Glaucus

Do yourself a favor and make sure you throw it on a casting setup. Absolutely awful jerking on spinning gear. I've been using a Fury 703c

When it comes to bladed jigs and the vast variety of rods and lines people use for them, it should tell you one thing: if it can cast it and set the hook, it will work.

In Indiana I've caught 40+ over the last few trips no further than 5-10 feet from the bank. I can't find a bite out further than that.

I've messed up like this on both casting and spinning many times

Don't stop fishing in mid September lol River SMB will hit any time, in any temps as long as the water isn't hard and you can locate them. It's prime time.

People are just making jokes and telling me I'm weak, while ignoring the rest. These bass have very sharp teeth right now and they weren't like this until recently. I'm actually looking for real answers. It's like something triggered when the temps dropped and they began to feed heavily.

But I like being able to push buttons and still walk

For me bass thumb is a badge of honor lol I've never had them shred me like this though. Their teeth are really sharp all of a sudden.

Yes, they are teeth.

I really don't know if I've ever noticed this before and just glossed over it, but with the fall transition here, I've been absolutely crushing bass as they feed heavily, after a hot and slow summer. Now their teeth are super sharp. I caught exactly 20 today on a lipless and my thumb is shredded. At one point it was dripping blood. Their teeth are the sharpest I can remember feeling and they definitely weren't like this a few weeks ago. Same pond too.

I had the 705CB. Terrible for squarebills and lipless. It's like a whip. 703C is much better. Fine for jerks though.

A rod should not "break in". It's not a pair of shoes or a football.

I never go out there with the mindset of big bass only. I go out there to fish for bass, the bigger the better, all are welcome.

I do the wrap around 6-7 times, through the tiny hole, back through the loop, tighten down. Rarely break off on a fish.

It's a combination of senses in my opinion. Even when the line doesn't run it still looks different. Bumping rock or wood or whatever just feels different. I feel like you feel a bite throughout the whole rod whereas bumping something does not reverberate through the whole rod. I don't know. I've been asked and I just say spend time fishing and pay attention. That's how I learned the difference.

Absolutely no reason to spend money on physical copies when it's on the internet for free, and MORE. Magazines and newspapers are going the way of cable: irrelevancy. There was a time when almost every American home had a computer, too. Now I know more people who don't have one than those who do because of phones and tablets. Unless you need a computer for work, it's not necessary at all. More and more people are giving up TVs too because of large screen portable tablets. Shoot, even I watch more shows on mine than the TV.

8# on spinning gear for finesse is about perfect. For most techniques I wouldn't even consider it though.

Interestingly, the big pond at Hummel Park (Heron Lake?) had produced my best Indiana bass up until this point today. Caught on a weightless T-Rigged GP Senko. I wish I'd have gotten a better photo because the angle is an injustice to her. I'm definitely going to hit up White Lick now. It's really clear water, at least over by Hummel. Last time I was there, there was a group of about 30 people swimming in it lol. This has been a couple months. I assumed it was being used as a pool since everything was/is shutdown for Covid. Probably a family gathering. I used to slay river smallies at the vermilion river in and around the Pontiac area in Illinois until moving here. I haven't had any opportunities for SMB since moving here, except when I travel back "home". Sadly this was the best SMB of the year for me so far, back at the old stomping grounds.

I drive by White Lick all the time and have always wondered about it. It's so unassuming. I apparently wrongly assumed it would be a waste of time.

Mooresville by Plainfield. Got this out of the pond in Sodalis Nature Park.

I have a feeling it's going to be like receiving a card for your birthday and it doesn't even have money in it. "Woohoo...uhhhh yay"

It's waaaaaaaaaay easier for me to go to the river and throw a squarebill, Plopper, and Ned and catch a literal boat load of smallies than it is for me to locate largemouth on a big lake or catch them in a pressured pond.

This is like telling someone you got something for them for Christmas, except that you tell them on Halloween and torture them for 2 months about what it could possibly be. I wouldn't have said anything until you had it all worked out and it was a few days away, but then again it's your site.

Best bass since I moved from Illinois to Indiana. Amazing story too. Caught her on this Labor Day about 90 minutes ago. About a month ago I was fishing this 1/4oz Lipless Crankbait when I got snagged and broke it off. A week after that I somehow snagged it and freed it and ultimately retrieved it. I hadn't tied it back on until today. So today started out as a nightmare. The 6 acre pond in a public park was absolutely packed. People to my left and to my right with lawn chairs and bobbers all the way around the open areas. Cookouts, games, picnics all around me. The Ned Rig accounted for 4 small bass and 3 crappie (2 of which were my second and third biggest slabs ever, so I guess it wasn't all bad, but I'm a bass only kind of guy). About 15 minutes before I'm ready to pack up and leave this nightmare I thought, "meh, I'll tie on that Lipless again, if I lose it, I lose it, maybe it can be a Hail Mary and haul in just one more." Reeling, reeling, reeling, BAM everything stops. Is it slop? Boom she jumps. My eyes must have exploded out of my head. I let off the drag, jumped into the pond about shin deep to fight her and keep her down and ultimately lip her. I'm getting her close and now she's finally to me and my heart sank. It felt like she had gotten off and all I can see is slop in her mouth and on her face. I hurry up and lip her. Fear was for nothing because the bait was still deep in her mouth with several hooks holding tight. I'm retiring this Lipless now. It's too cool of a memory and a situation with how it all happened. How I lost the bait, got it back later on, and then caught this fish with it with basically all odds stacked against me and fishing pressure like I've never had before. And besides, I threw it a few more times but whatever she did to it when she hit it made it not run right anymore. She also played a part in ruining my $160 Brooks but maybe that's my fault for jumping into a muddy pond with expensive white shoes lol

I've done a lot of pleasure boating this season on a 50hp 12 seater pontoon boat with the lady and the kiddos. I now see it from both sides. Sometimes it's hard to avoid disturbing fishermen. The coves are the swimming areas as well. And, to be honest, the bass boaters don't own the water. That said I do go out of my way to be as courteous as possible, knowing that it's appreciated and it's all I would ask.