ClackerBuzz

lotta youtube videos

75% of the things you read online and watch on youtube won't apply to your fishery. if you want to learn about bass, study baitfish (I think others put it "in order to learn about the owl you must study the mouse"). don't be afraid of 4lb line. set ur drag properly and let the rod/reel/line system do it's job. even if a bass goes into cover it's fairly easy to guide them out skip buying ur next 3 combos and/or tackle for ur next 4 techniques and buy a sonar unit. never fish blind again. don't get cold feet and get all cheap when buying a sonar unit. don't spend 75% of ur money on a down imaging unit for a microscope view of the bottom when you should ante up and spend the extra 25% for 180 degree panoramic view of the lake bottom for hundreds of feet each direction when getting skunked while learning how to structure fishing or if ur getting skunked in general: head for the weeds. that's how good weeds are

^probably has more to do with ur hooks not being sharp or ur hook set/rod. fly fishing/trout guys regularly land 10+lb trout on size 22 hooks. but they are razor sharp.

that looks fun but the guys in russian make my skin craw when they're hanging off the side of a building by their fingertips and no safety lines

Sam, I have never seen Denny talk finesse. Google/youtube yielded nada so i'm scratching my head. any links/suggestions?

i got it bookmarked for just such an occasion http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/142538-the-secret-to-not-losing-so-many-senkos-heres-the-solution/

here's a better rig for wacky senkos. they won't come off the hook like rubber bands do (I like the 3/8" ID for 6"; haven't found the perfect 5" yet but i'm sure heat shrink has a good diameter; I like the electrical tape idea). also a 1/8-1/4" section of clear drinking straw works perfect for smaller diameter worms like Zoom finesse. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/142538-the-secret-to-not-losing-so-many-senkos-heres-the-solution/ here's a great way to make any jig weedless (I prefer 2 wire guard pieces. 30 or 60lb Malin hard wire leader is great stuff). the vid also shows that you don't need to pour lead in order to make ur own jig heads. I live in an apt and don't have the option to pour jigs. flick/shake heads cost a small fortune so I make them like this using a Do It 785 wacky hook and 1/16 oz round split shot w/ wire guard. http://www.basspro.com/Malin-HardWire-Stainless-Steel-Leader/product/8581/ I use the same fly tying/thread method to attach a bait keeper to the hook shaft of my chatterbaits. only I use a small paper clip bent forward this guy has alot of great vids. much cheaper way to make weedless wacky hooks: I'm a big fan of screw locks b/c they save you a ton of money on soft plastics. the off set bend on EWG hooks just tears the heck out of plastics whereas the screw lock holds them in place during a fight. i also like 60 deg hooks b/c they come over rocks and they are super cheap to buy for jig molds compared to individual $1.25 Gammy hooks. you can make a weedless hook for .20c. i tied on a rattle and wedge of lead to get this one to get it down faster and give it some noise. it's a great way to make hooks weedless w/o having to add a guard. they pull thru weeds well compared to guards. punch hooks cost a lot and you have the problem of them tearing up soft plastics but the worst part is the plastic slides down the hook and needs to be adjusted every other cast. you can buy extra stout Mustad hooks for .20c and just add the screw lock/hitching post and ur beaver will never slip again. http://www.***.com/Do-it_Hitching_Post_25pk/descpage-DOITHPS.html

I'm sure you'll have plenty more opportunities to catch or release. if this was a salt water forum guys would be recommending their favorite recipe. congratulations on a killer hog

Hmmm I wonder why people love owning tv stations, radio, websites, billboards, newspapers, magazines?

same here. so nice not to have to buy it every year. i switch out bags/gear often depending if i'm fishing from my canoe, kayak or jon boat so i'm guilty of forgetting my physical license. i never forget my smart phone so took a pix of my license. i also bought my license at Dicks sporting goods and had them email me a receipt for back up.

Very nice! "So me and buddy Pete both watched this show 'How to Become a Millionaire in 1 Day' so we packed our lunch and headed out. Here's some pictures of our piles of cash

good vibes going out to all of you.

there are 1.5 million people in my neighborhood so you always see weird s@#^. i def wasn't expecting to come across this sitting on an ice covered trash can. I laughed wondering how many people walked by scratching their heads before i snagged it up

zman elaztech products. I can't believe i don't read about more guys using them. nothing like catching dozens of fish on a soft plastic.

don't forget the vertical aspect. nothing better than working a lure 'uphill' back to the bank. i love letting a spinnerbait hit the bottom and slow rolling it uphill...only to bump a 12" ledge and have a bass hammer it. keeping ur rod tip low while the lure is 100 ft out keeps it on the bottom. slowly raise ur rod tip as you get closer to shore to prevent it from hanging up. also works great if you can cast over the entire weed bed and slow drag a weedless shaky head till you feel the first sign of weeds. stop, shake and wait for them to creep out of the weeds and ambush it. or cast a chatterbait past the weed bed and rip it off the tip of the first outer wall.

