ClackerBuzz

he explains while fly fishing for trout but it works excellent for bass and probably many other species. 8:00-9:00min mark http://youtu.be/_hiKvlFyv0I?t=8m

I've been having incredible success with a tip from a trout guy. i'll post the video if i can find it. i can't count how many times i've lifted my rod at the end of a cast only to have one of two things happen: the rising action of the lure made the fish commit. or i was raising my rod to re-cast but the bass saw me/ the boat before committing so he got spooked off. the trout guys advice was to create the 'false rise' long before you're close enough to the boat to spook the fish. now i lift my rod up while still 40+ft out and the upward change in direction has proven effective over and over. it probably evokes the predatory response to baitfish breaking the surface while being chased

I booked mark this thread for if/when i upgrade. it's covers a lot of tips to think about how a boat can fit ur personal fishing needs/weather conditions/lake size etc http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/143122-aluminum-bass-boats/

if it's good enough for Dwight Hottle and Mike Long it's good enough for me

agreed thanks tom. I bookmarked it. I've struggled to identify the 'personality' of my reservoir the last 2 seasons. i'm always trying to see the big picture and this post falls right in line with that thought process. i believe my reservoir is considered a 'low land' reservoir. you often hear a debate about baitfish. some guys won't wet a hook unless they a present. others would never get to fish if they had to wait till they saw bait. i struggle to find balls of bait even with a side imaging unit. i rarely find bait let alone see giant schools of bass that large bodies of water have. and i don't have tradition long tapering rocky points that most guys fish. its very easy to see and fish bass that are schooling on the ends of this type of structure... but only if you have it. my reservoir also has very little dam release compared to huge southern reservoirs. yes there is current but its really more like a 1,000 acre still-water pond. this all helps me understand that cover is the predominant factor in my reservoir. I can always run to the weeds and catch bass. or bump a crankbait off a log and hook one. but there is no point in casting 'search baits' all day long unless you want a sore wrist. or unless there are baitfish around. of course this is still a lifelong work in progress but at lease i've identified the major personality of my reservoir and know where the majority/ easy picking bass live.

glad your ok. last year a bank fisherman drown in my home reservoir. his lawn chair and some tackle were sitting on shore the next morning. his wife reported him missing and they knew they had to start looking for a body. everyone thought he fell in while trying to get un-snagged but really it could have been a situation like yours or a dozen others. years ago i had a bad experience while stream fishing b/c i stepped on a log jam that I shouldn't have. it was nearly the last thing i did. makes you be more cautious and realize how things can go bad in the blink of an eye. now fishing always takes a back seat to my safety and surroundings. putting the adrenaline rush of a hook set ahead of ur personal safety usually means ur behind is in the fire

yup I caught a 20lb+carp on a chatterbait in March 2 seasons ago. it's funny how those suckers will make ur heart race for a new PB bass

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/145421-punch-hook-question/ i'll peg a bullet weight when flipping/punching. or put a bead on the line when t rigging a senko for weeds. i use heavy jig hooks like the Mustad for punching/flip work. and use much lighter wire hooks for t rig, c rig, split shot etc in open water

those barbs tear the heck out of soft plastic. and they fail after enough fish. not too much to brag about a $1 hook. i use Mustad heavy jig hooks that are used for pouring ur own jigs. but just attach a do-it hitching post to the eye. the screw lock keeps ur plastics from tearing and you still get the great hook sets as jig fishing w/ having to use a snell knot. This is a very stout hook: Mustad 32786NPBN (about .20c each). This one is a large 5/0 for big soft plastics. 2/0 or 3/0 fits beavers much better. I use this same set up for all my T rigs now as well b/c senkos last much longer.

wayne or customer service can verify this but i'd say the biggest thing is don't lose power while installing the update or you'll have to send the unit back to Humminbird.

put in some shop talk for 5-10 min, introduce yourself, find shared fishing techniques etc. ask if they ever want to go fishing together and if so exchange phone numbers. if you connected and they like you enough they will likely offer in the moment. if they are still hesitant maybe a phone call and few texts will get you on future trips. i really connected with a kayak guy a few years ago but felt weird about asking for his number. next season i didn't hesitate exchanging info when i met a different cool guy and he is now a good fishing buddy.

a buzzbait is continual motion. a popper, spook, frog etc will allow you to add a pause and complement his topwater.

I wonder what his reels look like

x2. i finally started keeping a fishing journal this year. but it's more a 'not get skunked next time journal'. it's far more focused on what my original plan was, what i actually did on the water and what i learned for the day vs just a record of catches. i start to see patterns in locations and techniques which allow me to be more efficient on my next outing. it helps me to cover smarter water, more effectively

4 locations. on average I have 5-6 rods with me. if i hit 4 stratigic locations and no bites i'm making color adjustments. if i hit 4-8 new locations and still no bites I'm changing lures and making dramatic changes to my presentation (rate of speed, fall, weight, top or bottom of water column, pause, erratic jerks etc).

