GRiver

Black top water lures has worked good for night or before dawn fishing. It’s work best for me if the is moonlight not full moon just some light to give contrast, even the edges of dock lights too

I understand, if I fish currents with my med/ hwy-fast, I feel my rod is already partially loaded so to speak. So I like a heavier rod, this might not be the right way but it’s what I like. Due to having a small boat or bank fishing, my need to be multi uses. Fish currents one day, pitching in heavy cover the next time. It’s budget friendly too.

@Bazoo I have a 7’ H/F BPS ( Ricky Clunn ) I believe. I use it for pitching, flipping and frogging. It works well for what I use it for, never tried any crank baits with it.

I like net bait Paca Craws… come in different sizes, pretty tough too. Reasonably priced.

Hi from the Sunshine State of Florida

Hi from the Sunshine State of Florida

I was told once a top water plug, or walk the dog, the bottom color is for the fish, the top is for the person fishing. The Bass only see looking up, might see a little of the sides, other than that, it's the pink, orange, silver, or black on the bottom of the lure. He went on telling me about with all the surface disturbances near the lure, at best they saw light or dark colors. I still bought a baby bass and a silver blue back spook. Wether for me or the fish, those colors catch bass in my area.

I use X-9, it’s the quietest I tried. I am not a braid fan, the noise is the reason. I use it for pitching and docks, mono is on every thing else. a company called Cortland make a 16 carrier braid called “silent flip”. I haven’t tried it or know anybody that has.

Use it…. My Dad used to say “ I bought this to catch fish on it, or loose it, trying to catch fish on it.”

Thanks @Glenn

Oh what @gim mentioned about sound and lateral lines. I was fishing Rainbow River, crystal clear, 72*, eel grass bottom, for the most part. The most frustrated place I’ve ever fished. Texas rigged ribbon tail, no bites, nibbles or even chasing it. I put in a worm rattle. On my third cast, I had a fish on. It was small, very small, 6” maybe. Got 4 more, nothing over 10”, but the bite was on. I believe it was the rattle that triggered the bites. So it just not what they see it can also be what they feel. A jerk bait, lipless and others put off vibrations even with out the rattles. Great thread @Swamp Girl. @Bazoo I had no idea Shad made noise… thanks.

Oh no @king fisher you went and said it out loud….. But @Bird made and excellent point as well. Some of the bait we fish with imitates nothing in the wild. I have never seen a 7 1/2 ribbon tail / junebug or bubblegum in color in they wild. They do produce strikes though… So what are Bass seeing and thinking, when a buzzbait goes burning by

I think lures may mimic injured or dying minnows. Most don’t swim like a healthy fish. Erratic movement and floating up or slow sinking has created a ton of strikes. I think Bass see them as wounded and easy food. Frog now cause movement and commotion on surface and around pads and vegetation. Bass say” I’ve gotten food at the beginning of that disturbance before” Looks familiar. I’d don’t know if they say “ that’s a spotted leopard bull frog” or not. I want to think are are highly analytical and at least the ones that have out smarted me. I do think they learn, but how long can retain and process it. It’s a mystery and one I love to keep trying to figure out. It’s one I like read all the elements and conditions and try and figure out what’s going to trigger a strike. I guess you can say the bass have taught me from the ones I have caught and have not caught, how to fish for bass.

My condolences

Good deal

Yep It’s coming

My Dad and I used to go to fishing rodeos. He was considered a master with a fly rod. He held seminars and help teach youth groups fly fishing. There was bait caster and spinning contest too. They placed what looked like a hula hoops out in a field. The subtracted the missed hoop from your distance and so forth. The long distance casters had huge rods and round bait casters, they would wind up and spin taking a few steps forward and let it rip. I haven’t seen or heard about any fishing competition in years, do they still have them. Not that they were on Wide World of Sports or anything.

@Bazoo I don’t know if you can do this at your ponds, but I took a minnow trap and caught what was in there. Kept a little tablet to keep count, wish they had cell phones back then, would’ve had pics too. With today’s internet you could probably identify them, and go from there. Back then it was the library and local game wardens office. I wasn’t a basshead back then, just a curious kid with a summer to kill.

What she said, plus everyone one here on Bass Resource that I’ve learned so much from.

I scream “bite it you idiot” and when they don’t, I call them a stupid fish. Really, I speed up a little to mimic the bait trying to escape. Might give a little tip jerk too.

Congratulations….!!!

Wadding for river smallies, is what I cut my bass fishing teeth on. Actually, the first bass I ever caught was a river smallie, been hooked on bass ever since. Yep pun intended.

Is everyone using heat to fan them out?, or is there another way to fan them out?

Hi from the Sunshine State of Florida

Good vibes and thoughts heading to you and her.