cpvenom

Indeed, if it is an actual puncture wound, I would also vote heron. I have seen a few with both entry and exit holes. Some were fresh, and others were old scars. As long as nothing vital was punctured, it should be ok.

I joined here in the mid 2000's, when I was into gaming on my PC. This was my old name on 'America's Army'. I suppose I'm due for an update

Alberto knot for me. I haven't sat down and mastered the FG knot yet, but a properly tied Alberto has never failed me on a fish. In any case that I've snagged and had to break off, my leader breaks near the middle, never at the knot.

Of the pictures in my phone, two stand out in my mind. First is my old PB, and one of my first swimbait fish. Caught in January, it was also the first time I had to knock ice off my rod guides. Suffice to say, I became a believer in chasing trophy sized bass during winter. The second, is a flounder from summer '17. The fish completed my first solo inshore slam (Trout, Redfish, Flounder). I just think it's a cool picture...

Yep, stock Hudd 68, ROF 5, rainbow trout color. No scent, as I had run out earlier. Retrieve was slow near the bottom. No trout in the lake. The main forage is bluegill. Shad were introduced a couple years ago, but bluegill still seems to be number 1. This goes to show that a bass won't pass up an easy meal, even if it's not a familiar species.

Hey y'all, just wanted to share this fine specimen I caught yesterday (12/14/17). After not fishing for almost a month, I decided to drive to a buddy's house to fish on his neighborhood lake. Big bass was the agenda, and the arsenal was swimbaits, and also a bulky jig for extra thick cover. This is my first year in the swimbait game, which I have taken semi-seriously. I started the year with a possible PB (no scale handy) on a Mattlures Bluegill. After yesterday, it looks like I get to close the year with a definitive PB, and a true swimbait passion. After throwing the Mattlures for the majority of the day without a bite, I managed to straighten my hook on a sunken branch. I decided to switch to a Huddleston 68 Special ROF 5 to finish my lap around the lake, my first time ever throwing the lure. I had gone all the way around the lake, getting used to the feel of branches and trees with the occasional false hookset. I approached the last spot, a steep point with cover strewn about right by my friend's house, and I decided to try something different. Instead of casting up or down the point (parallel) like I normally do, something told me to try casting across the point (perpendicular). I figured if a big fish was holding there watching lures go by all day in the same direction, maybe something different would trigger it. On my second cast I felt another tap, but something just felt different than the trees I was feeling earlier, so I set the hook. I had the fish moving fairly easily, and wasn't sure of the size until the mouth breached the water. I immediately told myself "Oh crap, this is it. This is happening". I was by myself with no net, so I reminded myself everything I have learned, read, or watched online about how to keep a Huddleston fish pinned. "Keep the fish moving forward. Don't let her turn. Keep the rod bent. Don't stop reeling". As I grabbed her lip, I let out a Ric Flair "WOOO!", then got her on the scale, as my friend came over to check out the commotion. The scale read 8-8 both on the boat, and on the dock, where she was released back go the cold depths. This experience opened my eyes in a number of ways, not only with swimbait and cold water fishing, but also just approaching things differently around big fish, as they didn't get that huge by being the same...

Forget the rods... Think about the extra fishing time! Priceless!

I've had my Dobyns Fury 7'3" mag heavy (5 power) for about 8 months and I love it...

One of my goals for this year is to be more proficient with the jig, and I too have started to really love them. The key for me have been a few trips where I only took jigs. It really forces you to pay attention when you have no other lures to use.

Like RoLo said, in the mid 2000's, solid bodied toads were the hot topic on these forums. I used to throw the Horny Toad all the time, but I haven't used one in a few years now, for no real reason. I have an old bag of Stanley Ribbits that I was thinking about using this spring, so thanks for the reminder!

Inches Per Turn. The amount of line picked up with 1 turn of the reel handle.

I usually walk about a mile to my local lake, so often times I will play music on my headphones during the walk. If I start the day with moving baits, I will sometimes keep them in, but if I'm flipping or looking for subtle bites, I will usually turn them off to avoid distractions.

Nice multi-species double! Most folks don't get to experience that... Very cool!

I spent some time in St. Petersburg Florida, and as a result, I have a couple of Inshore saltwater spinning setups with fast tips and stiff backbones, that I occasionally use for bass around pretty heavy cover. Things like 10"+ Texas rigged worms, or big weightless soft plastics. The blanks aren't really any bigger, just built differently for saltwater battles. If you can pull a 30" Snook or Redfish from under a dock, you can get a 5lb Bass out of a brush pile just fine. There are plenty of applications that I would Prefer a baitcasting setup, but you can definitely get away with spinning in a pinch, or if you simply don't like casting gear.

I personally would look at either the 703C. This should be suitable for many jigs and spinnerbaits as well

Both my buddy and I agreed it was around 7 pounds or so. Her eyes and mouth weren't huge, but her body was thick, dense, and healthy. My guess is that she's relatively young, and she may be on her way to becoming Queen of the pond.

A friend of mine took me out to a couple ponds this morning. I decided to focus on throwing a Mattlures bluegill, as I am dipping my toes into the swimbait world. I quickly landed a smaller fish (my first Mattlures fish, and first of 2017). Feeling confident, I threw my bait past a fallen branch and *Wham*, stuck this pretty lady. Talk about a rush! I can now officially say I'm hooked on swimbaits...

'Augustus's Bass Hole'

Prolonged exposure to sunlight will weaken mono type lines. That may be why the line suddenly became weaker. I say throw some new line on and move on from there

I bought a size 50 a couple weeks ago in the natural brown/white belly color. I got my first fish on it the other day (my third outing with it, throwing the bait only part time). Though the 50 size may seem intimating, the bass wasn't even that large, maybe a 2 pounds at most. The action is dual part, with the ability to walk the dog, and also a steady surface retrieve with a single knocking rattle. I have confidence that it will prove to coax some large fish to the surface for a meal.

I was tying a bucktail Jig last summer, and managed to bury a heavy wire jig hook DEEP (almost to the hook bend) in the base of my pinky, while it was still in the vice. I was pinned to the table for a good 15 seconds as i quickly weighed my options. Using my free hand, I smacked my hooked hand, popping it free. The wound healed quickly, however, I was left with some nerve damage for about 6 months.

A tip to help with future dig ins: Make the longest cast you can into the lake, then take a piece of electrical tape and put it on the spool. Then reel in like you would regularly. The next time you have a dig in, it will only dig in as far as the tape, not your whole spool.

The Calico Jack (also by hurricane) goes for 59.99, and is a tremendous bang for the buck from what I've heard. If you buy it at Dick's, you can often find a $10 off coupon in the fishing regulations book at the counter

This clip from Bigmouth Forever illustrates just how quickly a bass can inhale, then exhale a bait, specifically around the :22 second mark. The posters above me have said it perfectly already. If you lose contact with your crankbait, set the hook!

It kind of seems deformed to me. Notice how the back is also "pinched" at the same point as the belly.