primetime

I have not yet noticed any difference with soft baits of similar profile like say a GYB creature, Craw, or Worm compared to say a pack of BPS, Charlies, Havoc, Zoom, Yum etc. I think once you go past 1/2 ounce, the flipping/punching bait is essentially a hook holder to keep the hook weedless. I catch just as many fish on my Rapala Minnows, Long A's, Rebel Pop'r, Super Spots, home made chatterbaits and cheap spinnerbaits, and for cranks I am good with almost any crankbait under $7 and most of my "go To" baits are a simple Red Eye shad, Torpedo, Spook etc. I like buying tackle, I like nice stuff, I have purchased $15 Ima Lipless cranks on sale, $20 topwater lures, Glide baits, expensive plastics etc, and the only difference I notice is they look really nice out of the water with awesome paint that I doubt the fish are staring at. If you love the Ima Skimmer, Try throwing a Rebel T-10 the next time you are on a walking lure bite. You will be surprised. The most important thing is buying Quality Hooks, line and the right stuff, not the most expensive. I love to collect frogs and have some imported ones that fish awesome, but when I am only bringing a dozen frogs with me, I grab my Booyah, Live Target, Snag Proof, and Spro Frogs. I also will always grab the $2.99 scum frog Rat for skipping on spinning gear. I actually do better with scum frogs when it comes to hook up percentage, the new one's are pretty, but not a Scum Frog. If you want to make them heavier simply add some split shots, but over weeds, not sure the fish are aware what is moving, or what it costs. I gave a young kid a bunch of bass tackle about a year ago, and he is in love with casting the Creme Midget crawler and reelling it in like a spy bait. some days He will outfish me when I am using a Swim senko etc. We all over think fishing and the companies do a great job of catching us, They get me all the time, buying lures is fun, but results are usually based on figuring out patterns and finding fish, the stuff that takes years to learn. Just my opinion. Just stay away from matzuo hooks. Some days nothing will beat a Zoom Trick worm or a Centipede worm. Those 2 plastics can save days.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the Daiwa reel especially for the $99 I paid for it. I can cast it a mile once I get it dialed in and have it on the right rod etc. I am always changing rods and reels since I enjoy buying new stuff to "Try" but I do have issues getting the T3 dialed in, I think it is probably user error, I need to spend more time to figure it out. I mainly use the T3 for throwing Frogs on a heavy Rod and have #50 braid on it, it works great for heavier frogs, I will say the distance is amazing once Set up right, but Whenever I switch to say a Jig, I need to spend too much time to get it adjusted. It could also be the braid. I find most casting reels handle mono extremely well, especially in the 12-15lb range if on the right rod. I was always under the impression that if a reel can be thrown without any brakes at all, and a loose spool, it needed service since you are loosing distance. I always have the brakes set even if at a 2 since I skip baits no matter where I am. I am just surprised at how nice the Pro Max compares to all my other reels. I figured it would make a good pond reel, and go well on a Lighting Shock, but now I have it on my best Pitching set up. Maybe they labeled it wrong and it is really a $300 abu reel since all the frames look similar.

I usually like my rod for throwing anything with treble hooks to be Moderate Fast or even a bit softer so it has more flex, but I am not familiar with all the St. Croix rods, I know they have a ton of choices, models, and one MH Fast may feel different than another which is labeled as the same Power/tip. If you don't like the feel of the rod, return it to get what you like. If you like a fast tip, liked the one that broke, keep looking until you find one you like. I would return it if you have doubts, You will probably always wish you purchased a different rod if it feels to heavy for your liking. One Rod can say Fast and feel like a whip compared to one that is the same power and labeled Mod Fast so I guess my point is buy the one that you like regardless of what the specs say. I never buy rods online for that reason. I have ordered rods xfast and when they show up they are not what I expected.

The thing about the Pro Max that makes me love it is how easy it is to cast light lures long distances without having to keep adjusting settings. I have one set up with 12lb test and the first time I took it out I put the brakes on 3, kept the spool kind of loose, and never had to thumb the reel unless skipping. I can do that with some of my other reels, However I find some of the high end new braking systems more complicated to get dialed in. I still can't get the Daiwa T3 baitcasting reel I purchased on sale from TW to ever get set right. When I do get the settings right )has 20 brakes on 3 different modes, it will cast anything a mile, but I find myself using my Pro Max more than I do all my Okuma reels right now, and that was never the plan. As a Huge Okuma fan, I will say I would put the Pro Max and My Komodo in the same category, but my Pro Max seems to have a better drag. Maybe It's personal preference but it seems Abu Garcia has really upped the quality of their reels in the past year.

