bigbill

Fish detect ground vibrations. My buddy John showed me this with his goldfish pond. There's a rock sticking out of the ground 20' away from the pond. He taps the rock with his foot and the fish come to the waters edge to be fed. I'm walking softly ever since. Stealthy. The big bass are feeding near the shoreline at night. On eels. No boat, no motor, no click from a baitcaster reel. Close the bail on your spinning reel by hand. Completely voiceless, noiseless, stealthy like we're not there. To go after the big ones you better be on your game at night. Close the car door quietly, handle your tackle quietly.

Right now here it's 60 degree days and still very cold nights. You can night fish, no pesky bugs yet. When the bugs are out in full force that's the time to start night fishing post spawn.

When the moon hits the sky like a big apizza pie that's amor'e.Pizza is a'beets In italian in American it's pizza.

Pizza with anchovies oil and all yummy, add garlic too. Then I kiss the misses. Lol. My older brother my mentor cooked panfish with eggs for breakfast. He was a true sportsman.

Hellgimites sorry poor spelling. I've caught trout that are them too.

One shot of a scent and they will hold on long enough to set the hook. I wash my lures and tackle box to remove foul oders. I wash my hands before going fishing.

At one place I fish the weeds take over. I put on a larger lure and clear a casting path. Then let it settle down. This path I call Shotgun Alley. It's hotter than Haiti. This path goes from the shoreline across a cove to a beaver hut Iland at the shore on the other side. My path is dead on the transition point between the flats on the right and the open water on the left were the four foot of weeds ends. I'm fishing off a man made road/dam were water power was once used hundreds of years ago. I'm 3 to 4' above the waters edge. I can see the open weed pockets too. I drop plastic grubs into open weed pockets. The mepps timber doodle works good too it's weedless. I also fish a bomber model A or FAT A crankbaits #5 in apple red craw. I stop it over the open weed pockets and twitch the rod tip making the crankbaits rattle. Floating cranks are as much as topwater poppers and spooks too.

My first bass was caught when I was 12yo. It was 10" long. On a Heddon sonic copy. I purchased a assortment of fishing lures on the back page of a comic book for $5.95. It came with a yellow sonic with the black lightening strike on the side. It was still cold out springtime weather. It was around Easter time. This was in 1962. I carry an assortment of heddon Sonics in my crankbait box to this day.

I fish from shore, I'm alone. Plus I can gun and run. Fishing from shore is like fishing from a boat only backwards. Be very, very, very quiet, stealthy. Don't step on roots or rocks sticking out of the ground. They send vibrations into the water. It's natures alarm system. Fishing pressured places are ok, most of them aren't catching anything anyway. I don't have a clue as to what there doing nor do they. I see salt water rigs being casted out with 2oz sinkers. Scary. Example, With there surf casting rods what are they thinking. This is why I switched from evening fishing to early mornings 4/5am. The bass are close to shore feeding before first light.(in the dark) be very quiet so you don't spook them. Don't coff, blow your nose, no tackle box noises. I use spinning reels so I can close the bail softly. NO NOISE AT ALL BE 100%++++ stealthy. Knowing the bottom structure is the key. The depths, the holes, Drop offs, flats, rocky points, weed lines, transistion changes, currents, channels is also usable knowledge on how to fish it. A cast out portable fish finder will tell you some of this. I fish the smaller bodies of water where no topo maps are available. The depth tells us which crank bait to use. My PB OF 10lbs was caught two feet from shore while casting parallel to the shoreline at a drop off. The fish was about 8ft away from me and I never spooked her. Stealth. These bass didn't get that big being dumb. Example, When there's action in the pads how do you fish it? I cast parallel to the edge of the pads past the area were I want my lure to be at. I walk the dog to the near the area not on top of it. I draw out the bass just incase there's more than one. I've seen bass leave the cover of the pads, swim out 8' to 10' to strike my lure. Focus on where you need to cast and make your presentation Oscar winning perfect. My point is knowing how to fish it. I work the weed lines along side an open channel. The channel runs 9'/10' deep, I use my 10' diving cranks, my Carolina rig, spinnerbait in a slow mode. On top of the submerged weeds I use a bomber fat A that floats and I stop it over the open weed pockets. Twitching the rod tip a little the crank rattles ringing the dinner bell. The rocky points I cast down them with a jig/pig or skip fan cast across them with a spinnerbait or inline spinner. Ok my point is be stealthy,

