SPEEDBEAD.

I had a member step up and offer the winner 6 jigs to go along with the Rage stuff, just to sweeten the pot a bit. I may have to do a twist to the rules using the fellas that have responded. You guys may just have to do a little more work than simply guess a number.... Letting this up until the end of the day and then I'll make the final decision. Good luck.

I'll let it run a little while longer. I guess I over-estimated the number of under-16 folks we have here. If it comes down to it, I'll throw the names of the members who have guessed into a hat and draw a name out.

Wow, that's all the young members? Guess no one wants to win some stuff?

Shane J was kind enough to offer up a great assortment of RageTail product to the winner of the State vs State competition. Since I already have a TON of Big O's great products, I thought it would be cool to do a giveaway for the younger members of BassResource.com Number guessing game: Guess a number between 0 and 100 Rules are simple: 1. You must be 16 years old or under to be eligible 2. You get ONE GUESS. Multiple guesses will not count. 3. You MUST post a pic of the hawgs you are gonna catch with these baits. I've already told Shane what the number is. I'll keep an eye on the thread and the first one that guesses correctly I will notify on the thread and via PM. At that point, I'll let Shane know and he will PM you for shipping info. Please post a pic of you and your winnings once you receive it. Thanks and GOOD LUCK!

Dwight, sent you a PM. Let me know.

What's your draw length and what do you want to spend? I've never shipped a bow but could check what it would cost. I have a compound that I'm not using any more and it's a GREAT bow. Browning Mirage 33 I believe.

I was not personally aware that numbers went that high. Congrats!

Sent you a PM.

To me, that is the beauty of the state record percentage format. Granted Massachusettes, Georgia, and Virginia (maybe others) have it really tough in the format but if the goal is to catch the biggest fish in the waters near you IMO there is no better way to do it.

LOL, Si is the one that scares me. Don't be jealous Allen.

Also, they are not hollow belly swimbaits. I liken those to spinnerbaits in the manner and location in which I would fish them.

I know you are good with a jig. Like I said, think of it that way. If the bass are feeding "down" then dragging with a heavier bait is better. If they are feeding "up" then you should employ a slower sinking bait. Again, these come with the caveat of "typically." 6 hours total and two hours during a hot bite are not enough. How much time have you spent throwing jerkbaits and dragging a splitshot rig with a shiner? Comparatively more I'm sure. It's just another tool in the box although it is a rather difficult one to get accustomed to.

If you were fishing the Hudd as fast as a DD22 or swim jig, I think you might be doing it wrong.

Wish this could have been made a sticky or had more people participate. I thought previous iterations of this had more participants?

I dig big chicks and this sport promotes it. Perfection.

You'd be surprised how lightly a fish can pick up a soft swimbait dragging slowly across the bottom. A lot of guys have the misconception that every bite is this bone jarring car crash. Quite the opposite. The other thing is being able to tell weeds from a soft bite, running into a log instead of a bite, being on mud or in rocks. Doesn't necessarily help with bite detection all the time but definitely lets you know if you are where you need to be. Big baits, big soft baits particularly, are not any different than fishing a jig really. I want to be as connected to what that bait is doing as humanly possible. It instills confidence if I know what is going on when I can't see it.

I know a guy that throws BIG stuff with a Millionaire S. He likes it, speaks very highly of it and catches some really good fish. I think the reel should do fine for you. The 7'6" H Okuma is what I would recommend.

Wife's .40 and my .45 are both on the headboard. The others are where you least expect....

That combo will suit you just fine. I started off with two different Okuma rods and they served me well. My regular fishing buddy now has my 7'6" H and it still performs flawlessly. It's less sensitive than the custom rods but it is a very serviceable swimbait stick.

Low Down Custom 8' H and 8'6" H Production rods, also have a custom Loomis wrapped by a fella on here named Alpster. Lexa, Curado and Cardiff all get used.

You know I'd be throwing a swimbait. LOL

Bass Star Dredger maybe?

Swimbaits don't work well at all. I dont know why anyone even throws those.

I hope everyone in the USA fishes with Megastrike, except the guys who fish around me. LOL I'm pretty low key when I fish. Tourney jerseys are not my thing. I've got a couple Megastrike stickers on the back of my boat and a couple other stickers but that's about it.

I will have to respectfully disagree with your assessment of the situation. While I believe they would eat a shad or minnow that happened by, there is a reason they are watching those bluegills so closely. They are waiting for one to screw up.