I have been on a reel buying spree the past 2 years and have been trying all the lower end priced reels since the specs of reels like the KastKing and others were calling my name after all the hype. I will say that for $50 Kastking makes a nice reel, I think they are now a legit player in the market, but after fishing with a few other models in the same price range I am now convinced that anyone looking for a reliable, nice looking, smooth casting reel, the new Pro Max Low Profile at $50-$60 may be impossible to beat. I have been amazed at how much smoother it is than many of my other reels, and the newer Silver Max reels are also a great deal. I have not had much luck with any of the quantum models although the hellcat is pretty good, the Daiwa Exceller is now $50 and is another steal. Add in the Okuma Ceymar, Cerros, and the new Shimano Caius reels, I think the BIG manufactures are starting to realize they need to compete at this range. I guess the point of this post is to say, I ordered about 6 Chinese baitcasting reels after a guy on You Tube who I follow started pitching the Piscifun reel and yes the reel is ok, but not really cheap in price. He also looks like he is being held hostage in his garage since he has always been a big Lews and Abu guy. Most of the China Generic reels are ok but they will rattle and shake and grind, where if you spend the same $50-$70 you can get a reel like the Pro Max which has exceeded all my expectations. I think now is the time to buy reels on certain sites since Revo STX casting reels are $85 right now, Lew LFS $69, Orra sx reels in the $50 range....I guess I can pass on the $80 Kast King reels which keep going up. It looks like Pflueger is becoming a player as well, the president casting reels were tanks years ago and have always been good, just hard to get parts, but the new models $30-$70 have to be tough to beat. The Academy Mettle is my newest purchase and so far it is almost too good to be true and I found it in a clearance bin for a price that is just absurd. No need to go China direct when this time of year comes around. Anyone looking to save money and get a reel that will cast light weight lures, handle big fish in any condition, rarely back lash regardless of settings, I am now a Pro Max guy, the new ones look so much better as well. Not sure it is worth buying any other reel in the same price range especially if you are like me and do not clean them all the time.

I was cleaning an old computer when I found an old picture of a Big NY Upstate Winter Bass through the Ice. My Brother and I used to fish a lake near his house which was pretty big and if you fished it in the spring through fall, you would each catch Stunted bass on almost every cast. We used to assume that all the fish were stunted in the lake with an occasional 2lber but my brother discovered that targeting them through the Ice in the part of the lake choked out with Hydrilla so thick that you really couldn't fish most of it (This is before Braid & b4 we knew about Hollow frogs etc.) I forget how much this fish weighed, we used to call everything over 21-22" 5-6lbs and I kind of think this fish was 23" since that was a really good quality bass in upstate NY and in this lake, you could literally catch 5-6 Bass over 21" in a solid day of Ice Fishing. This Fish barely fit through the hole and I believe it was caught on a small Road Runner or small Jigging Spoon (We used to use a Hopkins spoon) We only caught the big fish in the deep areas over 15' in the areas that you could not fish during the year. I guess the lesson of my story is if weeds are too thick they can cause bass to be stunted which I have seen in ponds, but if you have a lake where you only catch small bass, try fishing it through the ice. Live Minnows will also speed up the process & it makes the cold not seem so bad. Here is the picture of my brother with one of the biggest through the Ice and this was Mid Winter with thick ice. Bass eat in the cold, especially the bigger ones, you rarely would catch the dinks in winter which still seems strange to me.

Make sure they have a good quality hook, I learned alot about swim Jigs from watching You Tube videos from some of the guys who are best known for swimming jigs. I really like the Strike King Swinging Swim jig since I can fish it anywhere and fish it like a swim jig or hop it or drag it on the bottom, or swim it on top with a paddle tail trailer. You can swim any jig, all about line tie angles alot of the time. The Main page will have good articles on Jigs. The Trailer is really important. Rage Menace and Grubs are my favorites along with cutting down ribbon tail worms. Ripping them off weeds or bouncing off cover like using a Rattle trap is often when you often get the best strikes.

