AlabamaSpothunter

They just tagged me for about 50 in metal baits at TW......never thrown a metal bait before ?

Hire a guide and go Sailfishing.....South Florida is mecca for Sailfish and early Spring is the best time to catch them. You can have double digit days on Sails in the Spring.

Lol, I've watched over 4 hours from Matt on big Swimbait fishing in the winter. I like that channel because Matt and Tim have two completely different styles. If Matt is doing the video, it's going to be more detailed. Tim is straight to the point it seems. One thing people should keep in mind is that the average YT video viewer doesn't have the attention span for a video longer than 5 minutes. This is backed up by lots of evidence. You have to be really good to keep a watcher's eyes for a 30min video.

Bob, that's an epic job, and that fence is beautiful. There's some serious money and sweat equity in that job! Like Katie, I admire hard work/strong work ethic the most in fellow humans. It's a rare quality, especially when you find someone that has a strong work drive and is equally talented like you are with carpentry. I'm a firm believer that if you continue to do the right things in life, the universe will eventually find a way to reward you.

How many thrusts is that Minn paddle up front? ? Beautiful creatures as always, you are blessed in that TN is an amazing state for wildlife. ETA: This is the second ridiculously close call with lightning, and ironically enough both have been while I wasn't fishing. This one happened within meters, and I smelled the electrified air and saw the bolt along with sparks. Crazy it was on film.

Tom, were any or all of those fish if you avatar winter/pre spawn catches? I was listening to Doug Hannon say LGM Bass aren't at their heaviest until Summer, and pointed out the WR and Smallie WR both being taken during Summer. This goes against everything I've heard.....I thought winter/pre spawn was when these fish are their heaviest.

He could be the Tiger King of the Bass fishing world....he's never going to financially recover from this ?

You chose wisely, nice when you have a partner who sees eye to eye on the financial goals. It's the number 1 reason for divorces.

You're a good man Bob! I'm sure that woman appreciates it. The universe will provide you with a monster Spot in due time ?

Already watching the Butch Brown videos......seems like a pretty epic fisherman. Next is Bill Siemantel, thanks for the info

IIrc it was low 30K amount. Bassmaster Classic Rewind – 1997 | Advanced Angler::Bass Fishing News::Bassmaster::Major League Fishing

Well that was fun......like Bream fishing but with Bass instead ? Not sure I could transition as easily as you do from a Bass boat to kayak. Never kayak fished, but it seems to add a whole another level of difficulty to the process. I also bet it connects you with the elements and nature better.

A fishing mentor of mine, Dalton Bobo lost the Bassmaster Classic because of a dead fish penalty. He would have won by 2ozs IIrc if not for the dead fish. $100k gone, and the most prestigious crown in fishing gone. I couldn't imagine the heart break. He's such a humble and nice man too. Wonder if this is the biggest tourney loss because of a dead fish penalty, I bet it might be. With the money involved now in Bass tourneys, surely it will lead to advancements in fish health products. Not everyone has a livewell, a topical spray would be dynamite for shore, kayak, or Jon type boat anglers.

I've learned a tremendous amount of information in a short time by watching TacticalBassin videos. For overall enjoyment, BamaBass is super fun to follow. I like watching fellow member's videos as well, they are more relatable.

That's very cool, he seemed like a brilliant man, and more importantly one who dedicated his life to understanding these special fish. Hopefully someone advances the knowledge base as much as he did decades ago that is still seemingly largely the basis for our current knowledge.

