spotaholic

This really depends on where you fish. In the summer time I pray for the sun. I fish deep water humps from the end May to November and you want the sun out because the fish key in on those areas. When it cloudy they seem to spread out. In April and May are fish school better when the the blue backs come up and that is when the sun is out. In Feb and March I like to sight fish and that is easier when the sun is out. In the winter I look for warmer pockets and banks with rock that heat up better when the sun is out. Hum this seems to be a pattern. This is not saying that I don't like cloudy days when it is 110 degeres but I cach fish better when the sun is out and really don't see that much of a difference in the topwater action. This may only apply to The Hill.

I am not sure if anyone has said this but your rod may be a problem. With any bait that has treble hooks I use a G Loomis Crankbait rod.THis includes, traps, crankbaits and topwaters. It is a Med with a moderate action. Any crankbait rod will work well I would think. The slower action acts like a shock. Most angles use a rod that is way to stiff with treble baits and allows for the bait to pull out especially when the fish jumps.This type of rod puts a little less pressure on the hooks along with the proper drag. IMO

I did not know there was any other jigs other than the MOP. LOL. I use it 12 months of the year in all conditions and as of the last 12 months this single bait has been my most productive bait. I fish it slow and fast depending on the day. I never trim them and 95% of the time use a zoom green pumpkin super chunk. If I am getting short strikes I have been known to thread a super chunk jr. on. I keep it simple and let the bait do what it does...catch fish. Jig colors are simple #1 brown #2 green pumpkin #3 black. I use 3/8 in less than 15ft of water and 1/2 in more than 15ft. IMO best bait made day in and day out but you got to fish it,

Zoom Finesse Worm.....is there any other color other than Green Pumpkin. LOL

Buckeye Mop Jig, Fluke, Buckeye Spot Remover, Gunfish, Rapala Shad Rap #5 and Floating worm

Fluke...be careful what you read....insider tip told me Casey at Smith Mt. had to say that for the sponsor but was actually fishing a Spot Remover finesse jig and the new Perfect Jig and a Spot Remover. This was told to me from a excellent source that actually gave him the bait at the tourney. That being said I also like the Eakins jig as long as you are not fishing alot of grass. There are better choices. If it is rocks and sand they are outsanding.

Here you go. http://buckeyelures.com/spot_remover.shtml This is my #1 bait rigged with a Zoom Finesse worm.

I use a wide gap # 5 Owner Ultra Point rigged as straight as I can. 12 " leader and a swivel. I have a hard time with the EWG and struggle to make the bait swim straight. I 90% of the time swim the bait with very small twitches instead of jerking it so it is important that they swim right. The boiling trick is something I have been doing for a couple of years now and it also seems to make the flukes more durable. IMO http://www.***.com/descpage-OOSWGW.html

I started fishing team night tournies this summer. I have never caught a fish before at night but this year has been differnt. Week 14 fish before dark 2 fish after dark 11:12 No money. Week 2 2 fish before dark 9 after dark upgraded before dark cartch. 13:10 for 4th place and a check. Week 3 1 small fish before dark 7 after dark 14:14, 2nd place and a nice check. After the sun goes down all the fish have come on a Zoom OL Monster worm on a 3/8 weight with a 5/0 hook (T Rig). I can't wait till this week. We have been fishing main lake shallow humps that fish were on earlier in the summer. These humps are next to very deep water. No lights except the navagation lights, Blimpie's Best Sub, Power Aid, Frito's , Homemade Cookies, G Loomis 844 IMX casting rod, Shimano Chronarch 100B, 15lb Floro. and Allman Bros on the IPOD.That's seems to be a good pattern. ;D LOL

Yep,Correct, Your Right. This is also my favorite Spook. I use it just about all the time. I also use clear gunfish and sammies. If you ever look at most baitfish they look almost clear in the water.