Let me know if you ever figure it out. I have found that weights and hooks and terminal tackle are the most important and also only bring stuff you will use for that lake. If fishing weeds all day you can leave most lures at home. One issue I used to run into in tournaments was bringing too much stuff and constantly changing lures. I would probably waste a good hour per day changing baits out of frustration. The guys who do well really do not bring much tackle, they just make as many casts as they can with confidence lures. If your favorite way to fish is with Plastic worms, then fish plastic worms. They will always work, just have sizes and colors, weights etc. I never try to copy a technique I am not good with just because it is working for everyone else. Most guys will give you the right stuff if the fish are only hitting a certain bait you don't have. I find only bringing a few rods and having a plan before I fish and then sticking with it to be the best way to go. If you love a Senko, you can throw a Senko anywhere and anytime and if you are confident, you will catch fish over the 8 hours. Bass are Bass, but overthinking sure can happen. I am the worst at condensing tackle, I end up stuffing my pockets with crap I never use anyway.

But....When those Liquidator overstock tackle shops get in the good stuff and you arrive on that day, It is simply a great feeling. Many times they are hit or miss, and often times you can ask the owner if he can get any of a certain brand, reel etc. Alot of times the outlets are not as in tune to what to buy because when buying closeouts you often get random mixes and simply buy for price since that is all some customers care about. If you see any bait or lure you like that you know will sell on say Overstock shops online, or a bait on clearance everywhere, if you tell the owner he can usually get those baits for you. The small mom and Pops located on lakes or near them are facing tough times with the Academy's and BPS and online stores growing so fast, and I have no problem paying a dollar extra for a few bags of worms before a trip since you will get 10x the value of local info and knowledge, networking you won't get at bass pro. If another customer or the Staff at a local shop can put you on fish, That is worth paying more money since it solves the hardest problem in fishing which is Finding fish and catching them each trip. On big lakes, Fish Camps know where the fish are, patterns, and if you spend some money, they tend to help you out more. They also carry the right stuff, right colors, and can give you tips. Plus, hearing stories of the big fish landed over the weekend and seeing pictures gets your mind ready for the trip.

One of my favorite videos, this guy does some amazing work if you check out his channel.

Sometimes you can figure out a pattern or locate fish reeling in as fast as you can to make another cast. If it happens really close to the boat or your feet, it can scare the crap out of you and then you miss it since you forget to set the hook. Good thing is you found the fish. I would go back and use the same swimbait, or any buzz style/Paddle tail soft bait on the Weedless spoon. Slime can be an issue, sometimes fishing over it is the best way with a speed worm type bait since it will slide over it. Just try to avoid weighted hooks in slime when swimming through or over it. A heavy guage straight shank/offset hook seems to add enough weight and not get slime, that is why I like a thinner bait so I can use an Offset hook and not an EWG. Zoom Horny toads can be great in slime, especially because you can work them as a wake bait or as fast as you can reel and kill it if needed to let them sink. Big Senko fished like a fluke works well in those situations. I fish alot of slime in the summer and love a 7" Stick worm fished fast on top and killed, skipped..Catches bigger fish and noboby really uses them in that way which I think helps. You can walk it as fast as you can and watch them come up and inhale it some days. Biggest fish I have landed this year was by accident while reeling in a Torpedo as fast as I could to make another cast to the big fish that missed it. THe big fish followed it right to the boat and slammed it a few feet away. Lucky I had treble hooks or I would have never made the swing in time, but I was reeling as fast as I could on a 7/1 reel and the fish had no issue "Finding" it. There is a you tube video of a guy catching a 9lb bass reeling a hollow frog in as fast as he could and fish leaps out of water and inhales it perfectly. Bass can move super fast and often that can trigger them.

That's about as good as it gets. You have the box which is extremely hard to find and it looks to be in great shape. I have been looking to find an Old Pikie but have only found them in the package at flea markets and oldest is 1984? I believe the 2 biggest Florida bass caught and recorded were on a Pikie. I think the biggest was the Lake Tarpon Bass although not sure if that was a Pikie, the Bass Pond and other Pasco fish were on Pikies or jointed Pikie. I am sure those lures still catch fish. I just saw a new batch of Creek Chub Pikies manufactured in the last few years being sold at a bait shop. Kind of like a shallow shad rap lip only metal. I am sure guys still use them.

