Colton Neal

Try instead of a EWG just an offset straight shank hook which has the point riding higher then the eyelet and that should increase your penetration.

Sometimes catch and release is necessary if a population isn't doing well. Other times catching and harvesting is helpful to a lakes health due to overpopulation. Also, it depends if lake management wants bigger fish or more fish to catch. So then they'll make a creel limit or slot limit accordingly.

10%, so a bass that weighed 8 in the fall would be about 8 ounces heavier.

I would go with ike or Swindle because there downright funny characters. Of course KVD because he's considered the best in the world, any way i dont think you can go wrong with anybody your lucky to be marshall at the top level!

All i know is all those species in a one acre pond isn't good, flathead eat a ton and can decimate a forage population unless you're spending tons of money feeding them.

Watch the water temperature, once it hits 60 degrees you know they'll be hittin it. Also the moon phase and stable weather will help out. 3 days before or after a full/new moon are said to be most productive. Also you may be able to see the fish in shallow water making beds and spawning.

You can never go wrong with light line and a spinning rod. Lures would include shaky heads, tubes, and dropshots. No matter where you fish smaller lures will usually get more bites. If the water is muddy remember to fish extremeley close to cover.

try not to let a bass jump since they can get extra leverage to throw the hook out of the water by lowering the tip. If they do jump, which will happen, just keep a steady tension on the fish with your rod pointing in the direction the fish is traveling.

Simply crossing my line...

A swan, it swam over my line when i was working a zara spook. lololol

My best came on a small pond on a south central Kansas farm. It weighed 11lbs 2 oz and was only a few ounces away from the record which has since been beaten. It's now 11.8. I caught the fish in 2004 on a brown jig with a zoom trailer. Since then i've caught plenty of 9 lbers but i want to catch that record hahaha

I can't afford all the crazy boxes of mono like MAXX, and sensation. I just get the Berkley big game mono in 12-17 lb. test if i'm using mono.

get an abu garcia veritas or vendetta

Just do whatever you're most comfortable doing and work on it.

Crankbaits are good tools to pick off some more active fish after a warming trend. I usually cast parallel to a river or creek channel. After i do that i slow down and fish the area more thoughtfully with something slower.

It all depends on current. In warmer months bass will sit in eddies created by water flowing over points or behind objects that provide a current break like logs, boulders, or depressions. When the water is slack bass will move around a little bit more and chase bait fish in open water. In colder months though, current is BAD. River fish will generally be shallow all year long if there is lots of current. Look for places like sloughs or backwaters, but make sure there is depth nearby, marinas are good places because they usually have some good depth to them and are usually out of the main river current.

Sounds like the bass should be prespawn. After 48 degrees the bigger females should have started to move shallower. I wouldn't focus on channels but the areas in between channels and spawning areas. For example secondary points, drop offs, or ditches that aren't far from wintering areas. Once the water temp. hits 52 you should start fishing faster with lip less crankbaits or spinnerbaits. Don't waste your time fishing slow because the fish are feeding and getting ready for spawning.

Depending on whether you're in a northern climate or southern climate dictates how easily bass are affected by cold temperatures. Florida bass will totally shutoff during a cold front, but northern fish aren't as effected. Generally in wintertime bass relate to the most vertical deep parts of a system. Also avoid current, bass can't expend the energy needed to fight it. My no. 1 tip for winter bass fishing is target spotted or small-mouth bass. They are more acclimated to cold water and are easier to catch.

I think no matter where the water temperature is coming from if it is right the bass will spawn. The bass can sense when spring is arriving because of longer days, their biological clock starts ticking and tells them to start getting ready to spawn.

I think if you have confidence in it you just fish it more efficient. Also not everyone has the same line ya know, someone using the lightest possible line for the situation is probably going to get more bites then the other guy with heavier line.

Bass don't have the portion in their brain that induces pain, but if it still bothers you just take a sledge hammer to their head.

well first make sure you're where the fish live. Make sure you understand bass' seasonal movements.\ Match your color with the forage/water clarity. Clear water - translucent shad patterns, grays, perch, bluegill colors. Stained water - chartreuse/ black or blue backs, red craw, or chrome colors. With spinnerbaits you want to match your blades; in stained water use indiana, clear equals willowleafs, and muddy water you should use colorado blades for max vibration.

First i like to modify my senkos, i'll take scissors and cut some appendages at the tail end of the bait (around 4 tails), it almost looks like a cross between a tube and a senko. So now when it falls the little appendages dance and wriggle for added attraction. When i want to fish my senkos faster like when the fish are more active i'll texas rig it with a lead shank hook in red color. If i want to fish slower and more naturally, for example in more pressured waters, or clearer lakes i'll fish it weightless. Remember to use fluorocarbon for invisibility, sensitivity, strength, and lack of stretch(gives bait better action). Wacky rigging gives the fish a different look and can trigger more strikes, i use a circle hook.

If your fishing deep have a rod with good tip but also good back bone. For shallower you can use a medium. Fish a drop shot with fluorocarbon for added action, sensitivity, and invisibility. Octopus hooks are the standard for nose hooking small worms, they're like trout hooks. When your vertical fishing you should use a standard of a 6" leader, and when casting use a 12" leader because then the angle of your line will actually make the bait hang 6" above the bottom. For some reason a shorter leader increases strikes. - Don't overwork the dropshot let it hit the bottom and use a control bow to let your lure naturally flutter down a bit but maintain line control to since pickups.

Bottom contact is important with crankbaits to get the most action out of them. Be sure not to use to deep specific lure for what depth your fishing so the bait won't lose its action.