Yeah I just wrapped up the entire video and saw that it was indeed the same product. Very interesting video. I've spent the last 20 mins analyzing my 5lb+ fish and the moon phases lol

Doug Hannon had a cooler with a solution in that he would dip his caught Bass in it before releasing them, imagine it's something like the sure-life product. Simply dipped them, didn't leave them in there for any time at all. I'd love for a Spray Bottle solution for the PLEASE RELEASE ME product. Thinking about if I can break the dilution rate down far enough for a 32oz Spray bottle. I'd love to give fish a good spray, and then have it for those rare fish that are bleeding or are hooked badly. The branding says it helps fish recover specifically from hook wounds. That along with the slime and fungus prevention seem like an ethical step I'd love to add to my fishing catching. Whatever Hannon was using didn't require for the fish to spend time in a livewell, hoping this stuff is the same way. ETA: Old Hannon video.....start at about 2:16 https://youtu.be/QW64lwC_eEY?t=136

Great thread.....I'd "like" every post in it. This is what makes Bass fishing unique besides the magical fish themselves. The toolbox is a blackhole, and inside the abyss there is always a lure that will catch more, or larger Bass than the one you currently have tied on ? What do I need to desperately work on.......Jig N Pig for large fish.

Haha, and I feel exactly the same way. I've been looking forward to fishing pre spawn and the spawn since I started back mid summer. Like with most great crankbaits, there is just something unique about those Crush baits especially when it comes to quality fish. Really great hardware too, they seem to have oversized very stout, and super sticky hooks. I have no fear horsing a fish on these hooks, whereas that Shimano WM Flashboost Jerkbait today was getting its hooks slightly bent out by 2-3lb Spots. Before I never took any of this stuff into account, now I'm really trying to pay attention to line diameter, hook size, drag setting.....and how you must calculate that specific 3 part formula every time you tie on a new bait if you want the best chances for landing success. I can't imagine the sick feeling I'd have if I lost my White Whale horsing her in on heavy Fluorocarbon and thin wire hooks which I would have tried to do as recently as a few months ago. If you don't appreciate being humbled, and learning......Bass fishing isn't the pursuit for you.

I would have assumed you'd have been Power fishing your whole life given the results you've achieved with it. I love it, talk about opposite ends of the spectrum. It's a bit overwhelming at times, but after several months I've started to get my sea legs under me to some degree. I had to google Whopper Plopper for the first time because of you earlier this year, now I own one......I'll send you the bill ?

Thanks Katie! Being absent from the sport for so long, and now as an adult without a mentor I'm getting to start over in a way. Being a novice has it's benefits ? I knew you'd get the bleeder feeling, we share a deep respect and admiration for these special fish....big and small alike. Hard not to take it personal when you want these fish to return in as good of shape as possible. The Flashboost on these Shimano baits is really neat. They cast like a bullet and suspend very nicely. $5 cheaper than the gold standard MegaBass jerkbaits as well. A dozen Spots didn't tear up the finish that badly, but the nice ones bent the hooks a bit. Something to think about given its size and the size fish it will catch. Typical insane sticky sharp Japanese hooks. $20 for a bait is a lot, but this one imho is worth it if you need a high quality jerkbait

Caught 12-15 fish this afternoon. All but one came off a big Shimano Flashboost jerkbait. 3 high quality Spots with one going close to 3.5. One nice Spot inhaled a DD crankbait, and while it didn't gullet hook or gill hook it, it got it somewhere right at the back of the mouth and the fish was bleeding quite a bit. Inevitably this ate me up the whole fishing session. I can't help but constantly think if that fish is going to make it, if I could have done something for it......I know the Mtn Dew is debunked, but after today I'm going to research finding a product to help with this. Thankfully this is the first fish since I started back fishing that was a bleeder. One too many though, kind of makes me sick....oddly I have more empathy for Bass than most humans ? One eyed willy, but proof catch N release works

Another SINK FISH ? Nice one brother! Mike, did you realize you were having so much fun catching those beautiful fish you smiled in the pics ?

LOL.....I hope you post these to all the Muskie boards and tell them they are nothing but by catch ? Epic stuff, very pretty fish! How do these fish fight? Everybody refers to them in length, but what's the general weight on these fish when they get big like those in the pics?

"Welcome to the world of MegaBass" ?