bigbill

Compact? How small are you talking. There is the mini strike king but I'm not sure if it's tungsten.

I'd like to hear the story on this one.

I'm fishing off a low bridge and a place were the bank is above the water for about 30" with a 9' drop off. I purchased a lure blocker retriever. So far it's saved my lures many times. I lost a glass craw crank and retrieved it months later using the extra one I had. I just casted out and two lures came up on my line, weird? I did go to the low bridge spot one night with a home made grapple. I pulled up a 2x10 plank that was 12' long. This was were everyone was snagging on. But at the sametime we lost bottom structure. I need to fix that. I lost about 4 or 5 lures one day in the trees. Being in a rush to fish. It was an expensive trip all the lures were new. I don't rush anymore.

What's your hottest fishing catching lure? The one you mastered with every presentation. So which lure and which presentation has earned you a PHD in success. Mine is the BPS XPS TOPNOCKER. I give it three twitches with the rod tip and a pause. If I get strikes and misses I adjust the pause to a longer one. This lure by far is easy to use.

I didn't let it get me down. I'm going to enjoy each day like it was my last anyway. For over a decade now my challenge to myself is to break the 12lb 14oz state record for LMB. My PB so far is up to 10 lbs. I never push the fall fishing because I get burned out by then fishing 24/7 from the spring everyday up at 3:30am and fishing till 9am if I last that long. This year I'm going to push the fall fishing 24/7 for the first time. I have enjoyed fishing in November before it's iced over. It's almost hammer time. I been cleaning my tackle boxes prepping them for night fishing this way I can find what I need in the dark. This way I can change my lures with no problems. If you have your health live life to the fullest everyday. Remember we only pass this way once.

I'd still use my southbend or shakespear fishing rods. I save $$ buying discounted, affordable fishing rods to spend more $$ on new and different lures. I also stock up on everything I use for the fear of it being discontinued at anytime like BPS did with my hottest topwater lure the topnocker.

On ESPN there was a show about fishing for crappies using a rattle bobber using a mister twister 1" grub chartreuse or milktruese in color on a leader. You twitch the bobber to rattle it. I wonder it this rattle bobber would work with a larger worm or grub for bass. This setup is awesome for crappies. Remember to save a bass practice catch and release and eat crappies because they taste better.

It's so much cooler here we had a big male black bear come out of the water shed and cross the road a few houses down from me. I think he's looking for a mate already. I think we will have an early snow. I been hunting with temps around zero, nothing is moving. I might try ice fishing again.

Thanks guys for your help. I never see this stuff used here. I see some shore guys throwing spinnerbaits but they catch nothing.

How many different patterns (lures) do you master and actually use in competitions? Do you stick with the pattern your the best at? I know the locals are asked what is the hot lure for this body of water your going to compete on but have you ever started a tornie with no previous knowledge of the body of water that's new to you? If you haven't figured out the pattern on practice day what's your next move?

Does he mean he down sized the drop shot rig with a smaller worm and lighter weight with a longer leader? On a tough bite.

I'm using them brand new right out of the package. I just watched Gene from bass resource and he says to break them in and set them up so they squeak. I probably have around 30 different buzzbaits and about 100 different spinnerbaits both in assorted sizes and colors. I figured it could be the presentation I'm using, but it could be my setup too. Ok once I make it squeak do I add a trailer (grub)? And a trailer hook too? Sorry for the dumb questions but I like to cover it all so everyone can understand how to fish buzzbaits too.

I know they work but I never caught anything with them yet. I do try everything I never caught any fish yet with them. I'm thinking I need to set them up like my spinnerbaits with a trailer? I have every size and different blades known to man. I have double and tripple blade props up to single blades to quad blades. What am I doing wrong? Presentation? Speed? Pause? Slow? I try it at first light to dusk to dawn. (Twilight) My problem is I forget about it and go back to what works. I would like to add as many patterns and different presentations to my arsenal of baits. I'm not a pro or mister perfect but I did learn most patterns by sticking with them to learn the different presentations. Any thoughts on buzzbaits? My hottest spinner bait skirt colors are blue glimmer and hot chartreuse. Would it be better if I used these colors on the buzzers too?

I just purchased 20lb red Cajun line for my carolina rigs. I'm fishing in 10' of water so it should be ok so it disappears. I'm worried about using my lighter line on my carolina rigs weight wearing thru the smaller line test.

If you can see the bass they can see you. Wear darker colored clothes. Twitch an original floating or countdown rapala the same color and size as the baitfish. Or try a panther Martin spin fly. The number #3 or #4 in silver with the yellow tail will work.

Old fisherman's wise tale if the wind is out of the south, forget it, stay home for that second and third cup of coffee. I fan cast the Rocky points, by casting my lure past them so I don't spook the fish. I work my lure slowly up to them. When a weather front is approaching try fishing hours before the rain starts the bass put the feed bag on at this time. Try fishing during the light rain too. With a frog and misses, with any topwater or lure with misses, add a pause to your presentation or a longer pause. Then I change colors first before changing lure sizes. Remember timing is the key as to where the fish are at. In the early mornings there at the shoreline ambushing the baitfish. As it becomes lighter they move deeper to cover. In the evenings as the light gets lower they move closer to shore again, the cycle starts all over again.