x2. I try fast and slow till i find what works. you never know what mood they're in at a given hour of he day. i have a tendency to go shallow and fast in more sunny shallow areas where the bass are warming up during the peak sun warmth from 12-4 pm. and pick shallow areas that are near deep drop off b/c the fish spend less energy moving up vertically to suntan .

here's a vid of a homemade trolling motor mount. I used the same concept but made the 2x4 extend equal lengths on both sides of the canoe. the trolling motor gets mounted port side and my fish finder transducer gets mounted with a clamp starboard side. i've gone thru several canoes and i really like 14' b/c you can lay ur rods flat in front of you and have the rod tips inside the boat. there is a learning curve w/ wind, boats wakes, circumstances etc that will have you pushed into a bush/tree before you know it with ur rods, lines and hooks tangled in branches. and i often take a friend and its much more comfortable fishing with two guys in a 14' vs 12'. I've tried lots of anchors and prefer a 10 lb mushroom. the side of canoes are much higher so the wind takes them like a sailboat compared to a kayak. the 10 lb holds you steady even in 15 mph winds (though it's not much fun being out in a canoe in worse conditions). forget about a 2 lb grappling hook anchor unless ur always around weeds. if you didn't buy ur trolling motor yet make sure you get one with variable speed. they are much better on battery life.

this is what I do. I have all my lures in 7-8 zip lock bags. they all fit in a rubbermaid container which fits in a duffel bag w/ shoulder strap. if i'm going out on my boat/canoe the whole bag goes with me. if i'm fishing from kayak or shore the bag stays in the truck of my car but i cherry pick what i'll need and stuff a fanny pack for the conditions/body of water. and i can always run back to the car in an emergency. i chose a rubbermaid container w/ a lid b/c i can easily snap it shut during a down pour and none of my bags get soaked (i have a jon boat so there are no lockers to keep things dry). all soft plastics stay in their original bags and just get put into zip locks w/ extra wide bottoms and zip lock tops.

the big advantage to ur situation was that you could see the fish. that means you can see any positive reactions/ curiosity if ur on the right track. and quickly move on if there is no interest. i would start by working dramatically different angles. start by casting upstream. then perpendicular. then stand upstream and let the current naturally swing the lure across their point of view/feeding lane. you'll probably find better river/angle approach videos on youtube by searching fly fishing vids. after angles i'd play with lures..and the skies the limit. don't be afraid to put a tiny crappie tube or hair jig 24" under a bobber and let the current do it's thing. sometimes the best river presentation is one that is naturally floating with the current.

thanks mike. I know enough to quit while i'm ahead so i gave it a cautious try and quickly aborted the mission. it's a fly reel so i doubt there are any bearings or parts under there that need mandatory cleaning. it would be nice to clean it but it's nicer to have a non damaged reel

Finally cleaning my fly reel for the first time and it seem like i can't take this nut off w/o a special tool. I very carefully wrapped the spool shaft in a dish towel and tried to hold it with a needle nose pliers but the shaft slips and I know better than to risk damaging it. Even soaked the nut with WD-40 for a few hours. Any suggestions? i emailed Redington and asked for schematics b/c I'd like to have them but the said they don't give them out b/c of 'proprietary reasons'. Ever heard of this? Not the most welcoming news for a customer but not a big deal b/c these reels are much easier to work on vs spinning/baitcasters. Mike, Do you know if the nut should spin clockwise or counter? It freely spins both directions so I get no hits as if it's a reverse thread or not.

I agree that shorter rods fit the bill much better. i like pitching with my 6'7" far more than my 7'+ rods. I'm so much more accurate and the physics/fulcrum point feel better. ultimately i load up my rods for the day depending on the body of water i'm fishing ie i know exactly when i'm taking my 6'7" vs vs 7' vs 7'6". i have no problem pitching 10% of the time with the 7'6" if I know the majority of the day i'm going to be casting. and I won't leave the house w/o my 6'7" when going to my pitching/weedy/lily pad spots all day

how many lures did you break off today i up my line test when bank fishing to prevent so many break offs. plus sometimes you really gotta put muscle on bass when on the shore to stop him from running into cover. And you have hogs in Texas. If i lived there I'd be using minimum 15lb fluoro from shore. Straight 65lb braid around weeds.

always finish ur cast pointing at 12 o'clock (ie ur target). this will help with accuracy and also prevent backlashes when using baitcasters. stopping abruptly at 10 o'clock with a baitcaster leads down a dark tangled road you don't want to go