Almost any finesse worm will work but I have always done really well with those Big Bite Squirel tail worms for some reason, they just seem to always work really well. I also like the Powerbait rib snake worms, But the Zoom Curly tail shaky worms or any ribbon tail worm sometimes is a great choice. Really no wrong answer, you just want a straight tail worm and then something with a bit of action. The Jig head is the most important part of the rig, I have purchased many that have awful hook sets but if you stick with good ones like the Megastrike, or any that is not the Luck E Strike Jigheads. Use those and you will get frustrated really quick. The Swing/pivot jig heads have become my favorite for shaky heads on hard bottoms, or I like the line tie in same angle as the megastrike which are the best imo.

I have been using the Ultravibe speed worms and Mag Speed worms for the last 4-5 years instead of using Buzz baits and usually try them on top first instead of a toad. I also like to wake them right under the surface, kill them and let them fall, and I find they always work better with some weight to get the tail moving. I usually use 3/0 BPS Superlock hooks or 4/0 Offset Owner straight shank hooks for the regular speed worms, 1/16-1/8 for buzzing on top, and I will pitch them like any other soft bait with heavier weights. I used to use weighted hooks but now I like to peg a worm weight and for color I only use Junebug, Green Pumpkin, and Watermelon red. I also love the Mag sized worm for longer casts, I think I use a 5/0-6/0 Heavy guage hook and go weightless at times, or light 1/16-1/8 pegged. If you lose the tail of your worm, now you have a pro Senko and it still will catch fish. You can also take any paddle tail worm and make the notch to get the buzzing action, or you can just use the standard paddle tail speed worms which I prefer for Pitching. Good Jig Trailers also. Zoom is good stuff. The Gambler Burner worms are also a good option for a bigger profile and they make some awesome colors like Houdini shades I like.

4" Zoom Ribbon Tail worm on a light mojo rig or split shot rig. I also like using the 4" Original Slider worms on the lightest Slider Jig head possible. I also like to rig up smaller 3" size curly tail grubs or small Zoom Critter Craws. My overall favorite finesse presentation is a F-7 or F-9 Rapala original Floating minnow in either gold/Black or Silver/Black on 6-8lb test clear or light green line barely twitched next to cover. Early in the year I will go as small as the f-5 size but I like the smaller Flat Rap Minnow when I go smaller for some reason.

I am not an expert in Drop Shotting by any means, but when I do use it, I really like those Damiki Stand out hooks as you can tie any type of knot you want and I trust an Improved Clinch Knot with Fluoro more than I do the Palomar. I also like the VMC spin shot hooks or any hook with a swivel since I have a tendency to shake rigs too much. I like to rig all my drop shot leaders up at home before going fishing so I make sure I do a good job with knots, I think Swivels are ok, but for weedless, those Damiki hooks are strong and putting the line back through the bottom when you tie helps the hook sit out the right way. If using a big bait, then it can get tricky, I just use the Bigger VMC pre rigged with Swivel so I can texas rig. Owner Down shot hooks are good for texas rigging smaller baits, a 5" Senko is kind of heavy and big so You may need thicker line, or maybe try the dreaded Mono. Mono also works well as a leader, I usually never drop shot Senko's but I would simply play around with different lines and hooks and test them in the water to get the look you want.

I wish I knew the answer because one day a Beaver style bait can work really well, then they won't touch it unless you go to a different size etc. Overall, I often catch plenty of fish punching a Worm like the Culprit Fat Max or something really small like the Tiny Brush Hog. I would say the Pit Boss by Havoc is the most economical and with the 3 sizes and colors offered, the fact they stay on the hook really well, kind of make it the best bait imo pound for pound. The Speed craw style baits like the Gambler Burner Craw, Zoom Speed Craw, Rage Craws are often tough to beat. I am starting to think that size and color and weight/presentation matter most. The best person I have ever fished with who loved to "Punch" almost exclusively used Larew Salt Craws and the bigger flat bottomed Flipping craws. He also would use Gambler BB Crickets all the time.

