Bluebasser86

My wife and I went to Table Rock with Sunday and Monday and spent some time on the water. I threw that silly rig all over the place because they're supposed to be catching lots of fish and some big ones out there on it right now. Well I must not have been doing it right because I only caught one fish on it the whole time but it was my first meanmouth and my first A-rig fish. I was pretty sure it was a meanmouth because it still had a stripe down the side like a spot but it was brown like a smallie but a local fishing closeby confirmed it for me. Sorry about the dark picture, I lightened it up the best I could with my limited computer skills. Didn't get to fish much Sunday, 20mph+ winds and 16' aluminum don't mix well on a big lake. 2012 bass count-152

My favorite color is one I haven't been able to find again but there really isn't any "bad" colors in the 1.5. American shad is tough to go wrong with if they aren't out of it. Other than that any shad or bluegill color would probably be my second favorite.

I will do it in places where the chances of me hooking a big bass aren't high so I can enjoy playing the smaller fish more. Was doing this in a small pond and hooked up with a 22lb flathead catfish on a Yo-Zuri Aile Killifish crankbait (1 1/8" I think?) with an ultralight and 4lb test. Took forever to get that thing landed!

The RC cranks and jerks are both very good baits. If you're just trying to build up a collection of baits I'd go with 2 RCX's. If you have plenty and you are just looking for one really good bait I'd go with a LC but they are both very good baits that will catch you fish.

You might try one of the 1oz Xcalibur one knockers. They have a single big ball in them that gives them a different sound than most rattlebaits and have produced very well for me.

Yep, one with 15 and one with 20 and you're ready to go! I'd use the 20 for most of my flipping/pitching but the 15 works nicely for lighter baits/sparse cover.

Wow that's a big beautiful fish! Hard to look at when I'm just sitting here wishing for soft water again

I've thought several times how much fun it would be to shoot asian carp with a shotgun while driving down the river. It's kind of like flushing a pheasant or covey of quail, depending on how many carp they are/how big they are. I also saw the test they did having people blindfolded and eating them and picking them over catfish or tilapia. I would love to see them harvested by the boatload and sent to countries where people are starving. Good PR for the US and we get rid of some carp, it's a win-win. For now I will continue to shoot them with a bow and cut them up for catfish bait.

You don't have to get her a broomstick. I caught my first muskie casting a 1oz safety pin style spinnerbait on a 7' MH/F St. Croix Premier. She can get it done with a smaller, lighter rod, it just might not be the "ideal" muskie fishing gear. Just stick to smaller lures and she'll be fine.

finesse jigs-7' M/F St.Croix Mojo/200E7 Curado/14lb Vicious Elite most jigs-7' 1" MH/F St. Croix Rage/200E7/17lb P-line C21 or 20lb Seaguar big jigs-7' 3" MH/F St.Croix Legend Tournament/Curado 200E7/20lb P-line C21 or 25lb Seaguar I like the fast retrieve so I can reel in quickly to make another cast or to catch up with a fish quickly if it is swimming at the boat.

I'd say popmax since your in Florida you should get use out of it most of the year.

I pour my own and use mainly 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4. Zoom trick worms and magnum finesse worms are a couple of my favorite worms. Watermelon and green pumpkin colors in clear water, black in dirty water or low light conditions.

I use all red hooks on my cranks. Don't know if it makes a difference but I have more confidence in my baits when they have red hooks and confidence is one of the best fish catchers there is!

They're both another tool to have in your boat. Some days they'll kill one and won't touch the other, some days they won't touch either, some days it doesn't matter which you fish. Personally I tend to fish chatterbaits more around vegetation because even if they catch a little bit they will often keep working where it doesn't take much to bog down a spinnerbaits blades. I also like chatterbaits in dirty water because of the strong vibrations.

If she can use casting gear a heavy action baitcasting rod will fish larger bass style baits like big Husky Jerks or X-raps, larger safety pin spinners, and inline spinners in the 1/2-1 oz size. They may not be the "ideal" muskie setup or baits but they will account for their share of muskies. I've only ever caught 3 even though I've fished for them with muskie sized baits, 1 on a 1oz teriminator, 1 on a 1oz bucktail, and 1 on a 1/8oz crappie jig believe it or not.

Beautiful fish! Was this on the White River by chance? I'll be there the second week of March for the first time and might like to pick your brains a little about what to expect/bring.

Small jerkbaits fished very slowly with soft twitches catch most of my fish in cold, clear ponds during the winter time. Natural colors fished on mono or copoly so it hangs perfectly in the water.

You know you found a special woman when you can buy her a rod and reel for Valentine's and she doesn't get mad at you! I bought mine a St. Croix Avid Pearl spinning rod and a Quantum Energy PT10 for Valentine's day last year, cost more than almost any of my combos!

Beautiful fish! Where those come from?

Love 'em. Very tough baits and catch lots of fish for me. If I'm not throwing a pointer there's a good chance I'm throwing the Erratic shad. Caught my biggest fish of last year on one in fact.

Any lucky craft jerkbait in a natural baitfish color. Solid patterns for cloudy days, translucent or flashy colors for sunny days. That's not always the rule but it will get you bit most days if they're eating a jerkbait.

Someone lied to you! It just makes it worse because he's still there but you don't have any money to buy anything anymore!

Yeah I'd normally have an anchor with me but I was in a hurry today and forgot it. I was really wishing I had it fighting that wind though!

I'm pretty sure that most bass they sample are already collected with shock boats. It stuns the fish just long enough for them to be netted and put into a collection tank where the revive and are weighed and measured before they release them and it does little or no damage to the fish. I was "lucky" enough to be at 2 lakes the same day they were shocking them last year and watched them collected them and turning them loose after being weighed and measured. If you're ever at a lake when they're doing this I'd suggest just watching them do it, the odds of catching anything will be heavily stacked against you at that point anyways.

Stupid people, negativity, people who push their beliefs on me (mainly those that think I shouldn't hunt or fish because it's "mean"), cold fronts, when I make a perfect cast or pitch to a great looking spot and don't get bit , people who think because they have money to own a boat makes it so they know how to operate one. I could go on but I'll leave it with those ones.