Bassun

LOL - actually I kind of rambled and half answered my own questions along the way; but yeah - I was just looking for opinions on boats that come in under the 35K mark and are suitable for 3-4 people. It seems the best bet is probably a Nitro Z-7 or go Aluminium. I was hoping that maybe some people had multi-species boats or other non-traditional bass boats and could give their input.

Well, you're almost right. They are not pure aluminum, they are alloys and they do rust. They rust better in a wet environment, but not as quickly completely submerged - either way, it's slow. And trash in the water is often used as a form of cover and protection for wildlife. Don't read into this thinking I agree with trashing our waters, I don't and anyone whos been on my boat knows I'm anal about it. But, realistically if we step back and think about it - trash can help the fisheries. Old christmas trees, we repurpose for crappie magnets or sunfish habitate in general. We even make artifical fish attractors we sink around docks or elswhere. Large scale, sunken ships in the ocean are specifically targeted for fishing because of their ability to create a new habitate and attract fish. A beer can, is the same thing only on a micro scale. Again, regardless to that, I do not dump trash overboard. I have a bigger problem with the guy drinking and driving vs being a DB and sinking a can...

Oh, I should add that I do hope to take advantage of older stock if I can. So if I can get a new boat, in the winter, that's 2 years old - that's a perfectly good plan. So a new 2014 boat, in 2016 etc. is completely cool. (or whenever the absolute best time to buy is)

So first off, let me begin by saying I am not looking to buy immediately. I am wanting to start out smart, take my time researching and getting opinions, and make a new purchase in a couple of years. Current Rig: '99 Skeeter SS90 16'2" which I bought used for a great price. It's had normal problems and I've learned basic maintenance and how to rebuild a trolling motor, lol. Love the boat, but it's a little small and in need of some minor upgrades like new electronics, new carpet, new seats/seat covers. I have done some upgrades for personal preference, but now its getting to where I need to address the other issues. Expected Use: I used to fish tournaments, and its "possible" that I would fish them again, but most likely not. So, I am not looking for a flat out hard core tournament setup. I do plan on using it primarily for bass and panfish fishing. I do, however, do some multi-species and fish for Cat's and Carp etc. I designed and built a removable rod holder system for the skeeter. I would like to transfer it to the new boat as it only needs two base plates installed on the rear deck to support it. I would like to have room for 3 adults to comfortably fish. Ideally enough room for two adults and two kids would be perfect. Along that same theme, I would also like a rig that can safely tow people. I love to fish, but realistically I know that I will be doing more than just fishing and I need to plan for that. SO -- having said that, I would like a boat with the power and stability to not only fish, but tow skiers or tubes, etc. What I think I want: Actually I'm very open to suggestions. I would note that it needs to be fishable first, pleasure craft second. Really, it's about this simple: I want a larger bass boat that I can tow people with and have room for 3/4 on deck at times. I would LOVE a pontoon as a second boat, but I am thinking this: Keep the Skeeter, and buy a New "bass" boat (also wife wants a new boat, so thats a lock). Then look for a used 25' (or so) pontoon that is in bad shape with no motor. Yank the 90 off the Skeeter and put it on the 'toon and rebuild it. So, I am really looking for a "bass" boat not a pontoon, etc. I may then salvage as much of the skeeter as I can for use on the toon, or sale it cheap etc. If it would really help, I have no problem traiding it in, but I can't imagine I would get much out of it. But, I don't know... Anywho -- I think for the uses, I should be looking at a 20'+ boat. I think I would prefer fiberglass for the additional stability and smoother ride in choppy waters / weekend waked waters. I fish smaller SW VA lakes, so no Lake Erie worries, etc. But my concerns are that for the size I want in glass, I'm going to shoot way over the $ mark. This would be financed and I don't really want to pay 400 or 500 a month lol. I think I should be able to go up to about $35K for around $250 monthly (15 yrs). Having said that, someone mentioned an Express 22' aluminum rig was like $30/$35k fully loaded with options and with a semi-v and 150 on the rear it was just as smooth as any other boat. So having said all that - I'm not in a rush (seriously looking 2 years out so just planning), looking to buy a new boat (unless I were to find an unbelievablely amazing deal - but the wife wants new), and open to all suggestions even if its seemingly different than what I was asking about. That's why I'm asking. Maybe the best answer is to look at fixing up the Skeeter and look at buying a new Pontoon. IDK. Glad to hear your opinions and experiences with different crafts and thoughts on what would fit my needs. Thanks ahead of time!