Depends on the color of the water and amount of light penetrating. Most people go with Black and blue, Black and red, or any dark colors with flake. Green Pumpkin with Red flake or blue flake is also a good color, and lots of guys like to add some chart dye to baits. I would say Black and Blue or Junebug (Dark Purple with Green) are almost always a good choice from my experiences. If you are not catching them on those 2 colors, then I would always try something in Green Pumpkin, and then contrasting colors with flake, laminates, swirls can work at times. Red Shad seems to work for me in most water stained or clear. As for what fish can see in Deep water without light, I think Fluorecent colors are the last to change to grey scale, I think that is why Pinks and Chartruese are so popular for deeper salt water fishing. I would say in deep water Bass Fishing (Something I rarely do anymore) a black worm with a chart tail would probably always be a good choice, but solid colors will work, just add a bead or rattle to add sound maybe? I always like to have some "Flash" in stained water since baitfish will have some silver or gold when swimming, or chartruese tint, so any color with silver or gold in it may help.

I have always used Grubs as a go to bait whether a paddle tail or curly tail, and I never really felt that brand mattered. I would use Mister Twister, Zoom Fat Alberts, and Kalin's were usually my favorite, but I also would buy Gander mountain brand and do just fine. With that said, a few years ago I purchased a bunch of Yamamoto Grubs in 3-6" when they were 1.99 per bag, and ever since using the GYB grubs, I now believe they seem to work the best as the tail moves so easily. The GYB grubs are super salted like a Senko, I would say the XPS Grubs that Bass Pro makes are pretty similar but they do not have the colors that GYB offers. I tend to use the same colors I use for all soft baits, but I do have 2 colors I love when it comes to curly tail grubs fished alone - White Ice, and Smoke with Copper flake. I also like to use solid Black as well, and for stained water I like a pearl/Chart grub. If you can find the GYB stuff on sale, I would say they have the best options, they get torn up quickly, but I am pretty convinced that they are the best grub, but I have not tried all brands, the key is the design of the tail, and the taper. I also notice that some grubs come bent and I never thought that matters, but now I go through bags and remove baits that have twisted tails since they fall funny. I think the Gander Mountain 5" Fat Grubs are actually Big Bite, they are a good grub for whatever reason and they come with a hook and price is really good. A Split Shot Grub/C-Rig is one of the best ways to find fish in new water.

They do have a website but I don't think the owner keeps up with it anymore, it is a wholesale to the public similar to overstock.com and he gets lots of Okuma stuff in, reels and rods at really good prices, sometimes other stuff, but if you are looking for something specific let me know. I can look for it, get a price for you and they can ship it. Store is called Fishing supply liquidators, located in Oldsmar Florida, see if you can find anything. There is a store in Lake Wales I think called Fishermans candy store, also goes by Bridgemaster, They buy alot of the same stuff. I know they have a website, plus they sell bulk soft baits by the pound and will do custom orders for you. Hope that helps. I usually stop by the shop several times a week just to get my fix even if I only buy a new frog or something. I will email his add that he emails me, maybe you can contact him to see if he can get it for you, I know he is looking to move the green celery sticks carbon casting rods and older green helios reels cheap, same with original Citrix combo. Also has the Cedros which was $300 reel, round casting reel, I buy them for $80 and resell them on Ebay for $200. Not a bad gig. He retails them for $100 which is crazy, guys do not buy round reels anymore but its a great reel.

Really depends but for punching really tight with braid, for Swimbaits around cover, enough drag pressure where I wont bend hooks, lose fish in cover. I am always adjusting my drags all day long based on cover & type of line etc. If you have 65lb braid fishing frogs in heavy cover, You should not have any drag until you get the fish close to the boat and it is still green, if you have open water you "May" choose to lighten the drag depending on situation. Tough question but If I am using treble hooks, I use as much drag I can get away with, same with all fishing I guess, I never try to horse a fish in, I would rather go in after it.

I buy all Okuma gear these days, We have a shop where I live that has Okuma rods and reels heavily discounted and I own a few Celery Sticks (Green Rods really nice-$100) EVX-$40-$120-Lifetime warranty, break one & only pay shipping even if you tell them you snapped it in the car door. TCS Scott Martin series, Reflextion for less expensive, all have been great to me. I love Okuma and customer service, they send free parts without exception, lose a cap on your reel, they send you 2 sets, I love the Scott Martin Stuff but some of the Guide Series EVX stuff can be found cheap and are really nice, same with the Celery stick. Seems that Okuma is always discontinuing reels and rods every 2 years, so you can find awesome deals. Okuma baitcasting reels used to fall apart, but in last 5 years, I would put my Okuma Reels-Komodo, Serrano, Cerros, Helios up with any of my other reels now. Plus customer service is the best I have dealt with. I do not have any affiliation with Okuma. I know it sounds like an Infomercial but I am 100% onboard with all products. You get what you pay for, but I love buying a Rod that was $120 3 years ago for huge discounts, same with a Reel at 75% off. I don't need the newest technology every year, does 8 oz vs. 7.8 really matter?

