lb. PB rut with the smallies Nail a 8lb.+ Largemouth... Not likely for a Northern Strain, but I'm giving it my best shot Take the top at the local tournament trail.

Congrats on the fish! Its just amazing that the destruction dust hasn't overtaken yet.

I've had braid snap on cast and backlashes, but only because of severe shock. I've never broken off a fish with braid, and neither have my partners. And that includes Largies up to 7.5lbs and Muskie u/Pike up to 14lbs + with no leader. If people are consistently losing fish, even 5lb+, because they're braking braid, there is something odd going on.

Rem Oil or 3-In-1 oil work well, but you'll need to apply it every three or four trips to keep things smooth. I find it worth it though, because the low viscosity of the oil can make your reels cast better than just about anything, Hot Sauce included, at least in my experience.

LSU! Those are all excelently done. You have a real talent!

Alright. Thanks for checking.

Berkley Hollowbelly are my personal favorite. I can swim them very slow and still get a good kicking action off them.

Perfectly worded

Happy B-Day and thanks for your contributions on the forum!

Finesse is much more presentation and speed than the actual bait. Slow and low profile rigging are the ways to go....

Starting jig building Tying Flys for a fly swap Tying feathered trebles Maybe a little Ice Fishing but I hope not... No ice would be nice. Trying my luck for Walleye in a local tailwater, and Smallies if there is a warm day. Buying a whole load of those $1.00 buzzbaits from Wally World and modifying them to my personal preferences..... A great way to blow through a couple days and you can produce some winners..... I have some that sound like Mopars when they run.... Clank rattle and squeak.... Reading a Bassmasters book I was recently given... Its from back in the day... Ken Cook, KVD when he was a rookie.... Outta be interesting I've already completely re-arranged my tackle system Getting my hands on another Duckett So I should be fine for....A week? And then its back to Bassresource and old Bassmasters tourneys on YouTube......

^^^^^^^^^ Does it matter that late in the year? Cabin fever....

Any chance of the football heads being made in 3/8oz.?

Congrats! That has to be a blast to be out in the middle of the winter tearin' 'em up... Good job.

One word.... Duckett.

Nicely done! That is a great looking rod!

Done.

Beautiful

Plano 3700 series in a Tackle Logic bag. Works fine by me, and they're all readily available, so I'm not digging through my old system of tubs.

Good luck out there. Give us all a shout on how you do.

I stop fishing lakes for bass when I can't punch through the ice. Rivers, never.... Steelhead and smallies are quite the combo.