airborne_angler

I know people have done this for years,I just would like to know whats involved and how productive it is. I talked to a guy on the boat dock last night who said he had gone Scuba Diving in the lake I fish. He mentioned a certain area and said the bottom is totally deserted,Desolate,no weeds,just flat and it goes on like that for a way. He also mentioned in the area he swam,he didnt see any fish. I really dont know how far out he swam,but he made a general statement that the bottom is flat and just deserted in the places he explored. He spoke of the thermocline and how the temprature would get colder,thus being a good conditon for Trout to survive the summer months. So I was thinking of getting a GPS,Some trees,logs,Stumps,Boulders and stuff and dropping them in a location out in what appears to be open water,marking it on a GPS and giving it a couple of weeks and see what happens. How successful does anyone think this idea would be? The only other cover this lake has that I know of is thick weeds along the shoreline which extend out about 25-30 feet . So thick that I get totally bogged down when I am going in my boat with the TMand not paying attention to where I am at.But if I can get some cover built up away from where the weeds are the,...Well it sounds neat to me. Now if only it were that easy...or is it?

Its near the end of the month and my funds are about dry. I needed to buy some line for a new baitcaster. I wanted a spool for $10 or less. These are my choices: Suffix Mono 10lb in clear Stren Original 10lb in clear,green or flourescent blue Trilene XL 10lb in clear,green or flourescent blue Spiderwire mono 10lb in Clear or Green Spiderwire mono XXX 10lb in Clear or Green So many choices,how does one know which is best. I cant just whip out a computer and compare the lines on the spot. I know there are way better lines out there,but this was at Walmart and I only had $10 to spend on line. I ended up getting the #10 Original Stren in Green(the lake I fish has pretty clear water but in deeper water it appears to be green on the surface. Anything wrong with my choice? I mustve stood there 30 minutes trying to decide. I went to the cashier at least 4 times ,each time with a different brand in hand. I decided to just bite the bullet and go with the Stren...Good choice or NO? I almost went with the Spiderwire Mono,but it just didnt rub me right. Did I good,What would you all have done given these choices?

My girlfriend describes these weedy areas as "Creepy". Always thinking someone or something scary will just swim up out of the "Abyss". Just an overactive imagination. Guess she sees "Dead people" in there. ;D

I understand any bait can be wacky rigged,but will they have the same action as a Senko Wacky rigged? Will they be as productive. Im kinda thinking of it as a finesse application with 4 inch twirl tail worms(tail taken off,so it looks like just a stick),weightless on a spinning reel with light line. Think it would work/be productive or would the fall rate be too slow? I gotta figure out what to do with all these darn plastic worms I have and just thought of this theory as a possible fish catcher...HMMM,(pondering to self)Wonder if it would work?

Alot of talk has been made about wacky rigging Senkos. What about finesse and trick worms. How about using a twirl tail worm and just taking the twirl tail part off. How would any of these work wacky rigged? Of course they dont have the same fall rate as a Senko,but would they still have the same action as a Senko wacky rigged?

Different people vary it up a little bit. Sometimes you have to experiment with the depth at which fish are at. I normally dont even buy the specialized "Dropshot "hooks. Instead I buy regular Octopus hooks,theyre cheaper and they function just the same. As far as weight goes,I go up to 1/4 ounce. I dont buy the specialized dropshot weights either,I use regular bass casting sinkers with a slip knot,so in case I do get hung up,I just pull the line and the weight pulls off. In the state of AZ where I live, 2 hooks on a line is as many that your allowed to have and still be legal. Got taught a trick last year: Instead of using a weight,Tie a Jig or T-Rigged worm in place of the weight. This can be helpful figuring out if the fish are feeding on the bottom(Crawfish) or if they are chasing baitfish. Even if they arent actively feeding,finding out where they are biting can help develop a pattern. If they are consistently hitting the Jig,then you know in that area they are probably hugging the bottom. If they consistently hit your dropshot suspended,well then you know they are hanging out up off the bottom. I used mostly Tiki drops and Berkley Power Pulse Worms. Caught a bunch of Dinks and managed to catch 2 or 3 fish ranging from 1.5-2 pounds. I also managed to catch a mess of Big Bluegill and even some Trout! Guess bigger fish would yield larger fish. I caught all the fish on a dropshot last year as I fished the Bank. Ive tried a few times this year from a boat but havent had any luck. The strike on a dropshot is interesting. Sometimes the fish will just "Be there",and all your required to do is haul them in. Other times if your not careful the rod can just about leap out of your hands without warning. I always missed those strikes,wish I knew what it was. As stated theres people on here that have better info to give,but what I have given you is what I know about this technique. Hope it helps

