Spankey

Yeah I hear ya there boss. In September I'm anticipating a few nice fish and in October on and around Columbus Day if conditions are fishable I've historically had good days. I've developed a habit of calling in sick that day. And if it was not a good fishing day it still was a great day.

I use to do that when I was younger. Still have them. I enjoyed doing it. Fun to go back and read some of my scratch. I should have never stopped doing it. And I don't really know why I stopped doing that.

I wish I had two half a**ed shops near me. Local I have a Wally World and DICKS, frustrating to go to because they have a whole lot of nothing. I think across the country all WW and DICKS are not created equal. Some guys have good ones. It appears that BPS and Cabela's are into thier own house brands more than ever. Name brands they have priced through the roof. I'm not into that so I've put on a boycott. TW has been my on-line go to. For the most part I call my stuff in. There are a couple of guys there that are decent to talk to and helpful. Certain times of year with the holiday sales prices can't be beat. **F has worked out well but don't seem to use them. When I do a bit of a road trip to fish the lower Susquehanna I stop into SB&T on my way home. They are the best mom and pop shop I've ever been in. I think they are set up on-line also but have not tried that route. They have a nice selection of Robo Worm in the shop.

This is the exact scenario I believe I was in this past weekend. I fished back to back mornings in an area that had been holding some bigger bass. I felt they were there. I believe I was seeing them on the finder. 13-15 ft. of water. Had caught a few nice ones there prior. I had in my head that Drop Shotting, Split Shotting and Shakey Head was my answer to a few more nice fish in that area. I caught 22 bass over the weekend and couldn't stretch one to be more than 12". I had some big hits, very few, but hits bigger than the ones I've had hooked up. I have to believe they were the bigger fish there. A case where the smaller fish were more aggressive. Lack of not having hook up with those suspected bigger fish.......my fault.......I don't know. Not for the lack a trying. Don't feel I was asleep at the wheel. Maybe I should have switched tactics. Maybe threw a different plastic. Should have jigged fished the second day? Not sure. Two days of dinks and runts. Not like I've never been there before.

I agree with you 100% on baitfish/natural food source movement from season to season but this movement on a daily, weekly and monthly basis would be easier to find, identify and track if you could apply yourself on a more consistant basis on that single body of water. I fish a lake with an abundance of baitfish types. Alot of baitfish movement. But this movement of baitfish (clearly visible movement) is not always because they are being chased down by bass or other larger fish. I respect your opinions and posts. I know you spend more time on the water than I, I can't help that. I'm out as much as I can and applying myself and try to use the best tactics as I can.

I respect your opinion but I think you're off base when it comes to putting time in on the water.

I agree with you to some extent. Their skill and ability is unreal. They put in their time and efforts. But these are guys that spend the whole season every day fishing and practicing. No different than you being good at what you do on your job. Or somewhat the same. The majority of the guys on here are working stiffs that have an overwhelming passion for bass fishing. Who only have so many hours a week to spend on the water. Can most get out a bit more during that week? Probably but time will be minimal. I have to give credit to the weekend warriors who have progressed over time. Learned and applied what they learned over the years to be successful. Time is the big issue. Time on the water is what makes them good. I don't believe its because they are that much smarter. A lot more repetition and scenarios are in their heads.

It appears that the MLFers fish crankbaits more than they usually would, looking for reaction strikes. I think it has to do with catching numbers. I don't mean that in any negative way at all. KVD is all about the numbers. That's why he kicks butt in MLF. Pretty clear on an Elite event they set themselves up for bigger fish. I'm nobody. Just Joe Blow. But when I'm out I'm trying for the nicer fish. I don't like getting skunked anymore than the next guy. Especially when you know there are nice bass in the body of water. But I like to keep bass fishing fun also.

I generally don't grab much of anything out of that box but that's where I got my Grapplers shads from. Ive caught river smallies on them. They are not in regular use but they are great on a really tough day and to throw them as a change up. I felt good about it working that's why I picked up a few. If you don't feel it or lack confidence in it don't buy it. Some days they need to see something slightly different.

You must have a pretty big tank if you're looking to put a 12" Smallie in there. I would set set a tank up close to what their environment is like. Personally I would not do it. I don't see anything good coming out of it. But, I'm not a marine biologist. I know it would not be in my best interest to do. But it I do hope you have fun with your expirement. Good luck.

Do the dinks and runts hang with the bigger bass? Have the larger bass that I've caught in the last month staged themselves differently? Has pressure in the area have them locked jawed? I'm not sure. I'm pretty anal and when I get something in my head I go with it and stick with it until death. Sometimes I'm right. Sometimes I wrong. Saturday and Sunday I was wrong. This past weekend I felt my way to nice bass was going to be split shotting and drop shotting. My fish all weekend were 11"-12" bass. I had a few big hit. Hits bigger than these fish. I believe the nicer fish were right there near those runts. Maybe smaller bass shutdown differently. To original poster, great post also.

It's not like I don't buy anything during the season because I do. But I'm anal when it comes to rods and reels. Takes me forever to make up my mind, spend forever looking. Long winter out her in Penna. Have a lot of time. to search and buy. I thought there was a new generation of Ike rods coming out. Was willing to wait until I saw the new series. Over the past winter I was able to pick up a 6'10" in ML spinning that I've been using for drop shotting and split shotting. I love it. I didn't pay much more than this current discount on them. The rod is sort of chameleon like where it changes color but that doesnt bother me, just a superficial thing. I put a Revo spinning reel on it. I'm more than satisfied with that reel.

