gobig

I hope this helps expand thoughts on bait size. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnRg-dVtteo

Fourbizz is right if there is wind with the coming storm Clearlake gets hug rollers. 4 to 5 foot is not uncommon. I have had white knuckles out there a few times.

Bill Siemantle does a good job of explaining this. He simplely takes a 10in swimbait and holds it at differant angles. For instance if you were to look straight down the bait with the nose pointed at you. The bait (trout style) only appears to be 1in x 2in. but the side profile is huge. From the bottom its long and skinny. More like a senko profile. I think this is the main reason why smaller fish will hit a big bait. You have to put your self in the position of the fish and what it can see. The more you start to learn about big baits the less intimidating they become. I am at work right now but I will try and post a link for some good info on the subject later today.

Its global warming :

If a bait fits into a bass's mouth it will eat it. If it does not fit into its mouth it will probably still try to eat it. How many times have you caught a 8'' bass on a 6'' worm? I have caught quite a few 10''-14'' fish on 8''- 10''swimbaits. There may be guidelines & probabilities but no rules for sure.

Catt, Your getting through hyacinth with a jig? I have to fling the punching set up mentioned above with a 1.5 oz weight 10'-12' in the air to get it go through hyacinth. I can see getting through the hydrilla... but the hyacinth I am willing to pick up an oldhams and give it a try if you think it will go through.

6'9" ML/XF

Brushhoggin, Here is a link on how to set up a punching rig. Works like a charm. You need to have a rod with some muscle. I use Phenix Super Flipper 711MH-5X with a Shimano Cardiff 300 and 65lb Power Pro braid. With the wrong set up you will find yourself loosing fish and tackle and that can be expensive using tungston weights.

I only peg if I am punching mats with 1 to 1.5oz weights. I try to peg as little as possible. I seem to have a better hookup ratio without pegging and the fish seem to hold the bait longer.

Don't forget a baitsmith hitch(Blue Ghost). Few years back Sieg Taylor won the FLW on Clearlake with that swimbait. There are tons of hitch in Clearlake.

Ask some locals. Maybe a tackle shop ect... Senkos are a good bet this time of year. So is a dropshot. Both of these set ups are great for kids because you can't really fish them wrong. If your standing in one place on the bank this is not much good either. Focus on points, rocks brush ect...

If you buy a rod specific for swimbaits and are on a budget the Okuma rods have strongest reviews I have seen for the money($109.99 shipped).

You have to constantly keep up with Cali rules they make them up in the middle of the season in some cases.

Senko's right poppers are most deadly in the summer but can be fished all most year round. My first post was true the big fish did come on a popper along with 11 others that day. The bait was fished fast in the flats over weed beds in 4-8 ft of water. It was foggy and the water temp was 57-60 deg. Kinda warm for this late in the season. I never saw a bait fish break the water. The shad were on the finder in 25-35 ft of water. I just wish it was me that found the bite. I love top water. It was another member of the club who's partner did not show, so he fished for big fish. His best 5 fish put him in 4th place over all in a team event.

Last weekend. Had a club turny and big fish came on a popper.

I am usually at it early(4:30-5). Durring the week I can get in 4 or 5 hrs in the morning before work( one of the benifits of being self employed). I dont always get started early though, It just kinda depends. As for the turnies though I am up real early just like the rest of ya.

I have noticed with the spro frogs that if you pop them hard they do take on water. I walk the dog with them more than I pop them. They are a bit tricky to learn to walk (not near as easy to walk as a spook) but when you do learn they have great action and dont take on water the same way. The key is not to over power them. As for open water they work great! My understanding is that they were designed for open water with Dean Rojas being a major contributor to the design.

welcome

I think its more the presentation then the lure. Was the lure fished with the same retrieve? Same color? Same depth? what size body of water? How much fishing pressure? ect... See what I am getting at here there are a lot of variables. I would think this would be almost impossible to track.

I have done this a lot. It is very effective. I have two rods for dropshot. Both are med action spinning rods. The first is 7ft I use this in clear open water it has 6lb florocarbon on it. The is other is 6ft. I find with a shorter rod I make more accurate casts. I have two spools set up. One with 6lb diameter braid and the other with 12lb florocarbon. On the braided set up I use a florocarbon leader. The amount of cover or structure determines which set up I go with.

Peidy you missed some thing very important in WRB's post. (Bass are predators and like all predators there is a pecking order where the best locations are dominated by the fittest). This is not saying that you won't catch the occasional hawg among smaller fish. I believe one of the exceptions to this is durring the spawn.

Very cool!!!!!!

Ike is really good at putting things into words makeing him easy to learn from . His show is great also. He is becoming my favorite pro. All the guys from the show Bass Pros are great to. Thanks again Glenn I love these interviews. 8-)

Good point roadwarrior. They learned it the hard way so something like modern technology would only compliment what they know. I think that makes good sence.

I have not found a nag worth getting yet. to funny ;D