BassThumb

South Florida largemouth and peacock bass.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well. Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well. Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

Same here with jigs, and with spinnerbaits, tubes and flukes as well. But these are lures that can be fishing from top to bottom, so this learning technique works well. Bringing only a lure type that covers just a small portion of the water column, like Carolina rigs or buzzbaits/topwater, would really be backing yourself into a corner. I can see how that would turn a person off.

Haha, good point. I agree. Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

Haha, good point. I agree. Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

Haha, good point. I agree. Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

Good vid. There are a few more good ones on YouTube that focus more on fishing, like this:

Good vid. There are a few more good ones on YouTube that focus more on fishing, like this:

Good vid. There are a few more good ones on YouTube that focus more on fishing, like this:

I think a kicker trailer like a Rage Tail, Chigger Craw, or Paca Chunk can be a turn off in cold water. Nothing seems to move fast in cold water. Thats why a lot of people choose to use trailers with the least action in cold water, like a pork frog. I've had my best luck using downsized 2.75" plastic chunks with little action, sometimes even threading the chunk so that it barely extends past he skirt. I fish them on 1/4 oz Bitsy Bugs in the coldest water.

Those moderate action rods take a little while to get used to. The fish time I tried one I thought it was way too soft, but I liked launching lures with it, so I stuck with it. I think it's a good idea to set the drag nice and light with treble hooks if you're losing fish. After a pretty hard sweeping hookset to the side and down, I try to let the fish fight the full length of the rod, and maybe strip out a few feet of line. You have to be patient with mod action rods and take your time bringing in a fish. They're too whippy to try to horse a fish. It seems to sometimes throw slack into the line because the rod tip is all over the place.

I haven't used a braid yet that didn't need some breaking in before it quieted down.

Anything with no foregrip for me.

That's a good idea. It never crossed my mind. I think it would make a good bait for those suspended crappies that like to hang out 4 or 5 feet from the bottom.

I try not to make choosing a trailer style too complicated. I stick with a few that have produced for me. Depending on the season and the fishes activity level, I chose between an action trailer and subtle trailer for different levels of vibration, and between large and small trailers for differing profiles. I usually start with larger, kicker style trailers like Sr. Paca Chunks and switch to progressively smaller and more subtle trailers with less vibration.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I had a black Phat Frog tied on this summer for at least two straight months, and it kept catching nice fish so I had no reason to switch. That's my new favorite, but you can't go wrong with Snag Proof or Spro. Who ever said that a frog that's half filled with water no longer catches fish, anyway? That issue is exaggerated. A heavier frog displaces more water, creating more splash and vibration, and knocks the cover around when the frog bumps into it. I think Spros work better the more worn out they get, for this reason and because they soften up. I like how heavier frogs like Phat Frogs and water filled frogs tend to slip between pads or move around them rather than crawl over. They stay in the strike zone longer by snaking between the pads, and a frog sitting next to a pad catches more fish than a frog sitting on top of one.

This is good advice, common sense and common courtesy, and also, personal responsibility. Even if you've never been discourteous on the water or damaged lake property, there are those that have and couldn't care less, and the homeowners have to deal with it, so I can understand why some owners don't want people fishing their dock. Put yourself in their shoes. One time on the lake fishing docks, I spoke to a homeowner that was dragging his boat lift onto shore to replace a nice cover that had a 6 foot gash in it, and a big Poe's square-bill crank still hanging from the edge of the tear. The man claimed that he watched an angler snag it and make hooksets to free his lure. The crank ripped though 6 feet of fabric before his line broke. The whole time, the angler knew that the owner was watching him, and raced away right afterwards, doing a holeshot 30 feet from the dock. After an incident like this, that whole neighborhood is going to hear about it, and you might get a glare or even subtle actions to chase you away, such as walking somewhat loudly out to the dock to grab something, turning on the submerged water pump to water the lawn until you move away, etc. That just goes with the territory, so I try to be congenial to these folks, making small talk and offering accurate advice on what they're biting on or how to catch fish from their dock. I have smoothed a few ruffled feathers this a gift of 2 or 3 Senkos. As a rule, regarding the property of others, I treat it as good or better than I would my own. In general, I personally don't care about little blemishes on things, but they might, so I don't fish close to their boats with hard lures that might chip or dent boats and motors, instead opting for Senkos and light-wire tube jigs that I can free if snagged. I certainly stay away from childrens toys or inflatables, and more often than not, I completely bypass properties where it appears people are frequently in the water. I choose to look at it like it was my boat cover, my dock, my $3000 floating trampoline, or my daughters foot that might need a hook yanked from it. Someone might come by and catch a big fish from that trampoline later, before they leave their crank hanging from the ladder, but that's fine by me, there are plenty of fish. I did my part that day and left the lake with nothing to be ashamed of.

Thanks for the info, SoFla. It doesn't get too hot up here, but it is a dark green boat, so we'll see. I had to spray it into a bottle cap and apply it with a Q-Tip, but I don't think that it will bond any differently than if it were sprayed onto the surface.

That's tennis elbow inflammation. I've had a few bouts of it in the last few years, but mainly in my right wrist or just above it. This is from repetitive casting, half of which are wristy sidearm casts. I've tried to make a point of improving my left handed casting this year mainly just to distribute the wear and tear a little bit. I'm still not nearly as accurate, but not all casts require precise accuracy, so I toss those left handed, and my elbow and wrist feel much better. While we're on the topic of fishing related pain, for those who have had issues with joint pain in your rod hand, "The Claw", where your hand stiffens up from gripping a baitcasting reel tightly, the solution that worked for me is taking heavy doses (2/day) during the fishing season of a joint health supplement Glucosamine and Chondroitin. This stuff works wonders for joint inflammation by making your cartilage stronger and making it absorb shock better, but I doubt it will help with the tendon inflammation. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tennis-elbow/DS00469 The brand I use, from my local store. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Plus-Joint-Lubricants-Dietary-Supplement-90-ct/10324592

I did exactly that. They advisd me to use 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive. I did, and it works very well. I sprayed a little on the underside of the boat first to see how easy it was to remove once it dried, and it turned out to be very easy to remove with 3M rubbing compound. 3M Finesse It 2 glaze didn't quite have the grit to get it off.

I had the corner of the Stratos decal start to peel the other day from rubbing on a dock for a few minutes on a windy day. I most certainly didn't expect that to happen in the time it takes to park a truck. There is maybe an inch worth of decal that won't stick anymore. What would be the best way to reapply the edge so that the decal doesn't continue to peel? I'm thinking I'll swab it with alcohol and a Q-Tip and apply a little Marine Goop with a toothpick. Then tape it down for a few hours to dry. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Joe.

I like large spinnerbaits and heavy jigs with large plastic trailers that displace a lot of water.

I like to fish afternoons in the fall, after the water warms a bit. I'd go Sat and Sun afternoon, 1-7. Sounds like a good time to maybe find some fish that will chase a big spinnerbait, wakebait, or jig. Fishing frequently during these fall cold and rainy stretches has provided the best fishing of the year for me a few times now. I try to go out as much as possible during fall cold fronts, so that would be my advice.

I always have a buzzbait on hand, all season long. They're among the most versatile lures. Try experimenting with different speeds and rod-tip positions. This can have a significant effect on the lures action and varies from brand to brand. I prefer a 3/8 oz Cavitron and often pluck out a few skirt stands to give the body a smaller profile. I strongly prefer using 17# monofilament line as it is limp and easy casting and has some stretch, which results in more hook-ups without the need for trailer hooks, which make the lure foul in weeds more often.