Sam

Freshwater fish can feel the change in barometric pressure and they feed heartly before the cold front approaches. When the cold front arrives they hunker down and since they have already eaten their fill, they do not get active again for about 24 hours after the front has passed and the weather conditions stabilize. With that said, we had a cold front pass through Richmond, Virginia last night with some light rain and this morning at 5:50 AM and I caught the 6+ pound female in the local pond on a black buzzbait. I then proceeded to catch four more bass on Senkos during the hour I was fishing. So, although the fish do hunker down when a cold front passes and eat their fill there is still no rule set in stone about cold fronts. You can find more information on cold fronts in various publications, too, so read up on them and educate us all in the forum. Just go fish and see what happens and put your adventure in your memory box for future reference.

Ryan, welcome. I go to the Indy 500 each year and the people of Indiana are great. I also hope your fishing is better than Hoosier football and basketball!!!! ;D

OK, I reread your post and here is what I do. I remove the existing bullet weight with the rubber tubing in it and put it on my tackle box. I take a new weight and peg and repeg the weight. When I get home, I remove the rubber peg without any line in the weight with the end of a paper clip extended straight out. I put the end fo the paper clip in the front of the weight and give it a push to get the back of the rubber peg to move out from the weight. I then take a tweezers or my fingernails and remove the rubber. Weight is good as new. However...if you are using a tungston weight there is a plastic liner that can be removed easily so you can remove the peg from it if it falls out of the weight. Just play around with it and see what works best.

Ok, Darren, let me get this straight. After you pull the rubber through the bullet weight you want to remove it and use it again? That small little piece of rubber with the flat end on it? I have never done this because it may be very difficult to use the small part of the rubber insert in another weight and I would think it would be very difficult to reinsert it again in another bullet weight. The reason is you will be trying to take a very small piece of rubber and insert it into another weight without the option of pulling the long rubber tube through the new weight. I would think you would need a pin or a paper clip to force the rubber back into another weight. This could damage your line. I believe you would need to use a tweezer or a knife blade to get under the flat portion of the rubber peg and remove it although if part of the tube is showing and you have already cut off the flat end then you could pull it back with your teeth or a pliers. The rubber inserts are cheap so I suggest buying a lot of them. Or use a toothpick to peg your weight. Or go pegless. And how are you pushing the rubber insert throught your bullet weights? From the front or back of the weight? I pull it from the back of the weight so the flat part can rest agains the back of the bullet weight. I would also think you may damage your line trying to pull the rubber insert out of your weight. I hope I read your post correctly. If not, give it another whack.

Put that in your suitcase when you fly and I guarantee a search of your luggage will be performed after they see it on the X-ray machine. Looks like a pipe bomb to me.

Rolo, I agree with you on the hollow frogs taking in water. I just finished "glueing" the bottom of one of my Scum Frogs to help stop the water from seeping into the frog's body. I love the Ribbit's action but so far no takers. Horney Toads are very good when fished above the grass for me in rivers. I have two SPRO frogs but have not thrown them. I also have two Brarinski (spelling?) frogs which I have not thrown. I may throw that Ribbit tomorrow morning just to see if I can get a hit. I love buzzbaits and would rather throw one of those but sooner or later I have to throw that Ribbit to gain confidence in it.

When fishing ponds I usually average 3 bass per half hour. Sometimes more; sometimes less; but 3 each half hour is about my average. Tonight I caught 3 once again. One nice 2 pounder and two 1 pounders. All in about 30 to 35 minutes. I could have caught more but I was experimenting with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and drop shotting and did nothing so I went to a Zoom finesse worm and nailed the three. You know, it really does not matter how many you catch. All that matters is that you try and experiment and get some confidence in your arsenal of lures and techinques. I know I can murder them on a wacky Senko - any color. So why keep throwing that rig when I need to continue to get better fishing other baits and techniques? Now, on a lake or a river, who knows. I have caught three within an hour and then I have been known to be skunked for 8 hours on the water. But no matter what happens fishing is better than going to work or school!

I no longer swim in any water where I cannot see what is seeing me.

I know you threw in the grass and around the boat docks but what did you use? Texas rigged plastics? Senkos? Spinnerbaits? Buzzbaits and other topwaters in the AM? Placing 2nd is super. And a 4 pounder in Aquia Creek is fantastic. Sorry you missed her. Thanks.

