AlabamaSpothunter

It was over 80 here today and the water temps were as high as it's been in weeks, I saw 68 at one point. Shellcrackers are awesome, I don't need to tell somebody like you who enjoys eating fish that though. Very feisty fish too. This weather is supposed to hold for a couple of days, has me excited, but that's usually when the pattern dies lol ?

Electric fishing again today, but atlas after several weeks without a 5lb+ fish I got one today. A super rare day when I got Katie numbers, somewhere I'd say around 20 Bass, and 5 big Crappie. Biggest was 5.3, several solid 3lb fish, and at least half dozen 2lb class Spots. This is the biggest fish I've caught that was offshore chasing shad like the 1-2lb school sized fish. She hammered a 6th Sense Crush Flat 75x in Shad Scales. She burned the drag so much I thought it was another dang big Cat. This is the second big fish I've pulled off this bait in the last 2 months. The other was a 5.8. Great affordable bait that produces. Spots.....

I agree Katie about respectful disagreement on this subject. All the regular members I see post here have a great respect for Bass and seeing them thrive including the Braided Bambino @T-Billy ? I'm not sure, but I see your side easily just in regard to trophy Whitetail Deer management. Nobody in this thread is advocating killing large Smallmouths, so I think we are likely debating over a unique case that doesn't happen very often. Perhaps if I'm just being honest, it just makes me sad to see such a magnificent specimen die. Death however is part of life, whether natural, or through a predator's hand which was the case for this fish.

He also said if he had to guess it was a younger fish, and then said it was a 16 or 17 year old fish. He again said if he had to guess it was a female. What I gathered is he doesn't really have a clue until they dissect the fish. You could tell they were aware of the fact that people like me exist and would be critical of them killing one of the most amazing fishes of a generation.

I never said it was illegal. I guess I'm just selfish and want a once in a generation genetically unique fish to create as many offspring during her natural life as possible. We could debate this all day long, I'm a firm believer in every Bass over 5lbs should be released....Spot, LGM, or Smallmouth. Genetics are a huge part of our fisheries success. Just my 2cents.....I expect to be the contrarian here so no hurt feelings.

Wow, just got to that part of the video. Changes my thinking on this whole story and catch. What an absolute SHAME that fish was killed for a record in a book. Man that angers me, call me a tree hugger I don't care. I know for a fact you'd release that fish A-Jay, it's what I always compliment and appreciate about your big brown Bass videos. Those two anglers would have wanted it released but they got swept up in the mania. Ridiculous outcome, shameful. eta: If you try your best to keep a fish alive during certification in order to release afterwards, and the fish dies, I have no problem with that. But for the process from jumpstreet to call for the fish to be killed is again ludicrous.

15 minutes in.....not a huge smallmouth guy, and I can already tell this is one of the best fishing tales, and two of the humblest likable Bass anglers I could imagine. Beyond that my takeaway is obviously FFS will no doubt be the driving factor in WRs being broken. By all practical purposes this is a fish that was targeted through FFS. They saw the fish on sonar before she bit. FFS will lead to the Smallmouth WR being broken......the others prehaps, but Smallmouths are so vulnerable to FFS. FFS is as cool as the current NV/FLIR tech.......wizard cool stuff.

According to our B.A.I.T. program that uses tourney data to compare the state fisheries. Pickwick IIrc was at the top right besides Wheeler and ahead of Guntersville and Eufala at under 100 hours fished per 5lb Bass. Some places like Lake Martin IIrc were like 5,000+ hours to catch a 5lb fish lol. I'd say Wheeler is the hottest lake in the state, and perhaps hottest in the country at the moment. Once it became a dynamite lake for LGMs too, it seems it took the lake into that elite class of fisheries. Apparently, it's because they've allowed grass to come back in places.

Way to go man, 21lb bag is awesome! Just these last two days have the fish started to get like you describe......yesterday it was packs of Spots trying to rip the bait from the hooked one, today it was both LGM and Spots that ate a bladed jig right by the boat, as you say......"rod ripping" hits. So exciting and startles me to death every time. My biggest might have been close to 3lbs. Only took 2 rods, no sonar or tackle besides a fanny pack as it's been raining all day. Being OCD I had to at least see what was going on. Crappie still holding on the same pattern as well. These are the patterns that make it so tough when they inevitably stop working. I was rewarded with feisty fish, and the most magnificent sunset I've seen in my entire life, and I deck handed summers on the Gulf. The storm and sunset timed perfectly to create a visual that left me stupefied.

Went in to compare the Rebellion VS. Zodius VS. Levante in a 7' Medium Fast do all spinning rod......I just can't get over buying a $200+ rod "made in China". I know it's stupid, especially when you look at how beautiful each of these three rods are made. The Levante was made in Vietnam IIrc fwiw. Some great member the other day said they had compared the three and he walked away with the Rebellion. Based on feel, weight, and ratings......that member was correct. I was shocked to see it not have a hook keeper though. The MegaBass Levante was easily the most beautiful rod of the lot, just heavier than the Rebellion. But as you guys know......the monkey was throwing a hysterical fit when I told him we weren't buying anything, embarrassing the both of us in a packed store. What else could I do? I went in for the Armor Shad to be fair, but every single color except this one was sold out. These things are magic as trailers on flashback minis and minimaxs.