So, since I didnt really give any advice other than give it time... I felt compelled to. You said you are catching fish from the bank but not the boat. Reverse engineer that. How are you catching them, what structure etc are they on. Basically HOW can you fish that in reverse? It won't unlock the lake by any stretch, but if you can "break the seal" so to speak, by catching those same fish in the same locations just from a boat you will be on your way! Good luck!

A: Drinking behind the wheel, wrong. Period. Not acceptable. B: Drinking a little while fishing...has never happened on my boat; but, I would not be against it in legal moderation. If I had a pontoon boat then I would probably be more likely to have seen drinking onboard. Now, on the banks - pop a top and sit back. C: Littering less of a big deal as opposed to drinking and driving, but still not cool. However, I remember years ago being told if it rust's sink it. Beer cans, soda cans, etc. If it rusts, sink it. Glass and plastic stayed on the boat. As for drinking on the water, know the risk. Among adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation... {U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (US). Recreational Boating Statistics – 2010 [online]. [cited 2012 May 3]}

LOL I actually really liked the Rapala piece at the end. To this day, a J-7 Silver and Black is my absolute go to lure in the creeks when I'm wading. But, I had gotten away from the Rapala knot and have been using a cinch knot for years now. Maybe I should revisit it and see if I don't do even better with that!

Dobber - don't sweat it man! Just by reading your post I know without a shadow of a doubt that you will unlock a key and start picking up fish before long. You are paying a ton of attention to details and that will absolutely translate into success in the long term! I felt your same frustration when I first transitioned from wading creeks and rivers to floating on a lake. It took me a solid year to even begin to gain confidence. The next year, I joined a club and learned a ton. It was the best thing for me as I couldn't let myself back off. We had 8 hours to catch what we could, and I wasn't about to waste it sulking. My partner and I were both new to lake fishing and had the same exact problems. But as the season progressed we each began to pick up on little things we were and were not doing right. We didn't win any tournaments, but we had a ball. My partner caught more bluegill in one bass tournament probably then most of us catch over a whole year. We didn't win, but we had fun! But more importantly we learned... both about the boat (due to breakdowns, etc.) and bass. No.... more importantly we had fun. Probably the most fun year I've ever spent on the water to be honest. Anywhoo... The following year, I fished again, but often had to fish solo. It wasn't as much fun, but being able to apply what we had learned I was able to win multiple tourney's solo vs teams. (We did use a 5 fish team limit.) Trust me, you are putting in the effort on the water. I have no doubt you are spending time off the water too reading about patterns, techniques, location, structure and doing map study. All of this will come together for you before long. Just keep plugging away! *I noticed you said there were a lot of other boats. Did you note what they were using and if they were having any success? Mid summer fishing can be really hard on some lakes. I know that I take a little solice if I'm having a rough day and notice that everyone else is too.

I remember my first bass fairly clearly considering it has been over three decades ago, I was about 5. I was at my aunt and uncles small farm, and was fishing this little muddy pond they had. I was equipped with a new Snoopy pole and my aunt had tied on a "Red Creme" pre-rigged worm on. They told me to cast it out as far as I could and reel it in. So I did. After casting a bunch of times, suddenly my rod tried to fight me and pulled me hard towards the water. I did what any sane person would do, I threw the rod down and jumped back, lol. I had caught bluegill on canes before, this isn't what a fish did..and I was having no part of it. Someone grabbed the rod and gave it back to me and told me to reel. So I did. NON STOP. I just reeled and reeled while it kept taking drag and fighting. With some startling luck, I managed to drag him up on the bank without him wrapping me around the fence line that went part way in the water. He was a citation sized Largie coming in at just over 22 inches. He was one that had been in the pond for years, and basically broke off everytime someone hooked into him. I got super lucky with cheap line and a snoopy pole, but was hooked! Naturally I thought Red Creme's where the best lures ever for a long time... although, I never caught anything close to his size on one again, lol.

It actually is based off a larve insect as well. Just a larger version, and they (maybe Mr. Twister was the original?) added a tail. If I remember right the grub was the larve of a junebug. But I am not positive. But, either way, some concept just upsize a bit and add a curly tail, lol.

