Bluebasser86

I've done it lots of times. I always say "I need to catch a fish to end on." I guess I figure that way I can at least fish until I catch another one!

That is a pretty good sized lake with very deep water that makes bank fishing difficult. I night fishing might not be a bad idea because the bass should be less spooky at night. Small finesse worms or other plastics in natural colors on light line/hooks/weights would probably be a good place to start. If there is big bass and they stock trout I wouldn't be shy about trying a trout colored swimbait either. Live bait is always a good bet in really clear water with spooky fish. I'd probably try a nightcrawler more if you've had success with it before. Crawdads would be another really good bet I'm sure. You say you can't catch one of the hogs out of there but you've caught a 6 pounder? Isn't that pretty much a hog for Wisconsin?

This a perfect time to stock up on them though! When the Curado B was discontinued I snatched several of them up and still have them and use a few of them often. I've bought a couple more of the E series since they are discontinued, they are a great reel for 139.00!

I've got the 6' 8" ML crucial dropshot rod and it is a very nice rod for dropshots but a little light for some other finesse rigs like a shakeyhead. The 7' 2" ML version seemed a little stouter though and would probably work fine for you. I think you would find the 2500 size reel a better option as far as size but the model is pretty much up to how much you want to spend, they are all good reels that would suit what you want to do with them.

I guess I should have included the baits I'm fishing. I've been usuing a variety of baits; Decoy 5" hydratail, Mattlures U2 bluegill, Jackall Giron, and the 4" Academy jointed swimbait to name a few. Most of the fish I've caught have been on the Academy or the Decoy bait but this one particular lake refuses to give up swimbait fish. I guess I need to mess with my retrieve a little bit and see if that makes a difference, I've mainly been using a stop and go or straight retrieve.

Another vote for Spro! The Scumfrogs are pretty good but I've had bad luck with the tails gumming up after one season of use. You might try a different hook with your horny toads. I use 4/0 gamakatsu EWG superline hooks that basically act like a keel and don't have any problem with rollovers.

Congrats on the good day and welcome to Kansas! If you want to find some lakes close to you check out Kansas Department of Wildlife's website www.kdwp.state.ks.us, go to fishing and choose where to fish in Kansas. I know there are some good lakes in your area. You won't find any with the size bass you may be used to in Florida but we do have pretty good variety! You might also check out a walk in fishing atlas. It's a program the state does where they basically rent private ponds from willing property owners. There are some pretty good ponds that you can fish if you take the time to find them!

Very nice smallie!

That little gator wanted your bait bad! I thought he was going to climb in the boat that first clip of him! Nice fish too!

I've had them catch baits out of the air skipping them under docks and tree limbs. Not really surprising since a skipping bait probably looks a lot like a skipping minnow or shad to the fish and once a baitfish is airborn it can't change directions like it can underwater so it's probably a fairly easy target for a fish.

Glad it's back up and running! I was starting to go through withdrawls I think!

Both topwater and plastic frogs are good bets. Paddletail or buzzworms unweighted or lightly weighted can be good. If there is any room between the pads weedless spoons and spinnerbaits can be good. Flipping plastics or jigs into openings in the pads can be really good, make sure to get out the heavy gear to do it though. One of the most important things to me in pad fishing is finding something different. If you have a huge pad field and you just start flipping every hole you come across it could take awhile to find the fish or you may never find them. If you find a slight drop in the bottom, a change in bottom composition, pads with deep water nearby, or pads mixed with wood or other weeds can all be great spots. Even if you don't have a boat you can sometimes see these spots by paying attention to the pads. If they get more sparse in an area or there is a bend or indention in the edge there is probably a reason. It might be rock or clay where they can't grow or maybe there is a sudden drop that is too deep for the pads to grow. Hope that helps!

One of the lakes that I want to try fishing swimbaits in normally only has a foot or two of visibility most of the time. The only reel cover in most of the lake is water willow along the banks and rocks. Not many points and a fairly slow drop to the bottom in most of the lake. The only features that really stand out are an island that comes almost to the surface in the middle and a steep drop along one of the only points and along part of the south shoreline. Most of the bottom is mud and farily shallow. I catch most of my fish now flipping the edges of the weeds and I've caught plenty of big fish so I know they're there. Problem is I've never managed to get a bite on a swimbait here. I've caught them on spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and cranks so I know they'll hit a lure that is moving a little faster. I'm thinking maybe they just aren't seeing it in time. The lake has big shad and lots of bluegills so other than the water color I can't think of any other reason that I can't get them to eat it.

I agree completely, I think I fish my baits too fast with a faster retrieve reels and can't feel my bait as well. With the slower retrieve I really feel what my bait is doing so I can get it down and keep it bumping along the bottom really well.

The Diawa Goldcast and Zebco Omega are both about as good as you can get in a spincast reel. My father-in-law had 2 Omegas that I've even used for bass fishing when I didn't have my gear with me and they performed very well other than being painfully slow for a guy used to 7.1 gear ratio. I know the Omega comes in a smaller sized that is prespooled with 6lb test I believe and should work fine with smaller lures and light line.

I really like all of them but the first and last are awesome colors!

I actually like it when they veer to one side or the other. Like bigbassctchr said use it to your advantage. Get parallel to a bank with overhanging trees or to a dock and cast past it and run it up under the cover where they don't normally see a buzzbait. Run it down a treeline and run it into the trees or off stumps and other objects. I can make my bait run around grass clumps and other things like a real baitfish would do if it's tracking to the side, it's a lot harder to do if it's running straight.

If you're fishing as a non-boater just stick with the basics and what you're comfortable fishing. I started fishing in a bass club when I was 16 and usually brought 5 or fewer rods and one bag that could hold 5 or 6 3700 size boxes. Some guys won't care how much gear you bring in their boat and are happy to share anything they have with you. Others would be mad if you brought one rod and only the bait tied onto it. Just bring a basic assortment of baits, nothing crazy unless it has produced for you on the body of water you're going too. I usually made sure that I had my go to baits first and then worried about adding on to that. If you really break it down in your head what baits you fish throughout the year it will probably amount to very few baits. Stick to a few colors that have produced for you in the past that you have confidence in. I'd say most importantly is have fun and pay attention to what your boater is doing. Even if you don't win make sure you make it a point to learn something every tournament. It's amazing how much you pick up and learn to do if you really pay attention to everything your boater is doing while you're on the water!

I love fishing ponds! If you find a good one like that they are a blast to fish!

A swimjig or a wake bait are both really good baits for me in the rain.

It depends where I'm at. Deep, clear water I'll usually go to a shakeyhead and slow down. Dirtier water I'll either slow way down with a jig or plastic bait or try coving lots of water with a spinnerbait,crank,trap, ect and look for aggressive fish.

Know a guy who stitched up his own arm after a bad fish filleting accident in the middle of no where Canada. Better be a lot of whiskey involved before I'd be able to do that!

Gotta love the days when its hot, humid, and windy when the wind feels like a hot hair dryer being blown in your face!

Big dark colored worms, jigs, spinnerbait, and buzzbaits. I've caught some big fish on a black Zara Spook but if you fish one at night or any topwater for that matter make sure you feel weight before you set the hook. Set the hook on the splash and you'll be trying to dodge a bunch of treble hooks you can't see .

Great bait that just doesn't seem to get much love, not that I really mind .