SPEEDBEAD.

Atta boy. I'll bring the big stuff to the get-together.

Big O is a prime example of fishing what he knows and being EXCELLENT at it. He doesn't have to worry about what the "right" thing to throw is at any given time. He KNOWS what he's doing is the "right" thing.

I have a couple thoughts on that: 1. If you are not confident that what you are doing is the right thing, you're probably right. 2. This is where the "tournament mentality" of most guys begins to get in the way. You "have" to catch fish or your "have" to be good at a bunch of different stuff. No, you don't. You HAVE to be good at one technique. That's it really. The better you are with one technique, the more you will use it and become familiar with the nuances of that technique. This breeds confidence. Confidence catches fish. "Beware the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

You're an animal Steve. That's awesome!

Being as though it is essentially just a big, slow moving meal.....why wouldn't it work everywhere? Don't look at it as a specific "thing," look at it in a general sense as I just stated. I think the difficult details of this journey lie more in locating big fish than actually catching them. Big fish are typically predictable (best ambush spot, best spawning location, etc) however they have the advantage of being underwater and seeing these spots. We don't. I feel that is what takes the longest time in this whole thing. If you know where big fish are, you're going to catch them sooner rather than later. I've got a feeling that once AJ discovers a few of those select "best spots" that catching a big fish will just be a matter of time. I agree that being patient enough to practice this technique requires a specific skill that most do not possess. That's another key...doing things that the fish have not seen in places they don't typically see a bait.

Good Lord man! That's what's up!

I'm available for boat rides and gas-sharing should anyone ever need it. LOL Hard to pull away from the bite I'm on right now though.

LOL, believe it or not I dont look like I have a beard at all when I'm wearing it. I still plan on spraying, just to be safe. The back of my head/neck get beat up through the summer.

Just bought a buff the other day. I look like the Bass Bandit.

Trash fish or not, any 22lb fish is fun to catch!

You'll still see guys fishing the old Greenie Shimanos and what not. At the end of the day, it's all about being comfortable as that leads to wins.

If you are serious about the Gander Mountain thing, shoot me a message. It's not union work for sure, but the discount is nice and affords you the opportunity to make some good hunting/fishing connections.

Great story man. Keep at it. Frustration and reward both in your future.

Agreed. Don't necessarily look at the length of the worm but the head diameter. As long as you have enough clearance for the plastic to collapse in the gap of the hook and expose it, it's big enough. Now, if you want to use the hook to adjust rate of fall and bait behavior then we open up a WHOLE new chapter. 5/0 is typically big enough for most worms. They'll have no problem getting the worm all the way in their mouth.

How deep? In that situation (we don't have spots, sorry), I'm throwing a swimbait, fluke or a jig.

You're good in my book Deep. Judging from the size of the fish you are on, I dont think the bluegills getting at one bed will do anything. Look at it this way, those fish that were on the bed now have a fighting chance to make it to next year.

Little bit older, little bit wiser.....

Nice Deep! We need to figure out a time to get together and fish.

He always seemed like a good dude.

Favorite jig. 5/16th in Green pumpkin 3D and Black/Blue

Are you catching fish on other baits in the same locations? Cant catch something that isnt there...

I'm pretty sure the Hudd would do just fine. They are different tools for different situations. Different tail, different water displacement, different tail kick. Different.

Glad I could help brotha VERY nice fish Dwight.

I'm sure a lot later than a bunch of guys wish it was. I can only imagine having today's stuff way back when it all began...

As cliche as it sounds and as much as I hate even typing this color, that dang Sexy Shad just flat out catches fish. I prefer the 5XD over just about anything else for deep cranking.