GrandSlamBasser87

This one was out of a 14' jon boat, but I did catch my 2 previous 8lbers off the shore on a Terminator Spinnerbait. The 8-08 lber I have on the wall was a shoreliner. Basspro- The one we drive down the hill to that we went to a couple times when you have been around.

Those are very respectable bronzebacks!! Nice job and welcome to the addiction!

I have caught fish myself and seen a television show where just your normal dropshot rig length didn't inhibit the effectiveness of the rig despite the weight not being in contact with the bottom. Try a 2-3 foot leader, a little longer than normal but will get the weight out of the picture for the fish, but should be manageable. I can't remember the name of the show I saw, but they were dropshotting for smallies and they marked one on the graph at 18' even though they were in 25-30' of water, and they dropped their same rig down and let out that length of line and they caught him. Worth a try and experiment with the leader lengths, figure out how long you can make them, but still have them managable.

It is harder to get those longer distances with light lures with a boatcasting setup as opposed to a spinning setup. Normally, I will use my spinning setups to throw smaller lures, less than a 1/4oz as BP72 mentioned before, and 1/4oz and greater lures with my baitcasting setups. That being said, my best advice is to use your spinning rods to throw downsized lures and your new baitcasting setup to throw the heavier spinnerbaits and such you may use. Keep practicing and you will get the hang of throwing lighter lures with yer baitcaster, but you wont get the distance you will with the spinning reels.

I would definately say its the new look to bass that will produce...always nice to go back to something and have it produce over today's selection...You can't go wrong with giving them something different to look at as you are finding out! Stick with it

Like RW said, these fish can be difficult unless they are related to structure or baitfish...I would say all your tactics listed were the right choices and would have been the same I would have tried...I have heard of marking suspended fish at a certain depth and targeting that depth with a drop shot rig with a senko or your preferred drop shot lure...Might be worth a try next time you find that same situation

The soft tip definately helps but if thats not available, just think about maintaining your retrieve until you feel the fish. If your lure is paused when u get the strike, immediately begin some type of retrieve until you feel him. It's always hard to hold back long enough but thats how I keep myself from being too jumpy with the hookset!! Nothin' like a good topwater bite!!

Congrats man, its that pound for pound fight that gets people hooked on them!!! I love taking time away from my lakes and ponds to let them rest and hit the rivers for smallies!!

Nice Job, been meaning to give night fishin' a try for bass but haven't gotten around to it. That's some good lookin' water you go there!

For my 4" tubes, I will use 3/0 Texposer hooks and and a bullet weight T-rigged. For my 3.5" Gitzits, I will use 1/4-3/8oz Ikey heads which allows you to T-rig the tube and still use a jighead. I have never used rattles but I can see where they would be beneficial in off colored water.

That is the story of my summer so far and have caught two over 8 and numerous over 5 and 6, and no camera to get the picture! Congrats, and likewise, I will no longer be leaving the camera behind!

Congrats!!! Nuttin' like catchin' 'em on something different for a change, the main thing is having the patience to try something new and you were rewarded for your efforts!

Nuttin' like a new PB!! Congrats to your dad and to you on the nice net catch!! HAHA You didn't knock it out like the net dude in the thread about the possible world record that got away...haha

Went to a pond I had left alone for about a week this mornin' around 9. Started off Jig flippin' a few spots along the bank that normally hold fish and caught 5 pretty quick. Moved out and started throwin' a Bomber 6A and caught 10. I had been fishin' for about an hour and had 15 so I was more than happy, despite the biggest only being 2lbs, but always fun to catch them on a Jig flippin'. I was gonna call it a morning as not to fish it too hard, then I remembered a spot I had gotten hung up on something with a C-Rig the week before so I decided to try and find it with my Jig; no depth finder or any other way to find anything. I was using a 1/2oz Strike King Pro Model Jig in Camo with a 4" Gambler Ugly Otter in Watermelon Red trailer. My first cast was just an attempt to find the structure I had hung before and boy did I find it. I began feeling some limbs in contact with my jig and I popped it over them and let those paddles on the Ugly Otter flutter to the bottom. I raised my rod to about 10o'clock and that's where I felt the slightest bump. I kept tension and I saw my line moving off to the left and I immediately set the hook hard and it was solid!!! I was able to keep her to only one thrash and lipped my new PB jig-fish at 8-02lbs! Of course I was by myself and no camera to take a pic but she swam off great to fight another day. Thought I would share a great hour and a half morning with ya'll and that was my second over 8 this year. This one had the head of the 10lber I have been trying hard to get but she was spawned out, still a great fish!

WOW, now thats dedication and determination right there!!! Congrats on another nice fish and it sounds like 100 is right around the corner!!!

Nice job!! Always nice to get what you were after quick when the mercury is HIGH! I have caught some bigguns in the heat of the summer but just staying out long enough sometimes is the hard part!! This year has been no slouch on the mercury levels here in VA!

YEP, just bought a pack from Dicks yesterday

Not sure if this has been listed yet, but I remember watching a show with Woo Daves and he was fishing a tube using a soft weight insert instead of a jig head or bullet weight. He inserted it into the tube, passed the hook through the tube and the soft weight, and T-rigged it like you would any other soft plastic. This allows the weight to be forward and the tube falls straight down, and also keeps from damaging the tube after setting the hook repeatedly b/c the weight insert is solid and keeps the hook still. Not sure where to get them or how they are available, just thought I would list it as it looked like a cool deal.

I have seen the bleedin' series 5/0 wide gap horny toad hooks at Dicks and they look good, but I have gotten away with using both regular 4-5/0 EWG hooks and straight shank hooks. They do tend to let the toad slip down after you catch a few fish but I will sometimes combat that by running a toothpick through the head of the toad, through the eye of the hook, then out the other side and snip off the excess which will help hold it in place. I love using them over lily pads, thick grass in contact with the surface and other thick cover. I have also caught bass by letting the toad fall after bringing it to the edge of pads or other cover, let it sink, then start swimming it like a real frog, like what Spnerbat101 posted earlier.

I don't really have a favorite and use a variety ranging from Strike King, Bandit, and Bomber series crankbaits. Whichever bait will cover the depth I want and has the design/ colors I like, I will use it. I have caught bass this year from a Baby 1-minus running it over shallow weedbeds to a Bomber A series 6-8ft down on points and sumberged structure.

Im with ya Marty, If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Been tellin' people that for years about my trusty Thunderhead broadheads when they try to get me to upgrade. haha Bizzo- When i said i still land fish the same, I mean i'm still landing hooked fish the same as when I first bought the hook(s) i'm using; not opposing changed ones. I know i can't say much about changing hooks, im just backing a good sharpenin' here and there.

Nuttin' like a nice smalllie, they are a SOLID fish that just won't give up!!! Congrats on a nice fish!

my numbers vary from place to place. The first time I went to a fairly large pond close by my house, I caught 40 bass during about 4 hours of fishing with 2 4lbers and 1 5lber, the others ranged from 1-2.5lbs. One of my best days ever came at this pond when I caught 2 between 3-4lbs, and 3 5lbers during about a 3 hour period. I can now expect to catch certain numbers out of individual ponds/ lakes when I go and much depends on time of year and current weather conditions.

A spinnerbait is a very good lure for laydowns and can actually be very snagless, they can also make bass go crazy when you bump it into the limbs and the blades flutter for a second!! All other techniques listed here work great as well.

Shad Master nailed it..... Topwater along the banks in the early a.m., then when that sun starts to come up, I will go to a crankbait and work some deeper points or structure. The crankbait also serves as a structure finder and if I contact something I will sometimes follow up with a T-rigged soft plastic or a jig.