Bankbeater

I’ve spent the most on the rods I use for jigs and soft plastics. The rods I use for moving baits aren’t necessarily cheap, but they are less expensive. I don’t need a lot of sensitivity for crankbaits, but I don’t want the rod to break either.

Nice going! Flukes will work when no other bait will sometimes.

In the ponds I fish the bass usually come up after a walking bait, jitterbug, or popper. The problem is that the fish will not be hitting all three baits, maybe just one or two. Buzzbaits and frogs are last on my list since the bass see those on a daily basis.

If the wind is blowing then I am staying home. If the water is not frozen over and I have a day off then I will be out on the water. This is the time of year I like to drive a couple of hours south to catch smallies out of the small rivers.

The last three times I have been fishing a front has moved through a day or two before. In those three trips I have only gotten one bite, and I missed that one. We are expecting a dusting of snow tomorrow, so it looks like this weekend I will be putting together the cold weather tackle bag. Bluegill and crappie until February or March I guess.

I’ve had big cat before that just swam off into the deeper water. Sounds like you didn’t have it hooked so it wasn’t reacting to a hook. My guess is you either pulled the bait out of it’s mouth or the fish spit it out after a while.

That is crazy! Those numbers are outstanding!

I only took the picture. Nature did the rest.

As long as I'm not punching I use a mh/f 6'6" St. Croix premier rod for jigs from 1/8 to 1/2 ounce.

Welcome aboard.

Jig and a t-rigged plastic worm. When the bass hits the jig the first time I just let it sit and the bass usually comes back and picks it up. Then I set the hook.

I like all of them. Nothing beats a chilled apple when you are out on the water in the fall.

I've heard of using a heavy weight to keep the crankbait down on the bottom but never heard of t-rigging a crankbait. Sounds very interesting.

White pearl and watermelon seed salty super fluke. I also use bubble gum, and baby bass, but the first two colors are my go to colors.

I use 10# mono with jerkbaits, and if I see the spool getting loose I will cast out as far as I can and then reel the bait back in. It's the same thing I do with flukes and topwater poppers.

With the ponds around here, you can have the temps holding around 45 degrees all day and catch one bass after another. You have a day that starts out at 35 degrees and warms up to 70 degrees, and those same bass get lockjaw.

I'd say you were lucky. My Dad dropped a rod in water that was about 4' deep, but with coontail growing in it. We tried dragging for about 15 minutes before giving up. Those weeds just swallowed that rod.

Milfoil maybe. It doesn't look like the coontail around here.

Congratulations!

I usually throw a topwater until the end of October.

Congratulations!!

I would fish it. The vegetation may not have bait in it, but there could be a bass hiding inside the mat somewhere.

Pond fishing here has been slow also.

I buy from BPS when I have gift cards, otherwise I go to Tackle Warehouse.

If the weather has been consistent and the lows are down in the 40's I will be out at first light. Anything else and I will take my time and hit the water around mid-morning.