Here is an example of a grub. This happens to be a good quality PowerBait version: http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-PowerBait-Original-Power-Grub/product/15723/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=15723%26adc=pg_315_11128_530bae48e4b021b76fd3c94a_41411118751

Oh I completely disagree --- there absolutely is a "protocol". Not a daily set method that always works - but seasonally there absolutely is. Are you going to be fishing topwater hard and fast when its January/Feburary, and the water temp is 42 degrees? No. Protocal dictates where the fish "should" be based on seasonal migration, and fish habits (and habitats). Each lake is different, each fish is different; but basic concepts of seasonal fishing remains. Now is there a guarenteed protocol you can follow from minute to minute and day to day; no, I agree. BUT - if you have a systematic approach that you follow consistently; you will consistently be able to find and catch fish as you will become better at reading their reactions to your methods. (assuming you are not using a really bad approach lol). I think one of the worst things an angler can do is toss lures and not know why they are using it. Look at your situation. Where should the fish be, but more importantly WHY should the fish be there. Once you start breaking down patterns based on the fish and not luck, you will generally become much more... lucky... Granted this is just my opinion and I've never won the Classic so take it for what its worth.

This actually just made me think of an idea where this could be a really slick idea. Superfluke, rigged backwards with a 3-5/0 unweighted - with a nail weight in the nose. Pitched towards brush or some nasty thick cover. I haven't tried this, but it could make the fluke dive away from you and deeper into the brush or pockets on a fall with a slack line. Especially if you use a paddle tail version and bring the hooks tie off on top of the paddle. This could work around all kinds of cover, and it may look like a baitfish trying to get into cover on the fall. We all know most of the time the fall is at best vertical and usually swings away from the target at least some --- this should give a really unique look and work similar to the ole' flying lures... only with a fluke! Frogtosser --- Thanks for the idea, I will have to try that this summer! Has anyone else tried that? (sorry for thread creep)

I hate to sound contrary; but I absolutely disagree with the concept of not using search baits... but it may be more about what we are calling "search" baits vs what you are actually doing. To fish a 2' diving crank search bait over 30' open water is obivously not a good solution. However, fishing a "reaction" bait over good cover is obviously a great idea. What's the difference... how I said it. We ALL use search baits when we first start the day. It may be something in which you have recently had success on, or something that historically works in the specific situation you are in; but a search bait is just that - a bait you use to help find the fish and what they are keying on. You can use a worm for a seach bait if you want; but generally speaking that is not time nor cost effective. If you only fish your home lake, then you are less likely to use "search" baits as you know that in Snookers Cove, in June you can catch a ton of fish at that second drop off if you just drag a trick worm and let if drop off the edge. Not exactly a normal tactic, but hey it's your lake and you have figured that out over the years you have fished it. That's all fine and dandy if you are fishing water you know; but what happens when you fish new water? Are you going to look for a similar cove, and try draging a trick worm off a ledge? Probably not. But, you will look for the basic things a fish needs. Most notabaly a good place to forage and hide. Once you find good cover what are you going to do? We are all going to do the same thing... probe the area. Some will use jigs, some cranks, some spinnerbaits, etc. But the key is we are all looking for those first clues to hone in on. Are they hitting short, are they following and turning, are they hitting from below or behind, are they hitting and turning or hitting and holding? These are all things (and more) that we should be looking at when we catch a fish. Each fish tells a tail, and its our job as anglers to read between the lines, and begin to figure out what the fish wants. You have to start somewhere... if you are on water you don't know, I would (and DO) start with reaction baits. Sure you may not start out on the largest fish in the lake, but you can get a quick idea of what they want (and dont want) if you take the time to read the fish. To me, this is using a search bait to begin to identify the days pattern. I said i used Cranks and spinnerbaits as search baits, which I generally do start out with (cranks 90% of the time) but when things get really tough and I'm just trying to buy a bite I actually go a totally different direction and begin searching with grubs. They are one of the most versitile lures we own, and make for a great tool when used properly. You can fish them deep, shallow, mid-depth, drag the bottom, swim, jig, burn the surface, in cover, over grass, through grass, in rocks, over rocks, dead stick, dead fall, etc etc etc and you can change the size and color in a matter of seconds by just changing bodies - you can also target fish from bluegills and up. My point is that while I start with a crank, if I'm struggling, I don't go back to a crank - I tie on a grub and figure out where I went wrong. The grub becomes my fallback search bait because it's so easy to down size and work your way up and into a good pattern.

