primetime

The great thing about soft plastics is you can modify them so many ways to cover any depth, fish em in the nastiest cover, and if you want to cover water as a search bait, you can rig a swimbait and fish it like a crankbait, or on a jig with an underspin to give you the feeling of a spinnerbait. I alway's hit the water with my hardbait box, but my terminal tackle, jigs, and soft plastic boxes tend to see most of the work. My problem is I love trying new colors, sizes, styles, brands, and every time I order anything to do with fishing, I can't help but add a few new bags of soft baits in my cart, but in reality, I only use 10-20% of what I carry, but I love me some soft baits!!!!

If the Monkey is in your ear, hitting the Academy website for deals on cranks is never a bad idea but it takes $50 for free shipping and the website never works so you have plenty of time to change your mind as you have to call in the order if trying to pay with paypal or at least I do as the page always shows an error on checkout. I just purchased their house brand hooks and some lures and also their line and have been impressed with it, I think a few are coming to Orlando so I can't wait to have a new place to buy lures I don't need....

I need to start trying new trailers like the bug and different swimbaits as everyone keeps talking about, I alway's use the twin tail spinnerbait trailers or twin tail grubs, but I think I may try the skirt off rig that is getting alot of buzz and start trying out lizards, swimbaits, and beaver style baits like the bug...I would think the GYB shad shaped swimbaits would be really good this time of year or any soft bait in white or shad pattern...I have been missing alot of fish on the "chatterbait" lately and my landing percentage has gone down but I think I need to start using my crankbait rod instead of my fast action med heavy as I think I am pulling it away too fast after ripping out of the weeds, plus fishing that bait all day is work so losing fish hurts much worse than on anything else imo.

One of the best for working over submerged grass and I picked up a few over the summer and it dove a bit deeper than I expected so I stuck with the Max Rap from Rapala during the summer when I wanted a shallow suspender as it only dives a 1', but I figure it is going to be awesome this fall as I will have more water to work with and with heavier line it still has great action and a natural look, so I am excited to start fishing it more. I purchased a few on sale during the summer and it has worked well the times I have fished it and it looked great in the pool, although I have not had any strikes in the pool yet but the pool I fish get's alot of pressure.

Thanks, it is a tricky bait that I naturally want to rig flat as well, or with a jighead, but I have heard it is a good bait for flipping and pitching, but when I try it on a twistlock or heavy flipping hook I seem to miss more strikes than I normally would using a beaver style bait etc....I like the potential of this bait as it must be fantastic during the spawn and even now in the fall as the shad are similar in size, and so are all the small panfish from this year...I guess I need to experiment with hooks and I don't even know if I am using a 5/0 or smaller since my tray is a mess of all sizes and styles of hooks. I would think the rage rig that everyone talks about would work if flat, but maybe I need a larger Wide gap, I just like to use offset straight shanks as much as possible. Thanks again, glad I am not the only one who has found it tricky.

I like to pick apart visable structure first with weedless plastics and then start fancasting a bait I have confidence in and I can adjust weight and speed of retrieve with a soft swimbait/worm to figure out what they want. Same with a jig, you can swim it near surface, slow roll or crawl or hop it to figure out what else may work

The only reason I mentioned a Lefty should come from the bottom of the spool and be facing away from the line is because that is how I was trained when I worked for a fishing shop part-time on weekends and I would often spool line for hours at a time on a spooling machine. I was trained for left handed baitcaters to always have the reel facing away from the spool on the seat, and have the line come from the bottom, and some customer's would bring in reels that were lefty and watch my every move to make sure this was done as I always would simply put the reel facing the line and have it come off the top..... Maybe I was trained wrong, and maybe it doesn't really matter, I have never used a lefty, but I also have spooled line by myself with the spool laying on the ground and it works out fine for both my spinning and casting reels and if the line coils, I simply cast a 1 oz jig as far as I can and get the line wet to reduce friction and pull some line out with the drag set light to break the line in....I use line conditioner for fluorocarbon to reduce memory and I can't say that it helps, but I use it since everyone says it is a benefit with UV rays etc, and I found some Ardent Line butter on sale for $3.99 once and grabbed 2 bottles so I figure I just put it on when spooling flurorarbon and even nylone mono....I agreee with everyone above with how to put line on tight and the above post is really good for setting it up and you will get the hang of it quicker than you probably think and just use heavier lures to start and avoid windy areas.

