basser89

For the record LBH, mjhutch is my cousin AND IS a YEAR OLDER than I am! ;D And you'd be more than welcome on the floats! Although, from the last I talked to the "coordinator" of the float, we're hitting a lake (I hadn't heard of the second float yet myself). Someone will have to bring me up to speed on the second one! LOL! What hutch is talking about is a section I used to fish many many moons ago that USED to be a really productive stretch! But now, the majority of that section has an average depth of about 1 1/2'. At least for me, it's not a fun stretch to fish anymore. Thanks fish and moby! MskSlyr, all I'll say is you know what I can do in productive water!

Hey Gr8wall, I use the gammy finnese wide gap hooks too (although mine are not the weedless version). When I feel a fish hit, I move the rod in the opposite direction the fish is going and start reeling. The fish will hook itself. It took me about a half a day to get this drilled into my thick head! I was trying to cross their eyes too and was coming back with just a hook and no fish! If you wait too long to set the hook, you'll risk gut hooking the bass and those EWG finnese hooks are not the easiest to try to remove when they're hooked deep.

I hadn't been fairing real well at the one pond I fish from time to time on the way home from work. Well last thursday, I figured out why. I was talking to one of the guys I see there regularly and he told me they had treated thepond for algea. When they do this, the bass seem to shut down for a week or two. Well, it had been about a week and a half since they treated it so I figured I'd give it a go this evening. It started out pretty slow but I managed one dink on a wacky rigged Tiki Stick. Then the weather had changed so I felt a lure change was called for so I opted for a spinnerbait! So I picked out a 3/8oz bluegill colored skirt with a colorado willowleaf blade combination and made a few casts. About the 5th cast, I launched the spinnerbait out near the water fountain that's out in the middle of the pond. I made it a whole 4 or 5 turns of the handle when she crushed it! She immediately came out of the water and I knew it was a good one! Two more jumps and she settled down. I wrestled her to the bank and finally put my thumb in her lip! I took a quick measurement (21 1/4") held her back in the water for a minute for her to catch her breathe then back out for a weight (4lbs 6oz) and a quick pic! Sorry for the poor quality of the pic (I only had the cell phone with me and luckily I found someone nice enough to take this pic for me). Here's the pic:

Freshwater: LMB - 21 3/4" (5lbs 14oz) SMB - 18" Walleye - 24" Channel Cat - 28" Musky - 45 1/8" (25lbs even, great fight and on a topwater bait no less) It's been too long ago that I kept track of panfish and trout (and I haven't fished for trout in YEARS). Saltwater: Don't like it on food or in the water I fish. ;D

Hey Boett, I've tried it a couple of times at PEPCO using an 1/8 or 1/4oz bucktail jig as the "fly". I haven't had any luck with the combination yet. I was throwing the rig on a 6'6" MH spinning rod.

I can't believe I forgot about the fight! :-[ I've been a fan of Forrest ever since he won the Ultamite Fighter so I'm glad he won! Now, I just have to see if someone DVR'd it! LOL

I have a couple lakes that I fish that get choked out with hydrilla. One of my favorite techniques to use in this situation is a t-rigged tube (with the weight pegged). Use a weight just heavy enough to punch down through the hydrilla. I let it set on the bottom for a 10-15 seconds, then shake it in place and let it set again. If I don't get a bite, then I'll try another "hole".

Thanks! That's basically what happened to me. Was fishing from shore and landed a 45" musky. Went to remove the hook with my leatherman and it buried two hooks into my pointer and middle fingers. Needless to say, the bait remained hooked to me and the musky until help arrived. While my hand went numb immediately, that's not an experience I wish on anyone else ever!!!!

Here's a good example of why a faster reel is needed for shallow running crankbaits. I was fishing a lake last fall and came across a pretty good crankbait pattern. While I was fishing an isolated log near a dropoff, I hooked into a heavy fish. The fight only lasted about 15 seconds or so because after I hook her, she made a run straight at me and I couldn't keep up with her with my 4.4:1 reel. She got some slack in the line, came up and threw the bait. 6.2:1 would be my recommendation as well. You can always slow down but it's hard to speed up when you don't have the gear ratio to do it when it's needed!