Crankbaits followed by spinnerbaits.

I am no pro fisher, but the fluke is one of my go to's on the lake, especially on sunny days. I prefer a short 6 to 6'6" medium light rod with a fast tip loaded with no more than 10lb Ande spooled on a medium sized spinning reel. If you are going to be in deep cover, shift to light braid like STK mentioned. I rig it with EWG 3/0 to 5/0 (usually unweighted) hooks "texposed" on the 4" or 5" super flukes. I LOVE black over silver (Smokey Shad I think) and Pearl. But I keep a variety of other colors to match up with the fish want. If you can use a white of any type and get bites, that is my first suggestion. It makes things SO much easier when you can see the lure IMO (especially if you are just learning how to make them dance). Note that different colors DO have different body stiffnesses sometimes. There is a white with a chartruese tail that looks great, but is stiff as a board. I really look for a few places to fish the fluke (we have little grass, no lilly pads, etc on my home lake). I love the fluke during the summer right up on the bank, UNDER overhanging brush with laydowns in the water. Ideally, I want to put the fluke where you would never even try to put a crank or most other lures in general. 99% of the time I am using an underhand whip cast, skipping the lure back into the bank / into a log / into a rock - whatever happens to be there I want to hit it or stop just next to it. I try to always target structure in the shade this time of year with the fluke. Once in the water I like to give a few seconds of dead sticking then give a small twitch just as soon as i have regained all the slack. Often this is when you will get hit. Note - I mean a small twitch. Not a drag like you are working a carolina rig worm, or a hop like a jig. Just a tiny twitch. Think all wrist, no elbow movement - I usually end up just rotating my wrist snapping the tip from strait ahead of me towards 7/8 oclock. This is part of the reason why i like a fast tip. If you do the twitch right, the fluke should give a quick dart looking just like a dazed baitfish. Practice getting this perfect in open clear water, as to me this IS the key to working a fluke with success. If this first twitch has no luck, give it a few seconds to sit and then twitch a couple more times. Generally if I haven't been hit by now, I start looking to slowly work the lure back off the bank. I like to keep the fluke high in the column, and moving slowly with stop an go twitches and I add in a dart. By dart think more like an extended twitch where you make the fluke swim forward a foot or two by giving a smooth but rapid pull on the rod from center to 7/8 oclock again (or 3/4 depending on which direction you are moving obviously). Remember you are trying to make the fluke look like an injured baitfish, watch how it looks and work on your technique until you can literally feel how the lure is reacting under the surface. That becomes key with dark colors or fishing deep. If you are in shallow water and can see structure, obviously target it during your retrieve. Coming over a horizontal log with a dart then a twitch can be deadly! This is why I like fishing with whites when I can. It is much easier to see what the lure is doing, where its at, and when its been inhailed by a bass in the shadows if you have white on. Be careful, you can easily set the hook too quick if you see a fish hit; do your normal topwater wait to increase your number of hook ups. I also use these guys under docs or any solid structure. Again I get as far back as I can and apply all the basic strategies to fishing in terms of positions. Docks, boats, log jams, anything that looks "bassy" and has shade - I'm skipping a fluke into and waiting for action. Having the tip of the hook buried or flat on the surface gives you so much more access to nasty little spots where you would never think of putting something with a tacklebox full of exposed hooks hanging out. You just about can't hang these guys up, unless you wrap around a limb or get caught in a V etc. Having said all the above, if things are not getting hit - start exploring deeper in the water column by using a mix of A: slower action / longer dead sticking B: weighted hooks. My old fishing partner and I both caught tons of fish off flukes; he fished them deep and slow (and now loves senko's and honestly fished the flukes the same way he does senko's now) while I liked to keep it shallow and more active. Interestingly I was usually fishing the front of the boat and he the rear, and it worked well as I was getting the active feeders and he was often getting more tentative bass. Flukes are like that --- depending on what you need they can do it all. *Sometimes he would use the paddle tail version where as I almost always used the split tail. However, if I am fishing deep and slow, I do find better luck with the paddle tail. I could go on and on about these guys - but I think if you can take something from the above post you may find better success! Good luck and tight lines!

