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TJ Andres

@fishing_explosion

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Looking for them big girls

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One last tournament. One last check. 🎣💰

Work hasn’t left much time for fishing lately, but I squeezed in a couple hours of practice after work the night before the final tournament of the season. With limited time, @onxfish helped me be efficient, find what I needed and put the pieces together.

We ended the season with a 5th-place finish and a check. 👊

Tournament fishing is a roller coaster—the good days, the tough ones and everything in between—but I wouldn’t trade the memories.

Now it’s time to have some fun chasing salmon, trout and smallmouth the rest of the season. 🍂🎣

Not a bad way to end the tournament grind.

#BassFishing #TournamentFishing #lakeGeneva #SmallmouthBass by @fishing_explosion

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8 days ago

Great things take time. 🏗️🔥

We’ve been working around the clock to put the finishing touches on our Gurnee location and build something we’re truly proud of. We’re not quite there yet—but every day, we’re getting closer.

Before the GRAND OPENING next spring, we want to invite our Paintball family to experience a little taste of what we’ve been building with a special SOFT OPENING. 🎯💥

More details coming soon. The wait is almost over. 👀

#PaintballExplosion #PBX #Gurnee #Paintball by @fishing_explosion

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a month ago

Happy Birthday to my amazing son! ❤️🎂

It’s hard to believe how fast you’re growing up. It seems like just yesterday you were little, and now I’m watching you become your own person. I couldn’t be more proud of the young man you’re becoming.

No matter how quickly the years go by or where life takes you, I hope you always know one thing without ever having to question it: I love you more than words could ever explain. I will always be in your corner, always believe in you, and always be proud to call you my son.

Life doesn’t always go exactly the way we imagine, and sometimes there are things that are difficult to understand when you’re young. But one thing will never change—my love for you. Nothing and no one can ever take that away.

I hope when you look back on these years someday, you’ll see just how much you were loved, how proud I was of you, and how much you have always meant to me.

Keep growing, keep dreaming, keep being the incredible person you are. I’m so lucky to be your dad.

Happy Birthday, Bubba. I love you more than you’ll ever know. ❤️ by @fishing_explosion

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a month ago

🔊 TURN THE VOLUME UP… this one’s worth hearing. 🐸💥

Nothing says summer like a bass exploding on a frog.

There’s something about working a frog across the pads, watching it disappear, and then hearing that hookset when everything comes tight. The anticipation. The explosion. The adrenaline.

Frog fishing just embodies everything bass fishing is supposed to be. 🎣☀️

What’s your favorite part of throwing a frog?

#FrogFishing #BassFishing #TopwaterFishing #LargemouthBass by @fishing_explosion

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a month ago

Learning the urchin game one fish at a time 🦔🎣

I’m finding that the right rod makes a BIG difference—especially fishing the urchin offshore vs. around docks. Since a Super Urchin can be tough to cast, rod length matters. And when a bass eats it and swims toward you, speed is everything. ⚡️

One more tip: with everyone throwing urchins now, a two-tone Super Urchin can help you stand out. 👀

There’s definitely more to fishing these things than meets the eye.

#fishingtips #BassFishing #Urchin by @fishing_explosion

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2 months ago

Been too busy working to fish lately… and the fish definitely didn’t wait for me. 😂🌿

Summer grass fishing is all about finding where they’re hiding—but after being off the lake for a while, figuring them out again is half the battle. That’s where using all the tools available really makes a difference to speed up the learning curve and improve the experience on the water.

Would you rather fish the grass or target something else in the summer? 🎣

#BassFishing #LargemouthBass #SummerFishing by @fishing_explosion

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2 months ago

I can’t believe we’re already more than halfway through the year. 🍂 Fall will be here before we know it. I still can’t decide if I enjoy summer or fall fishing more, but last fall gave me one I’ll never forget—a tagged smallmouth bass. Now I’m counting down the days to see what this fall has in store. Which season gets your vote? 🎣

#Smallmouth #BassFishing #FallFishing by @fishing_explosion

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2 months ago

Sometimes, the biggest fish of the day comes down to one decision.

Going into the final stretch, we knew we were one quality bite away from a top-three finish.

We were around smaller fish and could’ve stayed to grind out a few more keepers. Instead, we decided to swing for the fences and hunt one kicker that could change everything.

That fish never came.

Looking back, it’s easy to second-guess the decision, but that’s tournament fishing. Sometimes you’re rewarded for taking the risk, and sometimes you go home wondering what could’ve been.

We’re thankful to have cashed a check, but it’s impossible not to think about how close we were to the podium.

If you were in our position, would you have stayed on the smaller fish or gambled on finding one last big bite?

#LakeGeneva #BassFishing #TournamentFishing by @fishing_explosion

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2 months ago

Once you get one to bite, don’t leave. Keep the school fired up and it can go from one fish… to one of those days you’ll never forget. Downtown Chicago keeps proving it. 🔥🎣

#chicagofishing #smallmouthbass #bassfishing by @fishing_explosion

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2 months ago

Turns out a gas mask isn’t standard bass fishing gear… until this week. 😷🔥

Smoked out by the Canadian wildfires, but somehow Lake Geneva still delivered my personal best bass of 6.11 lbs. If that’s what it takes to catch a PB, I might have to start packing a respirator with the tackle. 😂🎣

#lakegeneva #pbbass #wildfires #bassfishing by @fishing_explosion

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3 months ago

Summer jig fishing is the ultimate reminder to never quit early. One bite can flip an average day into one you’ll remember all season. Stay patient, keep making the right casts, and when the window opens… hang on

And before anyone says anything… yes, I lost my hat, so let’s all pretend my hair was part of the strategy. 😂🧢

#BassFishing #jigfishing #SummerBass by @fishing_explosion

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3 months ago

Cashed a check at the AC Tournament on Lake Geneva, and I’m thankful for that… but I know I left more out there.

Two lost fish. Two mistakes. That’s tournament fishing.

It’s also why I love competing. Tournaments don’t lie—they expose every decision you make and push you to become a better angler. Every event is another opportunity to learn, improve, and make fewer mistakes next time.

Back to work. 🎣👊

#BassFishing #LakeGeneva #BassTournament by @fishing_explosion

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3 months ago