PICTURES TO PROOVE IT!!

[Float Tube 27]

Well, thanks to all your help I had a great day on the lake. I caught 6 good size Tucs today and lost quite a bit. I was on my usual spots and caught them on live bait and lures. The largest was around 3 lbs but the one that straightened my hook got away. Not sure how big it was but it sure did pull. Thanks again for all the advise.

[BASSTRACKER]

yep hes hooked now!!

[roadwarriorsvt]

Another joins "The Dark Side".....

[kahuna bass]

See Stan................

They all want to be "Darkside live baiters"

Heck, if you can't beat'm with lures, use the live stuff!!

Mel - Kahuna bass
Darkside "live baiter" fan club

[Float Tube 27]

I was anti live bait but yep I truly went to the dark side. I got one a rapala but the rest were all on live bite. Felt like I was cheating but still a fun day.

[Ca_Bass]

Like Float Tube said, I feel like I'm cheating with live bait plus lures are so much cleaner and I like the challenge but if someone was to give me some tilapias I would use them, which has happened before..and I pretty much caught a tuc for every tilapia I had minus a couple that got off.

I WILL NEVER JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!! at least not completely, occasionally I will come close to the line but the Force draws me back

[kahuna bass]

Like Float Tube said, I feel like I'm cheating with live bait plus lures are so much cleaner and I like the challenge but if someone was to give me some tilapias I would use them, which has happened before..and I pretty much caught a tuc for every tilapia I had minus a couple that got off.

I WILL NEVER JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!! at least not completely, occasionally I will come close to the line but the Force draws me back

Ca-Bass,

There's a different excitement when you catch fish, on artifficals. It takes more presentation, planning and preparation. And at difficult times, it takes much more skill. You can actually call it, "fishing".

However, there's that time, when all you want to do is sling live bait baby!! It's "catching" time

There's a couple lakes in California that I will fish live bait only, because the better chance of catching bigger fish (over 7lbs). Though, I still haven't hit double digit (9-4 largest to date), I have lost my share of double digit bass. Espacially in late fall to early spring. Crawdad fishing is nothing but skill. Reading contour, wind direction, rock ledges, double anchor set-ups, etc. Using 8'-6" spinning rods, fishing Spectra with flouracarbon topshot, light wire hooks.

I had the chance to fish Clear lake(few times) a couple years ago, for 3 days. 75% live Crawdad and 25% swimbaits. My friend and I caught nothing less than 3 lbs and had fish up to 12lbs. Channel catfish up to 35 lbs, maybe more. Best day was for over 50 fish(both totals), most over 5 lbs. It was epic, espacially for a lake not in Mexico!

Some days, live bait just makes the big difference. I remeber one trip, where Stan and I used hand size talipia baits. We had some of the biggest strikes from the Tuc's!! Stan, I think it's time again.....

You don't have join the DARKSIDE, we just made you a closet "Darkside live baiter"

Mel - Big Kahuna
Darkside Big Bait slinger

[Ca_Bass]

Kahuna,

Have you had chance to fish Lake Casitas in Ojai, Ca yet? You should have a great chance of catching a 10lb+ fish there. They might have the largest pound for pound bass average in the world. I grew up fishing that lake and it has absolutely HUGE bass. I know I have seen world record fish there chasing/eating 3lb rainbow trout.

I don't remember the exact numbers but it was something like 7 of the 10 largest bass ever caught came from there. My old fishing partner caught a 19.4lb LGM on a plastic worm. They used to do a Big Bass World Championship where they would take the person who caught the largest bass for each state every year to a tournament. He has won it for Ca a few times. All his fish came from Lake Casitas and all were 15lb+. I remember a few years back he was on a stretch of catching multiple 15lb+ fish per year. I guess he hasn't caught any monsters recently, I guess the lake has become quite popular and known for its large fish. It's always been heavily pressured but I have even seen it featured on a couple of fishing shows on ESPN.

We would always do dollar first and dollar biggest fish...One day I thought I had it in the bag with a 9lber but he happend to catch an 11 something on his last cast. Let me know if you ever end up going and maybe I can score some good inside info for you

I used to always joke with my friend Bill that I was going to catch a 25lber...and he would always tell me they don't exist. That was until one day he was fishing a 12 inch swim bait and had it reeled up almost out of the water and a huge bass inhaled it side ways, but before he could set the fish spit it. He called me up and said, "I think I found your 25lber!"

[Float Tube 27]

I am actually from the bay area in California and fished Clear lake on many occasions. What an awesome lake for huge bass! I would use these huge rainbow trout swim baits and these monster bass would just drill them. Also, a good lake was the Delta. I didn't get as big as bass from Clear Lake but the action was just as good.