If you find hard bottom, football jig and zoom critter craw or 4" grub or twin tai grub fished slow....If you have steep drop offs, fish may be suspended and if you do not have any electronics on your Kayak, and I don't have any on mine, I will rig my favorite finesse worms on a darter head jig as the darter head is a great jighead instead of a standard ballhead for soft baits when fish suspend.....

I think the key to Clear water fishing and also cold/fall fishing with all the above mentioned techniques is the Line you are using. I try to avoid using straight braid in the fall and if I use braid, I use a long Flurocarbon leader and I try to use Fluoro as light as possible, and I use my spinning rods and reels more than any other time and if I can use 6-8lb test I find I get alot more strikes.....Especially when fishing a tube or worm as fish are line shy and will often strike a bait presented on 8lb fluoro when they pass on 12lb test.... Also, covering water is a great idea as you mentioned with trolling, and another good way is to chuck and fish a lipless crankbait fast to find active fish, and color seems to matter more than usuall in the fall, and gold or chrome is a good start, and so is size. Often a 3/4 oz matches forrage better in the fall as shad and panfish are larger as they matured all year, so a larger size is a good lure to try and it will cast further, and rip through weeds easier and I would try one that is silent as well if your favorite lipless cranks are not getting bit... Once you find the fish, and that is half the battle, slow down with the split shot rig and a small 4" worm or a tube like you mentioned as I find the tube is a great bait all year round and sometimes an unpegged light 3/16 oz weight helps trigger reaction strikes on the fall as it spirals...Experiment with color and size, but if you don't like fluorocarbon, then I would go with a clear nylon monofilament or copoly and P-line CXX is kind of translucent under water with the fluoro coating compared to others, but I have not tried them all, but that line as well as 4lb yo-zuri Hybrid in clear is a good choice as 4lb is really 10lb in breaking strength.. Here in Florida, I rarely go lighter than 15lb test on casting gear, or 50lb braid during spring and summer,but in fall I will drop down to spinning gear and will go 8lb fluoro if I feel I have open water as I am convinced downsizing line is often the key to catching and not catching and have had fish turn down my lures on 10lb test, only to put the same lure on 8lb test and start getting bit...Worth a try, but if in heavy cover, I still would take 17-20lb fluoro over any braid in clear water, or even 20lb mono in clear. I know their is debate on color vs. diameter, but unless fishing slow in stained water, I am convinced fluoro or if you just don't like fluoro (I hated it until this year) I always did well with triple fish camo line which is green/brown/purple colored and it is tough for fish to see in any water color, and they make a good reliable line that is inexpensive as they are an OEM which makes alot of the lines we all use anyhow, kind of like Pinnacle or Silstar which used to be primarily an OEM for other Companies and never marketed their own products...Triple Fish is very inexpensive and when I first heard about it as it is popular here in the Tampa FLorida area for saltwater guys, I was scared to use it as it is a fraction of the price of other lines, but you can trust it to be reliable and Camo line is also a good leader choice.

I alway's plan to fish cheaper lures/Soft Plastics from the bank, even using my cheap spinning rod so I can get it wet and not care. Usually after 5 minutes and hearing fish break or seeing weeds moving in tough to reach areas, I am walking back to my car to get the good stuff, and if I can't get bit throwing a soft bait, I can't help it and have to start chucking lures all over and I like to throw topwaters in ponds, so casting a few spro Topwater frogs into the trees can get you angry until the 4th one results in a good fish, then it is all worth it......I fish in some ponds that I am just glad to leave without a snake bite or getting dragged in the water by an alligator since I am usually alone on the way home from the grocery store when I notice a stormwater pond that happens to have a hole in the fence, and I just have to stop and make a cast....Big fish are just as smart in ponds, so a cheap lure or cheap line is not worth it if you want to land a big one, and landing big fish from the bank is the hardest part imo.

