T-Billy

All manufacturers can be included in this. Love the handles on my zillion hd's. I've put big knobs on my flipping reels and no longer have an open wound on my index knuckle from March till December. Wish all my reels had em.

My best 5 this year would weigh in at about 19#. Anchored by a 5.67. I didn't spend much time chasing them this year. I'll have to remedy that in 24.

So hard to guess from pics. So many variables. That said, put me in the around 6# camp. Beautiful specimen. Congratulations!!!

LOL I can live with that. I was marking big shad schools at the base of a 100yd rock ledge the other day. They'll be there all winter. This seems like just the ticket. Got some big 6" and 7" tubes on the way too. When it gets too cold for the A-Rig, I'll go vertical with these.

I have a pair of 'em. Excellent for slinging light baits.

I just received my order of XXL Steelshads. Gonna replace the single hooks with some 4X VMC trebles and some 100# hyperwire split rings and see if I can get some muskies to eat 'em in the coming weeks.

Generally referring to any type of submerged vegetation.

I open the eye just enough to slide the blade in with a 1/16" nail set punch, then close it with a set of pliers. Mustad, VMC and Victory hooks all work well. Gamas are tempered too hard for this. I've had a couple break. I used to make them like that skimpy guys YT video shows, using a straight shank with a wire form for the eye, but I had a couple of those fail so I went to opening the hook eye. It's easier and much stronger. I use a Do-It sparkie jig mold. It's designed for 60 degree hooks, but using 30 degree hooks allows for using a 5/0 in all the cavities.

Dunno how I missed this thread last Feb. Too late to call my shot now, but a bait similar to your pick got it done for me @A-Jay, with both the brown and green bass. My homebrew chatterbait, with a Do-It molds 3.5 Ripper trailer in green pumpkin. 5.85# LM 5.67# SM

Yeah it's been warm @gimruis. The fish have been really tight lipped. My guide buddy's clients have only been averaging a fish or two a day, and a lot of those are coming on a dead shad rig. He has FFS and is fishing giant shad schools in open water. I've been on fish, fishing the breaks, and outside weed edges in 10-13, but I haven't been able to make 'em eat. Glides, jerks, cranks, A-rig, they follow them all, but won't commit. Been REALLY frustrating. Surface temp's 48-49 in the morning and 52-53 by afternoon on sunny days. I took this coming week off, but now I'm wishing I'd waited another week. I was just looking at last years pics, and it was Nov 28 to Dec 9 that the A-rig carnage REALLY went down. On the upside, it's looking like I'll be able to fish later into Dec this year.

Boy did I ever jinx myself with that statement. Good grief. Six skunks in a row since the 1st. Finally got Pepe Le' Pew out of the boat today. I've never been so happy to catch a 31.5" in my life. LOL. Been moving a few every trip, but getting them to commit is another story. Colder temps in the forecast, so things should start improving. Today was better than it has been. In addition to the little guy I caught, I had two tails bit off and six other follows. Three were in the 40"-44" range. Then the wind did a 180 and started blowing out of the east. That shut the action off like flipping a switch. I ran across this glutton below on a weedy shelf at the mouth of a cove. Low 40's with a 3-4 pound bass T-boned in it's mouth. No way that fish can swallow it, but it has high hopes. I followed it around filming for almost 5 minutes. It was just slowly cruising around, not too concerned with me being over it.

Long rods with long handles, and plenty of backbone, take a lot of work out of tossing and working heavy baits. My recent muskie addiction has changed my perspective on rods for some techniques. I've come to like a 9 footer for glides and jerks as well as swimmers. Tucking that long handle up under your armpit makes working big, heavy, glides and jerks a breeze. The long rod also requires smaller movements than a shorter rod to get the same action out of the bait, thus keeping you in better position to quickly set the hook. With swimbaits it gives you more distance with less effort, and moves more line when setting the hook at long distance. If I were gonna throw big swimmers for bass, I'd forget about those 7'6" - 8' bass rods and get a 9' MH muskie stick. Nearly all have telescoping butt sections these days, so they store like an 8 footer, and fish like a one piece.

I came within a couple feet of catching one of those with a DD22 once. I was fishing it on Gorilla Braid. Old school stuff that was about as smooth as concertina wire. Ol boy came really close to having a VERY bad day.

Props to him for giving his honest opinion about things work, and what it takes to make it to the elites. That said, he's quite the Debby Downer. If I'm a rod/reel/tackle manufacturer, that ain't the personality I'm looking for to move my product.

Exactly. The guys that left BASS for MLF did so because they felt like it was the best option for them and their families. It didn't pan out that way for some, and they returned, or tried to return to BASS. I don't fault any of them. I'd do the same. I'm not emotionally tied to any company. Business is business, leave your feelings at home and take care of business.

That's a solid simple rule of thumb right there. Definitely wanna be chasing the shadows when there's a bright moon overhead. I may stay offshore, but if so, I'm fishing deep weed edges or even deeper rock piles.

Pat, we all know you're a legit hawg snatcher, but you really need to work on your story telling. The fish are supposed to keep getting BIGGER with time. YOU"RE DOING IT WRONG!!! 😂

I'm largely nocturnal from Memorial Day til after Labor Day. My night fishing is largely about weed beds and large structure features. Pinpoint casting accuracy isn't required. Gimme a topwater, a chatterbait, and a jig or big worm and I'm good to go. Keep it simple, have your boat organized, and fish bodies of water you know well.

@A-Jay's collection is similar to mine, except his reels are clean, well maintained , and organized. Mine are ... well... That's a topic for another thread. 😁 On the budget end of things, the Lew's LFS is king of the mountain IMO.

My friend I invited to fish with me caught his PB, so I'm gonna smash my rod. 😂

I agree with @Catt's suggestions, and will add laydowns to that list. My lakes get dropped 5-8 feet in fall. The wood left in the water can be loaded, especially on sunny afternoons.

My advice, don't fish with him anymore. I'd rather bank fish, than fish with that guy.

Like @TOXIC, TW lost me when they had the security breech. Getting hacked happens, that wasn't my issue. Their response was inexcusable. They waited several weeks to notify me my card was compromised, even though they knew the day after it happened. Thankfully my CC company was on top of it. Haven't shopped there since.

It's seasonal and weather dependant. Insulated boots, sneakers, hikers, crocs, rain boots......

That sucks. Sorry to hear. I know how ya feel. My local lakes are flood control reservoirs that get drawn down every year. I lose access on my #2 lake some years depending on how far they draw it down.