RDB

When I think of a straightened hook, I think of anything other than it’s original shape. Heavy hooks have very little flex and I have never “straightened” one of those. Team9nine makes a good point about how the hook penetrates. If the pressure is down in the bend, it’s harder to flex v. the closer to the point. When you get hung on wood, often just the point penetrates, so all the pressure is on the front length of the hook and you may get back a slightly bent hook…same with bass. I have had a number of smaller wire hooks flex or bend (most often trebles). I always switch the trebles on 110’s because they bend so easily. You can bend those by hand.

When you say the suspension phenomena, are you referring to his experiences with locating these big bass suspended over deeper water? If yes, I think it’s a good question (NS v FS). IMO, Florida strains tend to be more wary and I would guess fishing pressure might have some influence. While I can’t prove this, I believe there is a population of large bass that spend most if not all of their time offshore in deeper water. If you think about it in hunting terms, big bucks tend to have sanctuary sites where they feel safe and are not bothered. Bass and bucks both use travel routes, stop signs, staging areas, etc. ect. I believe both often have their sanctuary spots as well. I think pressure has only enhanced this behavior. A 10lb NS is the real unicorn.

That makes more sense. Now if I wanted to pump myself up, I would calculate my odds and include all those <1% states and I would look like a fishing God. That’s not a knock on Josh, he is a fishing God. It’s just not a fair or accurate comparison.

Interesting but to me you would have to calculate by state. I can guarantee you that the odds of catching an 7-8 pounder in Texas are quite different than up north. Also, I don’t think these numbers are for 1 year. Texas is one of the big bass states and there were 120ish ShareLunker 10+ pounders in 2021. My reading of the chart says there are over 100,000 10+. I realize many don’t register their ShareLunker catch but considering most states can’t produce that class bass, this has to be cumulative. Last point is there is no way to factor in skill level. The same week Josh caught his 15.4, there were 2 over 14 from Ivie. Several weeks before his 15.4, Ivie produced a 16.4 and multiple over 13lbs in the month.

This^^^ Another way to think about it is controlled or semi-slack (slight bow). On a bottom contact baits, I never set on a truly slack line and the only time I am truly tight is when moving the bait. Unless the tip is already low, I always do a quick reel down to get a good swing. If I am unsure of the bite, I may do a feel test but usually before I reel down because I don’t have to reestablish feel after reeling down. Otherwise, if I’m pretty confident of the bite, I cross their eyes. On a moving bait, the majority of time I want to feel some loading. If the fish hits from behind, I will still speed up until I get some load.

The coffee bean grinder is a good idea I hadn’t thought of. I have just sanded a wine cork with a belt sander which is messier and more hassle.

Last time I repaired one, I sanded a wine cork to create a dust and mixed with wood glue (much like the sawdust example above) to a cookie dough consistency. You may have to apply more than once because when it dries, you may get some shrinkage. Then just sand, clean, and seal.

Lol…while everyone else is freezing, you Florida guys are bed fishing.

I think this is a great point. As I read the post, there are really 2 questions. The 2nd paragraph says “solely” and the last summation question is “how influenced are you by what they do”? I don’t even do what my wife tells me to do without at least some critical thought. I agree that most likely don’t buy just because they are told to…it’s about degrees IMO. Unless you live off the grid, have an unlimited budget to experiment, or are only throwing things carved by our ancestors, I think it’s silly to think that pro’s have no influence on all of us. If you only watch YouTubers, chances are they are influenced somewhat by pro’s (by the way, many YouTubers are sponsored…hell, even I have a few sponsorships and I’m nothing special). The reality is for the most part, industry and pro’s control the narrative and even if you can’t name a pro, chances are a pro is still having some influence on what you are hearing.

Others have given good advice on hook penetration. I typically use line through swimbaits and a 10/0 hook is big. I personally use 20lb fluoro because it serves as my Alabama rig rod as well and I don’t throw the massive swimbaits. If it was swimbait only, I would throw 65lb braid. I throw it on a Steez with a Hawgtech handle. Not perfect but it works for my needs.

All of the area around Keller is nice and Ray Roberts is a good lake (that’s where the Bassmaster Classic was last year). I have attached a link to the Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing reports by region. If you click on a region and then click on a lake, it will give you all the specifics for that lake. It also has links for the stocking history and lake records. https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/fishreport.phtml Hope that helps. Edit: You are not going to find a lot of great smallmouth fishing in Texas. O.H. Ivie has produced some good ones recently but I’m not aware of many folks who actively fish smallies in Texas.

