CalebWVU

Thanks for all the tips. It's definitely a culture shock coming from WV to LA lol. I was in New Orleans this past weekend and actually stayed in a hotel right across from Serio's. If I'd have seen this post before then I definitely would have stopped in. A lot of the lakes and ponds are private I've noticed. I'll have to take my chances on rivers I guess. I may head down to the southern part of the Tcefuncte, but from what I hear that river is awful tough to fish.

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I've tried using a frog and a buzzbait, but for some reason I don't get strikes on either. I think it may have to do with my casting angle. I know that it's better to work baits parallel to the edges of the weeds. However, fishing from shore doesn't give me that option. If I try to cast near the weeds and retrieve it parallel my lure comes inshore towards me within a seconds of beginning the retrieve. I can't get the right casting angle. I'm more than willing to try different baits/colors, but I don't want to spend more on equipment right now. I have a MH rod and 200 series baitcaster with 65lb braid so I think I should be okay. Waders is a really good suggestion, but it is somewhat of a neighborhood pond and I'm not sure what kind of reaction that would garner. Some of the locals already seem a bit miffed I'm fishing there to begin with. Are there any other suggestions on ways to fish these weeds when you can't line up perpendicular to them in order to retrieve parallel?

Hey everyone. I just recently moved to Covington, Louisiana from West Virginia for the summer. The amount of waterways down here is incredible compared to WV, but it is somewhat overwhelming. I'm not even sure what waterways are too brackish for bass lol. I've been fishing a local pond lately with mild success, but I'm looking to find some other bass fishing locations. Most people around here are more interested in saltwater fishing for specks and reds, so I haven't had much luck asking them. I'm not asking for anyone's honey hole, but if anyone is familiar with the area I'd really appreciate it if you could point me to a few general locations to throw out a line. I'd prefer locations in the Covington/Madisonville/Mandeville area for quick trips after work, but I'm willing to travel down to Slidell or Hammond too. Edit: For the record, it might be nice to split these region subforums up in a little more detail. Southern LA and northern Michigan don't have all that much in common to be labeled as the same region. Just a suggestion.

Okay seems the consensus is it's more of a marketing ploy than anything else. Thanks for the advice everyone!

I was out at Academy today looking to buy a saltwater setup for reds/specks when I stumbled upon a St. Croix Bass Mojo Rod (model MBC70MHF) on sale for like $69. I've been in desperate need of a new casting rod for my bass setup, so I picked it up without a second thought. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I bought a technique specific rod, specifically the bass mojo spinnerbait model. I wanted to buy an all purpose casting rod, not a spinnerbait specific rod. I'm naive, I know. How much do spinnerbait specific rods differ from general rods, and would it be okay to use this rod as a multipurpose rod anyway? I rarely throw spinnerbaits, as I'm move of a soft plastic or jig type of guy with occasional cranking. Would this rod be adequate for those purposes, or should I return it? Thanks!

I just recently relocated from West Virginia to southeast Louisiana, and the fishing down here is somewhat different than I'm used to. There's one pond here that I've been having some success with, but I'm not sure the best way to fish it. I attached two pictures. Normally there isn't water on the shore-side of the brush, I just took this after a big storm. The water level typically starts at the brush. Anyway, I've fished here 3-4 times now and I've made 90% of my catches from casting out right at the edge of the brush. That's only maybe 4 feet from where I stand on the bank. I'm pretty sure the bass are holding tight to the weedline, in only maybe 1 foot of water. My question is what is the best way to fish this situation? I know typically you want to fish parallel to structure/weedlines and such, but I can't do that due to being limited to the banks. I've made all my catches on a trick worm weightless by casting 3-5 feet out to the weeds and walking 10-15 feet down the shore and recasting if I don't have any bites within a few casts. Is there a more effective way to fish this area, such as using a different bait or casting method? Thanks for the help guys.

I've had two things happen to me in the past 3 weeks that would probably qualify. First, I was driving with my pole diagnal in my car (small car) from rear driver seat to front passenger seat. It was a 7' pole so the tip was bent up against the window a little. It was hot, so I rolled down the window as I drove to the river. I get to the river, roll up my window, and hear a CRUNCHHH noise. I look over to see that the tip of my pole that was bent against the window must have stuck out of the window when I opened it. When I rolled it up I broke the rod off at the tip. The worst part is that it was a 2 piece rod and I was just being lazy and didn't feel like taking it apart to transport it lol. Second one just happened today, and it's probably not all that uncommon. Let me preface it by saying I've had my baitcaster for about a year now and have always used mono on it. I rarely backlash anymore, and yesterday a big bass ran me through some pads and broke me off on 14 lb mono. So I decided to put on some braid last night before going out today. I'm sure you can see where this is going. So today I go back to the same pond and fish for a few hours without any luck. I was on my way back to the car to leave when I saw a fish jump up right near the bank I was just fishing from, allllllllll the way across the pond. Being the stubborn man that I am, I decide to cast one more time just to see. Rather than walk all the way around the bank to be within reasonable casting distance of the fish, I decide to huff and puff and give a superman cast from where I'm at. I loosen up my tension a tad, give a bit more line out, and cast with all my might. Which would have been great, if I didn't catch a tree limb on my backswing. I've never seen a backlash like this in all my life lol. I had to cut the braid off the spool, but luckily I didn't have too much on there and I used mono backing. Still not my proudest moment.

I would assume if there aren't any signs stating no fishing/trespassing/private property then you should be okay. That's what I always do anyway.

I've never fished with FC personally, so I can't offer too much advice. I've heard excellent things about the Sunline Sniper line though. Here's a link to a somewhat outdated but still useful test that Tackletour did on some popular FC lines. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewfluorocarbontest.html

They'll work just about any time, but I'd say morning and night are generally more productive.