I use mono all the time, main lines for treble hook lures, Leaders, for Nylon mono I use Trilene XT, Original Stren, Triple Fish Camo which is a Co-poly which has silicone added. I fish Fluorine Mono for leader mostly, or for flipping heavy, 20lb to 25lb, never use Fluorocarbon main lines for casting long distances, if its cold, would rather use a good old mono. I use braid mostly, but out of say 12 rods, 6 have braid, 4 have mono, 1 copoly, 1 Fluorocarbon for Flipping. If I am near abrasions, then I will go with Fluorocarbon leader which is super stiff and will not fray like Braid, in certain weeds I feel Braid is too loud rubbing, Then I go Mono or Flouro depending on how heavy I need to go. Fluorcarbon Leader which is expensive, is well worth the price. It is much more durable, stiff, won't fray, knots hold, won't snap, If it casts well, probably too soft. I don't believe in Invisibility since .001% is not important to me, If i need my lure to sink I just let it sink. Just my take. Most of it is marketing.

I just made a new Bank fishing bag, so I actually created a 20 hard bait limit, 10 jigs, 10 bags of plastics, then tons of terminal tackle. It was tough, but I ended up close, 28 hardbaits but many are simply same lure different color/size. Besides all the jigs, hooks, weights, plastics here are the hardbaits I use the most 1- 1/2 oz. Red Eye Shad-Albino Craw 2- 3/8 Chatterbait- 3- Tandem spinnerbaits-Willow with colorodo 4- Sebile Flatt Shadd 77 SUSPENDING 5- Rapala Original F-11 6- Bomber Long A #15 Floating 7- Rapala Xrap Double prop devils horse style 8- Rebel Pop'r 9- Yo-zuri Sashimi Pencil Tate Loud One Knocker walker 10- Luhr Jensen Speed Trap-Spro Little John-7" JOINTED RED FIN SMOKEY JOE- Then of course my Frog- Snag Proof Bobby's Perfect & Booyah Poppin Frog, small 45mm Bully Wa

If you caught a Crappie and a bass, and the lake has Shad, they may be Carp, May be Spawning Tilapia protecting nests (I have mistaken big 5lb Tilapia for bass when they are spawning in stained water.) If you are seeing most of the action in the middle of the small pond, and not seeing any baitfish near the shoreline, then I would try the baits mentioned above and since the water is dirty, lots of bait, They can simply be tough to catch. Small ponds loaded with shad or shiners can be diffucult unless using live bait, but if you hit all the cover, all the dropoffs, and if you see the bait surface, you can be sure Bass are near them. If its only an acre, the pond could still hold several big Bass, I would simply fish it slowly and try to figure out where the fish rest, the biggest bass will not be chasers most likely, they will be in an area that offers protection so they can ambush. If you can see where the water enters the pond after it rains, that is where I would start, this time of year the bacteria floats to the surface and once the shad start feeding you will see dimples on the surface, if you see and hear boiles in the school of shad, they are either Big Bass, Big Gar, Mudfish...In ponds you never know. I would keep fishing it, especially when the water starts to warm, I am sure you will get a few big fish out of the pond, a 1 acre pond is capable of holding legit double digit fish if genetics are good. Crappie is a good sign, makes me think they are being pumped in? Usually Crappie will take over a small pond and you will only catch them from my experiences. Sounds like an interesting place, Just keep at it, Bait always equals bass. Carp and Bass can live together very well, same with tilapia up to a point. I fish several ponds like you are describing, tons of bait and the fish are simply hard to catch on lures or soft baits since the water is very stained and they spook easily. I like fishing those lakes at Night, especially in the spring/Summer/Fall. Bass in ponds almost always are easier to catch at night regardless of using black and blue worms, Topwater, Spinnerbaits etc. If you live line a big shiner, or any shiner, you should find out what is going on, that is always the easy answer.