bigbill

I use the YUM MONEY minnow and the discontinued Renosky Scattering Shad in blue glimmer along with a fast short snappy twitch letting the plastic body go every which way right in front of the bass enticing them. I been collecting the hard body swimbaits but I haven't thrown them yet. I just received some mini sunfish and pumpkinseen lures from sleezebay to try.

I had ordered three more new lews spinning rods. There here finally. I have a complete line up of lews spinning rods now. My last spinning rods are; Lews Speed Stick 5' trout ultra lite/fast action #SGA50LFS Lews Speed Stick 5'6" lite/fast action #SGA56LFS Lews Speed Stick 6' Tornament med/hvy fast action #TGS60MFS I find the action and the feel of the lews rods go from the handle to the tip in one continuous flow. Here my older rods felt spongy or too soft in one section or the other. The chee or flow of the tube wasn't there. The lews tournament rod is the first heavy action rod to be a medium heavy action spinning rod. It has no weak areas in the quality of the tube it feels great. Maybe it's the one piece rods is why they feel better but even my two piece lews rods feel good too.These are brand new lews rods. I'm very surprised that an affordable rod can be so different over the rods I been using in the past.There not a $300+ rod for spending a few more dollars I have an awesome feeling rod now. These were between $19 to $62 for all my spinning and casting rods some were a $99 list. I can't wait to see what they feel like with a bass on them. Now I can set the hook with some force and land that big bass. I have the 6'6" & 7" lews spinning rods to go with these. I think have the "Chee" (flow) on my side with the Lews rods.

I think the way the stock market is looking were going to see black Friday sales up to Christmas. Watch our sponcers here to. Remember everyone has to eat so spread the wealth out. Remember the Salvation Army too. They gave free cigarettes to our troops in WW 2. That's what my dad told me. The money is going to flow like water this holiday season. I hope it's a great holiday season for everyone. It's a time for family and friends to get together for good food and great times. Being rich isn't about money it's the quality of the people we surround ourselves with. Money has nothing with being rich. Enjoy the season.

If there is no ice well hit my hot spots. Pipe smoking good stuff sounds good. My point of my post is to enjoy life when your young. For the golden years aren't so golden. Don't work too hard like I did save some for your later years. Hug your wife your kids everyday and tell them you love them. Be good to your pets too. I'm not going anywhere just yet. I have more bass fishing to do. Milford isn't far away from me too it's close by.

I seen this company on the call of the wild show with the turtle man on TV. This company ages the tobacco in the old bourbon barrels. I have my annual cigar once a year while hunting. But since my health isn't that good I think I'll splurge on some cigars and a new pipe too. I can't wait to try these cigars. I ordered the Captian Black Cherry Blend pipe tobacco. It's been a while since had a good smoke. www.kentuckygentlemencigars.com I had my bout with prostate cancer and now I need to wait for two years to see the results on if it's cured or not. Now I have problems with my heart too. I have low blood pressure when I stand up. I just went for four tests on my weak heart. I have a wicked back pain from a golf ball sized kidney stone that they won't operate on due to my poor health. All this besides my two bad worn out knees. Now do you think by having a good smoke is going to hurt me know? I may start drinking too. I haven't had a drink in 40+ years. I haven't had a steady smoke in 38 years. I'm thinking a boat or two in the spring. I just want to go bass fishing. I think I need some more New fishing stuff. I keep n telling my son to prop me up on a 1340cc Suzuki Hayabusa Motorcycle for that last awesome 200mph ride. Then I can wipe that off my bucket list. I'm happy, happy now. I have no worries. Bill

I sometimes search for the reel and Amazon comes up. There are personal reviews on there from the people who purchased it already and used it. I use this site and tackler too. I do trust the guys and gals here more.