First off, welcome to fishing! I see you have started your own site logging your success, great idea. I'm going to offer a few suggestions that I wish I had done at your age instead of just fishing by my gut instincts. But first and foremost, don't let a rough day fishing get you down too much. Consider this, Byron Velvic who's won multiple tournaments only caught 2 keepers yesterday at Table Rock. That's a pro, fishing hard for 8 hours. So don't get discuraged. Start a fishing log. You kind of already did, but I'm going to make some suggestions on how to help make a log more effective for you. First, you want to find a format that works for you and stay consistent with it. The more information you enter, the more data you can pull from down the road. I would look online at different examles of what people log and find a mix that your willing to keep up with. Some basics I would suggest: Date - Location - Weather - Water Temp - Water Clarity - then keep track of what you caught, what lure, how you worked the lure, etc. An example may look like this: DATE: 4/4/14 LOCATION: Lake Wigglymo WEATHER: 65 degrees, cloudy, light wind. Rained last night and has been near 70 all week. WATER TEMP: 52 WATER CLARITY: Slightly Stained --------------------------------------- Caught 3 small bass on a white and chartruse spinnerbait slow rolling along the ledge in Possum Holler. Caught 2 large bass on a jerkbait off the pile of rocks at the mouth of Possom Holler. Tried: Hulla popper, texas rigged worm, and a buzzbait all with no hits. The more info you are willing to enter, the better off you are. What happens, over time, is you will begin to pick up on patterns. And that is a key to successful fishing, finding the pattern for that particular day on that particular piece of water. Each place is a bit different, but the more you have to draw from the easier it is to figure out where and with what to fish. You can learn tons by reading about what to fish where, but having your own real world data, of fish that YOU caught on YOUR water is the absolute best info you can get in my opinion. Good luck, and tight lines!

I'm no pro so take this opinion and do with it what you will... Skipping the basic prespawn / spawn patterns - I would do a couple things. First if you have electronics, spend some time just looking at the lake bed - two days, 1 fish - I'd spend some time learning the layout before I ever cast another bait. *(If the lake is mapped, even better. I find map study to be hugely important on a new body of water.) Find the different types of structure, different bottom compositions, creek edges, drop offs, humps etc. and look for some signs of life. If you find a ledge which looks like hard rock on the bottom, and small chunk rock or pea gravel with some obvious connections immediately one would think thats a great spot this time of year; but if you graph it and there's nothing there don't waste a lot of time fishing where we "think" the fish should be. Move on and actually find signs of fish. Secondly, if its muddy you are really going to need to wake up the fish. When I get in muddy water I think sound over sight, and slow over speed. Granted the fish can probably see better then you expect, and obviously have great senses beyond their sight - if they can't see what they are feeding on, it's going to be more of a challenge. I personally go big and dark. Black and blue spinnerbait with an oversized colorado blade for example. Dark jigs with big trailers and rattles. I want the fish to be able to easily feel where my bait is. I've also decided that the more stain or mud there is, the less important cover and structure becomes. I don't focus on getting into the heart of a brush pile like I would in more clear conditions, instead I have better luck working "near" big cover. Lastly, if you happen to find any areas where you have clear water feeding in and you get a distinct "mud wall" I would spend a lot of time working that area. I think in muddy conditions the bass (and other predatory fish) begin to use the muddy water as cover when there is clear water near by. They will hang back in the "mud" and ambush into the clear water. I've not had many huge fish do this, but decent numbers of decent sized fish seem to. And they always seem to restack very quickly so you can hit the same place a few times in a day and sometimes have good success each time. I've seen musky come out of the mud after caught bass when a feeder stream is dumping muddy water into a clear river. So if your lake has pike / musky keep an eye open on the fight. Oh, and keep in mind -- a bad day fishing is till better than a good day at work! Tight lines!

I should add -- there are other reasons for fishing more expensive baits such as the quality that goes into it. A cheap dollar bin crank will not have the best hooks, paint, etc. Really, the el cheapo junk is just that ... cheap. And I will 100% agree that an ultra high end version of the same bait as a bargin bin junker will see many more fish. I think we all can agree with that lol. You do get some improved quality components by fishing more expensive gear vs bottom of the barrel. But comparing $10 lures to $30 lures it seems the rings, hooks, etc are usually top notch. You will see different companies use different hooks etc. but if you are dead set on using a specific hook like a Trokar vs whatever then you can always replace your hooks... Mind you, I'm not "anti" expensive gear - I just keep in mind that lures are really designed to catch people first...then fish.

