Bankbeater

I don’t like the taste of bass. I prefer panfish and catfish.

Congratulations!!

Over the years I have lost a lot of fish by grabbing the line. Now the only time I grab the line is if the fish is tired out and just basically floating there in the water.

15lb Big Game.

I've used 15lb Big Game on my baitcasting bass reels for years, so I bought a spool of 10lb for my spinning reels. On cold mornings I have to make short casts until the line limbers up. If I don't I will get a bunch of line twist and a birdnest or two. I usually don't fish with the same spinning reel each week, so even when it's warm out I need to limber up the line before I can make long casts or I'll get backlashes. @WRB and @Catt are both dead on about the memory.

A lot of times when I am working a crankbait over the tops of vegetation the rear treble will snag on a piece of plant and stop moving. When I am trying to pull and shake the bait loose, I'll get a strike.

Depending on how the bass is hooked, a 8 or 9 pound bass will fair much better than say a 1 or 2 pound bass.

I have better luck with the tiny torpedo. Natural leopard frog and clear are the two best colors I have.

It could be a combination of anything listed above. Wind is a big problem for me. I've spent days where I've fought the wind more than I fished.

My two girls would always want to bring the sunfish and bluegill home. I would tell them that the lake is there home and that's where their family lives.

I use straight 6lb mono on my drop shot / split shot rig.

I don't think I have ever used a trailer on a spinnerbait. On the other hand I always have a trailer on a bladed jig.

You can give it a try. I’ve never fished with a bubblegum crankbait only with flukes.

Keep the jitterstick and fish with the rest of them.

Around here if the bass are hitting suspended jerkbaits, then starting and stopping a crankbait usually will work.

I like a bubblegum weightless fluke in the spring. Usually in clear water, but it will work in stained and murky water also.

I fish the grape colored 9" worms with a 4/0 hook and weightless if there is no wind.

I do much better fishing with moving baits this time of year. Lipless crankbaits, shallow running crankbaits, and spinnerbaits catch most of my bass. Nice video!

I carry pliers, line cutters, wire cutters for hooks, folding Buck knife, set of screwdrivers, set of wrenches, and some forceps. I used everything listed at least one time last year.

Watch out for the smaller tributaries. When the rivers backfill into them those creeks, and small rivers can rise very fast.

Wow looks great.

I use to always watch the races until about 20 years ago. Now if a race is on I just flip channels back and forth.

Glad you didn't get hurt too bad.

Most of my reels are 7:1.

I would work those clumps of vegetation that come up to the surface. I'd start by running a spinnerbait, lipless crankbait, or shallow crankbait right by them at different speeds. If that didn't work I would let a jig or a t-rigged plastic fall right alongside the vegetation.