ClackerBuzz

^ agreed. you can get far better quality from Mike at Seibert, Bluebass etc. And you can order the most important thing....an EWG hook. you can T rig ur trailer and it's totally weedless. That means coming thru timber flawlessly and lasting 10x's longer b/c you don't snag/break off

some words of wisdom from Speedbead: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144732-maybe-small-but-big-payoffs/page-2

keep in mind those guys are spinnerbait disciples. it's their confidence bait that they studied front to back. most guys become masters with one or two techniques and generally knowledgeable about the rest. they took SB's to the next level which even makes my head spin . i only own a few colors of SB and even fewer blade combinations. in my experience making contact with cover (ie bouncing a spinnerbait off a log) is far more important than retrieve/skirt colors/ or blade combination. in fact bass will usually hit anything that bounces off that log. the majority of the time it doesn't matter if it's a crankbait, spinnerbait, chatterbait, swimjig etc. probably the number 1 mistake most guys make with SB is only working the top or middle of the water column. sometimes burning subsurface gets a strike but most times keeping bottom contact and bouncing off cover is the ticket. i catch much better quantity and quality fish on a jig compared to a SB. so i'm fast to put down the SB and pick up a jig. if the reaction bite isn't on i don't try to force it, cast for 5 hrs waiting for it to turn back on or add pink skirt strands trying to figure it out b/c i can more easily catch fish on a jig or drop shot (slow bottom contact/finesse techniques). really it up to you to decide which techniques you want to specialize in. you'll slowly start to see how they complement each other. (i like SB more than crankbaits b/c a SB can stay on the bottom the entire time for a 100ft cast. whereas a crankbait might only be making contact 50ft of the cast and diving 25ft/rising 25ft. and I like jigs more that SB b/c bass are neutral and negative more often than aggressive). over all night fishing is the same as day fishing. i'll try 4 lures at 2-3 promising locations. if i don't catch anything it's time for dramatic retrieval experimentation (trying speeding way up and also slowing way down). and possibly add one or two new lures to the mix (the 4 lures cover top, middle, bottom of water column; and both horizontal and vertical retrieves). i can then either move to new spots or revisit the previous locations with the new lures/retrieves. I'm def taking off the spinnerbait for awhile if i hit 4 good locations and not even a strike. i might be quick to put it down but i'm just as quick to pick it up and try again an hour later.

$6.49 on sale? how much were they before the 'sale'? honestly i don't know how some people sleep at night if i had time i'd start a tackle business and under cut everyone's prices..and still make a fortune

don't waste your hard earned money on robo's. once you switch over to SK Elaztech you'll never look back. http://www.***.com/Strike_King_3X_Elaztech_Finesse_Worm/descpage-SXFW.html

Microsoft windows comes with a Snipping Tool under ur accessories folder. I use it for alot b/c you can crop the image and not include all the personal info on ur desktop

whatever's on sale

now that's 5 star service!

senko- t rigged with a bead in front b/c it sides thru grass like butter. if i'm in deep clear water i'll go wacky w/ weedless hook drop shot- from shore your casting real estate is limited. you might have to be in an area that has an algae bottom. i prefer the drop shot over a jig or shaky head b/c the worm on a DS stays clean even when the weight gets covered in muck. also you can t rig the worm and it pulls thru weeds easy. t rigged pegged beaver- comes thru weeds far better than a jig w/ weed guard. if i gotta pitch or drag the bottom it's gonna be a t rigged. also you can quickly swap out bullet weights for any type of cover or to experiment with rate of fall. with the right hook you can also use this rig for 7" ribbon tail worms, brush hogs etc chatterbait-the blade literally vibrates weeds right off. whereas a spinnerbait collects weeds like a hoarder. best shoreline search bait imo. gets down and stays down for 100% of the cast vs a crankbait might only work the bottom for 50% of cast. yup that's 4 but they pretty much cover all of the water column, with both horizontal and vertical presentations. i'll usually skip top water unless it's dusk. then its a clacker buzzbait

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/135979-convincing-the-misses-that-my-fishing-addiction-is-a-good-thing-help/?hl=wife

fishing with that rod sounds like a heartbreak waiting to happen

whats the reason ur burned out? if it's a nagging wife you'll seriously get a 100 great posts from guys who have successfully been married 20+years and learned how to zip the nagging in cleaver, diplomatic and/or also smart aleck ways. or are you not catching quality or quantity fish? i've also got burned out by fishing the same water over and over. part of the joy of fishing is exploring the outdoors and new destinations. but i'd get burned out if i got a stitch in my side to learn a new body and only went there weeks on end. the fire lights up as soon as i visit a different body of water or explore a new one.

x2 no weed guards for me around grass. in fact i rarely use jigs anymore unless on rocky bottom/open water. around grass and timber i only cast a pegged weight. doesn't matter if you want to add a skirt or leave it bare or call it a punch rig or T rig. they flat out come thru cover far better than anything with a guard and are much cheaper

here's a small 11 page conversation http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/143622-misconceptions-about-catching-big-bass/

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144727-skunked/

don't point the finger directly at them. just tell them you dropped $700 and are quarantining your whole family/house/life from ALL people until you can isolate the source. then shave all heads and get the matches

