Looking for the big one

Rest peacefully bassing brother.

Although I prefer using artificial, If that is the only thing that is working of you is then keep at it. but a cane pole with a weightless nightcrawler is hard to beat for trophy size panfish and bass IMO.

I understand what you mean. I don't fish jigs very much, (yeah bass fishing sinner here) but I have trimmed the weed guards on my jigs from the same fear. I always do it using my finger pressure to gauge how it will work in the fishes mouth and how snag less it will be.

I have friends who fish the Chattahoochee river here in Ga for trout, normally it's too hot for them but they are stockers so they live until the striper start coming up the river. they are always catching them on trout magnets. I wouldn't use the wee crayfish, it will get hung up before you know it. Trust me on that. if you have ever seen crappie stuff, which as a basser probably comes around a lot, you can use that for trout. Don't forget fly fishing!

You got that from the Bassblaster? Great story, great fish, horrible ending courtesy of California Fish and Game. Good luck to the two.

Takahiro Omori has the right idea, getting a concealed handgun license.

Swim baits. not swimsuits. Autocorrect.

And yeah swimsuits work, but fish it slower with the cooler weather coming in. And if a cold front hits you, finesse finesse finesse!

The easiest way to catch catfish is use to use a dead bait or smelly meat at night, even cheese works. At this time of year any time is a good time though. Put it on the bottom, and you'll need heavy line, a big rod & reel, and lots of patience. I know that freshwater fish will take a shrimp, it's my grandma's 'secret' bait, but shrimp are just one extra thing you have to buy when you can get a bluegill so much easier. The one thing I would suggest with bluegill is to cut it a little bit so that it bleeds. Catfish rely a lot on smell and a bloody bluegill is like a walking steak with an airhorn.

Great guy, great fish. He made me feel almost bad that I live in GA and haven't caught a fish bigger than 4. Those south GA ponds and small lakes have some nice fish.

I hadn't thought about the spawn fishing part, I get what you're saying. I'll keep fishing, and if it keeps going on like this I might get a fisheries biologist to check it out like you said. Thanks!

I've always wondered how the bass are actually doing. I definitely agree with the nutritional value of the food they get, but I also think that with so many bass in the same tank there could be a lot of fighting. And keep in mind that all the bass in those tanks are probably female, if that has anything to do with it.

Nice fish! Both of yours look and sound much healthier than this one. I fished the same pond a few days ago and we caught her again, but the rest of the fish we caught were all ones, with maybe a two. I think I might need to be doing some pond management, fertilizer and stocking, what do you think?

My dad has been using the smoker recently, I will eat anything that has been in that awesome machine. Sometimes it can be dry, but still tastes great, and I can always put on some marinade to moisten it up.

Hey, you could call this a new bragging board, however you should also write how you caught the fish. the goal here is to learn some more on how to catch some big bass. I'll start. My PB is 4 pounder, on the mark. I caught it dropshotting a zoom 6" lizard, spawn fishing a pond. This is my friend holding it.

I have heard that the Megabass S Crank hunts just like the old Warts, just fyi.

First one I ever used was a bomber square A, fire tiger color. It worked really well once, I haven't used it since because of conditions. That's where my vote is. P.S. With square bills you need to change out hooks often because of lots of rocks and wood bumping against them! I learned my lesson one winter (why I was fishing a square bill in twenty degree weather I don't know) when I actually hooked a fish, only one of the trip, and then lost him a second later

I always use a uni knot for just about anything except for dropshotting.

I have always used open wire, and have never had any issues with it, except for the occasional wire/blade wrap that could happen with a closed eye just as easily.

Just me, but the Ima Flit looks really good in the water, and if I actually fished in some shad/ herring waters I would probably be using it right now.

https://www.bassresou...t-sponsors.html

I would suggest you start a youtube channel. Once you get enough subscribers it is pretty easy to convince those companies that they would get money back from sponsoring you. The hardest part is actually getting the sponsorship, once you have a sponsor all you have to do is use their gear, wear their hat, put some stickers on you're boat, and watch as they give you free stuff.

Great Job bass friend. The best advice I can give you is to spend time on the water, along with this website. Most good fishermen all have one thing in common, and that's experience on the water. Read the articles (at the top) and good luck!

So correct me if I'm wrong but by HJ you mean Rapala Husky Jerk, right? Start by fishing something small like others are suggesting, like a shaky head, small grub, finesse jig, drop shot, anything smaller than what you were just using. But if it's still not biting try something larger and more natural like a larger and realistic swim bait swam slowly by. This should work for a pickier, smarter, bigger bass like the one you described. It's a grind, I have even watched a nice 4-5 pound bass not take a perfectly presented drop shot fluke in a herring lake, but actually swim away as soon as she saw it, her friends all following.

I agree with Fishes in trees, a finesse worm has produced for me in ponds at this time of year. I would also suggest slow rolling a spinnerbait, occasionally jerking or stopping to entice a reaction strike from the slowing down fish. I don't know about jigs, they haven't really worked in the main pond that I fish.