Bluebasser86

So do you mean what to do when you miss one on a hookset with a shakeyhead? Or what to do if a fish bites it and drops it? If you miss one on the hookset cast back, they'll hit it again sometimes. If they pick it up and drop it then try shaking it in place for a few seconds then let it sit motionless. It looks like a prey item that just had the dying shivers and is now an easy target laying on the bottom. If that doesn't work you might try a different color or adding some scent to your bait, there was something that the fish didn't like about your bait that caused them to drop it.

A simple color change can make all the difference at times. I had fish doing the same thing with a chartruese with chartruese trailer, switched to a white with chartuese trailer and they started swallowing the thing. They're talking to you, you just have to listen to what they're saying

For me if it's safe light I'm getting there late. I have caught most of my biggest fish from about 10am on but the number of quality fish I catch is way higher at night-9am during the summer months. Once the water cools off you can sleep in and during the winter there isn't really a point to being on the water before 9am.

I use the technique you're talking about and have fished with some of Ned's group that help develop the technique, light braided line with a 6 or 8lb fluoro leader is the way all of them fish even in the clearest of water. If you're really wanting to fish a fluoro main line just fish 6lb, no reason to drop down to 4.

The finesse worms are great on a split shot rig or C-rig because they float. I like the flipping craw for a jig trailer because the claws float and it slows the fall down a little. You can easily catch 10 or more fish per bait and those pesky bluegills and sunfish won't bite the tail off your worms anymore.

Hot, soapy water and a scrub pad is how I clean mine if it's just algae and grime. Stains I use a magic eraser. Replace the split rings and as long as it hasn't started taking on water you should be good to go again.

I'm a big fan of the cavitron also. The Zell pop is my favorite popper by a long shot. I'm starting to like the Spro popping frog more and more too. I doubt you'll find the Cavitron at Bass Pro, we have 2 close by and neither one has ever carried them.

I've done really well with the 1.5 baits and fish them a lot. I've done pretty well with a series 5 too. I change the hooks out on all of them though.

I caught one flipping a tube once that when I set the hook the bend of the hook wedged behind it's tooth pad on it's bottom lip and the hook eye was stuck against the roof of it's mouth, basically had it's mouth propped open with the hook and it was wedged in there so hard that I fought it to the boat and even swung it in without it ever actually being hooked.

Glad to see that fish with the banshee in it's mouth. I bought one last fall and haven't had a sniff on it yet even though it looks great. I guess I need to keep tossing it and see if I can find one like that. Nice fish!

Is it the vehicle pass that you put on your windshield to get into state parks? If so then you're good to go for the vehicle pass and ramp fee in the state park where we're going from, you'll just have to pay for your camping spot.

Hit Wyco today from 8-noon. Fishing was tough! After an hour I was still working on my first fish. Lost a big smallmouth on a shakeyhead, might have been bigger than my 4lb 3oz smallie from last year. Next fish was a 15 inch smallmouth,then a 17 inch smallmouth. Caught a short largemouth on the shakeyhead then a 17" smallmouth. Next fish was was my biggest of the year from wyco this year, 18" and 3.12lb largemouth on a pitboss in the weeds. A couple casts later I busted off another largemouth in the 17" range doing the same thing. I caught one more short largemouth and called it a day. Of course I caught some nice ones today, I forgot my camera!

Congrats Jeff!

Sounds like a good day. My best inside source said last report he had was tough but he wasn't sure the guy he got the report from knew much about what he was doing. Just so everyone knows, since there are two ramps in the state park, We'll be going from the East ramp, the one closest to the dam. The wife and I spent the weekend at Milford with some of my family and had a blast! We were the first two there Friday night. We threw the tent up and cooked some hotdogs and still had half an hour before dark so we dropped the boat in and fished around the boat ramp cove in a couple spots I knew had some good fish. We were on fish immediately. My wife caught a big crappie, a little wiper and a little largemouth. I caught this chunky 16 inch largemouth on a popper. Flipped into the same spot with a football jig and got thumped by this 18" largemouth. . Caught a couple small smallmouth before we called it a night. Next morning was chilly! We started in the same area and it was way slower. I caught a couple smallmouth and small wipers. Tossed a trap at some wipers and was surprised by this 17" greenie. Most trips I don't catch a single largemouth but not the case this trip! We went to the dam and I spent most of the next 2 hours unhooking my wife's fish. She was kicking my butt from the back of the boat. This is one of her biggest smallmouths and one of 2 keepers she caught. They weren't all bass either. She got worn out from catching fish I guess and decided to lay out in the back of the boat for awhile. I throw netted some shad to drag behind the boat while I was fishing for smallmouth to try to get a big wiper. First fish was a goldeye, looked like a little tarpon except they have teeth! Little ways further I heard a clunk behind me and turned around to see my rod folded in half and line burning off the spool. A nice fight and I got this 4.89lb wiper in the boat. I ended up with 59 bass Saturday and my wife outfished me bad, not sure what her final numbers were but I know I unhooked way more of her fish that I did mine. Sunday I went out by myself in the morning before the forcasted storms that never happened rolled in. I got a couple pretty nice smallmouth at 17 and 16.5 inches. I really liked the colors on the second one. Spent the rest of the day catfishing with my aunt trying to catch her some dinner. Not much luck but one small blue and one small channel should be enough for 2 people I hope. Had a blast for sure!

Jigs and beaver style baits trick worm on a shakeyhead If I can't catch them on one of those 3 baits there's a good chance I'm not going to catch any fish.

probably just have get a spot when you guys get down there. Shouldn't be a problem, the campground is huge and it isn't a holiday.

It has been awhile Red! Congrats on the house, my wife and I just had our offer on our first house accepted today ourselves!

Love their trebles, never tried their worm hooks or shakeyheads. That sucks to bust a hook like that.

I've driven past the lake you're talking about I believe, right off I-70 to the north with several brushpiles or standing trees visible from the road? I've looked on google earth to try to find a name of it also and have had no luck. It looks public but every time I've been by it I haven't had time to drive around it or anything.

Thank you to all the brave men and women that have served, are serving, or will serve their country! Without them we wouldn't be able to enjoy this great pastime that we all enjoy so much.

Catfish can handle really dirty water and low oxygen levels, way worst than most other fish can deal with.

I'd feel naked without at least one spinning rod in my boat. They aren't right for everything but there's some things that they do so much better than a baitcaster.

I have several baits that are my "go-to" baits I can usually count on to catch a couple fish for me. I've got an Xcalibur Zell Pop and a couple XR50 rattlebaits with almost no paint left on them, same thing with a couple LC pointers and some squarebills.

Redbug is a great color around here in dirty or stained water. Don't use cherryseed much anymore but I've done pretty well with it before.

Small bass will steal your pinchers too. I set the hook anyways. I'd rather loose the claws on my bait than pull it away from a light biting big fish. I don't remember who it was that said it but someone on here called a clawless Rage craw a "Rage Turd". On a bad day I'll have Rage Turds all over the bottom of the boat