RE: what is your opinion
bigbass191 you caught a real nice looking large mouth. I like to fish chartreuse/ white spinner baits or buzz baits in the spring for largies. Get the titanium ones because they last so long and keep their shape. I fish all summer for smallies and I like top water fishing the best. I use Rebel Pop-R and Heddon dying flutters mostly for the early morning top water bite. Early spring I use white twister tails on 1/8 ounce chartreuse jig heads and throw them right next to the rocky shore line from my boat. If you fish real light line you can get lots of action on spawning small mouths. Later in the spring I like to fish tubes Carolina or Texas style. In late summer any crawfish imitator will get you good results. Since you are in your early teens and may not have access to different tackle the live bait tactic that you are already skilled at will always work. A smallie has a hard time staying away from a properly presented minnow or night crawler. When I was your age I had lots of fun catching my own bait. I used to go night crawler picking at night and I trapped and seined minnows and crawfish. You can have almost as much fun getting the bait as fishing. Another way to get tips is to tell your folks to give you a Christmas present or birthday present of Bassmaster magazine. It includes a membership to Bass Anglers Sportsman’s Society. The magazines come in the mail are loaded with great tips and stories about the pro’s. Good luck and keep on fishing.