crossfisher

ouachitabassangler: I really liked your first reply and got a lot out of it. Your writing style is very similar to mine. However when I talk light rods and line I personally never go any lighter the 8 lbs. Yozuri Hybrid on my medium-light power fast action spinning finnesse rod and 15 lbs. Yozuri Hybrid on my medium power fast action spinning finesse rod that I use mostly in the California Delta and Clearlake for little bit heavier finesse type presentations. Otherwise I use 50 lbs. Power Pro for flipping and 40 lbs. Power Pro for everything else. Crossfisher

roadwarrior: Thank you for the instruction and I will check out that artical you wrote. Yes I did mean medium power/fast action. Raul I may be foolish in this but since I've had good success in quickly getting fish out of away from trees and other under water cover or structure on a regular basis with my spinning finesse rod. There have been a few times that I can remember though where a little heavier rod would have kept me from getting wrapped and the medium power/fast action would have made the difference in those instances I believe. Thank you both very much now I look forward to hopefully reading others replies. crossman

I'd really like to see earthworm77 weigh in on this topic as I know you are a light tackle lover. I really prefer light to medium action rods over heavier action rods. Yes I'm one of those California fishermen I fish mostly lakes so this is not typically been a problem. I use the same rod for Soft Plastics and Jig fishing, unless I'm going with my spinning rod which I only use for soft light finesse techniques (Drop Shot, Split Shot, weightless worms, etc.) I just like the feeling of fighting a fish on light weight gear. Probably has something to do with the years I spent fly fishing for trout in streams and rivers. Now since my free time is limited I've been fishing for bass, because I don't have to travel far if I have only a couple hours free time. The only places I find I really enjoy using Heavier action rods is when I'm Pitching & Flipping really heavy cover as I fish from a kickboat and I get right in the middle of the slop where you often can't take a bass boat. Even at 43 years old I guess when it comes to the slop I'm kind of like a little boy playing in the mud even though the rod I use remind me of a telephone pole I just love lifting fish out of that stuff;) Here's where I find my dilemma I don't know if I just need to learn how to fish for big fish with light gear or what, but I seem to never catch anything over 4 lbs. but mostly smaller dinks through about 3 lbs. on light to medium gear. Now from what I read and talking to bass fisherman it seems this is the experience of most, but then there are guys like earthworm77 who say you can expect to consistently catch big fish with finesse gear. When I say big fish I mean fish 5lbs+. Here is the second thing I have questions about when I fish the California Delta and most parts of Clearlake even though I don't really like heavier gear I always go to a medium-heavy or heavy action rod for soft plastics. Except for drop shoting then I use my Medium action rods that can handle fight fish in current and handle heavier fishing weights that are necessary. Since I prefer to use as light gear as possible is there a way of effectively fishing plastics and jigs with a medium action rod in a place like the California Delta or do I just need to get use to fishing with medium-heavy or heavy rods that feel to me like I'm dragging the fish in with a telephone pole. I just think that unless I have no choice a medium rod should have enough fish fighting power in most situations even for double digit bass. Or are there situations besides those that require a flipping stick that simply demand I use jigs or weights simply too heavy for a medium action rod on places like the California Delta and Clear Lake. I hope this makes sense and isn't a stupid question. crossfisher

Having read all your explanations, I believe I understand where my confusion came in. For example one day while fishing a lake that was just slightly stained my friend was using a brown colored Senko with black flakes. And Since I had one that was Watermelon with Red and Green flakes he suggested I use it and that it may be just as good or better then the one he was using. Both of these colors happened to be dark, but what made them both effective choices was that these colors are natural not so much that they were dark. Both of these colors turned out to solicit the same number of strikes, but I did not hook up as much do to the fact that I was setting the hook too quickly. In that same situation a silver shad color may have had the potential to be just as effective because it is a natural color, which is why my son who decided to be different then us and use a Shad Rap caught fish also, but not as many. I think I've got it! The watermelon with Red & Green flake Senko has been a very effective color for me regardless the clarity of the water I'm fishing in which must be do to the fact that it is relatively dark making it good for stained water conditions and natural making it a good choice for gin clear conditions. And in turn the same is likely true for the color my friend was using also.

I've read nearly every article on this sight and some others for beginning bass fisherman. And unless my mind is failing me I believe I've read everywhere that you use dark baits in light water and light baits in dark water. However I have a friend who is a former successful tourney fisherman who says that is backwards. He has taken me fishing numerous times on waters of differing types and conditions and structure types. Every time we fish he fishes light colors in light water and dark or more natural colors in darker water and out fishes me 2 to 1 one and often 3 to 1. Soon as I go with what he is using or to something in my box that he says should be just as good as what he is using. I begin catching more fish. What is up with that? If it makes any difference we are in Northern California and we fish nearly every type of water available from the California Delta to small ponds. ???