Once an addict, always an addict. Stay strong brother, you'll beat the tackle monkey demons ?

Hate to hear about the troubles, but I chuckled over the Willie Mayes line haha. At least you got some fantastic exercise in.

I'm sure a WR is swimming in Pickwick......Imagine if Alabama gets the next WR ? I'd like to know if it ever broke somebody off, or shook a hook

Thanks Katie! Look forwarding to seeing some of Maine's most beautiful Bass later today!

Fishing in a nutshell: 4 days in the life of a fisherman Thursday......takes until the end of the session to figure out the correct patten Friday....uses newly learned pattern and absolutely wears out Spots, LGMs, and big Crappies Saturday......90% chance of rain, and like chalk on a sidewalk, my pattern that produced such a memorable day will be washed away only for me to have to find a new pattern on Sunday. My PB for Crappie is rapidly changing, one of the good things about learning a new species. Two weeks ago it was 1.2. Yesterday or the day before can't remember, it was 1.3. Then today I got a 1.4. I have to wonder if a guy who has never Crappie fished until the last month or two and can catch Crappies this size, just how big do the Crappie get in this lake. Caught double digit Crappie, and double digit Bass. Biggest Bass was a healthy 2lb+ fish, several Spots likely close to that 2lb range. A couple of different times I had multiple Spots trying to rip the bait from the hooked fish's mouth right by the boat, but again couldn't get another lure on them fast enough before they saw me. So exciting. One of those rare days where you are catching a fish every 5-10mins....the one's where you are willing the sun to stay above the horizon. The Flashback Mini with a 3" Armor Shad in the silver or white colors are as close to imitating fleeing threadfins as I've found in any bait. This time of year, you can't retrieve it fast enough. This thing darts randomly about 2-3" to one side or the other every few seconds.......the effect seemingly triggers an instant reaction strike. All Chatterbaits "hunt", but this is a 1/8th finesse style bait that is being burned on retrieve yet remains down in the water column and violently hunts randomly without any additional input from the angler. I ended up trolling with the TM and catching them even better, for whatever reason I couldn't quite match the trolling retrieve. I've been talking this flashback mini up for months, but the wow factor still hasn't faded. Lastly the new PB Crappie 1.4

I read your replies if for only the hidden hilarious gems found within them, don't change pal ?

Frittside crankbaits are what a successful tourney angler just told me about the other day. Got one to try. That said, so many companies offer silent versions of CBs. Lots of good options. The Berkeley ones are 8.99, so not that bad on the wallet.

I bought mine recently for a 7'9 Alpha Angler Wide Glide swimbait setup. But used it for a week or so on an Alpha Angler 7'3 Chatterbound rod. It threw 3/8th Chatterbaits the same way it threw a 3oz Arig......these reels are ridiculously user friendly, and you find yourself almost never adjusting them like a high end Shimano when moving from bait to bait. This point can't really be stressed enough if you don't like fiddling with your gear once you set it up like you want it. Run 17lb Pline Ultimate Fluorocarbon. Bought it mainly over the Tatula 300 because I'm only really slinging 1-3oz baits with it. It will bombcast a 1.5oz Gantrarel or BD Shad, or heavier Arig as far as you want too....so much so your shoulder will give out before the reel, ask me how I know. It's an incredible reel, all the reviews are correct about them. That said, if you aren't needing the HD, the SV TW actually wow'd me more. The SV TW is just brilliant for $230 or whatever they cost right now. I use the SV TW for baits up to an ounce, have used it significantly at this point across a wide range of baits, it's the most effortless, user friendly, and smooth reel I can imagine. It's used for Chatterbaits 90% of the time though. You won't be disappointed if you buy the TW HD.

I never really liked those shows, but she was a hoot. Not embarrassed to admit she's more of a "man" than myself, heck she's more a man than 95% of men on earth.

I'll never understand why so many Bass fisherman don't believe the current WRs are swimming as we post on the internetz. I've heard on here many times already how a 10lb Smallie is essentially a White Whale, let alone breaking the WR.

Great job Glenn finding and giving such a fantastic Bass angler a platform. Didn't hurt that she made you look great by writing such a fantastic article. Again wonderful job to the both of you, things like that are what Facebook and new social media can't kill about good tech forums.

As Eric said, prayers for your dog. Our animals in many ways are far better than we are as humans.

Katie the article was dynamite, but that's what I expected. Beautiful writing style, and amazing subject matter obviously. I thought you were going to write about your current form of Bass fishing, but I guess we must DEMAND a second article in the future. "Maine's secret treasure trove of Largemouth Bass, bogs, and copious topwater action"....see I already got a title for you Go figure I start to catch the Crappie better once I stopped wasting so much time trying to catch them. Today I edged my previous biggest one out....this one was 1.3lbs. Caught 3 more, along with 7 Bass. The Bass remain in the 1-2lb range, but boy are these smaller fish getting fat. Everything came off the Flashback Mini 1/8th with a 3" Armor Shad burning it. As close to a fish magnet as I've found.

Hope the pupper is pulling through, vet bills can be super stressful given they pop up randomly. Bait Monkey takes backseat to the Pupper Monkey ?