soflabasser

My favorite knot is the uni knot. It is easy to tie, strong, and reliable. The uni to uni knot is my favorite for leaders. Have caught lots of big fish this way, both in freshwater and saltwater.

I prefer bass fishing with spinning tackle and fish with many lures some say can only be fished with baitcasting tackle. I tend to fish with mostly inshore spinning reels, which are far more powerful than bass fishing baitcasters most bass fishermen use. With that said, fish with whatever tackle makes you happy, whether it is ultralight spinning or heavy baitcasting tackle.

Nice smallmouth. Thanks for sharing the article.

Shimano, Penn, and Daiwa make great reels for less than $200.

As long you are happy, it is worth all the money you invest into fishing.

I have caught freshwater fish on saltwater lures and saltwater fish on freshwater lures. Fish will bite any lure if it is presented well.

My Statistics teacher taught us that you have a better chance getting bit by a shark than winning a big lottery. He is correct, since more people get bit by sharks than win millions in a lottery.

Finding a good bass fishing spot does not guarantee you will catch bass every time you fish in this location, especially big bass. You still have to know what technique to use, and how to use it. For example, there is a highly pressured public park that I like to fish that most people say is not a good place to fish, yet it is a great place for me to catch big bass. I noticed the people that complain about this park are using the same predictable techniques most people use, so I am not surprised they are not getting the results they are looking for. The bass in these highly pressured bodies of water learn quick, so it pays to figure out what these bass want, and when they want it. Because of this I feel 50% of bass fishing success is finding a good location, and 50% is knowing what technique to use, at least in the highly pressured bodies of water I fish in.

Bass and other predator fish tend to stay close to baitfish, so it is a good idea to fish in places with a healthy population of baitfish.

Elvis Presley has some nice songs from the 1950's that I like.

The best multi species lures are jigs.

I hope the Summer heat goes away soon in your area and normal weather returns.

Wow, a 100 degree difference in a couple of months, that is crazy! How do you even get used to that? I am used to the heat since I have lived most of my life in South Florida, but we never see a 100 degree difference in a year. It is rare for it to drop below 40 degrees where I live, but temperatures over 90 degrees are common.

It is crazy how some Northern states have had higher temperatures than in South Florida this Summer. In a couple months it will snow in these Northern states, so these states will experience a +70 degree difference in the same year.

I prefer to not fish with livescope since I prefer catching fish the old fashioned way, but livescope is something that has helped many people catch fish on days they would not without it. With that said if fishing with livescope makes people happy, then let them fish with it as long as they are doing it in a place it is legal to fish with it.

Welcome to the forum @ChrisCrawley. I see you live in Georgia, which in my opinion is one of the best places in the world to catch big bass. Georgia also has the most black bass species in the world, so you live in a great place if you enjoy bass fishing. I strongly suggest you fish in Georgia and Northern/Central Florida if your goal is to catch big bass, along with many unique bass species.

Fish whenever you have the time to fish.

I have caught a couple big longnose gar, and they all gave a great fight for their size. They fought harder than any double digit bass I have caught. Try fishing with a swimbait that imitates the baitfish in the area. Make sure your hooks are sharp, since gars are masters at shaking the hook off.

I have caught longnose gar over 50 inches long on swimbaits, they are a fun fish to catch.

Well said @king fisher. My grandfather reminds me of the kid you talked about. Both could catch fish anywhere with the simplest of tackle. I learned a great deal about fishing from him, among other lessons. With that said, I have expensive fishing tackle that I enjoy fishing with, but it is something I do not truly need. It is enjoyable to fish with expensive gear, but it will not make you a better fisherman if you do not have a firm understanding of bass fishing. For beginners I suggest keeping it simple by learning how to fish a handful of lures well, and learning from each fishing trip. With time anyone can be good at bass fishing if they work hard at it, just like any other hobby.

Thank you for sharing the video. I won't be surprised if someone catches a +15 pounder from this lake.

There are small ponds, lakes, rivers, and canals in the South that are loaded with big bass, many of these places are overlooked for more famous bodies of water. That is why you should always take any body of water serious when you are fishing in Southern States.

Most times experience wins over what equipment someone is fishing with. For example there are bank fishermen with double digit PB's and there are people with expensive equipment that have not caught a single bass over 8 pounds. ''It's the Indian, not the arrow'' applies to bass fishing, and many other hobbies. With that said I recommend doing your best to not complicate bass fishing, it is not rocket science. Do your best to learn from each fishing trip, and with time you should do well in bass fishing.

Seems like most members here agree that Shimano makes great reels. One of my Shimano Stradics caught me a +7 foot shark from land. I used this same Shimano Stradic for bass fishing and caught lots of big bass on it. I now have a newer Shimano Stradic that has caught me hundreds of fish, and it still fishes like it is new. For longevity it is hard to beat a Penn Senator that was made in the USA. I got a collection of Penn Senators older than myself, and they still work great.

Penn and Shimano makes my favorite reels since they have proven themselves to be reliable reels for me. These reels have all the advertising they need from happy customers, unlike other companies that need to overhype their reels with ''pro staff'', and other people paid to sell the hype.