Do what you think is best. Just remember that Costa’s are top of the line glasses and I would be leary of anyone offering them at 50% off. I’m not big on companies that when searched, the top hits refer to them as scams. Did you find their address? What about a customer service number? Can you find anything about the company? In my experience, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I hope I don’t sound harsh…I’m just cautious and hate to see others taken advantage of.

Great job on your molds. I just switched to the Phenix M1 swim bait rod (~$200) and I really like it. I got the 8’ H/MF which is rated from 1-6oz and use it with Alabama rigs as well. It is light and definitely not a pool stick. I would also plan to go above 2oz as you may want to use weighted beast hooks as well.

Google Vimgvk which is the name that pops up on the link you provided and look at the top results. I think I would be careful if I were you. It doesn’t say where they are located but based on their delivery options, I’m guessing somewhere overseas.

I have several Costa’s but the copper silver mirror is my go to for fishing…super versatile from sunny to cloudy, great contrast when sight fishing. I have had both glass and poly and I much prefer glass. They stay in their case in the boat and I use a lanyard when wearing. They are slightly heavier but less than a typical glass lense…not enough for me to notice.

8 something…flutter spoon

I’ll be the oddball and say absolutely. Pro’s have no influence on my rod & reel purchases but pro’s and others definitely influence SOME of my tackle purchases. I’m not necessarily stuck on the exact brand or sponsorships but I changed to neko hooks for wacky rigging because of feedback from a pro. I learned about Shane’s Baits Alabama rigs from Josh Jones. I even picked up a Berkley Stunna after Cherry’s ‘21 Classic win at Ray Roberts. I would be willing to bet that 50% of Jackhammer Chatterbait sales over the past 2-3 years have been influenced by the massive amount of winnings on the pro tours. There is no shame in occasionally utilizing the experiences of others, pro or not.

IMO, you would be better off learning how to cast and pitch from both sides. I fish from a boat and have no desire to have both right and left handed reels because I would have to switch hands no matter what. There are often situations where the cover is easier to access from one side v. the other. As an example, depending on the direction you are moving, skipping pontoons would require you to go past the pontoon if you only use one side to cast. Same with boat docks and many other situations. There are probably way more fish missed because anglers don’t put their bait in the prime locations than are missed due to switching hands. Just my 2 cents.

I never leave home without a jig tied on but I will change colors and size. Based on your hypothetical, I could probably make do with a 1/2oz green pumpkin jig.

I would suggest posting something on the Texas forum. There are a lot of Fork guides and locals that post there. There are a lot of nice folks on that site but a few that are salty, so if someone says choose Florida, just ignore them ?. Snow is rare and I have lived in Texas most of my life and have never seen a tornado. As far as safe rooms, an interior windowless room or the bathtub is probably what 99% of Texans use (I have never used either). There is not a lot to do around Fork (outside of outdoor activities) but regular civilization is not far away. There are also a LOT of other excellent lakes in Texas that are less rural if activities for the wife is critical.

History is obviously important but I will spend less time fishing history (spots, not conditions) and more time scouting new areas. In a perfect world, I would like to add several new high potential spots on every trip. I will add one thing I started in ‘21 and will continue because I believe you created a previous thread highlighting your experience…stitching. I have had a surprising amount of success, especially on several high pressures lakes. It can be like watching paint dry but when there are rock or shell beds, it kills.

I completely agree, I wasn’t very clear and should have commented to your first post regarding your questioning the need for trailers (you likely said that tongue in cheek). Ivie is a pretty clear lake (for Texas). I was just suggesting that the benefits of having a trailer (profile, vibration, etc.) might be more beneficial when casting to unknown v. known fish depending on conditions. You are obviously a seasoned fisherman and I’m not saying anything you don’t already know. I was just clarifying for others who may not know that Ivie has good clarity and he was casting to known fish, so he could get away with a more subtle approach.

Josh did indicate that he was using a more finesse approach and wanted a smaller profile. Also remember that he is viewing the fish on LiveScope and presenting the bait right to the fish. If you are not using that technology, you might benefit from the extra movement and water displacement of a trailer. As far as trailers, Tactical Bassin’ has some great underwater footage to give you an idea of various trailer actions. I have recently added the Hog Farmer Spunk Shad as a chatterbait trailer based on their footage.

FYI…if you don’t already know how to tie one, you might consider learning the snell knot for straight shank flipping hooks. In my experience, the hook kick greatly improves my hook up percentage.