EGbassing

I've never broken off before, but I can feel your pain... Did you get an official weight, or is 14lbs 3oz just an estimation? I noticed you said in your about me section that your PB is 8 - 9 pounds. Was that a mistake, or could you not count the ones in the 20 pound range for some reason?

Welcome. And congratulations on that bass! I also caught my PB yesterday, pretty close to that size. Based on that one being 10.5, I would say it was around 9.5. If you like using jigs, you should try a zoom lizard. They work like magic...

Welcome.

Allow me to clarify. I lifted most of it's body out of the water, unhooked it, held it up higher to see how big it was, and dropped it back in. A lot of people are saying that it sounds like I hooked a good fish and it came off at the bank or something along those lines. It was a clean catch, and my estimation would be 9 pounds. I really wasn't thinking about getting a picture. I was just stunned.

Thanks. And 30 pounds... You're serious, right? No offense, it's just hard to tell if you're joking or not. I guess it's believable since you live in CA...

Thank you. The only scale I had with me was the kind that goes through their gills, which is great for fish that you're keeping, but I've heard that it can really damage their gills. (didn't want to take a chance on seeing that beast floating 2 days later...) I'm really considering getting the kind of scale that clips to their lip now. More than likely I'll come across a few more over 5 pounds in the pond I fish. I've caught two 6 pounders in the past month plus the one yesterday, and I know a guy that caught an 8 pounder recently. All of those were caught in that little pond...

Thank you, sir.

Thanks Graham. Finally a comment that isn't something like "Are you trolling?" or something like that...

It looked about the size of the bass in this video, but 2 to 3 inches shorter: http://bassfishingisawesome.com/9-pound-bass-attacks-frog-bait-in-the-air/ I'm sure you won't believe me, based on the fact that you don't believe anything I've said, but I'm not lying. It was 7.5 pounds at the very least, but likely more. 8.5 - 9 would be my honest guess.

I lifted about 90% of it's body out of the water, un-hooked it, and let it go. I was pretty stunned, so I really wasn't thinking about a picture.

Never said I knew exactly how much it weighed. My guess would be nine pounds, however.

I didn't barely touch it, I lifted it out of the water enough to see how big it was and dropped it back in. It's simple. Also, I didn't say it was exactly 9.0 pounds, I said "about 9 pounds". It's an estimate.

I lipped it, but couldn't get it all the way out of the water. Just enough to get the hook out and drop it back in. If you don't believe me I can show you a picture of my thumb. Nearly ripped it off when I lipped it... And I wouldn't say "I forgot my phone" because I'm not going to lie about it.

I know I said to try a flipping jig before, but I've discovered something even better than that recently. 6" T-rigged zoom lizard. I get a ton of bites on it, yet rarely catch anything less than two pounds. Caught a 6 pounder last week, a 5 pounder the week before that, and a 9 pounder today... All on that zoom lizard.

Don't believe me?

Thanks. Well I couldn't lift it completely out of the water, so... EDIT: Allow me to clarify. I lifted most of it's body out of the water, unhooked it, held it up higher to see how big it was, and dropped it back in. A lot of people are saying that it sounds like I hooked a good fish and it came off at the bank or something along those lines. It was a clean catch, and my estimation would be 9 pounds. I also really wasn't thinking about getting a picture. I was pretty stunned.

Just landed my new PB. Looked to be around 9 lbs. Caught on a black/blue zoom lizard. I've caught more pounds of fish on that thing than on every other lure combined...

Black/blue zoom lizard. Just bought a package a couple months ago and already caught two 6 pounders, and numerous smaller ones.

Are there any advantages of mono over flouro, or are they about the same? I've always heard to use flourocarbon for crankbaits, but I honestly don't see why it's a better choice than monofilament.

Which type of line is best for medium diving crankbaits? I'm fishing 8' to 10' max depth crankbaits in about 4' to 5' of water today, and I'm wondering if the 40lb braid that I usually use has enough abrasion resistance for that. Would 14lb mono be better for that application? The bottom of the pond is mostly leaves and weeds, with the occasional stick/log. I'm using a 7.0' medium heavy fast action rod. Thanks in advance.

Thanks. I'll read that.

Thanks, could I have a link to it? I can't find it in the forum list for some reason. ?

I prefer power fishing, but when the conditions call for it, I would rather finesse fish and catch bass than power fish and never get a bite.

Try a flipping jig. Use a trailer for a bigger profile. They just consistently catch the biggest bass for some reason.

I've been bass fishing for a few years now, but never fished in a tournament, never joined a fishing club, etc. I really want to do something like that this summer, but I just don't know how to find tournaments, bass clubs, etc. I don't have a drivers license or a boat yet so that makes it difficult... Any advice on finding tournaments to fish? Or would something else be a better choice for starting?