I lost a few big bass, probably new state records. My buddy made a long cast over the weeds and hooked into a large bass. It went down into the deep weeds and fishing from shore it was all over. He tried to horse the bass out of the weeds and the new rod I just gave him broke and the line snapped. Now fast forward a year in the same area I hooked into a big fish also. She was up out of the water when she smacked my topwater popper silly. Then she did a 180 degree turn and hit it. The same darn thing again happened. Before I could pull back to keep her head up she dove into the weeds faster than any "U" boat. She was gone with my topnocker. Fish #2, It's was snowing lightly in November, flurries. I went out with a 6" YUM Money minnow. All of a sudden she smacked it. My rod bent in half like it never did before. I fought her for about 15 minutes that felt like an hour. Even a car stopped to see what I had on the line. I fought and played her the best I could keeping the pressure on her. But she spit the hook. I think I didn't set the hook hard enough. Fish #3 I'm in the same body of water as #2. But fishing farther down the road and man made dam and drop off. I'm a little above the waters edge fishing from the road. I had my polarized glasses on and was just trying to put on a new BPS 7 1/4" stik o worm I just purchased. I didn't know these were a larger diameter over the normal sized senkos. I was upset I didn't look in the package before I left. I put on a 3/0 hook but it's a tad too small but I went with it anyway. I have a small cleared channel I cleared the weeds out so I have walls of weeds on both sides of this narrow channel I made. I casted it into this channel on my 1/8oz brass weighted carolina rig. I worked it slowing to about 6' near the shore but still on the slope of the drop off. I see this monster of a bass swim up and my monster sized stik o worm was in its mouth. I could see the end of the slightly sticking out of its mouth. I stood there in shock at the size of this bass just sitting there on my line. I asked myself over and over do I set the hook or not. The seconds felt like minutes, the minutes felt like an hour. I went to set the hook and she spit it and gave me her rear view as she swam away. After catching my PB of 10# the thoughts of breaking the state record of 12# 14oz. Would be within my grasp. I just realized I had a lot to learn yet. I need to keep my ego in check and I found out I was not on top of my game equipment wise. The losing of these three big bass has haunted me for years now. I been so close yet so far away from landing them. During my illness this past year I had more time to think about what I'm doing wrong. Was I asleep at the controls? I'm I too soft on the hook set? How can I improve. This is why my quest for a fishing rod with more backbone and more hook setting power began this summer. I found three Finor rods, two 7' Finor lite med/hvy new spinning rods I had in the rack are more like salmon rods very stiff with lots of backbone and power. One is a 6'6" med action Finor rod. I set these up all three. Then I purchased the lews spinning rods too. The 7'hvy, 6'6"med/hvy, 6'hvy, 5'6" lt action for smaller stuff. I then wanted to get into using the bait casting reels more too. So I upgraded in that area. From the softer action rods to the lews XHVY,XP 7' rod, a med/hvy action rod etc. I purchased 5 better casting rods. I think I took care of the weak link in my chain. Now it's up to me to go out and just fish and have fun. If the big gal strikes I'll be ready now. In the beginning of my bass fishing I found out that cheap line and cheap reels worked great for trout but I was losing bass due to the line breaking. Then the reels didn't hold up to the fight of the bass. I upgraded my line to Excalibur silver thread. At the sametime I purchased some quantum spinning reels at Wal-Mart. I didn't upgrade my rods till now. One of my older discontinued rods says medium action. One of my new rods says medium action yet it's stiffer. They feel like two different action rods. Now it's up to me to do my part. Bigbill I can't change the past but I can be a lot smarter in the future. Somethings just don't come easy. We have to earn them, nothing is a given in life as well as fishing.

I was always catching bass by fan casting this Rocky point by casting my crankbait lure across it. I pulled many bass from the calm side of the point opposite the channel side were the current is. I decided to hop a green pumpkin with a green pork trailer. On my 3rd or 4th hop a 2 1/2# bass took it. It was also using a low profile bait caster for the first time too. I hopped it straight up the point from the deep towards the shallows. I made an Oscar winning presentation. Every hop was exactly the same in moving the rod tip, lifting it an equal measurement. I raised the rod tip up and letting it fall. I lifted it about 6" off the bottom. I didn't know jig fishing was this simple "not", but it's skill with the presentation that caught the first jig fish for me. It was a great feeling to get the first one under my belt. Inside I was doing a happy dance. Well close to that. This was a time when I was trying different lures and learning the presentations. I began realizing that all these lures do work it's just a matter when and where to use them. Do you remember your first jig fish?