When I first discovered senko Style baits,I threw them exclusively T-Rigged and at the pond I first tried em out on, I absolutely slayed em. I tried em Wacky for the first time this year and on my first or second cast I boated a 5 pounder. Now im stuck on wacky rigging these baits and its pretty productive(although 98% of the fish are dinks),Ive even caught some nice fighting spawning Green Sunfish. In everyones opinion,what is more productive? T-Rig or Wacky rig? Which produces a better action? No doubt both methods catch fish,but Ive put Trigging weightless aside and am now a wacky rigger. Whats everyone elses opinion? Oh yeah I almost forgot:I know when T-rigging the Senko style bait weightless, it has a little wiggle in the tail thats attractive to the fish,but what is the action of a wacky rigged Senko that turns the fish on?

Title of subject says it all and I need some opinions. I tend to shy away from fishing weeds and like to fish open water on the edge of them where I wont run the risk of pulling in weeds on every cast. Whether it be Hydrilla or Milfoil or whatever. Is this method of fishing causing me to potentially miss some quaility fish hiding in the weeds? Is there a possibilty that there are fish just hanging out in the thick of the weeds I speak of? Ive heard of people just "tipping" the tops of weeds with a lipless crankbait or Spinnerbait,but Im mostly a soft plastics fisherman Think it would pay off to throw a T-Rigged worm or Brush hog into the "Abyss" of weeds? When I say "Abyss" I mean the water is at least 10-15 feet deep and the weeds are only about 3 feet under the surface,and as you look into the weeds theres just darkness.

Im trying to unlock an advantage in the lake im fishing. Basically I want to get an idea of what the most productive bait and color would be to catch decent fish. I have caught a large amount of dinks on 3 different colors of *** Trick Sticks,Now im up for other methods. The species of fish in the lake I fish are LM Bass,Bluegill,Green Sunfish,Redear(shell cracker) hatchery Rainbow Trout and theres supposed to also be some Bullhead Catfish,which Ive never seen. Theres also crayfish which lives in this lake. A few different people I talk to tell me the "go to" color is Electric Blue. Now where in the world would that fit mimicing with the colors of Forage in this lake.And if that is a "go to" color,Why in the world would that be the case? Based on what Ive described as the possible forage,what would be the best style and color imitator to use? I would assume it would be a crawfish imitator in the rocky areas. Anyone have any thoughts?

Anyone else use a Zebco 33 for serious Bass fishing? I have used one before and they cast a mile with weightless baits,no Birds nest(backlash) to worry about. Not the greatest retrieve speed but would be suited more for slow moving soft plastic baits and a very reliable reel.Wanna skip a Senko under docks and under overhanging trees? This is the reel to use. One draw back is the size,theyre kinda big and palming the reel can be a little bit of a pain. What are everyones thoughts on this reel for Bass fishing?

What about the twirl tails? I have read somewhere,thet they have a tendency to wrap around stuff and then end up getting torn off. Anyone experience this? Also whats a good all around color to use? I can get them in Watermelon/red flake. How productive is that for a color?

Bait Monkey has been trying to get me to purchase some of these. How good are they? Whats a good productive way to fish them? Carolina,Texas rig or weightless. Im thinking of putting the Senkos away for a while and giving these a try, depends on how much confidence I can get from using them.

Saw these at a local tackle shop and they look pretty neat. ANyone use them and had any luck. I hear people doing well with the brush hogs so figured this may do as well?

The broken reel in question is a Shimano Callisto. I was palming the handle on a hard hookset and thusly the reel handle went backwards,This may not be the only time this occured. There is no longer an instant anti reverse. It takes a little pressure(not much) to get the reel to go backwards. I opened it up and the plastic piece that cases the gears /internals is cracked(not the external housing piece) I dont know what other damage could have occured.I saw this cracked piece and figured this reel has bought the farm. Would this reel be worth repairing or should I just shop for another?

My Shimano Baitcaster has about had it,Im looking for something new,I dont have alot of money to spend. Anyone ever used or heard about anything positive or negative about the spidercast baitcasting reels. I believe they are made by Mitchell. Would buying one be a waste of money? Im a recreational fisherman but spend lots of time on the water.

