AlabamaSpothunter

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 ?

I love Digitaka a little too much, they need to screw something up before they end up with all my money ?

Yeah these Zillions are ruining me because of how user friendly they are. Never had reels even come close to being this easy to setup. I love high end Shimano reels, but I hate how un user friendly they are. Also, the smoothest reels I've ever owned by a significant margin. Clicker drag is another killer aspect to them. The TW HD's handle is truly awesome. Daiwa killed it on these reels all the way around. Everybody who gets one says the same things. The SV TW for $230 or whatever is still the best deal in premium fishing kit imho. They need to put a metal drag star on it like the TW HD...only thing that gripes me.

Wow, look at how cool the head on the last one is.....has an almost Salmon elongated shape to it. Such special fish as always Katie, these are seemingly unmolested fish devoid of human contact.....the way you are able to unobtrusively sneak into their magical realms where other humans think "naw, too much work", or "not worth the risk for a skunk", adds to the magic of your fishing style. In regard to a camera, you fish in about the worst conditions possible to take pics. You fish early, early in the morning, lots of fog usually, and with your spartan form of fishing, water is getting on everything at some point if only droplets. Heck when I paddle I end up more wet than water ? I bet you caught hundred + quality Bass since you called the season, God bless stubborn addicted Bassheads Oh snap, I'll go check the article out right now!

Spot on correct in my view......dude on my home lake caught a 9.4 recently on a fly rod, meanwhile I'm driving myself crazy throwing big Bass baits lol. It's lonely, frustrating, and seemingly every outing it's a battle with your confidence.....but atlas as you mentioned, it's the 1 in 10,000 fish that gives me a high I can't find anywhere else in the world besides women lol.

I've found there is a massive difference b/t catching a DD Bass, and then trying to target and catch a DD Bass. The majority of people who catch that fish of a lifetime do so as a byproduct of Bass fishing in general. Targeting DD Bass is not a whole lot of fun. Agree with Capt. Phil for the most part. Up here you don't have to flip nearly as much for pigs.

It's a really old Sony point and shoot. I need a new one. I do really like the way it takes pics, but it's beaten up. To me there will always be a place for a traditional camera verses a smart phone cam.

So the Rainbow Trout stocking back in the day in theory could have lived year-round given the Bass didn't hammer them all? I've often wondered this. Here in the South, trophy managed lakes will stock them in the winter knowing that when the Spring hits and temps start to reach 60 the Trout apparently begin to slowly die off and makes for easy pickings for the Bass.

Man those first two fish are magnificent! Really cool looking fishing location where the big kitty came from as well.

Proverbial coach still has me on a pitch count, but the lake is fully turning over, crazy the stuff that comes floating up. Water still is ponging in between 64-67 degrees, and we got 80 degree days coming this week. Big fish especially have been super sketchy, been several weeks now without a 5lb+ fish. Caught 4 Species today......Bluegill, Crappie, Spotted Bass, and LGM Bass. Most notable fish was another pig Crappie. Just a little over a pound caught on my Steez BFS setup. I caught the Bluegills on live worms. Wanted to see size, coloring, and overall health/population in the lake. Sampled half a dozen locations, and just like I remember as a kid.....non stop catching, baiting the hook and washing your hands of the dirt is the hardest part lol. This lake has a ridiculous forage base. On one hand everything that swims in this lake gets massive, on the other hand these fish have so much forage that I think it makes them harder to catch. The most beautiful species of the 4 imo, the Alabama Bass. Chunky little LGMs The slab Crappie and a smaller one