Yup the more I catch the more stuff I buy. Congrats on your first jig fish. This can get addictive. Gosh it's fun.

What is the sealer made out of?? U-40? I was wondering if I could color stain the cork first? Since my new lews rods have a maroon colored tubes I have an awesome reddish colored gun stock stain.

I finally made up my mind to buy a boat in the springtime. I would like to take maybe 3 or 4 people fishing "maybe at the most but not that often". I would like a nice bass boat with a casting deck but it's people limited. Which leaves me with a Lund. I really been holding off to see what they do when my town opens up the water shed to fishing. I been hoping they might be mooring boats. It's a 1/2 mile away from me. Either way it's between a Lund style boat or a big row boat what ever they allow. But I'm thinking why not two boats so I can hit the larger lakes too. I have options and choices to make. I have a unfished body of water nearby. Probably no motors allowed, maybe electric only. Next I have lakes with bass, great northern pike, lake trout and salmon. Any size boat. This makes me think I need two boats. What brand of boats would you suggest? I'd like a new car but I'd rather buy the boats. The last time I gave up a new car I purchased my land in vt. Instead. It was only 10k for 7 1/4 acres. Bill

The cost of a jig at $10 is a tad steep. When Mike at Siebert Outdoors offers us any color combination. I think Mike could make us a fatty jig for less. Plus he is one of our sponcers too. So far what Mike has sent me looks like some good quality jigs too me.

I purchased one pumpkinseed at Matt's sight and I found a two fer one sale on eBay it's probably the older models there a tad smaller of the female version. I had Terry Clark of Tclark Custom lures years ago make me larger lures of sunfish. One sits on its side so it looks like a wounded sunfish with a disc at its mouth for the topwater slash. The others are larger real looking crankbaits. His work and talent looks so awesome I'm not sure wether to use them or frame them. I had Terry repaint all my older colors in bass colors. I purchased new larger pike lures and have them in awesome bass colors too. I purchased peacock bass lurjensen lures and had them repainted in bass colors too. The man does awesome work. Just some info. I need to get over the sticker shock and just buy it. With some of these awesome looking swim baits. Since I'm a color freak I can't just have one. A mix of natural colors and brighter colors will do for the different water conditions. I'm showing my age when I say I have a box of the original flukes in it. I have a monster fluke still in its original package with the hook it came with. But the Renosky Scattering Shad was the first swim bait to really work for me in the beginning. Now I look at what we have in offerings today and I just say wow. Then I look back at were it started and can't believe I caught fish on some of the solid color lures. I wonder where the new manufacturing technology will take the lure industry next?

I just looked up some of the bull shad, ms slammer and S Waver swim baits with the cost of these I hope your using braided line. I know for certain I will be for sure. I think it's time to get back on track with thinking big bait big bass......There is some proof to it when I upsize using the same lure the bigger fish will hit it. Maybe a plan would be to get the smaller interested first, this will attract the larger fish to see what the smaller bass are feeding on. But they won't charge in to hit the smaller lure for some reason. When I go to a larger lure they strike it I've tested this theory a few times with success. Being a shore fisherman I'm fishing from one spot so I stay there and try different things. It seems to me the clue is when the smaller bass bite slows down the bigger bass are nearby. Maybe the bigger bass spook the smaller bass away so the smaller bite stops. I don't have all the answers but I know this upsizing the lure works. When in doubt go larger. Now I'll have to try it with swim baits too. I wonder if it works with all the lures too like spinnerbaits. I've seen it work with inline spinners most of the time when the bite stops. I try to keep an open tackle box when I'm fishing and try to understand why can the bite just shut down. What causes it. And how can I get it to continue. I know that when day turns to the evening near dusk when the bass bite is on and it stops by switching from a natural colored lure to one in a brighter color like chartreuse or firetiger I catch a few more fish till it gets dark. I read the basses eyes adjust to the changing light conditions faster than the bait fishes eyes. This is why we have an early morning bite and an evening bite. It's understanding what's going on that causes these changes in the action and bite.

