Glaucus

I only wacky rig Senkos and Trick Worms, and I only wacky rig the Trick Worms when I feel they need to see something different than a Senko.

Yeah well when you're trying to get under trees or between trees, sometimes you miss. So many overhanging trees have eaten a lot of my stuff.

Good thread. However I will say that I lost 3 Whopper Ploppers to trees last year alone. I lose a lot of stuff. This is because I have no fear of putting my lures into a messy situation or making high risk casts because these areas are where the fish are. Actually one of the Ploppers was lost to a concrete bridge piling. I was trying to cast right next to it and instead hit it and it broke the Plopper.

I pretty much exclusively fish for bass and I'm completely catch and release. If I want to eat something, I'll buy it. I do this for fun because I love it.

How about dead in the center of your budget: the Fenwick HMG in M/F for $100. It fishes on the heavier side of M, but it can still sling light weights, giving you backbone and castability.

The M power rods on the Black Max combos are moderate fast action. Fully outfitted it is coming in at the top end of the rods lure rating. It will cast it but maxing out the lure rating does feel off.

I used to have one awhile back. It was decent. I wouldn't buy one again at full price, but I would by a few for 70% off.

1/4oz is just the weight of the head. Add hook, skirt, weedguard, and especially the trailer and you're talking about a considerably heavier lure than 1/4oz. Laugh reacted your post because we said the same thing at the same time.

A MH rod rated 1/4oz-3/4oz or 3/8oz-1oz is more common/standard. I have a Dobyns Fury in H that is rated 1/4oz-1oz and is more of a MH. That might be an option ($120)? You spoke of a Black Max combo so I'm assuming you're on a budget? The Daiwa Aird X rod in MH is rated 1/4oz-1oz ($55).

Mother Nature is unhinged

But why

Time for a lizard. Ignore the video title. All he does is catch a bass and a heron swoops in to get it but he's too fast. All about lizards on beds.

I don't think anyone thinks of holding bass horizontally any other way than holding it by the jaw and belly....

I understand the sentiment, but I am very happy to live in a state where you need more of an excuse than trespassing on private property (different than trespass of residence or home invasion) to attack or shoot someone. I've always told my wife that when we get old (God willing) we will build a pond like this and fence it off.

They've now taken the snow away from us in the Kankakee to Bloomington area.

His tumor isn't fatal.

Treatment of early stage Lyme is cured in 90 percent of the cases. https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/arthritis-lyme-disease

If you catch it early it's curable. Later on it causes some serious issues, but it can still be cured, just not every time.

30lb braid to leader Or 12lb Yo Zuri Hybrid

A tough set of pants, some good boots, spray, check yourself time to time. I'll even wear a long sleeved shirt if I expect a lot of bug issues. Also Napalm doesn't hurt. Anything stings or has eight legs sends me into a 6 year old little girl fit.

How long did this take you? One day I hope to be able to repair my own stuff and customize as needed. Right now I wouldn't even try.

2 summers ago I was talking with a hunter at work. I don't hunt very much, and he's doesn't fish very much, but we still love the outdoors, so we get along. Anyways I was talking about a 5 pounder I got out of such and such pond, and he asked me if I kept it. I was appalled and said, no, of course not. He said it would be hanging on his wall. Bluntly I said, well that's barely 1/3 of the weight of the state record, and I won't be taking you fishing with me if that's what you're about because I'm not about it. Huge difference between sport fishermen and people who soak worms for anything that bites so they can take it and eat it - or worse, kill it for no reason as a "trophy" when it isn't close to being a trophy. Catch and release is still hard for a lot of people to grasp, and as a bass fisherman, it is all that I do.

I think the biggest concern is doing damage to their jaw. I tend to hold most fish horizontally when they reach about 2.5lbs - as much as is possible.

I caught a 1 pounder on the wacky Trick Worm and a 3 pounder pitching the Pit Boss into shoreline cover. Missed one that might have gone 3 or 4 while I was reeling the Pit Boss back to me too - it was skidding across the top of the water and one tried to nail it and missed - had a decent sized head/mouth on it - confirms to me that while the water is still pretty cold they are eating those dang frogs.