While I've landed several muskies on bass gear, I would suggest targetting them with a bass rod (even a heavy power). My partner can testify that a good musky will destroy these rods if (or better worded, WHEN) it gets a chance! Gander Mountain carries musky rods that are pretty good (I have two) that are real expensive. I'd match it up, like firefightn15 suggested, with an Abu 5500C. For baits, bucktails for sure, maybe some Bucher Depth Raiders or Shallow Raiders, Swim Whizz, and Bucher Top Raider (top water and there's nothing like seeing a monster crush a top water bait!!!!). I prefer mono over braid. I'm currently spooled up with 30# Berkley Big Game. While I swear by the hard mono and fluro leaders (60-80#) my partner ties (for everything but bucktails), I would suggest a good steel leader. Berkley Steel-On are the ones I like (45#). I like a longer leader (the 45" musky in my signature had a head almost 12" long) so I would suggest 18" but you can get away with 12". Personnally, I wouldn't go any shorter than that. Lastly, I'd recommend at least one Lindy fishing glove and a hook remover (the longer the better)! I paid the price in '04 by not being properly geared and tried to remove a hook from one I landed with a pair of pliers. Let's just say a trip to the hospital was needed when it was all said and done. :-[ Hopefully, MuskSlyr will see this post and be able to give you some insight as well! Hope this helps and best of luck in your toothy critter quest!!!!

Well deserved for sure! Congrats Sam!

There's been some great advise given so far! I'll back up Sam's suggestion on the KVD videos! They're well worth the money! What weight spinnerbaits are you using? Are they all the same weight and blade combination? While I typically start off with a 3/8oz double williowleaf combination (for this time of year under clear to slightly stained water conditions), I have had to switch to a heavier (or lighter) spinnerbait to hit the zone the bass are holding in. I carry spinnerbaits ranging in weight from 1/8oz up to 1oz. Another way to "adjust" the weight of your spinnerbait would be to add a split shot or two or as I prefer a small rubber core sinker. If I'm convinced I have the right bait but it's just not running at the depth I need it to, I will add the extra weight to the main hook to reach the depth I need that bait to run. Also, are you adding a trailer hook to your spinnerbaits? For me, I use them 99.99999% of the time. It helps catch the ones that will short strike the bait. If they continue to short strike the bait, try changing things up (color, weight, blade combination,etc) until you find exactly what they want. Hope this helps! Good luck and let us know how you do!

I was there over the weekend and now that you mention it, I do remember seeing the Evolution jigs for that price. They're FAR from a confidence bait for me, so I let them sit. They were just about completely wiped out of the Strike King plastics they carry. Can't remember if there were any special deals on those or not. :-[

My fishing partner has done well with smallies with Bandit's Flat Maxx series. I'm too darn thick headed to pick any up, but when I do, it will be Bandit's series. P.S. He's done rather well with them for walleye too.

Hey Little Brother, Those Rebel Wee R's don't work! You won't find any of those in my tackle bag. : Nice job!

Born and raised in PA. Living in western MD now.

I wasn't bashing Quantum, I wouldn't put up with a problem with a new reel regardless of the brand. 8-) I know RW. I just had to throw that out there as a joke! I agree, I wouldn't put up with a problem either. The ONLY thing that I don't like about the Quantums is that dang Hot Sauce, which is why I mentioned ReelMech. He's got the GOOD STUFF! 8-)

Here we go with the Quantum bashing! LOL! I'd do one of two things (since I am a Quantum fan, yeah I admit it! ), either take it back to the store to exchange it for another or send it to ReelMech to have it properly lubed.

The majority of the tubes I use are Bass Pro Shops Magnum Flippin tube and Mizmo Big Boy tubes. One other that I've used on occasion is Venom 4". As for color, the majority of the largemouths come off of watermelon/red flake and watermelon/chart tail. For smallies, it's roadkill, green pumpkin/red flake, junebug and smoke/red flake.

I palm my reels most of the time. But as AnthonyRSS mentioned, I've seen Shaw do it too. Well, I decided to try it out this year with my plastics. It was a little awkward at first but now, its no big deal.

I also use the Gammy Finesse EWG hooks for wacky rigging. Are you setting the hook with the Finesse hook like you would a regular plastic worm? You don't have to with this style hook. All you need to do is slowly bring the rod back and start reeling.

Not sure where you're seeing that price? When I clicked on the link, it said $29.99. I paid somewhere around $80 for my Rapala grip.

A tight grip!

I've said this the past few years but I'm going to fish Rocky Gorge this year! Good luck and let us know how you do!

36 here. And as Garth said it, "I'm much too young to feel this D@#% old"! ;D