everythingthatswims

Here in Virginia, we don't have that. But we do have plenty of ponds and lakes with super stunted fish. I'm jealous!

Some people think the only spinning rods made are for drop shotting...You can get a very stout spinning rod and put 50lb braid on it, people fish setups like that in saltwater all the time, and do stuff that would make pulling a 10lb largemouth out of a laydown look like a game!

You must fish some pretty light cover. And a 1/2oz flipping jig with a big stout hook is the reason I feel I need a med heavy or heavy 7' plus rod with at least 20lb mono/fluoro *(you can't set the hook with lighter rods)*

I have caught reds with "fangs" like sea trout, most don't have teeth though

Zoom 2" white curly tails on 1/32-1/8oz jigheads. You will catch everything

I have been lucky enough to catch my PB 3 times since she lives right down the street. First time was planned, it was about 2 years ago and I hadn't started bass fishing yet, but that fish had always tried to eat my crappies and bluegill when I reeled them in, so I put a 5/0 circle through the nose of an 8" largemouth (I wouldn't do that now that I have started bass fishing), I got to watch the giant hunt it down and kill it about 2 feet from where I was standing, which was really cool. Second time was in the early spring, the pond has a flat that is about 2-3' deep with a silty/dead weed bottom, so I have to fish really shallow cranks to catch fish when they hold on it in the spring after warm spells, I even plant brush piles so I have something to deflect off of. Since 90% of the fish are 12" and smaller, I was throwing a rebel floater 2.5" minnow style crank, I have tried tons of other brands with similar baits, but something about that cadence triggers bites in cold water (I have caught them on it when the pond was half frozen in december). Anyways, I was fishing it on an ultralight with 6lb test, had a normal strike, swung and started reeling, then the fish turned around and peeled a ton of drag. She jumped 3 times but I got her in, I definitely didn't think that fish would hit a teeny tiny lure. 3rd time was when I had just started fishing swimbaits, I was just playing with my bait (6" BBZ floater) seeing what it could do, water was pretty muddy anyways and I didn't think I would get any bites. Then she slammed it and the battle was on (I have been hooked on swimbaits ever since). I could catch her when she is on a bed but my little brothers and I consider her off limits during the spawn so she can pass on the good genes. Needless to say I am very attached to that fish, if someone killed her I probably wouldn't speak to them for quite some time!

I fish so many different bodies of water that there is no "average" day for me, some places have piles of bass that are all small, and others may have low numbers of quality fish. Some places consistently produce fish on predictable patterns, and other places can be entirely hit or miss. I fish when I have time, so 30 mins after school or 12-13 hours on rare occasion in the summer.

Couldn't have said it any better

I usually find them with my nose before I find them with my eyes. Discovered a nice rotting beaver this summer via scent...YUCK!

I fished a pond on vacation this spring with my brothers, we fished it a little bit each day for three days, caught the same 22"er once each day haha (not on a bed either) one of its gills was ripped and hanging out of the gill plate, but the fish was fine. I used to not think they could survive a ripped gill since they lose quite a bit of blood when one is torn, but that made me think otherwise...Just some food for thought. Some bass will always end up dead no matter what you do, it's just part of fishing.

Cool! Sounds like the world record white bass from lake orange (they were never stocked there).

Where did you do that? I have landed quite a few big grass carp from my kayak on a 3wt fly rod, they usually pull me around for 5-10mins!

Bass weren't cooperating, I was fishing a heavily pressured stretch of river, fishing swimbaits, caught a few dinks and a couple in the 2-2.5lb range early in the morning but once the sun got up the fish would only follow and look at the bait, I couldn't get them to commit no matter what I did (using jigs, senkos, worms, cranks, etc. is a joke because they see so many baits, my buddy tried t-rigs and jigs with 0 luck, he did get a couple on a swimbait though). Luckily my little brother was targeting carp and had plenty of corn to spare. I rigged up a #16 fly tying hook on 6lb test (my little brother told me the fish were EXTREMELY wary and he could only get them on a #16 with 1 kernel of corn). He had so far landed 3 with the biggest measuring 30". I landed 3 with my biggest measuring 28", and my friend landed one measuring 30", I had to grab the rod and work the fish out of a tree before handing the rod back to him so he could paddle out in the river and pull the fish away from the tree. Somehow the 6lb test didn't break! Bummer that we couldn't get any nice bass, but the "junk fish" saved the day. My little brother with a 20 something inch fish My friend with his 30"er My 28"er

It's a grass carp, that's why they don't have a sucker mouth. I sometimes target them with flies I tie specifically for grass carp or when I'm lazy, I'll chum with corn and toss a few rods out. Lots of fun, even though they don't fight well for their size, any species of fish over 25" is going to pull!

I honestly don't have a preference, although I have been focusing on bass for the past year or so. I just fish for what I want when I want (as long as the conditions are favorable). Bass, trout, stripers, catfish, crappies, white perch, carp, gar, and anything in saltwater.

Not sure on the weight, but I have caught about 5 in the 11-12" range. All from the same pond, we have caught some there on trick worms and superflukes, they are big enough to fit a 3/0 EWG in their mouth!

The blurry photo does a great job of concealing your location!

I wish I could be as interested in school as I am in fish

No weight if possible, otherwise as little weight as possible on a carolina rig. The most important part of a catfish rig is fresh cut bait!

Should have been throwing a 12" slammer on 30lb mono, you could have had a shot at him

Or sitting in the living room pitching jigs at my little brothers until they make me stop. Most dogs try to eat fishing lures when they see them moving...for some odd reason, my dogs don't even look at a jig crawling across the rug in front of them

I fish when I have time to fish, but I feel like I miss out (no science to this) if I'm not on the water before the sun is up (unless it's cold, then the fish don't do much until mid day)

You must have some serious willpower. I would have had a 10" mullet on a circle hook plopped right in the middle of the chaos.

I can only imagine what she would weigh if she had the body shape of one of those fish you are holding in your profile photo! Went 4.27 on digital scales

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