I have used some. Now, I am not going to say that I have used them with the confidence or skill I use other lures that were mine; but I have used them as well as fished against them. In the instances I was a part of, there was no real difference (admittedly I was not fishing $75 swimbaits we were fishing Lucky Crafts and Rapalas mostly if I remember correctly). We both caught fish and I actually did better using my confidence baits vs his more expensive stuff; but there are reasons for that beyond the lure its self. Some of which was I didn't want to lose his gear so I already agree it may not have been a fair shake on that front. My point is that a $20 lucky craft vs a $5 rapala will not yeild significatly different results constantly day to day. The same holds true for the high end swim baits vs minnow baits. On some days sure, you will get better hookups on the more expensive, and on others the cheap minnow is all it takes. My best experience fishing both is not fishing for bass, rather fishing for hybrid stripers. I've used a variety of more expensive baits, and still I have had the most success using cheap ole Cotton Cordell Red Fins (followed closely by Shad Raps). I've even bought some $20-$30 baits for that, but end up putting more in the boat with the Red Fins. Maybe it's my technique, or my location or like you said maybe I've never seen a more expensive lures applied properly... I know I am not the best fisherman in the world. If I was then I would be talking about my experiences using X vs Z in the classic, lol. I will 100% agree, there are times when EACH will be more effective. But let's be honest, if a more expensive lure always outfished some of the classics then we would all just buy the more expensive lures...even the best pros still throw strike kings... As for when things get really tough, I fall back to my first statement about live bait. No fake lure can look more real than a live bait.

While I personally rarely spend more than $10 on any lures, there are the rare occasions where I will pay a bit more. But, nothing in the range that some of these lures are asking. 30,50, 100+ yeah, not from this ole boy. If it has to have a bait that pretty to catch it, it would starve in nature. I believe all fish are catchable, and eventually with the right conditions can be caught with a variety of lures. Can you more easily trick a fish with an ultra realistic swimbait vs some big minnow bait? Probably. But, can an ultra realistic swimbait look more real than a live minnow? Nope. It does take different techniques to fish live bait; but who can argue against the realistic quality of it? I know that's kind of taboo here, and slightly off subject but fishing is fishing be it with live or plastic worms. (And if you have not been bobber fishing with worms in a few years, I HIGHLY recommend taking some kids out and do it. It is SOO much fun. [when you get to fish lol]) Marty -- I challenge your comment, specifically with regards to reels. Precisely bait casting reels. While I agree you cannot "buy success" directly, you can make a huge jump in success with a BC by using a quality reel. I was never a fan of bait casters when I was younger. I had bought a few used and/or cheap versions and continued to have problems getting the results I wanted. Admittedly for pitching and flipping even the cheap versions worked fine, but for casting they just did not perform. A few friends were barking about how great their reels were, and couldn't understand why mine sucked (according to me). Long story short, I finally handed my best over to a buddy and said here... show me how its done. He checked how I had it set up, and was surprised I had it tuned in correctly as he was convinced that was my problem (and throwing too light of lures). He then cast twice and backlashed. He laughed and admitted he was wrong. Then handed me his (I think it was a Revo or Quantum Energy IDR). The difference was night and day. For the first time, I saw the difference between a great reel and a crap one. I finally ponyed up a little bit and bought a Silver Max. Obviously not a high end reel, but much much better than some of the junk I had been using. The results of even that upgrade were staggering. I had spent money on a few nicer spinning reels, Pflueger, Quantum, etc. and while they were a little smoother I wouldn't say they were significantly better than a cheap Avocet II, or the old Copperheads. BUT - with baitcasters, it makes a HUGE difference.

This is probably already known, but google up "mouse locator". If you're not familiar it's a little tool to help track down the mouse, etc.

