ClackerBuzz

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/late-summer-bass.html http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fishing-heavy-vegetation.html

nice!!!

nice post!

the bit is usually good/aggressive at dawn so i'd start with a 3/8oz black booyah clackerbuzz...frog/popper...or 3/8oz z-man chatterbait in black/blue for sub-surface. other than that you can can really use all ur normal day time baits. good luck fyi: a spinnerbait is just as good as a chatterbait and basically serve the same purpose. if you have alot of weeds....the chatterbait is much easier to bounce off the tops and rip thru them w/o getting weeds caught on it

all great advice. initially i'm more successful when concerned with whats under the water as opposed to above. ie structure and cover v.s. sun and clouds. start there. there's nothing like hitting a bass in the nose with a lure no matter what the sun is doing. after you get good at that you can fine tune and/or experiment to find bigger fish

I like to whisper...."I am the fish whisperer"

swimbaits have their time and place. i'd save them for large bodies of water not ponds. you're likely to just scare the heck out of everything in the entire pond and shut the bite off entirely...with the exception of a few days in spring/fall when they are very aggressive. and even then you could just use a spinnerbait. casting a "8 Huddleston on a 500 acre lake with 50ft drop off will go over MUCH better. i would try go with lighter finesse to consistently catch fish in small ponds. here is a great threat that was started: https://www.bassresou...s/#entry1173368 hank parker just posted a good article on shore fishing for ponds "Bass in ponds and small lakes prefer smaller lures that make less noise and displace little water. Small-water bass are more aware of their aquatic environment, and small waters tend to be more stable or consistent than big lakes and reservoirs. That’s why a radical lure, such as a big-bladed spinnerbait or a rattling crankbait, can put them on the defensive. You may catch a few on those lures, but I think you’ll be more successful with a subtle presentation." https://www.bassresou...from-shore.html i go with much smaller/finesse baits if: its a small stable pond, heavily pressured fishery, gin clear water conditions, or reservoirs with no structure (they were bulldozed prior to flooding). the fish can be picky at all 4 places but even the biggest bass there love tiny lures. i visit 2 small lakes (under 10acres) that are highly pressured. throwing a 5" senko is like throwing a 5" rock into the water. i have a hard time getting them to bite it even with the most subtle flip presentation. match the environment the fish are in. the closer you are to matching it, the more successful you'll be.

when you hook into a stump...."I thought it was my PB!" when you hook into your PB...."I thought it was a stump!"

i wouldn't do a second set...rather focus on a better first. drop rod, reel in ALL the slack, firmer snap of wrist while sweeping rod back. AND tweek ur ewg hooks by bending the point up some. it will help ur hook up ration alot. use off set round bend hooks if its possible with ur plastic of choice. worms work fine with them and u will instantly notice a better hook up ratio. good luck

are you used to using mono?

i can't believe you guys don't understand their logic. "Only a 10lb fish could break my 8lb line". Bucket fisherman teach amazing lessons if you're only willing to understand grasshopper

Thats what she said.

oh yea....get a kayak or canoe!!! i fished heavy from the shore 2 full seasons. it was great b/c i really learned how to read a body of water. i can roll up to an unknown body now, w/o a map, and read it well. after awhile i just couldn't take being on shore anymore b/c i could literally see all the great spots i was missing out on (HeavyDulx: you obviously feel the same pain looking at good weed bed you can't fish effectively!). It's been pure heaven getting better angles, better cover, deeper water access points from a kayak. i imagine its the same going from a bass boat with no electronics to buying a depth finder. opens a whole new world