Though you may have some success with a small shaky head at night I feel like there is alot better choices for this time of day. I only get so many hours a week to fish or to find fish for my Tx so I throw what I feel gives me the best chance to catch a limit. Bigger profile baits seem to produce better. C Rig Zoom Monster, U Tale, Big Lizzard, Brush Hogs. That being said one of my favorite baits at night is a 1/2 Spot Remover paired with a Ultra Vibe speed craw,hog or 6" Senko. Though this is a shaky head I fish it more like a regular jig. These baits offers a good fall rate with alot of bulk. IMO

A little more information....In the state of GA. where I live a private pond is not under state regulations or limits. The have a definition of what a private pond that reads something like this: totally enclosed by a land owner and not feed by a public creek or river. Now isn't that interesting. I have several private ponds and one is owned by a DNR agent and he has always told me to take as many smaller bass as I can out because his pond is over crowded and there is not that much bait. So I take them out and he gives them away to a needy family. Am I unethical because I do that? Catch and realese is great but there is nothing wrong with keeping fish when you obey the law, permission from the owner and fish is consumed. IMO The moral of the story is know your state regulations. They differ from state to state and maybe even county to county.

To the people involved. Admit your guilt, take your medicine and learn from your mistake. That being said. As far as the members here before we start throwing people under the bus...don't we all make mistakes. Let me explain... If the speed limit is 40 and we go over the speed limit it is a crime. Many of us including myself go well over the speed limit. I don't see people blasting people about that. Many clubs allow you to cull a dead fish is that ethical to let a fish back in the water that we know will dye or is already dead just because we have a bigger fish. When I joined this Website I thought we we about ,teaching and exposeing that great things about fishing. IMO we failed on this one. I think we would have served this situation alot better by explaining ethical fishing practices instead of saying that we are disgusted and offended. I am not saying I agree with taking fish over the limit and I don't, there is a price to pay but we as so called ethical fisherman need to live up to the standard and educate proper fishing ethics. I have a feeling we blew it on this one. I am sure I will gets some crap about this but that what makes this place so great. I can have a voice.

Floating worm for me. I like to work it along the edge than into the holes. You will be amazed at the fish you will catch on it.

I fished this lake alot when I was growing up. We used to do well with suspending jerkbaits and weightless worms. There was no such thing as a floating worm at the time. We would take a Mans worm turn it sideways and swim it.The paddle swims back and forth. The same can be done with Zoom paddle tail or swimming senko type bait now. This fish would be suspended just off the drop off. Throw towrds the bank and work it back. Grape was about the only color that we used. Don't get freaked out about the clear water. I fish a semi deep clear lake now and fish in the summer will come up form 20-30 foot of water to hit a fluke,gunfish or jerkbait. We used to fish just off the sides of the beach areas for some reason there was a little stain and more bait. Good Luck. By the way if I rememver correctly the max depth is 160ft. but what is 40 ft among friends. ;D

I like the attitude you have. Helping out is all part of it. We have had to enforce a rule in our club which states a co- angler must pay 30.00 for gas in every event they fish in. I think this is more than fair being that gas prices are over 3.00 a gallon now. I generally decline the money but most of the folks that have drawn my boat just slide their card before I can even get to the pump or slide cash in my ash tray. I am always grateful. I think with all the things that go along with the boat expense that is the least a person can do. Everything else is just extra. If he won't take your money for gas maybe get him a gift card to BPS/Acadamy to help him restock his tackle. Just a idea. On how to act in the boat alot is up for debate. I like to talk... some don't and that is fine either way. My only issue is when a co angler casts across that line in the middle of the boat or WELL beyond it. I try to do my best to give a co angler good water and even ask through out the day if I am giving them some good fishing spots. There are times that this is really hard but I try to do my best . I actually heard one debate on hear about a co angler that felt like because he payed the same amount to fish the TX and he had all the same rights. WRONG. I pay thousands a year in cost for my boat and feel like I have the right to control the boat and fish my way. I pay for the gas to get back and forth from the lake in my truck. I pay for general upkeep.I pay for repairs. I pay for insurance. I spend lots of time on the water finding fish. These are all the things that a co-angler never has to worry about . If a co angler doesn't understand that GET A BOAT and see. All that being said I have several fishing partners and have never had a problem. I think you are on the right track and it would be a honor to fish with a person like you.

