Bluebasser86

I love Tatsu, but wouldn't want to use it for everything, even if it was free. The thought of using fluoro for topwater gives me nightmares. Not a fan of fluoro for much other than bottom contact baits really. Some of the best stuff out there for bottom fishing baits though. Either, both are good. I was really disappointed when Wal-Mart discontinued it.

I've never really experienced fish abandoning regularly productive areas like that. I have my fair share of "I caught them good here once or twice so I check it out occasionally", spots, but good spots are good for me year after year. I think think the main think has been to change up baits also. I can't keep going back to the same spots with the same baits every year and keep having the same production. It's often as simple as switching to a different color of my normally productive bait. Only spot kind of like that I can think of is a point at the power plant lake I fish in the winter. Some winters it's hot, some it's not, but it's never really been a consistent spot in the first place so hard to put it in that category.

I usually cast right back with a wacky rig or Ned rig. It's a pretty high percentage either way of getting them to come back and bite a second time.

Hi-SEAS Grand Slam

Quick bank fishing trip this morning, well partially. I'd spotted the plopper my last trip to this spot and had to come back with my lure retriever to get it. Had to wade into the water waist deep to get it, and once I was there I spotted the Chug Bug on the backside of some limbs also. Barely able to get it since it only had 2 hook points left on the front hook and nothing left on the back.

I like P-Line, but fluoroclear is hot garbage.

The process of elimination takes a lot longer on big reservoirs. The adage that 10% of the water holds 90% of the fish is true and that leaves a whole lot of empty water to eliminate. Ideally, you can cross it off without having to fish it, but it doesn't always work that way.

Welcome!

Depends on the jig I'm using, but my favorite all around is an Okuma TCS 7' 3" H/F. It's way overrated on the specs IMO. It's more of a MH/F and there's no way it'll handle the 2oz it's rated for, 1.25oz would be pushing it. It's sweet spot is that 3/8-5/8, maybe 3/4oz range, where most dressed jigs live at.

Mmmm, long pig.

Also, catfish have excellent eyesight. Their eyesight is so good that their eyes are used in medical research. They tend to live in turbid environments, which is probably why they've gotten the rap for having bad eyesight, but it's simply not the case at all. They're extremely sensitive to vibrations, using their swim bladders and otoliths to detect vibrations and sounds. They're much more sensitive to sounds and vibration than a bass is because they have no scales to deaden the vibrations traveling through their skin to vibrate their swim bladders (where sound and vibration detection starts in a catfish). Lastly, they can also detect electromagnetic pulses given off by muscle movements of living prey items. This is likely very useful in tracking prey in dirty water and further proof that they're in fact very predatory animals.

Well this was fun, LOCKDOWN!!

Broke off a lipless on a point while I was bank fishing once, XR50. Went back in my boat the next day, got snagged for a second and it popped free, using a different color XR50. Reeled in what I thought was small stick, found I'd caught my lost bait by the hook. Still have it several years later too.

Catfish are not strictly bottom feeders and not at all scavengers. They're very active, apex predators not at all unlike bass. It's not an accident when one catches a crankbait, jig, spinnerbait, or topwater, they were actively hunting it down. The most successful catfishermen aren't sedentary either, they'll set up on a spot for 10 minutes, 30 minutes tops on a prime area, before moving on. If fish are around they will find your bait. Fishing a dropshot rig for catfish is more of a dock fishing or boat fishing method. Catfish's mouths are very sensitive and the feeling of dragging a sinker along behind them can cause them to spit your bait out. Personally, if I'm on a the shore I'd go with a C-rig, bobber rig, or cast weightless chunks of cutbait and fish them like you would a plastic worm for bass (something I call bass fishing for catfish).

Welcome!

Welcome!

I threw one down there last time I was there on Sunday of Memorial weekend. Caught a nice 16.5" largemouth my first cast and a 15" smallmouth my second cast with it, never got another swirl. All my biggest fish ate swimbaits, either a 5" Bull Shad or a 4" Swimming Shiner.

They do usually have a distinct bite, but this one thumped it hard, then just walked off with it slowly just like a big bass. Usually they hit it and run off really fast (channel cats and blues), or hit it extremely hard and just sit there (flatheads).

They're close, a tad more durable but not as hard or tough as a BPS Stick O or YUM Dinger. The flat sides give a very nice wobble and flutter on the fall. I think they probably sink just a tick slower than a Senko maybe, but I'm not ever fishing them deep when they're weightless so that's not a big issue.

Is it the spinning cranking rod? I've got a few casting rods I use for bigger, more standard sized cranks, but I fish 1.0s and #5 shad raps a lot on a spinning rod and not many companies make a spinning rod geared towards cranking.

The welds look nice. That jack looks like a knuckle breaker, like there's barely room between the boat and where your hand would be when you're turning it anyways.

I'm just a few years ahead of you, it's not so bad.

So much I want to say. This past week has been hard. So many emotions, so many feelings and having to hold them inside even more than normal. Just trying to hold onto hope that something positive comes out of it.

Haven't had a fish fool me as bad as this on did in a long time. I even saw it's back early in the fight and still thought it was a big bass.

Seaguar Tatsu or Flippin Fluoro are what I use. I wish they made either/both in 17lb, that's my preferred size for most pitching duties.