basscrusher

Sir Snook- I caught 2 trumpetfish while I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii (I have no pics, sadly, as I was fishing alone and this was pre-camera phone days). When I got back home I spoke with my friend's wife, who is a native of Hawaii, and she said that was about the only species of fish her brothers still had not added to their long list of catches...and I catch 2 my first time there. Sorry for the hijack...

2 inch curlytail grubs on a 1/8 oz jighead. 1/4 oz if they are really deep. I always carry several colors, sometimes the hot color switches every hour or so. I always have black, white, and chartreuse, and usually either pink, red, or purple as well.

I use braided line extensively, and have used several brands (Spiderwire Stealth, Stren Sonic Braid, Power Pro mainly) but never original Fireline. With braid, I notice it tends to soften up after a few uses, and loses the wiry feeling. Does Fireline (not being a braided line) soften up as well? Or does it tend to retain its wiry nature?

Jigs and shaky heads (fished slowly) have produced quite a few fish from 3-5 lbs for me over the past couple of weeks. I've also been doing the evening deal -- fishing from 6 or 7 until dark.

I am VERY intrigiued by the swimbait...

Sam -- almost all pro basketball players are skinny. Much skinnier than people think. Even the ones who appear really muscular on TV are very thin and wiry. The average built players are even more wiry. For example, I once sold Christian Laettner some fish hooks (he's big into offshore stuff...mainly tuna). I couldn't believe how thin he was. He was listed over 240 at the time, but it was the skinniest 240 I could imagine. At the time I weighed about 220 but only stood 5'11" (and I was in good shape...big but active). Made me realize that 240 on a 6'11" guy isn't alot. The amount of running those guys do makes it so hard to put on weight. The rookies will bulk up for sure, but not as much as a casual observer would think.

It depends on what KIND of a gamble. One was a talent gamble, the other a health gamble. NBA draft history is full of both. I'm not really saying Sullinger should have been picked ahead of Leonard...I was just saying that at 22 (or whatever it was) Boston got a guy who was projected as a top 3 the year before. I'd take that chance any year.

As was stated before, football jigs are for rock cover. Get some with bullet-shaped heads for grass. My favorite is the Terminator Finesse jig (bullet shaped head and a thin, easily collapsible weed guard). I'm pretty serious about bass fishing, (been doing it for over 20 yrs) but jig fished finally clicked for me just this year. Most important thing I learned...when you feel a bite, swing hard. it's not like a worm where you can set the hook after a couple taps. When you feel the thump, he's got it. Set the hook and cross his eyes. Fish it slow, whether with slow hops or dragging.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a workaholic, a rare breed in today's NBA (actually, in basketball culture in general anymore). The comparisons to a young, pre-psychotic Ron Artest are valid. I also saw some nasty offensive moves in the tourney that reminded me of a young Cedric Ceballos (a former prollific scorer for the early-mid 90s Suns). I watched PJIII against Missouri and K-State in consecutive games this year, and he appeared very, very soft. I know other people felt the same. Big talent though. Sullinger was a gamble...but why not at that pick? If his back really is OK, he could be a major steal.

I have the Split shot and Jig-n-worm. The Split shot is NOT too light a rod for any plastics. It would be a medium power in any other brand. Since I got that rod, it has become my #1 spinning rod and I have caught hundreds (maybe more) of bass, including ones up to just under 6 lbs. No bass ever overpowered me on that rod. Nor have catfish appraoching the 10 lb mark. I fish mainly shaky heads on it and I do NOT have hook penetration problems (guess I should mention I also use 10-lb braid). The jig-n-worm is a great all around rod for plastics, jigs, buzzbaits, frogs, etc. For me, its a bit too stiff for cranks, but it will certainly throw them. It would also make a good rod for big spinnerbaits (1/2 oz to 1 oz). Those rods are a great deal.

I have watched bass attack snakes before, so I don't doubt that one would take a swipe at a small one. I have no experience with the new Doug Hannon snake, but back in the late 1980s Hannon put out a snake bait through Mann's Bait Co. I have caught several bass and pickerel on those (I still have some left) so I can vouch for their efficacy. The old one was more of a floating worm with a foam, snake-shaped head though.