Depends on the time of year. I have 11 rods total in the locker and may have 6 or seven on the deck. If I get on aspecific pattern than I will thin out what I have on the deck. Here are my staples. #1 G Loomis GLX XHeavy Worm and Jig rod Shimano 50 MG for 3/8 or 1/2 oz. Mop Jig #2 G Loomis IMX 844 with Shimano Chroanrch 100B for C Rig or another type of jig #3 G Loomis 783 with Shimano Anteres 200 for Fluke #4 G Loomis 845CB with Shimano Curado 100DSV for Large Top Water or Trap $5 G Loomis 843CB with Shimano Chronarch 100BPV for Small Topwater or Crankbait #6 G Loomis 783 with Shimano Curado 100D for Floating Worm #7 G Loomis 812 Spinnerbait rod with Shimano Chroanrch 100B DSV for Spinnerbait/Buzzbait #8 Shimano Crucial 7' Med Xfast with Shimano Chroanrch Topwater or Senko #9 Shimano Crucial Spinning 6'8" Med Xfast with Shimano Stradic 2500 for Spot Remover #10 Shimano Compre 6'6" Medfast with Shimano Curado 100DSV T- Rig/Jerkbait ( TD Minnow) #11 Shimano Crucial 6'8" Med Fast Casting with Shimano Chronarch 100 B Lead Head Fluke/ Ditch Blade I have several other rods that float in and out of the boat but the ones listed are the staples. Fluke/Jig/ Spot Remover are always on the deck. In the winter I may have 2 or 3 crankbaits on and several types of leadheads. In the summer may have 2 or 3 different types of topwaters depending on conditions. That was fun.

I do. I like to use it on humps on a Spot Remover. Caught alot of fish this last summer.

MarVaBC, I think the sherrif was just reporting not justifing what the man did. If you think that this is just happening in the south you better read up. 2 years ago in a deer camp up in Wisconsin man shot for sitting in another club members tree stand. Somewhere in the NE..... if I remember right a man was shot and killed by a man that owned a dock and a fisherman was fishing to close to it. We in the south "aint as dumb as you think we is". ;D

Avid, Great point. Living in Augusta GA I get to go to the Masters every year. Several years ago Tiger being sponsored by Nike and doing adds for the clubs shows up playing Mizuno Irons and Titliest Driver, Wedges and Putter. I have several people I know that have or are competing at the highest level in fishing that are sponsored by one company but fish other equipment. It's kind of funny that this topic is coming up because I had a discussion with a friend over Ford, Chevy and Dodge and talked about my Grandfather who was a high roller with GM but always drove a Crown Victoria ( non GM product). I don't think Ike is a sell out ( No Man Crush) but like has been said maybe it was the $$$$ that helped out not the product. Either way great fisherman and great with the fans.

Can I sound in on this one being that I have this bait on ALL the time and have spent alot of R&D time with this bait and the guy's from Buckeye. The regular spot remover should be used in 99% of fishing application. Designed for line 6-10lb test with a med action rod. This is not for use in heavy cover.The thin wire hook is designed to go through the worm and into the fish with very little effort.LIke fluke said a fast upward jerk is all that is needed with this bait. The mag which I only fish in really thick brush is designed for heavier no stretch line where you need to pull the fish out of the cover quick. Heavy rod and line is the key to the mags. Different baits for differnt applications.If you are using the pro model with the screw keeper I would recomend cutting the screw down to two turns that really helped with the hookset and still keeps the bait on. When I recieved the prototypes of this bait I was loosing all kinds of fish and made that one adjustment and it made a world of difference. IMO

Just my thoughts because I was having the same problem for a little while. The change that I made that seems to be working for now is changing to a line with less stretch. It seems to be helping with a more solid hookset. I am using Gama FC. I seem to be losing less fish and more specific the bigger jig fish. IMO

I am interested to here what is your favorite color and bait type for fishing for bedding fish. This should be good.

I am wondering if there is a website where I can find pictures of older baits and their worth. I am sure if anyone would know of one it would be here. I feel like I may have some stuff of some worth but want to make sure. Thanks in advance.

Catt, This is the problem with our society and now we are seeing it in Bass Fishing. G tried to justify what He did instead of just saying I was wrong. It always someone else that has done something wrong. The rules that were applied to this offense are the same rules that we have in every tourney that we fish. I live on a big lake with several 100 plus boat tourney's every weekend and this situation is without excuse regardless if there is 10 boats or 100's. It's just wrong. Just because you can do it doesn't make it right. He got what he deserved and now needs to OWN IT. Period. It's also kind of funny that this is the same guy that was told not to wear jeans to a suit and tie event(AOY Year Dinner) but broke stride and went against what was asked and then said he really didn't care what anyone thought. Sounds to me that He has some issues with authority and it is reflected in his fishing and driving style. I like G Man but this was just dumb.