If i really want to catch a bass I head to the weeds or shallow water. both if i'm desperate

keep ur elbow tucked into ur side and pivot ur hips. using ur shoulder/wrists in the wrong way can leave you beat up for awhile.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144644-fishing-the-drop-shot/

i've been a drop shot student the last 2 seasons. my weight selection might answer some of ur questions. 1/16 weight: this is very light weight but i'm using it for: a more vertical approach in shallow water; in pressured water; on calm days; blue bird skies; around weeds. i'm more likely to T-rig my worm weedless b/c it won't hang up in weeds if i do move horizontally. i like pitching short cast in/at outside weed lines with this approach and coaxing a bass out of the salad. i'm not looking to 'feel' the bottom. just make very little splash, dead stick and let the bait do the work for skittish fish. usually fishing under 10 ft 1/8 oz weight: my most common weight. i'll make further casts and more horizontal movements with 1/8 and 1/4 oz. looking to feel bottom for rocks. i will drag quickly while in mud/sediment while maintaining bottom contact but slow down/dead stick the rig once it's in rocks. you def lose sensitivity the deeper you go...and the more windy it is. 1/8 is great for 10-15 ft on calm/semi windy days. 1/16 and 1/8 hang up far less in rocks. 1/4 oz weight: best for getting down faster in deep water or remaining on the bottom in windy conditions. horizontal movements snag more. no problem working it over pea gravel but it hangs up in rocks so use the rod tip to lift it over rocks. i like using a larger piece of plastic to slow down the fall...and attract bigger fish. a 5 or 6" wacky senko slows down the fall a lot and does a good job keeping the baitfish away. good for 20 ft+ and keeping the bait on the bottom while ur boat is getting rocked by wind. you could up all these weights to 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 depending on the size of ur lake, boat and conditions you fish. overall the DS is my middle ground/tool between a weightless senko and a jig. the DS is a much better choice than a jig or shaky head when there is algae on bottom. the worm stays clean even when the weight gets covered in scum. and the hook up ratio is much better w/ DS on windy days b/c the bass doesn't feel lead in his mouth so they hold longer/literally hook themselves.

don't feel bad deep, the first half of my season was very difficult as well (even the second half of last year was hard). i tried to doing too many things at once: adding swimbaits and deep cranks to my search for adult bass on structure while learning a side imaging unit. things got way too complicated. i backed off, read alot, refined my basics and gained some perspective. hunting for small fish and adult fish (anything over 3lbs) is two different tasks. if I definitely want to catch bass i'm heading to weeds. but they will be small or medium. the big fish are off shore. there seems to be 2 camps with structure fishing: don't fish until you see baitfish on the sonar; and 'if I only wet a hook when I saw baitfish I'd never fish'. this is hugely dependent on the personality of ur home water. my very difficult experience of catching structure fish last year and the 1/2 half this year coinsides with needing baitfish to be in the area. no point in slow dragging jigs or throwing out ur shoulder/wrist out while casting search baits all day. in my home water i'm far more successful if baitfish are present. also my waters don't have schooling bass. i see youtube vids of guys down south just scanning a school of bass and pulling up bass after bass on every cast. that would never happen on my water. my water systems just don't support schools of 50-100 bass. mine hunt in small groups and are far more active when bait is close by. keep in mind fishing around baitfish is the easy approach compared to Bill Murphy's. He knew several lakes inside and out. and was able to consistently slow craw a jig/worm on prime structure locations. i may get to that point in the future but for now it's all about the hunt for baitfish. i do have a few rock ledges where I can catch bass that will always eat a free craw/jig but they are shallow and I would consider them junival structure fish. crestliner2008 wrote a nice post the other day about fishing around baitfish and it coincides with the personality of my reservoir (when pertaining to structure fishing; as i said weeds always give up bass). http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/144295-drop-shotting-for-smallies-where-are-they/ consistently catching big bass is a lifetime learning process and right now I enjoy catching larger than average bass in the deepest weeds possible; and catching bass that are active b/c of present baitfish. but catching neutral and/or negative mood lunkers while slow dragging a bait on deep structure w/o baitfish present like Bill Murphy is something that will take a few more seasons, if not a lifetime

for myself: the day my collection of fishing gear started shrinking instead of growing. it was a clue i was beginning to understand...if only a half clue for others: the smile on someone's face that I helped catch a fish

1 fish are smart. even if you are the only person fishing the pond they will quickly (less than 3 weeks) become accustomed to lures. a buzzbait might slay them at first. but throw it there everyday and they won't even raise an eyebrow after 2-3 weeks. 2 no fish on a senko? you're likely adding too much action. i rarely meet bass that can win the senko starring game. 3 move to deeper water. baitfish nipping at ur lure is a good AND bad sign. it's good b/c ur in a good/fishy area so there are bass around. bad news is the bait is shallow and the bass are deeper. you need to cast over the bait to reach the deep water bass. sometimes you can't pull this off from shore. 4 realize you have limited shoreline access. the bass in these access areas also get smart fast. try to find new shore access points and ur bass frenzy will pick up where u left off

i've never actually seen a video made exclusively of bow and arrow release. the only clips i've seen are prohibited here b/c it's a competing site.

yup I've been buying 60 deg jig hooks that are supposed to be for jig molds. they are stout and much cheaper than 5 hooks in a store. but instead of jigs I snap a do-it hitching post to the hook eye for my T rigged senkos. a senko doesn't tear when screwed on. of course the portion around the hook bend eventually tears but you get a lot more life out of them. put a glass bead on ur line and the rig comes thru weeds smooth as butter. http://www.***.com/Do-it_Hitching_Post_25pk/descpage-DOITHPS.html i also like the hook up percentage much better w/ jig hooks vs EWG did anyone experiment with the ID and OD tubing size for 6" senkos?