Never heard of a scale getting stuck in there...but a broken spine? Yes, I have seen that. A general practitioner should be able to remove it, if you don't feel like waiting around with the circus in the ER.

I once hooked a beaver at night on a jitterbug (totally accidental!) At first I thought I had a monster bass until I heard the thing screech and do the tail slap. Luckily the hooks pulled free. Now if I throw a topwater at night I listen for a few minutes to make sure no beavers are nearby. I'm sure we've all been dive-bombed by bats while casting at night. I've had them actually run into my line, rod...even my head. Bats don't scare me, but that's freaky no matter how many times it happens. You never get used to that!

Scent is somewhat overrated. I know of a guy that used to fill up at the pump, then intentionally rub his gas-smelling hands on his plastics, just to prove a point. Then he'd catch fish on those plastics. At least that's what others told me who fished with this guy. Personally, I've had bass hit worms that sat in a bag that Deep Woods Off had seeped into. I've had them bite plastics drenched in my sunscreen, and I've had them bite lures that smelled like a brand new shower curtain when they came out of the bag. Besides, that overwhelming plastic smell is nothing some Gulp Craw spray can't fix! Spray into the bag in liberal doses and let marinate for a couple days.

That first one is about as bluegill as it gets. On the second, I like the color combo, as well as the amount of red. Too many lures are either ALL red or just a tiny dab of red. I think yours is more craw-realistic. Yea to both!

I get Tiny Ikas at Dick's...they have a good selection, at least a half dozen colors. It is about 3" and substantially thinner...not at all too beefy for UL gear. Dick's carries them in their panfish section. Also, hair jigs (esp. marabou) are great on UL gear. Stay away from weedguards...an UL will not have enough backbone to compress the weedguard when setting the hook.

Tiny Ika (by Gary Yamamoto) on 1/8 oz ball head. Green Pumpkin or black/blue. Yum craw papi (2.75") on same leadhead.

I would never flat out tell someone "stay out" when it isn't my own property, but I personally wouldn't want to get caught in that predicament. Especially when those lakes are mostly full of small (12" and under) bass. I have fished them before as a guest of a resident. Also, not scenic. Totally surrounded by condos and/or McMansions. Try Brittle. Its been tough for me, but I have caught some quality bass (2 pound range). A guy I know catches nice walleye from there, although I haven't been able to dial in on the walleye yet. Walleye are notorious night feeders, and Brittle has a very nice covered dock which would be great for night fishing. There is some access for most of the shoreline around the lake, albeit partly on wooded paths.

Brittle is tough...highly pressured. Shore fishing there stinks in my opinion, but boat rentals are available. Alder is a residential lake in Ashburn...Loudoun deputies and game wardens occasionally check for membership in the Ashburn Village HOA. They will probably step up the enforcement due to the high numbers of bucket fishermen hammering the Ashburn lakes.

I heard the same thing about that pond, so I checked it out a few months ago and it now has a no trespassing sign. Just FYI.

Awesome in grass. Pointed enough to slide through like a Texas rig, but rounded enough on bottom to give a stand up (shaky head) effect also. I use Slider Pro (beefed up hook) since I use braid almost exclusively. I use them for finesse worms and other thin-bodied plastics.

Zoom trick and finesse worms, and Old Monsters. Any reasonable color. I KNOW I will eventually use them up. Since March, I have gone through about 10 bags of finesse worms...and I keep using them even past the point whre the worm is all torn up...I just bite off the head and re-rig. If I used a fresh worm every time, I'd be up to 40 or 50 bags so far this year.

Both jobs are awesome. I like the red splatter effect...reminds me of my zombie movie collection. Seriously. Both will catch fish.

yep...

What kind of bottom is it, if you don't mind me asking? Also, how's the aquatic vegetation situation? Pond management interests me immensely...other than sending my daughter to college someday, my goal in life is to build my own pond. smallies are my favorite freshwater fish. Your post has me drooling!