deep

Whatever length you're comfortable with. It has nothing to do with your height.

How would a novice go about achieving these two seemingly contradictory things at the same time?

I hope these aren't the same fish that speak only once every 12-15 hours?

Well, I don't like to night fish. So I need crutches like premium fluoro and holding/ feeling the line.

I fish 3/8 oz jigs on a 3 power Loomis 893 JWR. 1/2 oz jigs in *light* cover is probably doable. You would want a different rod for heavier jigs/ heavier cover.

Why are we thinking about snags? We should think about catching fish. Spring up, fall down. Actually, try both until the fish tell you what they want.

Are you talking about single piece musky gliders?

Here's a little test I try sometimes (probably totally unscientific). Cast your favorite bottom bumping bait (jig. T-rig, whatever it is) out to the depths. Don't count it down, don't watch the line. Can you feel the bait hitting the bottom? Through your rod? What if you hold the line between your thumb and index finger?

Okay, so if you can't feel bites on a $100 rod, a top end rod won't be of much more help. My rods range all the way from cheap house brands and 10 year old models to much newer and much pricier ones. I don't have trouble catching fish on any of them- with mono, copoly, fluoro, or braid. Sure some are more sensitive, more balanced, more pleasurable (is that grammatically correct?) to fish with; but feeling bites is never a problem. In any case, a spool of Tatsu is much cheaper than even the cheapest rod that anyone can suggest. Sometimes it's not the arrow.

Absolutely. This rod never ceases to amaze me. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117120-nrx-is-awesome/

Brock, Pizz, Kevin and a few others. Post on the Swimbait Universe group (facebook).

7'6" light-MH fast He3 7'5" MH extra-fast NRX (893C JWR)

Been on a good jig bite in the last few days, so I fished the Helium3 and the NRX side by side. Same line (12# Tatsu), same 3/8 oz jig, same trailer. The NRX is magic. The Helium3 is almost there, but not quite. The crispness of the NRX is amazing. I do like slightly slower action of the Helium3 a little better though. No problems detecting bites/ cover/ structure with either rod of course.

Curado G/I, used.

How do you guys manage to lose so many hardbaits anyway? In 4 years of big baiting, I have managed to lose ONE hardbait- a strongbass. Use softbaits for bottom bumping. I will admit that I've lost a couple hundred bucks in hudds though, and had to go swimming a few times to save hardgills, 250s and the like. Occupational hazards of fishing from the shore. No big deal. For you bass boat guys, you do know they make plug knockers, right?

I should add that I don't fish spinning gear, and fish 12# Tatsu. I fish jigs a LOT; unweighted plastics hardly ever. IMO, the hardest bites to detect are the ones when the fish eats my jig off the bottom on a long cast and just sits there quietly munching on it. Of course it's not going to keep munching for ever, and I have only a fraction of a second to detect the bite and set the hook. Almost as difficult to detect are the jig bites on the fall when once again the fish doesn't take off with the bait, and just sits there. The thump of the jig hitting the roof of the fishes mouth is the only indication I can hope to feel. Sometimes, I'll see a slight tic or a jump of the line. If the fish actually swims with the bait, I can at least see the line move. My most memorable catches are actually the ones when I set the hook *without* seeing or feeling anything. Instinct I guess. Like I said, I fish jigs a LOT.

.. and it's not a Mustad.

I have absolutely zero problems with fluoro, and much better slack line sensitivity and abrasion resistance. Easy choice for me. Braid is for slop and top waters.

Been on an awesome jig bite lately. There's absolutely nothing I like better than when they eat jigs on a long cast on or near the bottom. 41 keepers in ~10 hours on the water (3 trips), all over 13", none over 16" unfortunately. All on my walmart one dollar special jig (heavily modified of course). A Hudd68 type bass (wish I was clever enough to come up with that). These little fish pull SO hard. This fish at least has the length to girth ratio in its favor! Think I'll take a break for a few days.

Killing them!

Job well done!

Perfect!

Using live bait is just as much an art as fishing artificials. It is so much more than throwing out a half dead nightcrawler and drinking beer until a poor fish takes a bite. I don't do the live bait thing (personal choice). Y'all ever hear of Bob Crupi? P.S. Bill Murphy's book has a lot of stuff on crawlers, crawdads and shiners. Read it and you'll see the intricacies.

Found a little nugget of gold hiding in my fishing folder. Thanks to WRB/ Tom Young. // START QUOTE Have ever wanted to know where the big bass go after the spawn? During pre spawn and the actual spawning cycle we read about and catch big bass, however following that period the lake seems to swallow up these big bass until next season. Occasionally one is caught, usually at night. The answer to that question is both simple and complex. Big bass are never far from their preferred prey and depends on the lake classification and of the type of bass you are targeting. Where I fish in highland deep reservoirs, big bass establish home zones in 15 to 35 feet of water. The reason for this is that is where the thermocline is located and big bass seek the most comfortable water temperature that has good DO levels and offers both security and prey. Where is this location on your lake? Outside water with structure and cover that holds prey and gives the big bass the advantage to easily catch the prey they seek. The big bass hold in there home zones and move up toward the shore line at dusk and roam at night. Largemouth bass will move up to shallow water 2 to 10 foot depth, smallmouth tend stay a little deeper on isolate structure near break lines and spots tend to move up to gravel or rocky breaklines. All big bass like to locate near wood on deep breaks. Where do you fish during the late spring, summer and fall? if it is not outside, you may not be fishing the right locations. Only a few lures can work below 15' depth and represent the prey bass are targeting. Swim baits, jigs, slow rolled spinner baits and big plastic worms are the type of lures that catch the majority of big bass during the off season. Tom // END QUOTE

Is there a thermocline there yet?