ClackerBuzz

Best response: It's called a secret spot for a reason

agreed inline spinners get the skunk off real fast. i also wanted something for deeper hunting. try Road Runner Pro's w/ a willow blade. 1/16 oz is a slower fall but they catch more fish than the 1/8 oz. but you can slow down the 1/8 oz significantly by adding a larger piece of soft plastic. http://www.basspro.com/Road-Runner-Pro-Series-Jigheads/product/89987/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL

tried fishing a jig one year and didn't catch a thing so i gave up. decided to pull them out again the following season. nothing again until i stopped 'fishing' it to check my cell and text a few people. picked up my rod again and got slammed. the jig fishing light bulb went off. if ur not catching any fish on a jig it's b/c ur fishing it too fast.

x No they're not disturbing, we all started as amateurs

I could listen to Bob talk all day

pay attention if the rain is warmer or cooler than the existing pond/lake water. warmer rain generally means a much better bite. cold rain water cooling down the pond generally means lock jaw w/ slow soaking lures in their face.

glad ur okay. seems like many anglers have died or come close from their waders or hip boots filling up like buckets. my uncle has a very similar story.

anyone have a buddy that got sauced and left his tackle bag south of Mullica Hill? I'm assuming he's over 21 b/c it has a Miller lite bottle cap in one of the pockets has his last name on the inside of the bag so I'm gonna try facebook next. does anyone know if you can search FB by zip code?

I put them into 2 categories: floating vs non-floating. and another 2 categories: treble hooks vs weedless. when the bite is good you don't need to pause so non-floating can be burned like a buzzbait. if the bite isn't strong you need to be able to pause for a few seconds like with a spook, popper etc. but treble hooks are no bueno if there are weeds/algae on the surface so you need a frog/toad

yup i have this friend too. i'll figure out a pattern and explain it to him: they are in 10 ft of water, in the weeds, position ur kayak with your back to the shore, cast to deep water, drag back until you hit the weed bed. stop and shake your worm there. what does he do? he makes a few casts with his spinnerbait, in the top 4 ft of the water column, gets no bites, and paddles away. a few trips later i figured i hand him the exact color senkos/plastics i'm using. he accepts them, casts his jig a few times, and moves on. some guys can't accept an idea unless it originated in their head

I struggled hard with pre-spawn last year. this year has been going much better since juggling between 3 fishing styles. 1 regular power fishing. cold bass still crush fast moving baits. however the window of opportunity seems much smaller this time of year. be quick to pick them up, and quick to put them down. don't go an hour w/o trying a power lure. i pay extra special attention to power fishing conditions this time of year b/c i need every edge I can get: clouds, wind/surface chop, rain, and my new favorite, raised water levels i.e. fresh rainwater running into lake. also i'm more conscious of temps with power fishing this time of year. i'm confident power fishing during stable temps or raising temps. cooling temps are not my friend anytime of year. 2 slow dragging plastics in 8-15 ft of water. this is god awful painful and I can only take so much. but out of the last 5 years this nets my biggest fish. 1-2 minute pauses are common dragging T rigs. i can only keep this up so long so it's best to identify prime areas first. i either visit locations i'm familiar with or catch a dink while power fishing and drop a marker buoy to thoroughly slow work the area. 3 small lure power fishing to keep the skunk off me. I take my crappie/trout rod and fish roadrunners, bettlespins, crappie tubes etc. this rod catches bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, pickerel, and the occasional bass. endless chucking/winding power lures and/or slow dragging w/o any success gets me down and this little rod picks me up. it makes painful cold bass fishing fun again and keeps my spirits high for running into big mama. finding the right balance between these 3 styles keeps my day smooth and fun. if it's dead calm and sunny i'll work the crappie rod. but as soon as a cloud passes over or a small breeze picks up the spidey senses kick in and i reach for power rods with enthusiasm. are you fishing from bank or off shore? my biggest mistake last year was fishing from the bank all of spring. it's very difficult to cast to the majority of fish from the bank this time of year. last year i was lazy about getting the kayak/jon boat out and i paid the price. if you're on the bank you really need to be smart about where you fish. make sure there is deep water near the shoreline. like Sam said you're not alone. overcoming these kinds of conditions is what makes good anglers great.

