CRFisher

I'd go with a Mepps spinner. Lot of luck with these in current with smallmouth.

I've only seen the Bass Assassins in a smaller size, I think what I had were 3 inch. I don't see them around much (WalMart, Dicks, etc.). I'll have to find me the 5", I liked them better than the Super Flukes.

I've put a small split shot about 12 inches up the line. Not really for the sink but for added casting distance although it does sink a bit more. These were bass assassins shad. I think the super fluke has a bit more weight to it. The bass don't seem to mind.

I just started fishing a Johnson Silver Minnow, tipped with a Mr. Twister grub. No luck yet but very weedless. Fished one as a kid and had some reasonable luck on it until I lost it in a tree. I think with the grub tip it works best (or at least it looks the best coming through the water) fished like a jerkbait. The Blade Dancer looks very unique, so I'm not sure if other spoons really compare to it.

Saw a guy yesterday with a Rapala 6 inches underneath a bobber.

After many years having nothing with a spinner bait finally caught two large mouth today, biggest was probably only a pound and a half but nice to have one finally work for me. I've fished them repeatedly but have never gotten anything before today. Chartreusse double bladed. For those fishing the Charles, here's roughly what I've had success on. Floating Rapalas or knockoffs - 5 Inline Spinners (Mepps & Vibrax) - 12 Spinnerbaits - 2 Flatfish - 3 Bass Assasin Shad - 4 Zoom Super Fluke - 1 Rapala Husky Jerk - 1 Senko (pumpkin) - 1 Senko (silver) - 1 Zoom Trick Worm(green) - 2 Bass Pro Swirl Tail Grub (chatruesse) - 1 Jitterbug (black and green)- 1 RatLtrap (perch colored)- 1 (Silver and white colored - 0) Lizards - 0 - tried BPS in Dark Green/Green Glitter Frogs - 0 (Burkes - crappy quality) Spoons - 0 (Daredevl red and Johnsons Gold, fished with and without white curly grub trailer) Buzzbaits - 0 (Black and Gold and small Chartruese) Tubes - 0 (one crappie on 3.5" pumpkin, nothing on rest of pack or 4" Yums in white) Super Spook - 0 (black which I lost, now silver and blue) Crawfish - 0 (Yum, green) Jigs - 0 (Fantasy FB in black) Rebel Popper - 0 (silver and black)

Only pond I know with smallmouth for sure is Walden Pond, which can be a zoo but no speed boats. Charles River from Waltham down has a good amount of smallmouth.

Improved clinch for me and not have an issue as of yet. I've been been pretty fearless with the stuff over the last two days and it's just holds. I have to think the knot will hold no problem under normal fishing conditions. I'm having trouble cutting the line with clippers, need to bring a knife the next time out.

Just starting using braid - Suffix Performance Braid. Casted poorly originally but must've been something I did because after taking the line off an putting it back on it casts like a dream. Using the 30lb, which is about the thickness of 8lb mono. Not only have I not lost a lure (I'm a shore fisherman) I've gained one RatL Trap and a Buzzbait from hauling in sunken branches - you can't break the stuff. I've heard issues with knot strengthl but have not had a problem, knots seem to tie well and hold strong.

if you're boatless and fishing rivers you can't go wrong with Wally world cheapies (Renegade, etc.), the lack of quality doesn't matter as sunken branches, rocks, and in my neck of the woods, sunken tires, bicycles and shopping carriages do a number on your lures. The fact that the hooks will quickly dull and the paint wear off doesn't matter much, as the lures quickly disappear. The cheapies still catch fish. That being said, I'll only use the name brand stuff if I know the area and the likelihood of losing a lure is low. I noticed the cheap plastics actually hold up better as they have less salt and have not noticed a difference in bite and hook ratios.

Respooled starting with 12 pound mono to fill the reel a little, no problems casting in the half an hour I had to fish tonight so problem solved. I probably should've tried that to begin with but since I couldn't find a problem I thought it might've been just the braid. Appreciate all the info. Thanks,

I'm going to respool and try some tape to help with slippage as well as based on what I'm hearing there has to something else amiss. Thanks,

I went from 12 pound mono to a 30 lb braid (Suffix performance braid) which is thinner. I thought it would cast at least the same. I had some heavy lures on and still not casting much more than 30 - 40 feet. It got a little better as it got wet. It's noisy coming off too but I heard braid is that way. I'm thinking if something just greased the wheels a little it might improve as it improved once it got wet. I'll probably take it off and respool, see what's up. However, still thought there must be a cheap homemade solution that would help improve casting. I figure if people are willing to use WD-40, etc. someone must have tried Pam or spray wax or something that worked some. If Pam made a garlic spray maybe I'd have a scent and line dressing in one! Probably better on a salad than on my line.

