K_Mac

FL central I have little interest in fishing live bait. If the big girls can't be coaxed into biting something artificial I'll take what can.

I agree completely! A 40 fish day, esp with a couple of 3 lb fish is a great time. Give me a day like that with my grandkids, and I am as happy as a man can be. A day with 5 fish over 5 lb is much more rare for most of us. My goal, with few exceptions is to catch the biggest fish available. I still get that charge of excitement when I put a good fish in the boat, and when I figure them out to the point I can put several in the boat there is great sense of satisfaction. For me, that is the challenge and joy of bass fishing.

Offering unsolicited advice on fishing styles, techniques, presentations, equipment, etc. should be avoided. Asking advice on any of these things is fine; telling a grown man what or how to do something unasked is what wives are for.

I have tried many of the others. I've been using P-Line CXX almost exclusively for the last year or two, but the last couple of spools have been more trouble than I'm used to. Thanks for the link. I will give the Mean Green a try.

You are either far better than me, or much more patient! I don't know how many times i have cut line off a reel, but it is way north of 2...I usually catch something in the boat, like the console, motor, another rod, light, etc, etc. etc...I don't even bother messing with them-I just cut and re-spool.

While I tend to prefer deeper water fishing, pitching to heavy cover is a proven technique for all seasons. When the fish are related to beds, being able to put your bait where you want is absolutely essential. When those beds are up in the woods great pitching skills can make all the difference. I fish with a guy who like JT above, pitches to impossible spots with rifle like accuracy. He catches fish that I simply can't. I am working hard to improve my skills because my fragile ego can only take so many whoppings . So, in summary, pitching well is an important skill any time bass are holding in heavy cover, which is pretty much anytime! I can't really say much about flipping. I don't much like it either.

NC, here is a link to a thread with a chart showing action: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/40141-extra-fast-vs-fast/page-2 Good luck!

NC, Medium is a power rating. Action is a measure of the speed of the rod. There are several good descriptions and charts showing this. Check out the search feature for more info. A Med power Fast action spinning rod and 12# mono should be adequate to get a decent hook-set with a T-rigged bait and those hooks, if you generate enough speed when you set the hook. With a proper sized octopus hook it should be plenty-just lifting the rod and applying pressure with the reel should work fine. If your baitcasting rod is Med or Med heavy, and Fast action the problem is likely technique. If the rod is slower or a lower power, then your equipment may be part of the problem. Check out this video to get some good info: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/texas-rig-video.html

Gamakatsu EWG hooks are not the problem. What rod and line are you using? What is your method of setting the hook? How are you hooking your plastics? Inquiring minds want to know!

Not all "birds nests" are equal! It is the ones that cause your line to kink in spots that cause damage and increase the risk of breaking off a good fish. Most of the time a slight overrun is not a problem, but I am very careful to try to avoid and feel for any signs of damage as I reel the line back on the spool. If there is any question I either re-spool immediately or retire the reel until I do. I have lost a couple of good fish because of line management issues in the last year or two. Life is too short to risk losing the fish of a lifetime in an attempt to save a couple of bucks.

I've looked at them a couple of times. I don't have a rod capable of handling the things though, and no budget for another combo. If you guys start killing them on 10XD's I will have to sell a kidney and buy one.

RW's right. Jones had a great run. He exemplified country music for me. The struggles and successes he had would have made for some good country songs. Come to think of it, they did.

Both of those combos should serve you well. My budget does not allow for high end gear, and I still manage to catch the occasional bass . Good equipment will make you better and is more fun to use, but it ain't required to be a good, or even great fisherman.

I agree that on a large body of water, esp one that is not familiar, concentrating on a given section of the water will save time and money. You can burn up a lot of both trying to find that perfect spot instead of taking the time to figure out where the fish are and what they want. Are they in clear water? stained? muddy? At what depth? Is current a factor? Tight to cover or relating to structure? Aggressively feeding or is more subtlety required? As you said, I've spent too many times running to a bunch of spots instead of making an informed decision and sticking to it.