Zman actually sells a version without the skirt and it comes with 2 swimbaits and they start small in the 1/4 oz range with 3" swimbaits I think called the Flashback shad or something, and then they have big ones that I think are 3/4 with huge swimbaits in the 6" range, and the swimbaits are actually really nice with a bunch of segments, color patterns, and I am pretty sure they are marketed toward saltwater as all the one's I have are in Saltwater Baitfish colors like Bunker etc. typically used for Stripers. I have a bunch of Shaky blades that I keep with me but rarely do I add one to a jighead, and I just like fishing spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, and bladed swim jigs with skirts, I don't know why I would remove the skirt, I feel like I wouldn't have the confidence I normally would have....I have never actually tried the one's I have because the ZMan/Renosky models are old and very cheap so I don't trust them from breaking at the snap or hook bending etc...

Thanks. I may just try that rig....

Nothing feels worse than having a blitz of bass all around you and not being able to get a strike....I have been in this nightmare, and it can chip away at your confidence really fast, especially when they are gone after 10 minutes and you realize that you have nothing to show for it except the sounds of Feeding bass that would not strike my best presentation I had......I am sure I am not the only one....Although a buddy showed me a trick that almost always works....A weightless wacky worm...I never would have tried that but so far this fall it is working better than a flutter spoon etc...

I have a Citrix and several other Okuma baitcasting reels similar, and it sounds like maybe the line was old and had too much memory if it was coiling and sticking. I have been using a baitcaster for about 30 years but I still watch videos on how to cast them and set them up as a reminder since we all tend to try and throw them too hard especially if used to spinning gear... One thing that is important is spooling the line right as if you have a right handed baitcaster, the line needs to come off the top of the spool as opposed to the bottom with a spinning reel. IF the reel is a lefty than it is opposite, but that is important and it is also important to turn the reel so that it is sideways when casting and also using your wrist and not your arm, so it is really just a flick for a normall cast. Most people suggest setting the magnets on 0 and then first set the drag (not sure why this matters but alot of videos show and say to adjust drag and then the magnets) and then setting the tension knob on the right so that the lure slowly falls, and if the lure falls too fast then you will get over runs every time you cast which is usually the issue for alot of people. I set the magnets on a new reel to 10 and the Citrix has an easy to use outside dial, and then I hit the casting button and let the lure fall so it does not go too fast and create extra line to come off the reel, and then I tighten it a bit so I can geta 10' cast done a few times while breaking in the line and slowly adjusting downward until I can get comfortable. I think your issue may have been if you spooled the line with the spool just laying on the floor and that will cause alot of line to unravel to fast and just be frustrating until the line is broken in....With Braid, just watch out for the line digging in and make sure it goes on the reel properly and tight. Great videos are on this site and casting into the wind, and simply casting light lures is still tough for everyone and I still get backlashes almost every trip but they are usually not bad and just over runs since I keep settings loose although in wind, with 1/8 oz lure, I tighten things up, if I have 3/4 oz on, I can chuck that lure or bait a mile without any brakes and it is easy, so lots of variables, I find that not using your arms like throwing a ball is important and just flicking the rod is key......Hope that helps but type in how to cast a new baitcaster and you will find good 5 minute videos that will help....It is not the reel, I find it one of the easier reels to cast and set...

I can't seem to decide on what Size and Style Hook I like for fishing the Shellcracker and I have been using it for Flipping and pitching isolated patches of cover, and I want to use a larger hook but afraid it will kill the action of the bait. I typically rig it under a 3/8-1/2 oz tungsten weight and was curious as to how most of you rig this bait and fish it? Thanks in advance, I used to fish the Bass Pro Clone Shads/Pesky Perch soft baits but they lacked any action and I never did well. The Shellcracker has been productive for me a few times and I am still learning how to fish the bait more efficiently, but I have been missing some strikes and I think it is because of my hook size.

