gulfcaptain

No, 1 treble is 1 hook. CA only allowed 3 hooks max so hard baits can only have 3 trebles but it is a sing So A-Rig would be 5 hooks thus 2 dummy baits and 3 hooked baits. And if they "ruled" to ban the use of this bait then it is a RULE. Live bait catches bass too, but there's a RULE that says "No Live Bait". Sorry your arguement kinda collapes on itself with the point it catches bass, so does a cast net when they are on beds, but I don't think they are going to let me do that either.

Never stop learning. Pay attention and learn from evey fishing trip (yes even if you don't catch anything) and learn from others. This sport is always evolving and when you decide to just get comfortable with "what you prefer to fish" you're going to find yourself on the outside looking in when things get tough and you have no clue on how to adapt to the conditions and change.

If you're worried about gut hook fish, try the YM wacky hook or one of the circle hook styles.

Looking at your map, you have structure, you just don't have cover. Look at the depth contours and fish the pockets that make points underwater. Since I have never fished there, with your limited info, I'd drag and swim a biffe head or some kind of football swinghead jig with a biffle bug in either a green pumpkin or bama craw to start, also fish a fat Ika, and possibly a dropshot or weightless senko. But def would start with the biffle bug and swing jig head and drag and swim that thing around those underwater points and deeper pockets.

So can they still use the Booya Rigs? It's up to the organizations that are putting on the even. If they decide to ban it, so be it. That's their event and they make the rules. If you don't like it don't fish them. There are a lot of other rules you should look into....NO cell phones during tournement times except for emergencies. Non boaters have quit a list, no hand held gps, no recording spots, no passing information of previous day with a different pro, just to think of right off the top of my head. Oh, did you know they do back ground checks too. It's just another rule if you choose to fish for money you have to follow.

Bass do it, I've seen yellowtail offshore that have buried themselves in a kelp paddy lay there. They can't see you and feel like they are hidden and waiting for the danger to pass. Pull them all the way to the boat or be it bass fishing from shore with a face full of weeds and pick them up without a kick or headshake....of course when they figure out they aren't safe anymore, that extra energy they saved explodes and as your's did, managed to free themselves without letting you get a picture.

Tom's torpedo sinker is used a lot in CA. There are guys that have used small milk creates with weights tied on the top so the milk create sinks upside down and returns the fish to depth where they can swim away since there's an open bottom. This is mainly used when fishing in the ocean especially when fishing deeper water calico's and sandbass you want to release (100+ ft)

Guttersville.....where is the frog and the punch rod.....? I normally carry 5-7 rods any time I go fishing just incase so here's my list. Flip/punch rod (3/4 tungsten flip weight or punch jig with a 4" DB Craw) Frog Buzzbait Bladebait/swimjig Swimbait (3 to 4oz swimbaits) Dropshot Umbrella Rig Biffle Bug/ SK Structure swing jig Of course this list will change as the weather changes but those are almost always tied on. But do swap out and fish squarebills, spinnerbaits, deep cranks, senko's/Ika's, and jerkbaits. Hmmmm, now I know why I have more then 7 rods at home and always looking for more.

Seriously though, nice fish on the bass rod for sure.

Great AJ, play tug a war when they hit the 100lb mark and they give you a whole new outlook on pain, but then want more. One of my fav fish to catch.

Rods don't brake unless there is a flaw to start with, other then that it's normally user error from something stupid we shouldn't have been doing.

Need a 8" Huddleston or Savage Gear Line Thru.....the Savage Gear is a little less expensive. Pro Cure Rainbow Trout sent, here is the cost effective swimbait set up. I have 2 of them btw. Go to BPS or go online, order the 7'6" Graphite Musky Rod H, a Cardiff 300, some 40lb power-pro, topshot of P-line CXX 25lb or FC about 15ft long and leave the rest of the gear at home and go fishing.

8am to 2pm......the hrs my son is in school and I have time to fish and relax before Daddy duties call.

A Jay, do you take her fishing or does she take you fishing? J/K, got a great partner. My ex's learned I fish and that's my time to be alone and think. Wanted to take one to El Soto and she wanted to know if I was going to fish the whole trip?........Ummmm, yeah I think so.

pliers, sissors, scale, thermometer, cell phone for the photo I may want to take. Thermometer is a great tool for bank beaters as well....I use it to give me an idea of what sort of activity the fish may be in and what baits. This is a great way to figure out what not to use during the late fall to early spring. Most under used item someone from shore can have but normally don't. From a boat.......see above post^^^^

Football jig = deeper water, rubble, where you want to keep good contact with the bottom and drag. Swimjig = anywhere you think you would throw a spinnerbait, but a more suttle presentation and less flash. Burn it, slow role it, swim it and kill it, Casting = can be used like a swim jig, but can be flipped into heavier cover due to a thicker weed guard, used around cover (grass) that a footbaill jig would get hung up in.

the senko for sure, and a slower topwater....popper, possibly a hollow body frog. Can't forget a swim jig. But honestly if you are going to have her fish a spinnerbait and/or buzzbait, fish your strenghts and your confidence baits.

I'd say probably close to 3lbs, not a lot of fish this year, but manage a few each time I'm home over the 4lb mark and most are in the 2-3lb area.

I know when I lived out by Lake Thuderbird they had just stocked some Florida Strain fingerlings that they had in a stock pond by the marina....that was in 1991, so there may be mixed fish there now. Believe there are a few SE lakes that have Florida's stocked in them as well but are probably F1 fish in there as well now too. Just have to look it up and see where they have stocked them. Most lake records over 13lb are more then likely home to Florida's and F1's.

Fall bite on crappie can be really good as they stack up in certain areas. you catch one you normally can catch a few more as well.

I try and avoid bed fish. There are plenty of pre-spawn females stagging that are willing to eat. I think I caught a total of 3 bedfish this year with a total fishing time on all three combined maybe 5min. If I threw a bait and found a fish willing to attack what I was fishing then I pitched a jig or a jerkbait, no more then 3 casts. 150 casts at a bedfish is A LOT. Let the poor girl be and let her handle her business......she said no, and no means no....lol

I don't stop, but then that's S Cal. And if it snowed here, I think that would only stop me from fishing due to the many drivers on the road that could be a major threat to my safety. They are bad enough when it rains. Might want to do some research and look for Power Plant lakes, or areas that you can fish with discharge channels which normally stay warm. Did this in Oklahoma in the winter. Fished the discharge channels when it was -3 and hit a high of 9 degrees. Only bad part, the constant dipping of the rod in the water to remove the ice on the guides.

I used the twist locks, but also the Mustad Ultra Lock EWG and the Gamakatsu Deep Throat Wide Gap. Also may want to invest in some Mend-It to prolong the lives of these baits as well.

Speedbead his the right idea. Speed it up. They are just like a cat. You pull a toy from them they quickly pounce where you stop it they loose interest. Predator insticts take over. If the fish is right at the back of the bait and you speed up or give it a quick jerk the bass reacts thinking its meal is going to get away at which point their instincts take over and they inhale the bait. Also try swimming your baits closer to the bank. Like mentioned above, the closer to the bank the bass may rush in quicker to try and take advantage of the shoreline to pin it's meal.

4" worm on a dropshot to start, then a rattletrap, and possibly a swim jig.