The one constant I look for regardless of time of year is where the channel/deep water comes into contact with shallow water. Time of year will determine if that channel/deep water is up in a creek arm or down by the dam, and how close is a relative thing, but I always start there.

It really depends on the lake and conditions. A friend and I coach a local high school bass team. We fished our regional tourney yesterday. It was scheduled for last Friday, but postponed due to high winds. It was held at Rend lake in So. Illinois. Dave and I spent 5 days trying to find a pattern. Only 2 fish were caught in shallow water in the backs of creeks, deep in the brush. Dave is the shallow water specialist and concentrated on this while I spent much of my time exploring other options. Those 2 fish were all we caught leading up to yesterday. Was that a pattern? You bet it was. 5 boats caught fish yesterday and every one them were caught in similar spots (some of this conclusion is based on hear-say and conjecture, but I would bet the egg money I'm right even knowing that fishermen are notorious liars) Dave's team caught one of 7 fish brought to the scales from 18 boats. When the bite is really tough, 1 fish might be as good as it gets. I'll take 1 stupid fish every time...

As J Franco and others have said, get it close to the fish and they will bite. Close in murky/muddy water often means hitting them right in the face. Pitching/flipping tight to cover can get your arm broke. Be careful!

While I respect the passion and love for bacon, sadly I must choose cheese. My poor old heart would not be happy with mass quantities of either though.

I love this forum. We get many answers to our questions, and answers to questions that have not been asked! Trailer, You might be able to exchange the reel by mail. I would give them a call.

An interesting thread, although I figured it would have been locked by now. I agree completely that poaching is not in anyone's best interest, other than maybe the ones breaking the law. I have reminded other bass fishermen of the rules a time or two over the years with mixed reactions. Now if I see someone breaking the law I call the Hotline number and report it. Life is too short, and people are too crazy to risk a confrontation. It is easy to posture about how bad we are here in the safety of the interwebz, but my crazy pales in comparison to some out there. I am committed to promoting C&R, and controlled harvest. As Dirty Harry once said, "A man has got to know his limitations."

Your questions can not be answered simply fsu. Crankbaits, like many any other bait, can cover a huge range of applications. Putting the crank in the right spot is the easy answer. To do that you have to find where the fish are holding. Depth is a major key. Speed is also an important element. Cadence and color also are part of the puzzle. The answer to which is better, sqarebills or deeper divers is answered above. It depends on the fish! The truth that causes many of us to spend far more money on baits than makes sense, is there is no one crankbait (or any other bait) that works in all situations. Buy a few and learn to use them. There is much material here on site, and much more elsewhere to read how and when to fish all kinds of hard baits. Learn as much as you can and go fish! Having a rod rated for the weight of the lure and line, with a slower action is the standard answer to what rod to use. There are many rods designed for cranks, in all price ranges. Again, you will need to spend some time learning in order to make an informed decision. Good luck.

I have not thrown a Senko/knock-off much yet this year. I have tried wacky rigged on a weighted jig/hook (one of my favorite techniques) on a couple of trips with only a little success. I agree with ice and others though that when a Senko is what they want, then I will use a Senko. Diversity is good when it comes to fishing, and being comfortable with several techniques and styles will increase your ability to put fish in the boat. Good luck Comfortably Numb.

I don't know of any bluegill creel limits that are not more than 5. This "foreign couple" has every right to keep what they want within the limits of the law, and you have no right to mess with them. We are not justified messing with law abiding folks, and there is nothing funny about doing so.

I have learned the hard way not remove plastics from their original bags, unless it is to combine a couple of the same bait and color in one of the originals. You may be fine with it, but some colors will likely mutate into an unholy mess in my experience...good luck.

I'm with 38 on this. What we have seems to work pretty well, though if I were king we would have less individual forums than we now have. Glenn has been very proactive with keeping this site the best bass fishing site available. I'm good with that.