I T rig my drop shot around outside weed edges b/c I can still work them w/o getting hung up

great thread. vote for best of

are you trying to safe money? if so you could consider using jig hooks for molds instead of EWG or off set. i'm cheap and on a budget so there is no way i'm spending $1 per hook. jig mold hooks are much cheaper and Mustad has some great quality hooks. 30 and 60 degree hooks w/ a do-it hitchin post added can be used for alot of techniques. and the hitchin post keeps ur soft plastics from being torn up during a battle so it's a double win. i buy light, med or heavy wire hooks and use them accordingly for weightless T rig worms, split shot, heaver cover T rig drop shot, punching, craws pegged w/ bullet weight and skirt are my new jigs (no weed guard to collect weeds), C rigs etc. If ur interested i'll post pix and get more specific with hooks

The second method by Bill Murphy works fine but is dated and probably came about b/c of the hooks he used. other guys will know better but i'm guessing EWG hooks didn't exist back then (let alone paying $1 per hook for Gammy's). also his technique of double anchoring 25+lb anchors meant he wasn't just going to troll over and get un-snagged. He broke off lots of hooks all day long while stitching and the baithold hooks he used were very cheap to buy in bulk. the hook point was off set from the shank so he increased his hook up percentage by skin hooking the side of the worm. you could use that method with an EWG hook if you wanted but it's not necessary b/c the hook leaves plenty of gap for the worm to push down during a bite

whatever you buy rig them like this: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/142538-the-secret-to-not-losing-so-many-senkos-heres-the-solution/ I'm switching all my baits over to elaztech like Z Man ZInkers

i had the opposite experience george. the 3/8" ID and 1/2"OD is perfect for 6" senkos. it's nice and snug. 6" are heavy so you can skip them a country mile. 3/8" is barely ok to use 5" senkos but it's too loose for 5" yum dingers b/c they have a smaller diameter. keep in mind i'm using a very small piece of tubing (1/4" long) b/c I'm using 2/0 Gamakatsu weedless finesse wide gap hooks for skipping lay downs. a 3/4" piece of tubing may hold the 5" senko better but I'm not using a hook that large. 1/2" ID is way to big to hold a 6" senko. i'll head back to the hardware store to find the perfect/snug fit for 5" senkos (may be able to find 5/16" ID or a metric size).

structure fishing on a new lake, while on vacation, w/ topo map and no sonar could turn out to be very bad/boring. when going to a new lake I head straight for the weeds. more specifically deeper weeds. i find thick weed points by sight and follow them deeper with lures. and then fish using my go to/confidence weed lures. you might have to add some weight depending on the depth especially if those lakes are considerably larger than what ur used to fishing. i wouldn't recommend trying new lures on ur vacation on new water. try to fish the locations the locals recommend but using lures your skilled in.

don't worry i'm even more puzzled by ur post. I was addressing the OP short strike and/or loss of topwater interest. obviously you can't experiencing these symptoms while reeling in fish

nice post Paul Roberts, I felt like I was there (and I especially enjoy reading those kind of descriptive posts over winter b/c it helps ease my shakes:) i used to also get frustrated from short strikes or lack of action. but since moving from shore fishing to a boat I've really come to appreciate them b/c they are a clue. you are in a fishy' area. grant it the smallest most aggressive fish came to check out ur topwater. but it's still a good sign. if no other interest I would go 'slow and low' with a senko, drop shot, jig etc. or try burning ur topwater to see it that instigates a strike. i would also go deeper ie cast farther out to get passed the small aggressive fish to the big ones. i always hear guys complain about baitfish tearing the tips off their plastics. but i love feeling those taps b/c i know i'm in a good location that holds bait. i just need make an adjustment and to move to deeper water (and you have to learn not to play tug of war/set the hook on a baitfish). I just pack up and move deeper where the predator fish are going to be hanging out. casting real estate is limited when shore fishing but i'm sure there were tons of spots w/o weeds, baitfish, bass etc that wouldn't even get you that short strike. look at the clue as a positive and keep working to figure out the rest of the puzzle. soon you'll be reading both above water and below like Paul. it doesn't matter if i'm fishing from shore, a boat, on a small pond or especially on bigger water...i ALWAYS return to the scene of a crime ie a bite. i used to hate returning to the boat launch/home to questions of my day only to reply "No fish and I only got 5 bites". but then I learned to return to those exact bite locations on future trips and hook into some beautiful bass

Welcome turkey. I can't go more than 10 days w/o heading to the burbs for some greenies. You're welcome to tag along anytime. I'll show you 'most' of my spots