Z Man StreakZ

isn't the original super cheap effective swimbait called a grub

I'm keeping you in my thoughts Dwight. The jerkbaits and footballs will be ready when you are. Get well soon.

sunglasses in the office

I'm with these guys. last year i struggled to connect with any big mama's. bass fishing is definitely harder in cold water so I find myself appreciating nature more while trying to catch the occasional fish. by the end of spring i found I liked rattletraps and a good ole jig w/ grub b/c they fall straight down in the water column and cover lots of water. staying deep and on the bottom is so much easier with them which helps the cause.

I have both a sit in kayak and a sit on top (SOT)...and a canoe w/ trolling motor. i started out with a sit in yak. it's easy to splash in a yak and i like to be completely dry in March and November/December. and when I drop things they fall in the yak instead of plopping overboard. I bought a SOT yak in December but i haven't had it out yet. i bought foam golf balls at Walmart to plug the holes so it's a dry yak in cold water. no matter which you choose i'd highly recommend focusing on the seat. i like to recline the seat all the way and have it resting against the frame of the yak. seats have straps to pull tight and sit upright but they seem to work their way loose every 30 mins. plus certain seats crack if you put too much pressure on them. I specifically bought the perception access 115 at dick's b/c it has a molded seat rest. it feels great on my back. and i'm experienced enough that I won't be losing equipment overboard. honestly you'll be beyond happy with whatever you choose just b/c you'll be off the bank. buy on sale and get a season or two out of it. you'll meet other anglers and get to try their yaks. and test more in stores as sales roll around. you'll always be able to sell and recoup most of your money when you upgrade . sign up for DSG email and you'll get a 10% coupon. look at yaks in the store but buy it online to apply discount, and select 'pick up in store'. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12586663

I'm not sure what ur living situation is but if at all possible i would highly recommend a kayak. no more trekking thru swamps, ticks, snakes, prickers, leeches, and don't get me starting on losing money to snagged lures. with a kayak a whole new world opens up and access to endless shoreline. less money, less frustration and more fish=good stuff. they will be going on sale at basically every store from now till memorial day. a yak will change ur fishing life

I can't help with ur Gopro set up but it sounds like you already have some good ideas. I'd def float it as opposed to drag it. if ur interested in learning how to read water scroll down to my post from a few years ago (last post on page 5). it's specifically about reading ponds but applies to big water as well. good luck and post some footage!

Unfortunately you just have to get out there bc google maps can only tell you so much. I have 10+ spots in SNJ. One thing I can recommend is pick a place but have 1-2 back up plans. I can't tell you how many times I went to fish a spot and it was posted no trespassing or it didn't have shore access. Just move to plan B. I got denied at 3 new spots one day so I just headed to a spot I knew I could fish. SNJ is a huge watershed area so it won't be hard to find places

I would fish the triangle for 'big fish, and the circle for 'any fish. And I'd take a crappie rod to avoid smelling like skunk at all costs union.pdf

a chatterbait is better around weeds b/c you can rip it and it will vibrate weeds right off. I don't like spinnerbaits around weeds b/c they are like static cling and waste half my cast due to stowaways. the only time I like a spinnerbait over chatter is around chunk rock. the long arm of the SB deflects rock much better vs the chatter head which wedges deep

hands down one of my favorites

I thought this was pointless unless you corkscrewed the remaining appendages and dipped their fingernails in JJ's.

this is gonna be my first season with a boat so i've been pouring thru videos and ideas. this is the best i've found. guy launches a 33 ft like it's apple pie