J.Franco That's the hard plastic swimbaits with the hinged sections. I just found some in trout, rainbow & Brown colors beside a green shad, Dace colors too. I was wondering if these hard bodies had success too your pic answered that. I have some Matt lures in soft plastics too. I'll have to look into the other brands that are mentioned here too. I guess a small assortment of all the different swim baits sounds like a plan. I been carrying a 3600 Plano box of the smaller soft plastic swim baits on my fall trips in the past.

How do you look into the ratings on new fishing equipment before you purchase it? Do you trust the ratings? Is there any place besides "tackletour" to read the ratings?

My goal and my bucket list is to fish and fish harder next season and break the state record for LMB. I've been so close and lost them. Like I said here before I swear on my soul what I'm telling you is true I have seen these bigger gals swim by me and appear like ghosts in the water at the drop offs. If I truly have bigger bass here in the northeast my point is bigger bass have to be in all of are states too. I constantly watch behind my lures and scan the water too. My two spots are above the water so I have the view like I'm in a boat but a tad higher. Catching a monster isn't easy. Sometimes I think I caught my PB of 10# way too soon. I feel I didn't earn it so easy in my bass fishing. But I was fishing 24/7 for three months a year for a few years before it happened. But the bigger ones are out there and there smart too that's how they got that big. God bless bigbill It's skill not luck in fishing!!!!!!!!!

Ok what are your plans for next year in bass fishing what are you going to do different?? Any equipment upgrades?

I purchased some Matt lures in pumpkins and In bluegill. These are in soft plastics. I just received some hard body swim baits that have hinged sectioned bodies. Does anyone use these?

Spinning or crankbait?

I use the rooster tail with a silver blade, white or white with black dots and a white tail for trout. (Stocked) I also use the Joe's fly in short striker in blackgnat. This mimics those black bugs that fall out of the trees into the water. While cleaning many trout over the many years caught in the same area these black bugs were in there belly. I seen these black bugs climbing on the trees too.

I throw a ritual of different lures and different colors. Till I get action. It's good to use a variety of lures and presentations. One problem you may have that I have too at times I rush to fish and end up not reading the water clarity correctly. Plus I end up fishing too fast too. I end up telling myself to calm down and slow it down. I haven't done that much late fall fishing but one word comes to mind it's swim baits. A dying minnow presentation by just snappy short twitch and let it do its on thing like a yum money minnow or something similair will do it.

I just noticed the cost difference between a combo and buying the rod and reel seperate. It maybe cheaper to buy the combo for the reel and put on the rod you prefer. Is the combo a better balanced combination setup? I wonder if the manufacturers combo is a better setup.

I restore wood gun stocks and I use tung oil a lot. It takes ten thin coats of tung oil before it's built up and water proof. The lesser coats it n there soaked in but you can't see it. I wonder if it will seal cork too. I wonder if I can use an oil stain too? I have an awesome looking blank, tube what ever you call it. And a nice light oak colored cork handle would make it look like a million dollar rod. I'm very careful with my rods not to ding and chip them. But the cork gets dirty so quickly. I often wondered why no electrical shrink boot was ever offered for fishing rod handles that stuff is tough.

I'm wobbley when a walk now so I'm not going up there. I have a good set of chimneys cleaning rods I made from 1/2" hydraulic tubing with Parker fittings and couplings. I have four 8' sections. With round and square brushes. I have my son use a leaf blower to clean the gutters.