It's time for glucosomine it's a joint lube. They first used it on race horses, then dogs. It should relieve your pain. I'm on a anti-inflammatory and a pain med for my knees so I feel nothing till it gets really bad. I'm beat after making 500 to 1,000 casts per outing but that's old age now. When I was riding dirtbikes with my son using every muscle group and logging full time I was in the best shape of my life. My doctor tells me to go back to riding again.

If I'm wrong please correct me, feel free. I'm mainly shore fishing right now. Where the casting distance does matter. I notice that the line test isn't for the spinning reel I been using. I been purchasing the next size reel so the spool is the correct line test I'm using. I'm thinking this could be why I have problems throwing smaller weight lures because the heavier test line has problems unraveling off the smaller tighter spool? If the heavier line test is the same diameter as the lower test line you should be ok in some situations. I like the options of making longer casts into the pads were I can. I like to cast past the fish and work the lure from behind them offset to the right or left of them not to spook them. I work the lure slowly near them not on top of them. This allows me the option of picking them off one by one if there is more of them there.

I don't mean to go off the topic but sooner or later this will follow, I use only a weedless hook with most plastics. I Or I use the cork a few hooks on the larger plastics. I get more strikes per cast than any other lure but they miss it. There not hooking up. They seem to be short strikes. It's like there playing with the tail. How do you get better hook ups? I had one hook up in November here while it was snowing. It bent my rod in half. The pb of ten pounds didn't do that. Then it got off. Seeing this tells me I need rods with more mid to upper backbone for the bigger record breaking bass. My presentation was twitched like a dying minnow. Again my 3 small twitches and a pause makes it walk the dog perfectly.

I remember buying the original creme worms when I was 12yo. This would be the early 60's. If I remember correctly some of them were rigged with hooks and props too. I can't remember back that far if we caught fish with them or not. I do remember buying that comic book scam for the 50 fishing items for $4.95. Mine came with a yellow sonic with the lighten strike on the side. I tossed it in the springtime and caught my first bass on a lure. But fishing with worms back then I have brain fade. I do remember using a split shot rig from a boat on a lake here in 1973. I caught a bass from the weeds fishing it very slow. I think the plastic worms being offered by then exploded we had black, natural and purple colors too. Kidding I think the different plastic worms took off soon after. But the plastic worm is still the number #1 bait for bass even today. There was a time when I stopped fishing for a while. Then my brother in law asked me to go. We were fishing a drop off on a man made lake. I put on the '73 split shot rigged worm and nailed a 4lb bass on my second cast. I felt a tap on the first cast so I went slower on the second cast. I still didn't get the message to go bass fishing more. I was doing the trout springtime fishing only. Funny every time I went bass fishing I caught bass but never got interested in it. I think I got heavy into bass fishing around the late '80's. I do not waste my time trout fishing once I started catching the bigger hogs. There's no feeling like fighting a hog. I may go back trout fishing to feed my abandoned kittens. Thanks for the post on plastic worms, you jogged my memories.

I just won a new spinning reel for $1.04. It's an AK6000 from China. It's all aluminium frame. It looks great. The shipping was $23. I bid it figuring I couldn't win it but I did. I need a larger inshore/saltwater spinning reel. If I get it soon enough well test it on blue fish. If it's not a quality reel the blues will tear it up. Before anything is said, I'm probably the only one here who owns the American made spinning reel it's a FINOR and it's from Florida. These were $100 when we purchased them. I think that was ten years ago. This company also makes the large saltwater gold reels. I did buy American too. I know since we began trading with China again I'm sure we will see more goods from there.

I have a system for using snap swivels. I use the ball bearing snap locking swivels on my crankbait rod and topwater rod setups. This way I get the smoothest side to side swing or hinge movement. I use the number #3 ball bearing locking snap swivels because there easier in the low light to snap and unsnap. If you search for these they can be found affordable. I do feel by not using a snap swivel were losing some of the zip or sharpness on the side to side movement. I think by tying the line to the lure we hinder this sideways movement. Now on my carolina rig I use the cheap standard locking snap swivel(Wal-Mart) and on the hook, on my worm setup when a leader or snelled hook is involved. I only use the locking snap swivels. I'm afraid of the non locking snap swivels of opening up with the larger fish. The non locking snap swivels are good for trout or panfish. This is my personal thoughts and feelings. I've done no testing to prove this yet.

Thanks it's a 1/16oz weight. Sounds great.

Check out Wal-Mart online they have lots if discounts right now. I like they because they support the FLW tour. I don't fish it but I support fishing as a whole. Checkout BPS too.

If we watch some of the fishing videos here, where are they catching the bass at? Near the shoreline. This is why I preach to be very. very quiet and stealthy. Don't make any noise with your tackle and walk softly. Do not step on any rocks. The rocks send sound waves into the water they tell the fish you are there. If you follow what I'm saying you will catch fish. Remember to fan cast the area. Change lures often looking for the correct pattern. Change up your presentations too. I throw a variety of lures and colors to see which one they want. Be very quiet. I even close the bail on my spinning reel by hand too so it doesn't snap. No talking too even when there is action. You want to catch more than one fish. Make sure you wear dull colored clothes too. If you can see the fish they can see you.