It sounds like it would work to me. Although if I'm not mistaken, it is illegal to fish with multiple hooks on the same line in a few states. Might want to double check first.

What exactly is meant by "post-frontal" conditions? As in a cold front, warm front, high pressure system, etc. Rather than start a new topic I figured I'd ask here. For example, if we had a big, violent thunderstorm last night, and today it's 10 degrees cooler than it was yesterday, does that mean it was a cold front and that fishing will be worse than usual? I know there's plenty of factors that may determine that, the biggest one probably just being that fish are fish and eat when they want, but would that be an accurate statement in general?

Good question. Depending on the results I may have to swap out my $20 rod lol.

As a WVU student I don't think we're allowed to be friends. But I do like the Bucs and you're a fellow fisherman, so we can play nice. Kidding, of course. Welcome! I'm originally from Weirton, WV, only about 25 minutes from Pittsburgh.

RW gave me the same advice when I asked, and I have to agree. I picked up a new Citica E at Dicks for $60 because of their big clearance sale, and I love it. First casting reel and I've only had 2-3 very minor backlashes, taking no more than 10 seconds to get out. Casts like a charm, very smooth. I'd recommend checking your local Dicks to see if they have any left, and if not you can get a used one for relatively cheap as well here.

I went out to Lake Erie this past weekend for my first walleye fishing charter. The morning was booked, so we had to go out in the afternoon. I still had a blast regardless. I got my limit but unfortunately my uncle (on the left) failed to land a single walleye. He had some rough luck with hooking up to a few white bass and sheephead, but he lost at least 5 walleye at the boat. We had a few steelhead hit the lines and very nearly lost a rod right out of the pole holder! Caught it at the last minute lol. Anyway, the biggest walleye was between 8 and 9 pounds, with most being near 7 pounds or so. The charter people, Just One More, were terrific, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone who is up near Erie looking for a charter. Cheaper rates than most others too. I'm hoping to get back up there one last time when it cools down a bit, maybe try my first steelhead charter. Here's the pic of the lot for the day, hope you guys enjoy.

There will certainly be others here who will chime in with more knowledge than me, but personally I would go with topwater baits to start the morning. Flukes, buzzbaits, poppers, even frogs generally work well in the morning when the bass are still feeding and in the shallows. Try Texas rigging your soft plastics to avoid getting hung up so much. If the topwater btie isn't any good or dies down, it might be a good idea to switch to something that runs lower in the water column. I'd try to give an example, but the possibilities are almost endless and it really depends on what you have with you. More importantly, try to find some structure like downed timber or a weedline and cast all around that. If where you live has had the same heat wave that I've been dealing with, the bass will be likely holding tight to cover and along points in deeper water.

I went today after missing out on a citica last night. Dicks had 2 citica 201e models left, and I managed to buy one for $60. I can't wait to get it set up and get started, especially at this price!

Their reaction makes this video for me hahah. Although I can't say I would react any differently.

There have been a few topics like this within the past week or two (even one by yours truly ), so if you don't get too many replies here try checking out these topics. Some of the responses may be similar to what you're looking for. I've never used a casting setup before, so I'm not going to be the most helpful person here. But from what I hear, the PQ reels seem to be one of the better house brand reels available. I can't say much for the rod brand/model, but a 7' MH/F is a good power/action for an all around use. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/104729-baitcasting-setup/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/104464-first-baitcasting-setup/

I had this question too, so I'm glad you asked it. I've seen videos of people topwater fishing with frogs and it looks so fun, but there aren't any pads around here so I didn't think they'd work well. I may pick some up if DSG still has em on sale. I just need to force myself not to buy anything else while I'm there...bait monkey always gets me....

I've been looking to buy a casting reel for a while, and I've gotten some great suggestions from people here. However, I don't understand the difference in the model numbers of the reels. For example, what is the difference between a Shimano Curado 200B or 200e or even a 300dsv? Also, what exactly is the difference between a "Bantam" model (like a curado 100b bantam) vs a regular model? Is it just line capacity or what? I'm really asking this about any model differences in general, I just used a Shimano Curado as an example to make it clear (plus it's one of the reels I'm considering buying lol). I google'd for this but I could only find shopping results. I'd appreciate it if someone could clear this up so I could buy with a bit more confidence.

I'll be in Erie this weekend as well. The Western basin, near Presque Isle, but just for some recreational fishing. Any other tips?

I've been busy working so haven't had any time to get out to Dicks yet this week. My buddy swears he saw a Abu Garcia Pro Max with Vengeance Rod combo on sale for $60, but that seems too cheap to make sense. I'm thinking it was either a vengeance rod with a shoddy reel or a Pro Max reel with a shoddy rod lol. Not that either are exactly top of the line, but for $60 I'd pick up that combo regardless. Just from looking at catalogs, it doesn't seem like they have much Shimano or other high end rods/reels on clearance, although there are a few Rapala hardbaits I'd like to pick up for ~$3.

What is everyone's general approach when they fish waters with a relatively quick current? We've had a combination of high temperatures and very little rain the past month, and fishing has really slowed down for me at the usual spots. A guy I was fishing near mentioned that he likes to fish by the locks/dams when the water level is low and the temperatures are high. I figured bass would go to deep calm water in the heat and not necessarily fast water, but does this make sense to you guys? If so, do you think the upper calm end or faster lower end would be better? Anyway, I really made this topic just to get general information on fishing quick waters, like those found on the downside of a lock/dam. Do you still use soft plastics even in the strong current, and if so how heavy do you weight them? I was thinking perhaps a medium-deep running crankbait or a football jig head with a grub on the end? Or maybe you just don't fish them at all for summer bass lol. Any advice/tips are appreciated. Thanks!