great advice. 1-don't walk up to the waters edge and make a cast. stand 10ft back from the water and softly pitch a senko in the waters edge. that way you can catch the fishy sun tanning instead of spooking him. 2-in the spring and fall make distance casts as mentioned. long casts retrieved 45 deg or parallel to shore will keep you in the strike zone the longest when the fish are getting fat on bait fish. 3-find the coves with the most muck/algae/stagnant water in the summer. go back in the winter and cold spring day. those coves warm the fastest b/c there is no water flow or wind blowing. its usually great fishing after the rest of the lake is cold. 4-if/when you get hung up in a tree: don't pull on ur lure with the rod b/c it loads and sinks the lure deeper. point the rod tip directly at the lure and tug back. you have a 50% better chance of yanking it free. 5-always find the feeder stream and fish it (esp on hot summer days b/c its like a/c for them). 6-always find the exit stream and fish it. 7-at any given point, one side of the water/shore is better than the other. thats b/c the original stream flowed thru with a zig/zag effect from shore to shore. find out or imagine where the deep parts and under water stream banks are (if one side has heavy algae/weeds breaking surface or lily pads, the other side is usually clear deeper water). 8-commit to a cast ALL the way back and be prepared for a strike up until the last second. i can't tell you how many times a fish smashed my spinnerbait 5ft from shore after a 60ft cast. its the moment they need to make a decision and strike or let the bait go free up the shore. one time i was finished reeling and was lifting my spinnerbait up out of the water and a fish struck. i literally swung her up and out of the water. it was wild. 9-get a topo map of ur larger bodies of water. you can rule out 80% of the water to fish b/c there is a 100ft+ flat. you will never be able to cast far enough out to effectively fish the area. focus on: the bends where the original creek flows against the bank, feeder streams, points and secondary points near deep water, weed beds near deep water, fallen trees near deep water (deep water theme!). good luck!

bucket fisherman--"10lb test is plenty"

every time i'm leaving shore.... someone coming in says "They are bustin' on shad out there". best part is half the places don't have shad

hilarious

it was a great read and i'm looking forward to more.

great post nick

nice fish. i fish south jersey too and have been stuck in the 2-3lb range for july and august. i've been fishing alot of small dammed ponds that heat up way too much. i found an amazing spot that i'm looking forward to going back to in the fall. i swear the water was close to 90 deg when i stuck my hand in it. i could barely get them to take a senko when i was there. the bite always turns on for me at dusk. next season i'm going to get electronics and fish much larger bodies of water in the summer months. i'm really looking forward to this cold front coming in. its like the first taste of fall fishing!!!

nice post. 60 post welcome to ya!

i'd tell you the story but i hate re-living how i got my nick name '2 fingers'.

hmmm ru sure that was a flat bottom? i've been a 30yr old canoe like ur describing but it was a sears 13' fiberglass with a V-hull . it couldnt have been more than 25" wide and would almost tip while sitting. most newer canoes start with at least a 35"+ width and are flat bottoms. i think my radisson is 38"+ and i can literally walk around in it. i'd highly recommend borrowing a canoe AND kayak from friends. or buy one cheap/used this winter off CL. if you don't like it you can re-sell it in the spring for more than you paid for it. some fishing/hunting stores will even let you take them out on the water for a test. i also have a 9.5' perception swifty kayak (dicks sporting). my back gets sore, and legs cramp after 2 hrs... reason being i can't stand up, or stretch. i would choose my canoe over my kayak any day of the week.

i'd go cheap when learning a new lure b/c you'll lose a bunch to logs and sticks. don't bother changing out the hooks until ur more experienced with not sticking the trebles in everything besides fish. it sucks breaking them off when ur fishing from shore. its at least better if ur in a boat and can rescue them half the time. i still use cheap cotton cordell super spots. sometimes i change the hooks out. if i didn't i know to just the play big fish more with my rod

i have a 12' and 14' Radisson and LOVE them. I have no problem standing up and fishing in either and I don't have stabilizer bars. they have oar locks u can slip the oars into and paddle it like a row boat. i can blow other guys away that have a single paddle. and they help me get awesome angles on casts. i've been in a lot of kayaks and canoes and this one beats them all for comfort, speed, and lightness. as mentioned the hull is thin so no white water rafting near rocks. Also search ur CL for "sportspal". different company, same canoe.