I'd take a look or two on Ebay as well. Took a quick peak out there (craigslist & Ebay) and didn't see anythign much that fit the bill. Hopefully your insurance company comes through quick and you can go on a shopping spree.

How good of a view can you get of them? I'd try some live bait to see if they'll bite, never know if there is something similar in size that looks like a bass from a distance but won't touch a lure. Besides that I'd go to a Senko or a smaller grub and just let it sit with maybe a tiny wiggle here or there. The area I fish tends to be a bit overfished and they only seem to hit the plastics after much debate, trepidation, and review. They'll stare at it for over a minute sometimes.

Just switched to braid (Suffix Performance Braid) and surprised with the decrease from mono on casting ease, distance. I just got back into the game so I have a bargain Ugly Stik spinning combo but it casts very well. The braid seems to be slowing down going through the guides and coming off the reel with a little bit of stickiness. I've seen KVD line conditioner heavily recommended here but I only care about castability, not line memory, and won't have a chance to get any for a few weeks. Anyone know of a homemade/cheap solution to this? Or should the braid be casting better? Casting improved as time went on (I think due to line wetness) but still not anywhere near as smooth as I like. It seems like I should be able to spray the line down with Pam or Crisco the guides to improve casting and it won't pollute like a WD-40, etc. Any thoughts? I'm mostly looking for something to get me through the long weekend, but figured if something works it might be a long term, cheap solution.

I think allthe geese has impacted the fishing, bringing weed seeds from places elsewhere, that along with all the "fertilizer". 20 years ago there was about one tenth the weeds, just some lily pads. You can't throw a Mepps in or a rapala unless you want to lose one or two due to the crap there. I haven't been over to Maple Cove in years (just started fishing again after a long time out of it) but I heard it's the same. I'm not seeing much Pike or Pickerel anywhere in the Waltham/Watertown stretch of the Charles. Might try the River Walk down near Newton st in Waltham. Used to be a lot of pike there.

Haven't had much luck at Twin Coves in Waltham (off south street, across from Charlesgate appts) but saw someone pull in a good sized pike two weeks ago, had to be 30 inches. I've only gotten some tiny bass and crappies on worms or grubs when I've been there though. They just dredged it to get rid of all the weeds but there's still a lot of crap floating on top.

Just started fishing tubes this weekend, haven't gotten any bass yet but caught a 5 inch crappie on a 3.5 inch tube. I almost just took the tube off and left the hook in to use the crappie as bait. I have to think a small mouth will have no problem with a 4 inch. I've had half pounders hit a 5.5 inch husky jerk so a 4 inch tube shouldn't be a problem.

I think I'll officially retire my spinnerbaits from the Charles, save them for a lake or pond. I pretty much go from Rapala's to a Mepps or maybe a Jitterbug then to wacky worms. They eventually have to hit something. As long as the herring are running I find silvery rapalas or a silver flatfish is working best but not sure if they run much past Waltham.

Flatfish if nothing is biting, perch or greenish color is what I've had the most luck on. They seem to entice a hit when Rapalas aren't, something about the wicked wobble with the slow as possible retrieve. .

to go back on topic, anyone fish the Charles in Boston area? Had lots of luck with Flatfish, Minnows/Rapalas (mostly Wal Mart cheapies) and inline spinners (Mepps & Rooster Tails). Less luck with Bass Assassins (3" shad) and wacky rigged worms. I haven't heard of anyone having much luck with a spinnerbait or buzzbait on the Charles. I've fished quite a bit and almost exclusively on t he Charles (although took a number of years off) and most I've had on a standard spinnerbaits was a single, over eager crappie about the size of the spinnerbait. No luck at all with buzzbaits either. Is this a Charles River phenomenom? I've gotten Bass, Pike, Crappie and Pickerel on inline spinners, nothign with a standard spinnerbait.