My starting menu is, BPS XPS Topnocker chartreuse Bomber FAT A Firecraw, Greencraw, red applecraw, brown craw, baby bass orange bottom, silver shad, Ect. Rapala orginal floating minnow, f7 blue or black. Manns Hank Parker Classic 1/4oz double gold Colorado blades, white skirt, mister twister 4" split double tail trailer white. Manns Hank Parker Classic 1/4oz double gold Colorado blades, hot chartreuse skirt, mister twister 4" split double tail trailer chartreuse. Mepps 3 Anglia silver blade, gray tail inline spinner Mepps 3 Anglia gold blade, brown tail inline spinner Joes fly 1/4oz fire tiger Apache spinfly Joes fly 1/4oz black gnat spinfly Strike king 3 silver blade, black tail inline spinner. Rebel BIGCLAW crawfish crank bait chartreuse dives 10' she floats, speed is the key to the depth it runs. Carolina rig 24" leader, 4/0 seedless hook, senko or brushog. Split shot rig 12" leader, 6" black creme straight worm. Old school. It's not one or two baits, it's changing baits and different presentations till we figure out the pattern. Don't fancast next to your last cast, skip Fancast jump to the right, then go far left, then go middle. Don't hammer each cast next to each other. Don't forget the scents.

Many decades ago like 55 years ago the back page of the comics had those 50 fishing things for $4.95. I got one. It came with 30 pack of assorted hooks, some goofy plastic bugs and a sonic type bait. It was yellow with a lightening strike in black on both sides. A rattle lifeless sonic. I tossed it in the spring and caught my first bass.

I tried scaling down before and I left stuff home that I needed.

It's all about type of lure, size, color and presentation. That's all I'm going to say.

I'm down to four tackle boxes. Two 9606 split roof boxes one for topwater, one for cranks, one box for weedless, one for plastics. I can't go much smaller. I never know where I will end up fishing. I move around. I have 17 tackle boxes stuffed. I use those large green spinnerbaits boxes for storage and have cardboard boxes for backup. If I ever get a boat it better have room. I'm a fishing tackle hoarder.

I purchased two mystery tackle boxes.

Even Tiger Woods could see this one coming in time to duck. Can you say FOUR!!!!!!!!!

When I throw everything in my tackle box. I calm down and use everything again practicing my presentations. Most of the time I will get interrupted by a strike. I firmly believe the water conditions can change in the water column. One day I exhausted every option I had. I threw everything but one color crankbaits. One of those chartruese cranks with the black shapes on it. It's one lure I hardly ever throw. I started hooking up right away. So when it's a tough bite I throw firetiger, fireperch, anything chartruese. It was a overcast day too. I go back to basics and play with different colors too. The bass can be color blind to certain colors at times too. I love the challenge. I know the bass are there. It's all about throwing the right color. What worked today might not work tomorrow. Be flexible, why do we have all these different colors? It's not luck in fishing, it's skill.

Did I say I love bass fishing? All these baits and rigs really work when we present them correctly. Just be patient and work it correctly. My first week using my 1/8oz Carolina rig and the bite on on post spawn of course the misses get the idea to go on vacation. I hated leaving my bass fishing when it's so hot. We waited all winter for it. But we gotta do what we gotta do. Remember the bass are there just waiting for us to present the right bait and color. Fish On....... When watching the fishing videos listen to what they say but watch closely how the work different setups and baits with the rod. Each new bait and presentation we master is another thing in our arsenal of tactics. The more we learn and know the more successful fisherman we become. If one thing isn't working change presentations, change colors, try different sizes and different baits till one works. Don't beat yourself up, change, it's ok to throw different baits. Try something old besides the new stuff. I switch baits constantly till I get action. The number one goal everyone should have every springtime is to learn one new bait. At least one. Master it. But one is ok. Learning more new baits is better.