Senko's are defintely a unique bait and fished most often on a slack line. BUT -- let's be honest... none of us ALWAYS fish them on pure slack or catch every pickup from the line moving. Realistically, your feel will likely be at LEAST as good as someone who has good sight, and probably better since you focus on it more. I think if you utilize a "feely" line, which I'm sure you already do coupled with a "feely" rod" (again, no doubt you have that set up for your worms already) if you fish is with the same droping presentation as your texas rig I figure you will be fine. If you keep a little pressure on the line, then it will cause the bait to "pendulum" in towards you a bit, vs just a strait drop. You may lose a touch of the strike zone, but I think the feel gained will well overshadow any zone lost. Besides, let's be realistic, being visually impared I don't expect you are looking at hitting tiny pockets and must have a perfect cast, and perfect drop to hit a miniscule zone. I would guess your fishing edges of brushpiles vs tiny pockets within (etc). The same wiggle waggle fluttering drop can be had with lite tension on the line as with a free fall. I feel confident if your using it in the right places, at the right times a little resistence will not hurt your production. Chances are, you fishing by feel will pick up more than most of us fishing by watching for a line twitch. I know I've actually closed my eyes at times finess fishing with worms when I'm having trouble figuring out whats on the bottom... Good luck, and Tight Lines!

So the old classic is back in action again. Hair jigs are DEADLY on smallies. Before I give my opinion which is basically just what works for me, here is a link to a little more talented and well known name: http://www.bassresource.com/mike-iaconelli-fishing/hair-jigs.html Mike obviously knows what he's talking about... Me personally I have the best luck using a setup with a 7' med-light rod with a fast tip, and a spinning reel. (Pfleuger Trion now, but used to use an Avocet iirc). I run 6 or 8lb floro, I think it's Vanish or Transitions by Berkly but I'm not positive I just know its super tough and seems very clear in the water. I can feel every little bump and touch of the lure with this. I look at my hair jigs as food. So a brown, organge or even black and blue, I will consider a crawdad usually. I will fish those right on the bottome lightly hopping and skipping them around. Whites, and white with a splash of chartruse (of course with chartruse for smallies ) I look at being minnows and will generally swim them. I love using those at the tails of riffles and on leading edges of drop offs. Those are the only colors I fish with any regularity. I fish them nice and slow and let them do their magic. (oh I have used an orange one with some flash in it and swam it along the bottom once when I saw bass feeding on some small orangish minnows. It worked great, but only that one time.) This is one of those lures that even cross over into flyfishing for smallies it is so effective. Especially swimming them. A clouser minnow is a deer hair version of the same thing (basically), and the same results can be had. In fact, if you fish ultra light I would even recommend moving to the clouser version for swimming. It's very light so you can really keep it in the water column while moving it very slowly. I tie my own flies so I can adjust weight etc, but the standard pattern available at any fly shop is deadly on an ultra light setup. I personally don't have nearly as good of luck with these on largemouth or even spotted bass. However, smallmouth and red-eyes (rock bass) in my area just devour them. (SW Virginia). Here's one more tip which is unasked but helped me learn how to use certain lures in the past. Next time you go out on what you think will be a good day, ONLY take some hair jigs. Force yourself to use them for a day. Watch them, feel them, see how the fish react differently to them on the bottom vs when your swimming them. I will almost guarentee you that by the end of the day your confidence level will be so much higher with them, you will seldom hesitate to use them. BUT -- be sure you're not setting yourself up to fail. If your trying to use these guys on a med-heavy baitcaster with 25 lb mono or braid; your success will be greatly reduced. Think of them as a finess jig and fish them as softly as you would a 4in black and purple finess worm and you have the right touch. Good luck, be careful and TIGHT LINES!

In my experience yes they do school...but only during specific scenarios and not as the norm. I feel that targeting them as a schooling fish will yeild lower numbers of fish then targeting the right locations, looking for the right cover, and using the right presentations. I have more faith in one large rock in the middle of the river along side a faster channel of water then I would ever put into chasing a bait ball of shad or alewives, etc. for smallies. I have gotten on a few schools of smallies, but for me they were juvinile fish, I would guess in the 1 to 2 year class and that was only in the back of a feeder creek in a lake during fall. I think the smallmouth has all of the tools of a great ambush fish, and that generally doesn't relate as well in a school. They will stack, however, on and near good cover. So don't be afraid to targe that same structure again after catching one small mouth. In an area with lots of competition fish will quickly replace each other and you can easily find structure that will consistently hold fish day in and day out. While it's not "schooling", stacking fish can really make for some exciting fishing. As I think back, I tend to find these guys stacked up the most in pre-spawn mode just before they go on the beds.