As Forrest Gump would say. I know this has probably been covered,but I never got to share my watercraft,so heres what I take out on the water: A 10 ft 1969 Sears brand Aluminum Jon Boat. Seat brackets were fabricated by my deceased uncle,when he used to own it. I get around by using a 30# Thrust MotorGuide trolling motor. I also have a 4HP Chrysler Outboard,but the lake I fish is pretty small so I really have no need for it. If you look closely,right behind the front seat I have fabbed up a camera tripod for the day when I get into a big fish. I use it even when I catch small ones too.This craft fits nicely in the back of my truck with about a 15 inch overhang off the back and launches quick and easily. So how do you all get around on the water?

I read awhile ago about wacky rigging a Senko under a bobber. Anyone tried it? Does it actually work?

Not only do I watch my line ,but when I use a baitcasting reel I "feel" my line as well. This comes from what my dad taught me when we used to go out Trout fishing when I was a kid.Sometimes the bit can be so subtle that the line never moves or jumps. But feeling it gives a bonus. The only thing I hate is when fishing trick sticks(Senkos) is feeling those pesky Bluegill tappin on the bait as it falls. Just try to keep in mind to move your finger before a hookset or youll run the risk of getting the line cutting into it. DAMHIK(lol)

I own a 10ft Jon Boat which I haul around in the back of my truck. I dont have any electronics on it yet and so for the time being thought of a plan to guage the depth of water I am fishing in. Using the line to my anchor as a tool,I measured it out in 10ft Increments. At every 10 ft mark I tied an overhand knot. I know this isnt going to be perfectly accurate,and is very prehistoric,but does anyone think it will work,for me to get an idea of what depth of water im sitting in? Thus far I have made a discovery. I have let my anchor go to the bottom in the lake I fish and it seems super deep. I normally have plenty of anchor line left over though. Well wouldnt ya know it, My anchor line measured out is 60ft long and when im anchored and think im fishing super deep water,im probably only in 40 feet of water. I gotta try this out and see just how deep im "not" fishing.

Kinda reminds me of something that happened to me. I have 55 Gallon Fishtank with a few bluegill in it. I went to a different city and caught a catfish and a few Goldfish. Within days all my fish were showing signs of a parasite called ANCHORWORM. The fish in the aquarium had been healthy prior to putting the others,so they must have gotten it from the transplanted fish. This is the exact reason Game and Fish doesnt want you to transplant fish and other aquatic creatures,and this is why they urge you to clean up your boat after a trip,so if you do have something on it,you wont plant it unknowingly into another body of water. Just my$.02 worth

I was at a tackle store recently and asked the guy to show me a good dropshot rod. He handed me a few different ones and I about fell out when I saw the price tags $235-$269. I told him it was out of my price range and he told me a regular trout rod would work too. So then I posed my question: So whats the difference between the ones he showed me and a rod from Walmart. His answer: Break the tip on a WalMart rod and it goes in the trash,Break a tip on a high end Rod,ship it back to the company and they'll replace the whole rod with a brand new one,no charge. Is this info hes giving me factual? I still cant see spending that much on a rod when I can go to Walmart and purchase a light action 6'6" micro graphite rod for a mere $14.95,and it will perform just as well as the high end rod.

Anyone ever tried to Carolina Rig a Senko style Bait before. What were the results? Is this method very productive?

How popular is this company and the baits it produces? Ive possibly got a little trick up my sleeve on "doctoring" something made by them and I possibly want to try to earn a little cash in the process. I know someone will think this sounds fishy(no pun intended) but if they are pretty popular,all I am wanting to do is: At a local store,I found some Keychains made by Matzuo($.99 ea). They appear like an actual bait without the hooks. What I wanted to try was to purchase some of these keychains,take the keychain part off, put split rings and treble hooks on them and try to turn them for a little coin on eBAY. Would that be wrong? I would put them up for auction with the starting bid being Exactly what I have invested in each lure,that way if it were to sell,Id at the least break even. How does that sound to everyone? Would I be wrong in attempting this? Ive seen people take Johnny Lightning 1:64 scale diecast cars and make keychains out of them and sell em sooo why not?

I just found a bunch I purchased last year. How does one fish these baits? I have both the curl tail and paddle tail versions. Are these baits very productive? Whats the best setup in which to use these baits. Im not certain I have much confidence in these and am really not sure I want to waste my time trying them. Anyone want to convince me otherwise?

What kind of line capacity can this reel handle. Is there anywhere online where I can find more ifo about it? From the looks of it,this is a lighter duty reel...Correct?