Ok here we go. I'm still learning this but here's my c rig tips. I use a 1/8oz brass weight between two Carolina keepers with a glass bead between the keepers and the weight. I add a brass bead or brass clicker for sound when I twitch the rod tip. I use a 24" leader. And a s Weedless 3/0 or 4/0 hook. 349w eagle claw. This setup I use for senkos and brushogs in 10' of water along side a weedline in a open channel. I cast it out and keep my line taunt as it falls. Any movement of the rod tip. I set the hook. If I miss it the weedless spring is open telling me I had a strike. If it's closed it hit something. If I had a strike and a miss one shot of scent on the next cast it will hold on to the plastic long enough for a hookset. I repeat the up and let it fall again using the rod tip. I use the weedless hooks of all sizes depending on the size of the plastics. I use no scent on the first cast. The salted or prescented packaged plastics is good. Only on the misses I scent it one shot. Take your time in letting it fall and moving it. It's faster than using a split shot rigged worm. Watch your rod tip closely. Any bite set the hook. The rod tip movement will be light and suttle. Stay with it, it's awesome. I fish in the dark till dawn. I use topwater first, then shallow cranks, then deeper cranks, minnow baits, as the sky lights up I throw spinnerbaits, and repeat everything. As it becomes lighter and that big yellow ball is starting to tell the bass to leave the shallows for there deeper cover it's c rig time. Senkos and brushogs, I do throw culprit worms too. I find that I use shallow and deeper baits to the amount of sunlite depending on when the bass move. I'm fishing from shore but still learning after decades of being out there. If you haven't been out there at 4am watching the night turn to day your missing out on a wonderful experience. What a wonderful world we live in. Be aware of the beavers and freshwater otters. The freshwater otters swim together looking like shallow torpedoes. I was fishing from a low bridge when four of them cam at me at first light (dusk, twilight) all I could think of was the movie predator, all I had was a fishing rod. It was the first time I seen the freshwater otters. Now there are beavers and otters everywhere. Not too much gets my attention the bears don't scare me but those torpedoes in the water....... Fishing in the dark I hear some strange stuff.

The strength of the braid. I been using the Excalibur silver thread copolymer line for decades. But I understand the braid is better in weeds, Lilly pads, Rocky areas if money in on the line. But I remember when braid was tough on reels and rods too.

I have the big one from bog baits but I have no clue where to get a hook to rig it let alone where to put the hook in? It's a few years old now and sitting here. I have up contacting bog baits he said I needed a 15/0 hook. I got one but the hook is a monster.

Finally 60, yes sixty degrees today. It's mud season for a while but not too bad. The turkeys are mating, the Jake's are in full bloom. The deer herd that's been here every night feeding has been gone the past few days. One big doe looked like a moose from the back end she must have twins. The does must be birthing by now. I guess they will be back hitting the corn with there babies. The does ate here when they were babies. In a week or so ill pull the corn till fall.

Insurance?? That's sad. Scumbags do this. I never let my tackle boxes out of sight or out of range. Like Mr t says I pitty the fool.

Crankbaits with orange bottoms. Don't get rid of the older lures. I rotate my lures often. I bring back the older ones that I know still work and put the newer ones sidelined on the bench. Everyone still catches fish.

Ok I have six rod setups with me all the time even shore fishing which I mainly do. 1. A topwater setup 6' / 6 1/2' / 7' spinning 14lb/17lb copolymer (Excalibur silver thread) Spooks, walk the dog- 1-2-3 twitch n pause, hold the rod tip down and reel make the spook run under the surface extract then pause. Poppers Rebel Pop r 1-2-3 twitch n pause. 2. Crankbaits setup,(hardbaits) larger 6' 6 1/2' spinning 10lb / 12lb copolymer (Excalibur silver thread) Crankbaits, minnow baits, 3. Small lure setup (lighter smaller) 5'6"- 6' spinning 6lb - 8lb copolymer (Excalibur silver thread) Small cranks, spinflys, inline spinners(small) 1/8oz / 1/4oz spinnerbaits. 4. Jigs 6' baitcaster 10lb / 12lb copolymer (Excalibur silver thread) Example 3/8oz football jig green pumpkin, pork trailer. 5. Spinnerbaits 6'6" spinning 12lb / 14lb 3/8oz to 1/2oz spinnerbaits 6. Rig setup "carolina rig" 6'6" spinning 17lb test. Senkos, brushogs, creature baits p'll plastics etc. The line test does affect the lure action. I like the 8lb copolymer but on longer casts I needed a heavier test line. Actually I'm casting too far into the weeds. The bigger bass bury themselves in the weeds. Fishing from shore it's the only thing I regret. For the rod length, the line test, wether it's a spinning or baitcaster reel that's your choice. Learn every lure, the pattern and presentation here. Then go out and practice it. Decades ago I was spending $50++ a week on livebait when I got into bass fishing heavy. I started using two rod setups. One livebait and one with lures. Soon the lure setup was catching more fish as I became better and focused more on my presentation. Focus closely on your presentations and staying motivated, success will follow