soflabasser

Most of us here agree that we prefer to buy American made lures but they tend to be expensive. This can be solved by the USA moving production back here and lowering the cost of lures since more people will be buying American made lures. The more the USA makes its own products the better it will be for us in the long run. Besides a lot of overseas products are of inferior quality when compared to made in the USA products.

Yes he is a talented bass fisherman. It also helps that the place we where fishing in is very good and we both caught lots of big bass there. If you ever want to do a fun challenge to test your fishing skill you can fish with a Cuban Yo-Yo reel for bass. Use whatever bait or lure you want since fishing with a Cuban Yo-Yo reel is much more difficult than a nice baitcaster combo. To add to the challenge you have to fish from the shore in public waters. Give it a try, I know I have fun fishing this way every once in a while.

This subject reminds me of a man I fished with who has caught lots of lunker sized bass on 1 dollar spinnerbaits. He showed me a picture of a beautiful bass that was well over 9 pounds that he caught on 1 dollar spinnerbait. He also fishes with what most would consider ''budget tackle'' yet he is catching bass that many gear snobs can only dream of catching.

There are good people in this world just like there are bad people. You cannot tell by looking since the worst of the worst are masters at manipulating. They act charismatic to get what they want but it is all an act. There is a name for those who lack empathy, are greedy, only look after themselves, take advantage of others, etc but I will stop here for now. Back to the main subject, the man overestimated the weight of your pet bass but that is understandable since he probably does not fish often. It is also possible he gave you an exaggerated weight estimate to make you happy and in turn you will keep giving him work. That is why it is best to never underestimate a person's intelligence no matter what profession they have.

I consider any lure under $20 inexpensive. I agree it is a matter of perspective since some do think any lure over $10 is expensive while some think a swimbait that cost +$100 is not expensive. For me a lure is worth it if it catches the fish I am after whether it is a black bass, snook, tarpon, or other fish. Another thing to take into consideration is that many lures are made to catch a fisherman's attention more than anything else.

How you work a lure is more important than what color the lure has. Sometimes color can make a difference when you are trying to get a reaction bite or when trying to imitate the color of the prey the bass eat in the area you are fishing in but it is not always the case. Seems like people that rely on color the most are people who's fishing improves since they feel more confident with a specific color.

I have caught hundreds of lunker bass on lures that cost less than $20. Just because a lure is expensive it does not mean it is good or it will catch you a fish worth the lure's price.

Fish at night

Another sign a person might be an expert in fishing is if they are consistent at catching nice fish year after year, decade after decade. Anyone can get lucky or fish in a place that is easy to catch nice fish but it takes a true expert to be able to be consistent in fishing in different locations. For example I know people who caught trophy bass several decades ago but have not been able to catch one in the last 10 years. These are people who bass fish often, so what changed? Maybe they only caught trophy bass since they where fishing honey holes and their honey holes dried up for them. You have to be able to adapt. Adapting is difficult but you have to do it. Past achievements are something to be proud of but you cannot live in the past, you have to live in the present especially if you want to continue catching nice sized fish.

That is why I mentioned earlier that people are more dangerous than any animal you will encounter in the wild. Animals attack to protect themselves, to eat you, or to protect their territory. A lot of people will do anything if it gives them the smallest perceived advantage with little to no remorse. These types of people lack empathy, are extremely greedy, selfish, and always looking to get ahead by doing whatever it takes regardless if it is wrong. I have free dived next to alligators, crocodiles, sharks, stingrays, other dangerous wildlife I trust them much more than those people who take advantage of others. That is why it is best to get a picture of the length, girth, and a picture of the bass being weighed without you touching the bass or the metal hook that weighs the bass.

It is hard to tell the weight of a bass by looking at a photo but I will give an estimate of 4.5-5 pounds based on you estimating its length at 21 inches long. This bass has a normal to thin build so it could of weighed more if it had a larger girth. Again it is hard to tell the weight of a bass by a photo and I would of been able to give you a better estimate if you measured the length and girth. It is a very nice northern largemouth bass which any bass fisherman would enjoy catching. The following formula gives a very good estimate of the weight of the bass; Length X Length X Girth / 1200 = estimated weight of a bass in pounds.

Nice lake trout.

There is no need to fear snakes and alligators but you do have to respect them. For example it is not a wise idea to approach a mother alligator when she is protecting her nest.

I have had fishing trips soft plastics did not work yet a jerkbait, topwater, spinnerbait or other technique did work. As a bass fisherman you have to be able to adapt and that sometimes involves using techniques you might not be comfortable with.

It really depends on the person. There are ''city boys'' that fish and hunt better than ''country boys'' so you cannot say all city boys would be afraid of coyotes. I have seen coyotes, American panthers, crocodiles, alligators, Burmese pythons, water moccasins, other dangerous wildlife while fishing and I enjoy seeing them since they are a sign of a healthy ecosystem. With that said people are much more dangerous than any animal so being inside a big city is much more dangerous. People that have weighed and measured many bass are better at estimating the weight of a bass than people that barely do this.

A large percentage of people live in big cities and many of those people never visit rural areas. I live in a big city but have traveled to extremely rural areas so I have seen many breeds of cattle.

Last weekend I did some ultralight fishing and some power fishing. I caught fish with both styles.

FWC TrophyCatch Program recently did a study on estimating bass weights based on pictures. What they learned is most people overestimate the weight of bass held close to a camera and underestimate the weight of the bass held close to the body and away from the camera lens. Also a weight scale is not always 100% accurate if it is not certified to be a accurate weight scale. That is why I prefer taking pictures of the length, girth, and a picture of the bass being weighed. Anyone can make a 20-24 inch bass look like it is +25 inches on a picture but a 25 inch bass will always be 25 inches when it is measured properly.

I can tell it is Winter when threads like these come up.

Throughout the years I have fished every single month of the year. I have fished during heat waves, tropical storms, before and after hurricanes, cold fronts, and other less than optimal weather conditions. I have fished on a Northern river by the Great Lakes while it was snowing, have fished in flooded rivers, rivers with drought where the water level was well below average. Everyone is different but my determination to fish forces me to adapt and for that I am grateful for since it has helped me catch lots of nice bass.

My favorite time to fish is whenever I have the time to go fishing.

2020 is not over yet. There is still over a month left and I plan to go fishing whenever I can.

I have lost count of the amount of lunkers I have caught on my Ugly Stiks. They are great rods for the money and much more durable than many rods worth much more. The 6'6'' medium action Ugly Stik you mentioned should be a good rod for jerkbait fishing.

Snook and tarpon will hit the same lures a bass will hit. Have caught them on frogs, spinnerbaits, topwaters, crankbaits, and other bass lures. Make sure to use a leader and learn how to use the drag of your reel since these fish are much more powerful than a bass.

I can sum up my 2020 fishing experience with the following three words; Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. I caught lots of memorable fish and look towards to seeing what I catch in rest of this year and 2021.