First, I have to thank skeeteroneal and realbigreel. They have helped me over the past couple of years to put some of the puzzle pieces together when it comes to catching these hybrids. In the same spirit of full disclosure...I got skunked last week. The water was high and muddy then, but has cleared some and is back to near normal pool. Talking with them, we figured it was just a matter of time before it was "on."

Skeeteroneal also turned me on to the Alabama-Rig. All I'll say is don't dare throw one of these contraptions near hybrids! I ended up with several doubles and a few triples. Eventually, I had a wire arm break off and finally lost what was left of the twisted, bent, and tangled thing. I also had an eye pull out of a plug, a hook break on a jig/fluke combo, and several straightened hooks on crankbaits.

I caught over 30 sandy's up to 16" and a dozen legal hybrids with lots of undersize fish. My largest fish took a crankbait as soon as it hit the water. It almost yanked the rod out of my hands. I knew right away this was different as the drag was letting out at a fast pace. Several minutes of give and take and I was starting to question if I might've snagged one of the big buffalo I had been seeing. After a few more minutes I finally had my first glimpse of the big hybrid. A few more lunges then it just came right in. It was stiff as a board, mouth wide agape, and body contorted in a "S" shape. Sadly, it didn't recover and I can only assume it damaged it's spine or something. Only other time I've seen anything like that was with a tarpon that broke it's back after a series of leaps.
Two at a time

Three at a time

damaged spine?


Since I had to clean a fish anyway, I kept some small 4#ers . The big one dwarfs them.

Whoooooo..... Hhhhooooooo.... Awesome!

Wow...You put like 250 points up in one day... THATS AWESOME! Those hybies are 15 points a pop... I need to figure out how to find some of those...

Thanks Lusca... The BassKickers are now in FIRST PLACE!!! Hopefully I can add a few points tonight...

very nice, sounds like it was fun. That lake looks pretty clear, what part of town where you in?

What Tom said! You have definitely been our ringer! Thank you.

Great post. That looks like a fun day.

I catch about a dozen crappie a year with sharp s curves in what appears to be a seriously deformed spine. Most I have caught appeared to be healthy otherwise.

Congrats again, Phill

Way to go bud. That was a beast! Glad you got to test how the Arig held up to those mean hybrids.

I live near Hico TexasSteve. I fixed my profile, thanks. The water is actually pretty muddy. It just looks better in the shallows there.

Phill, it wasn't like that when I first got it up to the yak. It was only after it shot off a couple times that it just went stiff as a board and quivered a bit. It lost the rigor later, after it croaked. I've caught bass like you described, but this was different. It must've suffered nerve damage to the spine or something as we fought. They fight like demons and never give up. I got cuts,scrapes, and bruises all over from them flopping in the yak. I REALLY like catching them! I almost broke out my flyrod, but there will be other days for that.

Shaun, gutcheck, and n2bassfishing...just happy to help and be able to contribute to the cause I was gonna give y'all some grief, but...seems whenever I smack talk the bad juju strikes

LOL, I don't know if I should thank you or curse you skeeter! I'm a believer though. Now we just need a weather window and maybe we can get back after them. Might even be worth sneaking out there one evening

Lots of fish and big too.

Very nice! I hope to get some doubles or triples this weekend on mine.

Nice, bro! Great job.

Great Catch! Congrats.

Nice Catch. Good job.

What did you have hooked up on your Alabama-Rig?