hooah212002

Did you put any KVD on it? I am not saying for sure that it would have helped, but theoretically it would have.

Presumably these are beaches not frequented by swimmers?

I would love to be able to stick with one place, but I don't yet have one solid spot to call my own. So far I have 3 places that are good (for me, in that I have actually caught fish): a crystal clear lake that is deep as all get out (old rock quarry), a dirty, fast moving river with some ok SMB, and a small, dirty and shallow lake that is only a few minutes away from home and is somewhere I can easily go after work. It looks like I need a consortum of jigs/lures.

I've always been curious how far out you have to cast when fishing from a beach on the ocean and how difficult it must be since the wind is in your face (right?).

When you guys say to spray it on while spooling, how often while spooling? Every few wraps/handle cranks?

I've no idea personally, but I've yet to see a single negative review. The ultra soft is reportedly extremely manageable even without kvd. Plus, it has a tensile strength much greater than it is rated. 12# has something like 19# break point.

It's a fluoro coated nylon.

On a somewhat related topic, do you guys experience a higher rate of overruns with braid? I had a heck of a time this morning when I went out. I sprayed KVD as I was spooling and I don't think I was casting any differently, but I was getting a backlash almost every cast. Now I'm worried that I ruined a good portion of my line because of it. I got hung up and lost a jig, but it broke off really easy and it wasn't at the knot. It broke off requiring much less effort than the 12# spiderwire mono I was using prior. I certainly cant afford to take off a bunch. I did use mono backing, but I'm unsure how much i have left in the roll. It was a 150 yard roll of Power Pro.

Maybe $4 was an exaggeration, but the ones with rattles are close to it, whereas the ones without are easily less than $2. I, too, am a cheapo and I lose a lot of baits.

I'll have to check them out. Thanks.

How important is it for you guys to use jigs with rattles? Do you have just as much success with either? Or is there certain situations that call for rattles? I am trying to build up my tacklebox and jigs without are far cheaper. I bougt one yesterday and already lost it this morning. I figure, with hiw jigs are used, i will probably lose quite a few to hang ups so i don't want to spend 4 bucks on each.

The dicks I go to is horrible about restocking anything. I've been going at least once a week this whole summer and they have yet to restock hollow body frogs or ANY rage products. On the plus side, they currently have the field and stream rods on sale for $20.

In my never ending quest to "become one with the fishes", I am curious what species of fish "jump". It seems to me, that one sign of having found a good fishing spot (all other things being equal) is to see or hear fish splashing around. Let's assume you are in a spot that you know nothing about, but all intuition tells you that bass should be in this habitat along with other fish as well. I know carp like to roll on the surface doing their carp-y things, but not necessarily violent splashes/jumps (or do they??). Do any other species, namely something that would have no interest in lures used for bass, jump around? On a side note, I noticed something I had never seen before this morning. I went fishing after work around 2 this morning (just got back and my wife is NONE too happy) so I went to a spot that is not really well known for bass, but has apparently produced some in the past. I heard some splashing around over by some weeds that I didn't really have a good angle on, but I tossed everything in my arsenal at it: worms, buzzbaits, lipless cranks, chatterbait, jig, you name it. This active fish (there were others making commotion as well) was having none of it. Then I thought it must be a catfish because I've heard they sometimes jump around for unknown reasons, but not too common. Ok, maybe Mr. Catfish will eat my worm? It's a stretch, I know, but I want to catch something. Nada. So I walk up the road and take a peak over the side of the bridge. I look down at the water and in the light of the street lamp, ~50 ft down, I can see what looks like LARGE things swimming around. I couldn't immediately tell what they were, but I kept staring and it was a whooolllleee slew of carp. Dozens of them sucking air at the surface. There was no way to get down on that side, so I walk further down the street to the other side of the bridge. Then I see it: the ENTIRE SHORE LINE is chalk full of freakin carp! I can see their little mouths sucking air and then I hear the noise that I previously thought was bullfrog and realize it is the carp. I have never seen carp do this, nor that many carp (in person). This is when I realize that I have been trying to bass fish.....for a carp. I wasted almost 4 hours trying to catch a carp with lures. However, this story has a happy ending. A little while later, still before sun up, I notice another fisherman had shown up and he was fishing over on the bridge, obviously carp fishing. I walked over to him and asked if he came here often, if these wacky fish always do this, yada yada yada. Then he tells me about a spot on the same lake but down the road further that has produced some bass for him in the past. I get down there and it looks good: weeds, docks and overhanging trees. I immediately notice something, though: the fish jumping over here make a distinctly different noise when they crash the water. It is a much more violent splash, almost like an eruption in comparison. It is a splash with purpose. Woohoo! Bass! (I hope). I pull out my Spook because it's prime time: the water is like glass and the sun is just about to peek it's head out. "Bass" are jumping all around me, but want nothing to do with my spook. So I switch to buzzbait. Nothing. Pop-R. Nothing. Chatterbait. Nothing. I go through my arsenal. Nothing. I finally get a dink on a T-rigged finesse worm just as my wife texts me yelling at me for still being gone. I try to butter her up by telling her she is a good luck charm. It didn't work. So, yes, this is somewhat of a fishing report but only because it helps illustrate my question: can you tell that the fish you are targeting, if basing that target on seeing them jump, is a bass? I know my story sounds as though I answered my own question, but there have been other times at other places too, where fish will be jumping and they are juuuust out of casting range. Teasing us shorebound fishermen.

Excellent explanation. Thank you. Does KVD L&L help to minimize it? edit: I've also read that spooling as tight as humanly possible helps a lot to reduce it. Is there any truth to this?

Can someone explain what line dig is, what causes it and how to prevent it? I picked up some 20# PP this evening. I'd be happy to create a new post if mods so desire. I just figured it would fit here fine.

So blade color is even less important?

Ok, point taken. I just didn't make myself clear. What I was alluding to was that lower oxygen content means fish are more lathargic. I simply extrapolated that to mean that higher oxygen content means more energetic fish. This is why fish (or aquatic life in general) tend to be around weeds that are alive as opposed to dead/decaying. Think about a mountain climber for example.

Buffalo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo

Should OF, could OF, would OF. Really grinds my gears.

Sure it did. It was plenty lucid.

Overhanging trees and natural points. Generally speaking, you can imagine the shore extending out into the water, so if there is a point on the shore, fish that. A lake map would be GREAT. It will show you depth, at the very least, but good ones will show you what vegitation/structure/bottom make-up is in what area. It will show you what areas are sand, vegetation, mud, rock etc. if you have access to one, GET IT.

Do you have a question?

You are correct on all accounts. A lot of people say the fall bite is nearly as good as the spring bite because they are fattening themselves up for winter. They will also be coming up shallow to follow the baitfish, then go back deep for the winter. As far as what the trigger is, presumably it is water temp. Although, sun light and day length may also play a role.

Just a follow up to point out that you guys were correct. I have been able to walk the frog more effectively now that I have a more stout longer rod. Thanks.

The dam is aerating the water and providing an extremely oxygen rich environment for the fish. More O2 means more feeding because they can replenish energy faster. Especially in otherwise still water.