1984isNOW

That's a good Fish! What color and what part of the state?

Right back atchyou my man, I think being able to have a respectful discussion, and even to disagree respectfully, is a lost art. Usually the culture just devolves a disagreement into some sort of insult fest or virtue signaling party. As for the fish Finders, I feel you on that, but it's the level of engagement that the technology affords that makes the difference. You can cast at an arch that isn't moving until you move over it all day, but when you can basically watch a fish on TV and see what to do or not do - because there's no reason that shouldn't be the next logical step with the tech - just cameras all around the boat underwater with super lenses and heat signature options just showing you absolutely everything.

"way more skill"? Nah bro, I didn't even know the fish had taken my bait yet and my buddy just said set the hook... I caught that fish that he saw take my lure. I might've felt it and set the hook eventually, but it also coulda spit it out and I never woulda knew - without FFS I wouldn't have just randomly set the hook on a subtle in felt bite. It takes skill to recognize water level, temp, wind, sun angle, casting angle, which part of the water column to hit, how fast to move the lure, when to "move on," where in relation to the shore and cover the bass are hanging... I targeted outside weed edges and caught bass on a spinnerbait, I targeted docks and caught on a buzzbait, I saw the water level and fished offshore where I could see the depth about the same and caught on spinnerbait and Ned rig. Dude I was fishing with basically just drove around looking for bass and casting a jig head and plastic all day. He crushed my numbers because he didn't have to waste the time I did when he could see there were no fish. He could see when to pop or twitch or pause or set the hook. Again, I don't care in real life, but for professional level competition... It's a stain on the sport like using a drone camera to hunt.

I watched a local body of water so over harvested I couldn't even catch a sunfish. I saw people taking buckets full of everything they caught with absolutely no descrimination - every size bass, gill, eel, anything... absolutely devestated the ecosystem.

Just quoted for emphasis Dude, that would be cheating because it eliminates some of the skill required that should be present at professional tournament level competition, at least according to BASS haha

This is the skill that it eliminates @Tennessee Boy The line should be not having to fish while being a professional tournament fisherman, any technology that means you literally don't have to fish should not be allowed. Clearly my contention is less about over harvesting, aside from @ol'crickety 's point about damaging reproduction during the spawn, but professional level competition has always created boundaries that protect the integrity of the sport.

You no longer have to go fishing to find a fish, you can just drive around and find fish. Without fishing. And you right about the kayak scene, I thought I'd get into some local kayak tourneys, until I saw that I would need to drop 4 grand on electronics to be able to have a fair competition. I be out there casting at nothing while dudes be like "I can see there's no fish here, I'm moving on" It's not that it makes it easy to catch fish, it makes it easy to givefind where fish aren't, and easy to find where fish are. And it does make it easier to dial in your lure selection and retrieve... So actually I take it back, it absolutely makes it easier (doesn't make it easy) to catch bass. I was fishing with a buddy who has it, but I didn't have it. He would point out where he saw fish on the scope, we would both cast. But he could see what the fish were doing and make adjustments mid retrieve, and he would get the bites. Then he would let me catch one, by describing what I should while he was watching the scope and then I could pause or twitch at precise times and entice bites. It takes the fishing out of fishing, which is a guess and check activity. It helps to put the fish into the barrel so you can fish for them. But they didn't have a gold star with a little "you're here" and then little red stars where all the fish were, that's the difference. Pros used to have to go and search for the treasure, they had to fish to find fish, now they get the treasure map marked with an "X"

I'm still catching up on the 6 pages, but I've been making this point since FFS entered mainstream competition. FFS is searching for fish with technology, trolling is searching for fish with fishing... Uuhhhh Also, they banned the Umbrella Rig and the reasoning stated was: "Rules Committee members believe the rig eliminates some of the skill that should be required in tournament competition at the highest level... A Rules Committee member added, “I don’t have a problem with the use of umbrella rigs or multi-lure rigs to catch bass. If you are out fun fishing, there may be nothing more fun to use. However, our events represent the highest level of professionalism in our sport and I think as participants of these events, we should be held to a higher standard, as well." FFS absolutely eliminates some of the skill that should be required in tournament competition at the highest level. This is precisely the point - we are talking about professional level competition. This is why boxers can't put weights in their gloves, you can't cork a baseball bat, can't use glue on your hands in football. The point is preserving the sport, just like they said they banned Alabama rig for. Go use your FFS all day and night and catch teeners, just don't do it in a professional competition. Do you think we should allow trolling?

@DogBone_384 North shore, but even my trips up to Maine the water level has been the lowest I've seen in 8 years - never went to Maine before that. So much mud at the banks now and all the weeds are topped out where they shouldn't be

That's wild bro, this is some of the lowest water I've ever seen. I've practically been despondent over it because it's really messed the fish up and bank fishing has been skunk city.

