DancesWithSquirrels

[quote author=61435656220 link=1210295327/10#10 date=1210299099 Try finding where they live not which lure to use

Thanks for the info RangerDad. I live in North Plainfield and never really thought about the reservation for bass. Funny how you never think to try the places right near by. DWS

Actually, I was more curious about the eye end of the hook and how you those various offsets, corkscrews, etc. are actually supposed to be threaded into the soft plastics. Some of those offset bends look like they would tear up the bait trying to get it pushed over the bend. DWS

Like you said, no difference. Lead is lead. I was just trying to be clear on my point of reference because I didn't do a good job of that in my first post. DWS

The lead bullets I am referring to were for reloading ammunition for my pistols. Only a year ago I could by .45 ACP lead bullets for around $30 - $35 dollars for 500. Now the same bullets are over $55 for 500. DWS

It is possible that the rise in cost is due to the increase in the price of various metals over the last year rather than the shakey craze. Lead in particular has gone up a lot. I know that from the price of the lead bullets I buy. They have really skyrocketed. You can still savve a lot by molding your own. But in some places it is hard to get scrap lead now. Some garages are saving their wheel weights because they can get good money for them. You used to be able to scrounge wheel weight lead for free. DWS

Since I'm getting back into bass fishing after a long time away I've gotta admit that some of the hook shapes and configurations available these days have me scratching my head. Would anyone know of any links to pictures showing how some of these hooks are intended to be used? I see all these different types of offsets at the hook eye and little corkscrews dangling near the hook eye. But I don't want to order a bunch of stuff without first knowing how it is intended to be rigged. Some of the bends I see near the hook eye really have me wondering how to thread a soft plastic on to them. Are all these bends and offsets really useful or not? DWS

RangerDad, Where do you fish on the Watchung Reservation? What seems to work best there? DWS

I've got two serious problems that limit my spending ceiling. First I am a cheapskate. Second I am really, really good at getting hung up and losing lures. It would really bust my budget to be losing lures that cost $20 or $30 or more. So I try to stay under $10. As much under as possible. DWS

Yakfish, You make a lot of good points. I'm a SIK fan myself, probably for no good reason other than personal preference. Occasionally I wish I had bought something a little longer but I use my yak on smaller, quiet waters. And I have the 17' Old Town Discovery barge of a canoe for when I go out on bigger lakes. DWS

Now that the lesson has been learned it would seem to be a good idea to apply that lesson to the use of lead. Since no matter how careful you are you will still lose stuff once in a while. It is still advantage lead when it comes to cost of lost weights. DWS

That NuCanoe looks like a nice rig and is no doubt more convenient than my Pelican which is a sit in kayak with a cockpit rather than a sit on top. But my Pelican weighs less than 40 pounds and is a lot easier to handle for loading and launching especially when there is any carrying from car to water. I've also got a 17' Old Town Discovery for when I want a bigger and more open platform for fishing. That thing is almost a barge. I've managed to use that for fishing with 3 people if they are careful and pay attention to each other. DWS

I'm sorry but IMHO any fisherman, hunter, or other outdoorsman should be very much of an environmentalist. We should all be aware of what the impact is of what we do and the products we use on the environment. It seems that in most cases going to extremes in either direction is not the best answer. And to have zero tolerance for environemental considerations is not the way to go. Neither is caving in to those who would ban something like this without reasonable science behind the ban. DWS

What is it that tungsten is supposed to do for you from a fishing techinique perspective? I can see the lead vs non-lead toxicity issue for choosing between them. But it seems like if you have 1/2 oz of weight on your rig it wouldn't make any real difference what the weight is made of unless there was a huge difference in the density of the two materials. And considering the cost difference I would not want to be losing the more expensive tungsten weights. And I am good at losing terminal tackle. What are the supposed advantages of tungsten? DWS

I've got a 10 foot Pelican recreational kayak that I am working on to setup for fishing. I've added rod holders, anchor line and will be mounting a sonar as soon as I decide which model. I will be fishing mostly small lakes and ponds and quiet backwaters with it. It does take a little getting used to casting from such a low position but it is not too difficult. DWS

Sounds like the ideal place for my little kayak. I love those quiet waters. DWS

Muddy, I looked at the fish finders that clamp on the side and I don't really have a good place to clamp on on my yak. I'd have to rig up some kind of mount that sticks out over the side. If I'm going to rig up a mount I'd just as soon center the unit in my cockpit. I've visited the Kayak Fishing Stuff site. Lots of good info over there with some ideas for mounting and rigging. I was just wondering if the Hummingbird units have a decent reputation these days, particularly that 525 model. DWS

I am looking at the Hummingbird 525 fish finder for use mounted in my kayak. Cabela's has it for $129. The product description looks like it should be a nice unit for what kinds of places I like to fish. The 1600 watts may even be a little overkill. I know it is not a portable unit but the advertised quick disconnect feature should make it easy for me to remove it when not in use. Anyone have any experience with this unit? Alternative recommendations? DWS

OK, let me throw in a question. Why do most of you prefer glass for crankin? The consensus seems to be that it is preferred but what are the characteristics of a glass rod that make it so? Not trying to hijack the thread, just get a little more info. DWS

I don't get that far north very often. And as close as New York is I have only fished in the state once, for trout, on the Beaverkill. That is kind of a trout pilgrimage of sorts. I will have to check out the area you are talking about. DWS

New guy here and a Jersey guy. Been mostly chasing the put and take trout for a long time now. This year I am trying to get out more for the bass. I'm in Somerset County so I am pretty centrally located for getting to several of the popular bigger lakes. But I want to identify some of the smaller local waters. I prefer quiet water fishing, small lakes and ponds that I can use a small kayak or canoe or even fish from the shore. I don't have any kind of a serious boat and don't expect to have one anytime soon. DWS

Thanks for all the good info. It is refreshing to see that I am not getting a wide variety of recommendations. I am a big fan of the KISS principle. DWS

I'm planning on stocking up on a useful inventory of hooks for use with soft plastic baits. It has been a long while since I last did much bass fishing and there is a lot of new stuff available in hooks. What would be the recommendations from you folks for a pretty versatile collection of hooks for the latest in soft baits and techniques. Brands, sizes, styles, any other useful info appreciated. I'd like to avoid getting too carried away with a gazzillion different hooks but I would like to have a reasonably complete inventory. DWS

I did do a fair amount of reading about senkos. That is one of the places I found reference to wacky rigging. But I did not find a description of what that is. I just read that senkos are fished "wacky rigged". If all it amounts to is hooking them in the center, we fished plastic worms that way long ago. I guess the more things seem to change the more they stay the same. DWS

New guy to the forums here. Old guy to the rest of the world. I did a search for the answer to my question to avoid rehashing old territory but I did not find what I am looking for. Getting back into bass fishing after many years away. In a past life I've fished crank baits, jigs, worms, etc., etc., using many of the techniques I am reading about here so I am not a total dummy. But something I keep seeing reference to is "wacky rigging" and I can't find a description of it. I've fished Texas rigged worms, Carolina rigs, and variations of them for soft baits. I've read about drop shotting and there is plenty of descriptions of that. What exactly is a wacky rig? DWS