Yellowcard, Welcome to the best forum on the internet. Just post your questions and be sure to save them in a special folder for future reference. Please consider rigging up your Texas rig just like you are ready to go fishing and throw it into the water. And see how it feels. When your bait feels DIFFERENT you have something on. Be it a bass, bream, weeds, catfish, tree branch or whatever, SET THAT HOOK HARD. Throw your T-Rigged bait out and WATCH YOUR LINE. Keep the pole up around 11 o'clock so you can see where your line hits the water. Run the line from the reel OVER YOUR INDEX FINGER towards the rod tip to feel for the tap-tap-tap. When you move your bait with the twitch of the rod tip be ready for a hit. Be ready as the bait falls. Remove all excess slack in the line and keep that rod tip high. When the line moves or you want to set the hook drop your pole to point at the bait, reel in the slack, and set that hook HARD. Remember, IF THE BAIT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT SET THE HOOK. Tuesday night I was fishing on my way home when I thought I saw the line move every so slightly. I put pressure on the Senko and it was heavy. I was not totally sure I had a fish on so I let him run with it a little more. Then I set that hook. But I was too late, The bass had almost swallowed the hook and it took me forever to get it out. The fish survived but I was upset at the time it took to remove the hook and it was my fault as I did not set the hook when I first felt the heavyness of the bait. So 1) always watch your line as it enters the water and when it goes in any direction set the hook; 2) be ready for a bass to take the lure as it falls on the cast; 3) put that line coming off your reel over your index finger go feel for strikes; and 4) if the weight of the bait does not feel like it should then set that hook. Use a light bullet sinker and peg it. Use a 1/0 or a 2/0 Extra Wide Gap hook or straight shank hook. If there are big bass in your area go to a 3/0 size hook. Just go and fish and you will get the hang of it. And remember to wear sunscreen and a cap and be ready to have a heart attack when you hook that big one. It is so much fun fighting those fish and seeing their beauty and power.

Man, do I *** you. I would love to have something like that happen to the local pond around where I live. Remember to throw your baits may times and from different angles. From all angles. From every angle you can. All of the above baits will work. Dont' forget your Chatterbait. Don't forget to pitch and flip into the structure with a Texas rigged plastic worm and a sinker just heavy enough to obtain a good fall or a Senko rigged Texas style or weedless wacky. Start with a buzzbait in the early AM or late evening parallel to the trees. Then throw your crankbaits and spinnerbaits and follow up with a weedless wacky Senko or a T-Rigged Zoom finesse worm of your choice. Don't forget your Scum Frogs or other frogs, too, being pulled around the trees. Watch for the bass hitting the baitfish in and around the trees and throw a topwater like a Pop-R or a Spook to the outside of the structure. Throw everything you have but rotate it as the bass will be accomstomed to your baits and avoid them if you throw only one or two presentations. And be ready to lose some baits. Thats structure fishing. Have fun and be sure to let us know how you do.

Me, too. Had to cut the line.

Rolo and bpm nailed it for you. To continue your education please purchase one or all of these productions, in this order: ProvenSpinnebait Techniques by Kevin VanDam from Bass Pro Shops OUtdoor World Video Library. Teaching Succsss with Spinnerbaits by Gerald Swindle from Eagle Productions in Jasper, Alabama. Hank Parker's Ultimate Guide to Spinnerbaits by Hank Parker, www.hankparker.com. I like some of Hank's suggestions but there is a lot of "filler" in this video that wastes a lot of time. However, you can't go wrong with anything "Hank Parker." VanDam is super. Swindle is excellent. You will learn a lot by watching these videos and DVDs.

Why not? The molecules are probably not water soluable so they won't smell it anyway. If it gives you more confidence then use it. I put scent on everything I throw, even topwaters. Why? Because. It makes me feel more confident although the oil based scents cannot be noticed by the fish due to their not being water soluable. And I smell great on the way home in the car, too!

Check out Ike's DVD, Tactics for Tough Conditions. It is a great resourse for drop shot rigs. And he shows you how to rig the drop shot.