I feel like the water levels being so ridiculously low has really fudged the fish up, been a crap summer for me. I basically only fish at night cuz the kids, and even that has been garbage.

@RRocket I mean I guess it's possible, but we don't have anything like that up here. its such a clear lake with so little vegetation I don't think I've even ever seen a sunfish there. There's lake trout and salmon, but they usually hang out 80 ft deep But perhaps it was something else just messing with me. Either way I now have one of each size Jitterbug on the way, I will figure this out haha

Why? I might try the ewg, I just figured the longer the dangle the more likely to get the hook. I might assign my 7'2 MHMF St. Croix Victory target crank rod to do the job. Maybe it was just the blackness of a new moon on a cloudy night and they just didn't get their aim right? Yeah, maddening! What are you using to attach the split ring after drilling new hole? Honestly I think it was the drawing power of the Jitterbug that really made the action so hot, I tried the spinnerbait and swim jig and didn't produce. Only one on the spinnerbait, but I think it's because I brought it right into the bass' "too close for comfort" zone. Also I think the pause made a big difference

Let's do the Jitterbug If this has ever been a place you've gained from somebody sharing their insight, or you've helped others grow by sharing yours let it be now. I had like 25 misses last night on a black Jitterbug. Not hits and then I missed, they just never put tension on the line. I felt a couple ticks from some of the hits, but they never brought the lure underwater. Most of them were just noises with no feedback on my end. I'll admit I was blown away by the amount of strikes, because I've only ever gotten 8 strikes at most in one night. I did try a part of the lake I don't normally, maybe it was that, but maybe it was the Jitterbug magic! Only 1 created tension and came off, but I wasn't ready for it cuz I had to reposition the yak. New moon pitch black with cloud cover. The few I caught managed to loose the blade and I lost a screw. It was the 650 jointed version. Was it too big for a small mouth to get a grip on? Should I add a swivel to the front hook, or at least a split ring? How you you position your front hook for best hook up? What do you guys do to modify your Jitterbug? What size hooks? What is your set up? Would you change your set up fishing from a kayak? I should wait to feel tension before setting the hook right? TIA

Won't work on soft plastics I've seen spike it deteriorate some of the Berkley plastics, basically if the plastic will float it likely won't react well to the dye. Have you tried sharpie? Also for lead I use nail polish, sometimes a topcoat of Sally Hansen hard as nails, sometimes I don't bother

I canceled my first order to order more and re-order everything else with extra discount 10% vs 30% is a big difference, plus they put the Hematoma cone thumper in half price in the meantime - I ordered two 25packs at that price

You got me sold, but I only saw a total of 10% off at the end, nothing like what you had happen with those trick sticks (like 30%) - that was BBB10?

There's no way to know that up here in MA, I talked to a guy who owned a tackle shop - he told me it took him over 60 years to finally hit 8 pounds. This is a guy who's livelihood literally depended on fishing - I got nothing on that. But, I'm hoping to explore some more and find the ONE. I'm scared to throw trebels at night, especially some size 1 or 1/o on a big ol musky jitterbug.... but I might take the risk, I keep hearing how that's been the trick for decades down south. Just saw that post, I got the pages mixed up replying to specific comments and being bumped back and forth while others were posting too. Yeah, definitely cool to see, but probably to boost the Pegasus Project - not cool at all So moon set and moon rise are best, moon over head is good, and moon on the other side of earth is no good? Scorpions are striking you?? Bro, I would only fish in steel toes if I was you

Nope, where did you post that video? That isn't a constellation in our universe

Straight up pickle juice It's delicious

I'm far less concerned with this than I am bumping into one or 2 guys that see me as an opportunity with certainty there will be no witnesses. I now carry pepper spray, might get a night stick soon too Can you PM me how to obtain this? @Catt when you two say that, you mean you prefer to fish when the moon is above?

I've had to somehow exit my kayak and get back on a few times with no shore to sneak around on. Tuck the yak under a dock and climb on, unstuck my lure from the dock ( or someone's boat), and get back on without it drifting away or tipping.

Dude I'm just hoping I can break 8# before I die, hopefully another good 45/50 years in me. Crazy to think I'll only have that much time left here with my girls. I'm approaching that more time behind me than ahead of me line, gotta get my mind right and start looking in the right direction... up

I feel inclined to believe it's bait fish leaping as well, but I hear this with great frequency and at varying times. Sometimes it lasts for an hour all around me, and I don't hear any bigger splashes like a bass chasing one and I basically never catch anything casting all sorts of lures. In a hundred foot radius this will happen all around me, I've seen it 5 ft deep and 20 ft deep. Just bizarre

@all What fish sounds like throwing a few pennies into the water, usually happens repeatedly and all around. Only ever hear it in clear water in Maine maybe @ol'crickety will know? I don't think I've ever had that 6 fish in 8 casts experience. I usually hit weed edges or lone pieces of cover - are packs more common in open water or relating more to specific types of structure?