ClackerBuzz

this is something i just learned this year and posted on another thread: I made a decision this year to only fish pre-spawn from the bank 25% of the time. everyone knows the fish don't move shallow b/c of water temps but there is another major factor: lack of cover. the banks are barren lands with no weeds for them to hide in. i have been catching all my kayak/boat bass out of dead deep weed patches where they still have cover. i just can't cast to them from shore. all my shore fish have come from water that has deep water access. it actually makes it easier b/c i get to skip 90% of the shoreline and only fish near the creek channel or spillway. looking forward to them coming closer to shore. so my advice to you is to always fish near the deepest water in ur fishery. if you have to fish shallow early in the year try to fish around wood, docks, lay downs etc. later in the season just make sure you're around weeds. if you want to know how big the bass in ur fishery are fish at: dusk, dawn and night.

my redneck mount w/ a $3 home depot hand clamp and section of an old shower rod. I've since replaced the shower rod w/ an old ski pole b/c it's thinner/has less drag. it does occasionally move if i get up to 4mph (my home lake is electric only) + wind/surface chop. overall it works for me b/c i frequently move it from my jon boat to my canoe depending on where I'm fishing. and I can also attach it to my buddy's jon boat. i'm going to upgrade to that Cabelas one when it goes on sale.

1/8 oz will snag far less than 1/4 oz. 1/16 oz snag even less and work great under clear water conditions. 1/4 oz is better for staying down in current or heavy wind. I adjust to the conditions/fishery

agreed. I made a decision this year to only fish pre-spawn from the bank 25% of the time. everyone knows the fish don't move shallow b/c of water temps but there is another major factor: lack of cover. the banks are barren lands with no weeds for them to hide in. i have been catching all my kayak/boat bass out of dead deep weed patches where they still have cover. i just can't cast to them from shore. all my shore fish have come from water that has deep water access. it actually makes it easier b/c i get to skip 90% of the shoreline and only fish near the creek channel or spillway. looking forward to them coming closer to shore

great advice. only thing i'll add is to ask about future visits... "would you like me to knock each time I come?". I had a nice lady proactively tell me not to bother knocking each time b/c I already knew the rules. and "where would you like me to park?"

i heard guys have good results w/ the redneck 5 gallon bucket

I'm with atchoa and use zip lock bags instead of plano boxes. boxes look pretty and organized but they are extremely insufficent compared to bags. i use a master duffel bag full of zip locks and a fanny pack. depending on the lake i'm fishing i load the fanny pack for shore fishing. and load the fanny plus take 2-3 zip locks for of gear for kayaking. I take the full duffel bag in the canoe/jon boat and the bag always stays in my truck so I can cherry pick whats needed

congrats! I felt like I was there

i start with 4 basic retrieves and get creative from there. 1 gentle jerks on a slack line w/ short pauses 2 hard/erratic jerks w/ long pauses 3 constant gentle jerks 4 constant hard/erratic jerks. i also play around with rod tip up vs. rod tip down. rod tip up is def easier to play around with in shallow water. rod tip down and longer pauses are def more beneficial in deeper water.

i catch far more bass retrieving uphill

If you are gut hooking small fish it means you're missing the big ones.

when all else fails...head to the weeds. shallow/surface breaking weeds usually have smaller fish. the deeper submerged weeds usually have bigger girls. paddle perpendicular to shore (toward deep water) while using a jig to find the deepest weeds in the lake. park/position ur kayak where you can cast past the deep weeds to sediment and drag ur jig/shaky head back till you feel the first sign of weed growth. stop ur lure there and wiggle at the edge of the deep weeds. someone should poke their head out to say hello

this is wrong. you need to set the hook at the first tap or sign of a bite. it's hard enough to feel big fish b//c they inhale/exhale the lure so fast. Shaw Grigsby said there are 3 taps you'll feel with a bite: 1st tap= the bass inhaling the lure 2nd tap=the bass spitting it out 3rd tap= is shaw tapping you on your on shoulder asking 'why you didn't set the hook!?'

one of my winter projects is to tie on my own bait keeper using a bent paper clip and sewing thread. very easy especially on open hook lures like chatterbaits and buzzbaits

tighten down ur drag more

this is one of the major reasons i use a sit in kayak. there just isn't any back support w/ sit on top kayaks (unless ur willing to spend $1000+). i go a step further and make sure i like the seat when fully 'reclined' and is pressing against the frame of the kayak. lord knows the straps slip and I end up back there every hour. so many kayaks come with cheap plastic seat/hinge components that i don't trust them to last unless my full weight is resting on the frame.

experiment with every retrieve from fast to painfully slow. the other day i couldn't get bit unless I ripped a fluke hard and fast but with 10+ second pauses in between. it was a weird combo retrieve that i wouldn't have thought of unless i was being creative

add a crankbait rod and you'll be in heaven. buzzbaits require a frog like pause before the hook set. that is where mono...and crankbait rods shine. basically you can achieve the same result with either the line or the rod. i use braid w/ fluoro leader on a glass rod

wow that's one heck of a first frog fish!

do you really need the Sparehand kayak saddles? I'd take them off and turn the kayak upside down. and turn up the music

need to spend more money b/c i haven't seen a thing

somebody has been eating snacks

you can also think of the length in terms of water clarity. clear home water means longer casts are needed. if ur water is usually stained/murky you can get away with a 6' rod b/c you can literally get on top of the fish.

pre-spawn has become the definition of junk fishing to me. seems like the only rule is 'there are no rules'.

you first cast to an area has the greatest possibility of catching a bass (big mama or an aggressive dink). i'll fan cast a reaction lure/spinnerbait 6 times from 9-3 o'clock. the only time i will continually retrieve of the same area is if there are weeds or stumps. like Tom said shoreline real estate is limited so if no taker on the spinnerbait I am quick to so silent reaction/swim jig. then i'll try weighless senkos and/or jigs on bottom. if you relocate 3 times and nothing make sure to try topwater and something that suspends like jerkbaits. cover the water column top to bottom, fast to slow and after relocating a few times you should see some activity. if i go through 8 relocation's and still nothing i'm going to reallllly slow down my retrieve.