Yes, sunscreen is a pain but it can save your life. A friend, the father of a 3 year old girl and twin 1 year old boys, went to the family doctor for a bump on the bottom of his foot. The doctor told him it was a Planters Wart and he sprayed the thing for 6 months before the doctor said it was not getting better and told my friend to see a dermotologist. The dermotologists took one look at it and performed emergency surgery in her office. It was skin cancer. It has spread through his lympth nodes and he is now undergoing chemo. We are all pulling for him and he has taken the position that he has about 10 years at best depending on the success of the surgery and chemo. I grew up in Louisiana and looked like a lobster durig the summer and on weekends when we went fishing so I am now using more sunscreen and checking myself all over for skin cancers. The dermotologist told my friend that the cancer attacks the weakest part of your skin, no matter where it may be. Like the bottom of your foot or in your arm pit area. Not good news but we all have to be cognizant of this killer and take steps to avoid it.

John, Check your PMs. Sam

I think the better question would be as to where you are throwing the jig. If in heavy cover then a tough line with a high test is needed. If in an open area without a lot of structure then a smooth line with a high test would be needed. If you are in an area where you can catch big bass, like over 5 pounds, then you may want to consider a 17 pound test as your starting point and go up from there. And yes, the higher the test the more the action of the bait will be affected but not that much to kill the bait's overall action. When you set that hook you will need the high test to pull her out of the weeds or structure. Remember to check for knicks if in structure and to retie after each fish. I love fishing structure and I have a lot of baits in a lot of structure all ove the place. ;D

If you are fishing down south a black and blue jig with a Moccasin Blue plastic worm trailer works well. Pitch it up to the shoreline against cover or structure just like a plastic worm. Remember to use a trailer to bulk it up if necessary. For some reason, those black and blue jigs seem to work very well below the Mason-Dixon line. Good luck.

Raul is right. There are no rules of bass fishing written in concrete. I fished two clients' ponds in the past three weeks and caught bass on topwaters during the middle of the day on Scum Frogs and Pop-Rs. I also caught bass on spinnerbaits retreived close to the surface. I guess the fish don't read books, magazines or watch the fishing shows on TV. I have had friends catch bass on buzzbaits during the middle of the day with a bluebird sky above. I have fished a tournament and my friend nailed four at one creek mouth with a Chuggbug around 11 AM. And what about throwing those Horney Toads above the grasses? Although not on top of the water they are darn close to the surface. So just go out and have fun trying different baits and presentations. You can't go wrong and it will be a learning experience.

Great catches! You did good!! Keep it up and sending us those photos!!!

So what's the problem? I caught 8 catfish in a row on spinnerbaits last month and had a blast fighting them. Keep throwing your baits and experimenting with different baits, presentations and techniques. Scale down the bait sizes on ponds. Fish your Senko wacky and you will get bit. But not the larger size Senkos. Go with the 4 inchers or cut down a five or six incher to a four inch length. Throw smaller white and chartruse spinnerbaits. But most of all, get a map of your area and look for other ponds. Fish other places (ponds, shore line of lakes or rivers) and keep on casting. Catching fish other than bass is a part of fishing. Just keep a written record of the bluegills, bream, catfish, pike, bass, crappie, bowfin, gar and malybe a carp so you can look back and see what they bit and the conditions. In fact, you may want to make it a contest to see how many different types of fish you can catch while fishing for bass. I call it "fishing the circuit" and so far on one trip I have caught, bass, bluegills, bream, crappie and catfish. Thats four different types of fish. I never could catch that carp!

This topic points out the reality of how marketing sells baits and tackle. The bass could care less about the price or wire strength or skirts. The bass are looking for a nice meal and if it is a $1.00 or $8.00 bait they could care less. I have thrown those $1.00 Wal-Mart specials and those beautiful Stike Kings (my favorites, too) and have caught fish on both. The major difference is that that $1.00 specials get torn up faster. I will keep throwing the higher priced models because I have more faith and confidence in them.

Glen, Thanks for your efforts to improve the site. I believe an annual fund drive would produce some good income to help offset the costs. Please consider it for either later this year or early 2008. I hope you will post ***'s ICAST report web address as *** has an outstanding recap of the event and the new items that are being introduced. Have a fun trip to ICAST!

Avid and the other guys nailed it for you. As for when to set the hook? When that line moves and your heart rate doubles and your eyes go bug-eyed and your muscles tighten just take it easy and wait 2 to 3 seconds and set the hook very hard. Then reel in any slack as fast as possible and the fun begins trying to land the fish. After I landed a 6 pounder I had to sit down and take deep breaths and try to clam down. It was heart attack time but man, was it fun or what?????