D4u2s0t

If it's anything like new jersey, good luck catching a trout after opening day lol. You won't catch anything until they re-stock. I don't even attempt to go until they re-stock, because the streams are wiped out.

I'm in! haven't used frogs much, sounds worth a shot!

With spinnerbaits, I don't do a very hard hookset, because the bait is already moving. If you have a sharp hook, a quick snap and applying some pressure should be enough. If you're setting the hook to the point where the bait is flying out of the water at you,your probably setting the hook too hard. In terms of strikes, if it was a bass it could have missed, or hit a blade, or grabbed the skirt... but are you sure you didn't hit a rock, or weed or something? as far as how to fish a spinnerbait, all of the above will work, depending on conditions. you have to feel out the fish, they'll tell you what presentation to use.

Question.... if you guys would throw all this because nothing else worked, and you're running out of time, why not just use it from the beginning?

that's a vague question, and can be answered 100 different ways, each of which could be the right answer. depends on the body of water, time of year, what the fish are doing, etc.

x2. too many people get caught up in what others are doing, and forget to just enjoy the experience. Exactly the point of my original post. Fish how you want to fish and don't worry about anyone else. Seems like you agree with me then. I wasn't dis-agreeing with that part of the post at all, i agree 100%.

x2. too many people get caught up in what others are doing, and forget to just enjoy the experience.

Good luck with that. If you want to argue, take it to pm. problem solved. everyone else is talking like big boys so far.

really? Forget to read the rest?? Nobody in this thread said you're wrong to use one over the other, so let's keep that out and actually have a civilized discussion about it.

you're the only person that said anything like that. if you want to keep that stuff out of the thread, don't bring it up. 8-)

the way my tackle box is set up, if I don't catch fish on a bait, it doesn't go in the box. Everything in my box I have caught tons of fish on. I don't try to force any baits that don't work for me, especially when I have baits that I know i'll catch fish on.

I would never knock someone for using live bait, that's their choice. I only use live bait for panfish and trout, I never use it for bass or other species (except through the ice) But if someone wants to use live bait, that's their choice, just like it's my choice to use artificials. Everyone is at a different level of knowledge, and everyone wants to catch fish, especially when they're just starting out. When I take out people that haven't been on the water too many times, I pick up a pack of night crawlers. Why? It's easier to catch fish. I'm ok sitting on the water all day and not getting a bite. My 15 year old brother, or nephews, are not. We went out 2 weekends ago, and caught about 70 panfish in maybe 2 hours... this past weekend, we got about 30-40. Better believe my brother had fun! We were getting big perch, they were pulling drag on the ultra lights. Thats alot of fun for someone just starting out. If my brother keeps coming out, eventually he'll want the challenge of using artificials. But, until he gets to that point, I see nothing wrong with him going out and catching a ton of fish on worms, which makes the whole experience fun. I think most people will naturally progress away from live bait as their experience builds, but if they don't, that's their choice. I think it's similar to how most people starting out are more concerned with #'s as opposed to size. I don't want to catch 100 10" dinks... no thanks. I'd gladly catch one quality fish a week and not have a single bite the rest of the time. My brother (keeping the example) doesn't really know the difference in sizes yet, especially with panfish. I caught a HUGE perch the other day, looked like a small bass. Biggest i've ever seen. I was real excited about it, always great to catch a pb regardless of species. But, to someone who doesn't now about perch, they'd look and think it was a small fish. So, it all comes in time. But ultimately what, how, when or where someone decides to try to catch fish is up to them, as long as they're within their legal right to do so.

if i'm throwing very small lures, or targeting panfish, I would be using ultra light spinning gear. When you're throwing very light lures, it will be easier and better on very light poles. Plus it's more fun to bring in small fish on an ultra light. I put us on some perch the other day that were pulling drag, and it would have been boring and lame on a medium. But feeling that ultra light bend in half, that's pretty fun.

their teeth are pretty big, and I don't typically put my hand in the mouth of something that has big teeth, especially when it's ticked off and probably going to bite me lol.

that's awesome, congrats! We're in our first home too, and it's really cool.

I pretty regularly see bass jumping along the surface in my lake.(after the water warms up) When they are jumping, it's usually because they have the baitfish pooled along the surface. Bass will look for the easy meal, many times i'll throw a wacky worm right in the middle of the commotion, and because the worm is moving slower than the baitfish, it gets picked up.

Anyone going? My brother's coming up today, we'll be out all day, tonight we'll try to catch some walleye, then we're up at 4:30 to head to the stream to claim our spot.

here's the link: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1253809144/9#9 you don't have to keep the handle facing up, thats just how some people think it's more comfortable, and easier to use your thumb.

takes practice to learn the right time to release... when you first were learning side arm, you probably threw it to the right or left for a while... practice your form by casting smoothly, and not too hard. let the rod do the work. sometimes with hard casting, you have to use the thumb very lightly through the cast if you're not using a heavy bait. when you cast hard, what happens is the spool starts out very fast, and if it's a light bait or there's a breeze, the bait starts to slow down, but the spool is still spinning, which is feeding out the extra line with no where to go. that's why you get a backlash. took me hours of practice to be able to cast overhand, and many more hours before I could consistently do it without backlashing. If it makes you feel any better, I got my first baitcaster fall of last year, and used it for maybe a month before the ice hit. In that month, I primarily practiced casting... throw out the bait, burn it back, throw again. non stop casting, I wasn't trying to work the bait, wasn't trying to catch a fish, nothing. But I learned very quickly what works and what doesn't, and this spring, I went out and i've been casting with no backlashes, accurately, and great distance. so stick with it, takes some patience, but it's worth it. I did a write up when I first got it, i'll find it. I had some tips for beginners there. I found that many times when researching online, while the majority of the info was good, there wasn't much geared towards a beginner.

side arm casting is much easier at first than overhead casting... keep going, will get easier!

looks familiar... the 3 pounder suddenly tripples in weight

I agree 100%, I would never purposely target a bedding fish...

SOLID 3 1/2 lbder lol...

I rarely post in this section for that very reason... I know it's exciting to catch a nice fish, and easy to over-estimate, but the scale doesn't lie... anglers, however, are obviously a different story. I see it in person, on the boards, and everywhere else. The worst part is that these people are now telling the story about how they caught a 9pound fish that was really 3 pounds. I'm not saying every person needs to go out and buy a scale, and not to post pics unless they weighed it... but absolutely, under no circumstances should you be claiming a weight, especially a pb, if you don't own a scale.

I like to use a VERY light keel hook for wacky rigging... the main reason being that the bait ALWAYS falls with the hook side up... I almost never get hung up, doesn't matter where i'm throwing it, and always hooks the fish in the top lip. Going any heavier than 1/8 oz will mess up the action of the bait, but 1/8 or less and I feel like it gives a more pronounced wobble. Also great for wacky rigging in deeper water. When wacky rigging I always use either a 2/0 or 3/0