wacky rig

GMAN, you just summed most of my time on the water in two sentences.

Thank you for all the good that you do. Russ

Thanks for the input Tom. I may need to rethink my approach to this. regards Russ

Hi Matt. It is a combination of things. First. I drift fish out of a kayak. Second, I toss a wacky-rig trick worm or senko more than all other baits combined. Third, here in Texas the wind blows constantly except in the dead of summer. There are many a day when it is impossible to sense(see,feel,etc..) the bite. So you play the guessing game. To cut down on fish shallowing the bait, I retrieve the bait after about 30 seconds or so. Unfortuneatly about 1/3 of the fish have the hook in the gullet. The hook is removed by turning the fish with it's head down. Once I find the hook, I place my index finger over the bended area, invert it, and pop it out. This works with a 1/0 gama round bend hook that is barbless. My index finger fits perfectly over the hook. It's not pretty, but it is affective. Rarely will a fish bleed when using this technique. Russ

Mucho gracios RW. Add that one to the list next time I see the man with the stethoscope.

...infections from cuts received when removing deep hooks. This happens to me all the time because of the way I fish. After the fishing day is done, I always treat every cut with peroxide and if needed, neosporin and bandade. What I am more interested in knowing about, is there a possibility of a more serious medical problem resulting from a close encounter with a basses throat or teeth? Thanks in advance. Just a FYI. I have a great technique that results in 95% survival rate when this happens.

They are as much fun as you have heard about Craw. It's always a good idea to sample before you buy. With that being said, I would consider getting one of each of the SINK(sit-inside) and SOT(sit-on-top). If you have decent balance and dexterity, you will rarely if ever tip either one of these over. The reason for buying 2 is that being in Va., you will need the SINK to fish with from Nov. thru March, if not longer. The reason IMO for the SOT is that it is a better and easier platform to fish from. The type of water that you fish will dictate the length of the yak. Basically, the larger the water, the bigger the yak needed. I spend most of my time on ponds and rivers, so a 10'er is plenty big and I'm 6'3"195# and pushing 50yrs. You will want a couple accessories right away such as an anchor system and rod holder(maybe more). As for brands, I have 2 Wilderness Systems yak that are my best buds, but I have heard many good things about brands such as Ocean,Malibu, Hobie, Perception, and Cobra to name a few. A good kayak will start out around $500 and with the paddle(good one) and other goodies could run close to a grand, depending if you purchase something longer. I would first consider buying fron an independent dealer, but a few chains like REI, Academy, Cabelas, and Granger Mountain have decent kayaks. Good luck

Get rid of that big ole boat and buy a kayak. You will spend alot less money on gas and your wife/girlfriend will enjoy pinching your biceps more.

About 3 weeks ago, I put away the trick worms and started using 5" senkos. I went looking for the healthiest grass at my home lake and began working both the inner and outer edges of it. After four trips, I am fully convinced that this bait lives up to all the hype, perhaps even surpasses it. I perfer tossing a wacky rig (imagine that), but numbers were caught with a w/l tx-rig also. The trick worms are staying in the tackle for now.

My 5 favorite fall baits: 1. LC pointer 2. LC flash minnow 3. trick worm 4. LC lvr mini or d7 5. LC splash-tail Yes minnow baits and fall go together like hot fudge and vanilla ice cream.

One thing I will add is that the Zoom Trick Worm is an incredible productive straight tail worm that cost about 15 cents apiece. This past Saturday morning a kayak buddy and I went out for 3 hours on a 30 acre public here in central Texas. We both tossed mainly wacky-rigged trick worms in various shades of green. We ended up with around 20 fish combined with half of those undersize fish, but our 5 biggest weighed 27#- no exaggeration(8,7,6,4,and a 2). Moral of the story is first the wacky rig is a great dog days of summer bait when water temps are running close to 90. Second the trick worm can and will catch big fish if one has the patience to dead-stick them.

The kind of tackle plays a big part for me. ultralite - 2 pounder medium light - 3 pounder medium - 5 pounder I will leave the med/heavy and heavy gear to you jig, f/p, and swim bait boys. ;D

I like your way of thinking Mr. Welcome!

summer and winter - once a week spring and fall - twice a week

The fishing fairy(no relation to the bait monkey) is a giving mood and wants you to have a great day on the lake. Imagine the best day you can have bass fishing. What does that day look like in terms of the size and the amounts of fish caught? Is it more about hooking the fish of a lifetime? Or perhaps wrestling three pounders all day long more your thing? Your reward at the beginning and end of the day is a incredible pink, purple, and orange sky. 8-) This poll is meant for largemouth's only. I thought about incorporating smallies, but it seemed awkward to do. I went with the two ten's.

In most bodies of water, if you can average a fish per hour then your well ahead of the game. Try getting out more around dawn and dusk when the fish are more likely at the edges of cover instead of inside or underneath the cover.

I agree with those that said the beetle spin or an in-line spinner(mepps or roostertail). Easy to use, cheap($2 a lure), and catches fish. Use spinning gear(not spin casting) if you can. Tie the lure directly to the line using a clinch knot. Good luck

Here in central Texas, I would rather spend a day at the lake in January with H2O temps in the 50's than a day in July with H2O temps around 90. I may not catch as many, but they will be bigger on average. Also the whole sun/skin cancer issue is less of a concern.

Casitas Ca. Naciemento Ca. Meridian St. Park Tx.

FISH HAPPENS, on a calm day in clear water, you can fish as deep as 10-12 Ft. max. IMO the tactic gets tough to detect the bite after about 8'. Sometimes I will fish deeper grass lines by letting(counting down) the bait fall to the bottom, wait a moment, reel in the slack and set the hook. You can do this with most straight tail and stick baits but not with a senko(economic liability ). This method can and will bring a few big fish to the side of the boat.

1. Lake Champlain NY/VT 2. Lake Powell UT 3. San Juaquin Delta CA 4. Lake Amistad TX 5. Lake Toho FL

I can feel your pain :'( It happens to me a few times a year also and of course just happened last Tuesday. 6lb.+ fish hooked finesse fishing on 10lb. test. It really chaps my hide when you think you finally get the upper hand and they do something stupid and so totally unneccessary like dive bomb into the hydrilla. Guess that's why we love to tangle with the little green monsters. 8-)

Raul said it best. Think pockets, potholes, and points. If I were to fish your lake, I would make trips around first and last light for a little finesse fishing. Wacky-rigged or weightless t-rigged senko or trick worm is never a bad starting bait. 2 under-utilized baits for this kind of lake is the zoom speed craw and speed worm. Throw in the horny-toad and have a zoom trifector. Some hard baits to consider are the LC LV-0(surface trap), LC flat cb medium runner, LC pointer SR, LC slender pointer, LC splash-tail, or a Yellow Magic popper. Many different baits will work in that lake. You just need to expand your thinking and do a some experimenting. And remember hydrilla provides a sanctuary for every living organism in that lake.

Don't laugh. Any kind of power fishing.

I love my kayak. Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. Yes there are some disadvantages to a bass boat. Some major. But the advantages....oohh the advantages. Nothing like the rush of hooking a big fish then going on a little spin as she tows you around the pond. 8-)