pbrussell

Been a while since I've logged in. Is it spring yet? I'll play this game, even though I'm a little late. Favorite Rod / Reel: Probably my new skeet reese spinnerbait rod/ lews speed spool. I didn't get to use it much as I bought it late in the season, but that thing is smooth as butter. All-around line: The new "improved" trilene formulas. That stuff is pretty great for the price. Jig / Shakeyhead / Football: Didn't do great with jigs this year. I would say I swam jigs a lot more this season, and had success with it when other things weren't working. Generally a 3/8 ounce jig in pbj with a paca chunk trailer. Crankbait: Strike king 1.5, 2.5, and red eye shad were all big producers for me this year Finesse Bait: Not only the ned rig, but also a finesse style with 4" netbait worm. Topwater: Poppers. Plastic: Havoc Pit Boss, Tubes of all colors/sizes

There's nothing I can do that others around me don't do better. But I sure have fun.

Micah, I believe you and I have fished in a couple of tournaments together. I'm one of vankeulen's buddies (Blake). I think we're even friends on facebook. Welcome to the boards. This is a good place to be.

Congrats. That first 5 lber is just around the corner for you. I feel it.

Biggest. Prettiest

Looks very similar to one I caught that was roughly 5.5 this summer.

Last year jigs were very productive for me. This year that hasn't really been the case for some reason. This year, it'd be crankbaits of all kind. At any rate, there's always a jig and crank tied on one of my setups.

Hard telling what the temps were today. I forgot my humminbird unit at home. I caught around 20 fish in four hours or so. 7 or so on a firetiger trap, 1 on a jerkbait, 1 on a jig and the rest on the ned rig.

I'm headed out to pleasanton east today to see if I can't get some cold water largemouth. Gonna throw all the cold water staples. I'm betting the surface temps are somewhere around 45. We'll see how I fare.

If those fun little zebras help the smallie population out there, it might just push me over the edge with getting a permit.

Well, I was really itching to get out again today. But, I'm sick and it's more than a little windy. Oh well. Really great weather otherwise.

Hey clayton, mind telling us what kind of retrieve you usually use with lipless baits? I know the standard answer is burning it, but sometimes that just doesn't produce.

Well, I officially have the smallmouth bug. I caught my first smallmouth ever this year, starting at table rock lake. I started fishing Melvern lake which is a hot smallie lake (as many kansas city posters will testify) around these parts. Several posters here have recently caught 4-5 lb class fish. Mine did not pass that mark today, but considering I just started catching smallmouth this year, I'll take it. This fish weighed in at 3.5 lbs, and was one of the fattest fish I have ever seen. The fish was only 17 inches long. I'd like to meet up with this fish in a couple of years, because it has the makings of a monster. She came off a 90's rapala shad colored crank that ran to about 7 feet. Despite tough turn over conditions (lake was much dingier than normal, and fishing was slow.), she still wanted that crank. Here she is. Count me in the smallmouth club. These fish are a blast.

Around there. Water definitely had more of a dingy tint to it. Sitting around 55 degrees, and the wind didn't help the water clarity either. I think I caught around 10 smallies, and 10 whites. The fellas I had with me didn't do any better. There was a lot of junk fishing too. Handful on the "rig". One a jerkbait. One a jig. Missed one on a shakyhead. Handful on a rapala crank. Handful on a kvd 1.0. Weird day out there for sure.

Fishing was pretty tough today. But, at least I caught this.

Got some friends that want to catch some smallies. So guess where I'm heading again tomorrow. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. I'll have to make sure and mix it up somehow next week if the weather is permitting. Maybe I'll brave La cygne and get my butt kicked.

Perhaps that was part of my problem. I was using a heavier rod (my brother was using the lighter rod at the time) and didn't have my drag set to where it would slip. I don't think the hook straightened on the hookset but did on the fishes first run. Didn't have any problem on my spinning setup.

Way to go. I know I had one every bit of that size on but it straightened out my hook on my ned rig. Which now leads me to my next question. What jigheads are you guys using and where are you getting them? I know the ned rig isn't necessarily the most ideal rig for bigger fish, but when that's all they bite you might have a chance of getting into a big one. I don't really want to straighten out my hook again on a bigger fish

I wish I remembered what my first bait was. I think when I got back into fishing some of the first baits I bought were senko style worms.

The ned rig. However, if you get some clouds dont hesitate to throw a spinnerbait.

Yeah, it was the longest fish of the day I think, but the fish on the far left had a much better frame and was probably just as heavy if not heavier.

Well my brother and I whacked em pretty good today at melvern. Bite was crazy at the dam... whodda thunk? Anyhow, here's some of the better/prettier fish we caught today.

Yup. It's cold. I'm thinking of heading to melvern again tomorrow with my brother. I'm not really looking forward to freezing. I'm not really looking forward to light winds and clear skies either. It's gonna make things tough. But, at least the sun and lack of wind will provide a little warmth.

There was yesterdays kicker

Yup. It was certainly a blast. We just couldn't keep putting bigger fish in the boat, but I've had much worse days and 70 inches of fish isn't terrible or anything. It was great meeting you all and I look forward to doing it again. Sorry I couldn't stay much longer at the cookout. -Blake.