I'm kicking this reel around. Have seen it, touched it and mounted on a Abu rod I've been eyeing up also. This will most likely be a set up for next season. Have all winter to shop price, show prices, and discounts. Be a winter project. The slower gear ratio will make it perfect for crankbait fishing. Sort of waiting for the next generation of Ike rods to come out also. Good luck.

Not all lipless crankbaits are created equal. And of all crankbaits lipless have some of the tightest wobbles and swim actions. It may of had a slight shimmy and you may not even noticed it. Hang your line over one of the hooks, they generally flaten out sideway and come to the top of the water. I only fish mono and fluoro. Don't know much about braid and its effects.

Now that's a black beauty. Real Real nice!

Now I could be wrong on this but I think I read or heard all this talk about sun block levels and properties in fabrics is not all it's cracked up to be. I think there were comparisons made to some tee shirts and they were maybe at best slightly better. The stuff I own I bought because it was loose fitting and light and looked half decent. Being a river rat I'm most likely not putting this stuff through a really good test compared to you lake anglers that are taking a pounding from the sun. The most recent time of a lot of sun while fishing was on Lake Ontario and I didn't get burnt. I'm sure there are protection properties to the materials.

What's nice about the Guidewear hoodies is that little thumb hole thingy at the bottom of the sleeve that woman have on their clothes. They work great for me because my arms are a little short for my weight. Keeps the bottom of the sleeve from being in my palm.

I do not care for anything with a collar to fish in but I have stuff from Loomis and Cabela's Guide wear. Both are good stuff. Cabelas had a lot of that stuff on sale or clearance last year at the end of the season. Real cheap. When it's real oppressive hot I still believe the coolest thing there is as a cut off sleeves from a cotton tee shirt.

Guys thanks for the replies. I placed an order with TW and was able to get colors and jig heads I thought would well for me. Lean more toward dark colors. Ordered Chompers, Yamy's, Damiki's and the Keitechs. The Keitech I ordered were the Small Spiders. Never fished a 2" version. I'll stop past Wally World to see if they have those Arkie brand. The Wally Worlds I my area SUCK. They have a whole lotta nothing. I get frustrated going there. But they may have them and in frustration I've overlooked them. The CC Spiders are good stuff. Just feel the need to try something different but similar at the same time. Fishing these is is about my extent of jig fishing. I can't fish a skirted jig very well. A weak point, a crutch for me. A frustrating way to fish. The soft plastic version is basically grub fishing. I don't know. If skirted jigs are not for me oh well. Thanks for the help. Greatly appreciated.

Great post. It has me thinking about my black live well tub. My dark smallies remain dark possibly get darker and a lighter smallies tend to get darker. Some nice fish guy. I'm gonna try to post a few. I'm talking real dark. And you guys up north, more north than I, your smallies have a bit different coloration than the ones I catch in general. I see some of those Ontario Canada smallie pics and they are neat.

I've caught some really really dark river smallies over the years and these fish generally have come out of areas that were heavy grass and weeds. Bigger fish, older fish, later season. I've gotten nice size smallies off of sandy pea gravel that were a lot lighter in color. Maybe its a surrounding thing going on with coloration. I've caught lighter color Smallies and while they are in the live well they have darkened up to some degree. Maybe related to aggression. Early season prior to spawn some smallies seem to have a gold bronze color and lighter white bellies and side bars that don't show. I've seen a heck of a lot coloration difference in a six mile long stretch of the river I fish on any given day. I believe it has to do with their immediate surroundings and aggression level.

You're a lucky guy. Make sure you hold on to your wife. Great she supports your activities. My wife a good gal also, I don't hear any flack about fishing.

Hey guys I've been fishing Cabin Creek Spider Jigs what feels like 30 years. Maybe 20+. Long time anyway. The larger version, approx 3" size. There is no a lot of difference between the large and small so I've fished the larger with the profile difference being my reasoning. I do love these, I can only recommend them if someone was looking to try them. On a local scale I can't get them anymore for the most part. I've been doing it through TW, great place. I'm looking for another option or two to try. Just the manufacturers you guys have been satisfied with. I don't need to know your hottest color or patterns, I'm not fishing for that. The CC Spiders use the Spider Jig Head they brand, great for that two piece system. If you can suggest a jig head manufacturer that rigs your spiders good I'd appreciate the help. I'll buy it as a perfect fit. That's one reason CC fishes well. The jig matches the two piece spider perfect at least in 1/4 oz. and the large version of the two piece spider. I realize this is nothing new. But the CC Salty Spiders is all I've ever fished as a plastic spider. I want to give something else a try. Your opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

I hear that man. And along with the common courtesy these people are not there for the same thing as I. I'm there to accomplish something. To better my personal best. I'm sorry, that's why we are going. I would rather take a green horn guy, gal or kid and put on a learning/fishing clinic with someone who has never caught a bass and really wanted to catch one. I have done this and enjoyed myself and know they appreciated it. Others. Some have come along but I sense they really don't want to be there. I can sense that once I tell them to be at the ramp at 4:50 am. But with my daughters or grandsons it's different. I approach it different.

I'd ditch him in a heartbeat. A dead beat? But I prefer to bass fish alone. I enjoy getting my daughters and grandsons out. But that time is about them. I have two grandsons and they are just like that. Good kids. I help them out to have what they need. After I'm dead and gone they will have more then they'll ever need.