I have been putting a split shot in front of my worms for over 20 years and I started doing it one day on a lake in Upstate NY when I was in High School as the normal Weightless 7.5" Power worm or Culprit ribbon Tail that was effective on the Long Island lakes which were mostly shallow (Under 6-8') was not getting bit and after putting a split shot above the worm 24' above, we started having alot of success once the bait hit the bottom. I never changed how I fished the worm and still used the lift and drop technique so the worm was falling as much as possible since that is when I felt and still feel most strikes occur, so I pretend the weight is really not on the line and fish all split or slip shot rigs in this way to this day for the most part. I have never cast out a split shot rig to this day and simply reeled very slowly as many suggest with this technique, and I also use it in front of any type of soft plastic regardless of if it is a floating bait or not. If I have a floating worm I will often rig with a small hook, and add a very large shot above the worm so it lands and stays above the weeds, so I fish it as if it is a dropshot at times, since that is essentially what the presentation looks like if you barely move it and simply shake. We have alot of bottoms here in Florida that are covered in silt and weeds, and during the cold weather I notice that if I peg a weight, or if I use a shaky jig head, the bait ends up vanishing in the silt and dead weeds, which can be 3-4" thick. I now use 2 bobber stops and a Mojo sliding sinker or usually a simple tungsten bullet weight in 3/16-1/4 if the worm is smaller than 6", and 1/2-3/4 if deep water and with a larger worm in the 10" range and I often need a swivel and I use the Invisiswivels which are fluorocarbon to avoid line twist problems and provide stealth which I feel is critical. I guess this is all essentially variations of the Carolina rig without the sound, although a sliding weight does alter the drop speed and action of the worm and I experiment to figure out what the fish want, and if I have a sandy hard bottom, I then use the more tradional techniques as I know the bait will not vanish in submerged vegetation. Bottom line is I fish the split shot rig which I now modify with bobber stops so I can adjust leader length based on situation(Plus the bull shot and soft shots still damage line and slide no matter what I do) and leader can be 3"-3 feet, but I never fish it like a carolina rig and simple reel slowly. I am thinking I should give it a try as everyone suggests simply casting and reeling slowly with a 4" worm, but I have never viewed this as a light line technique or finesse presentation only, and simply use it as an alternative to using no weight or a sliding weight. I used it so much when I was younger I am just most comfortable with this rig called a "slip shot" and have had fantastic days fishing almost any size and type of plastic on both spinning and casting gear and on tough days I feel this rig is the best way to fish a finesse worm regardless of the style or type of bait as I love to rig a senko behind a shot and fish it with a lift drop mixed with some twitches to see what the fish want, and a large 6" Senko is not out of the question. I have read many articles on this type of fishing and also the one mentinoned (Especially since Craig is from Long Island and I recognize all the lakes and RIvers he mentions ( I never have met Craig, but I like his articles and approach to fishing of light line with smaller baits). I feel too many anglers get caught up in putting techniques in a "category" when with a few modifications and experimenting in clear water or a pool you can create some modiications that work for you that may not be the norm to others. I am alway's looking to figure out how to give fish a new look especially with the ridiculous pressure the lakes get on weekends.... Anway,sorry for the long ramble, I always enjoy reading your posts as your knowledge of Bass fishing is clearly very extensive and I have learned alot from reading your posts over the past year. You have a deep understanding of the history of Bass fishing and the industry which is something I enjoy learning about and have researched many of the names and techniques you have mentioned in the past. I was reading about the "Do nothing Technique" in a chapter from a book of "Bassin Secrets" from 1986 and Jack Chancellor (I hope I spelled it right) talked about using 1 oz weights in 10' of water with 4" worms to catch big Bass all year round which I though was one of the best tips in the book....

For a new baitcasting reel I can't agree more than the suggestions of a good copolymer in #15 since it is really 20lb test plus. I would get used to the reel by using 20 lb trilene Big game or 17 depending on how thick the cover is. Berkley Trilene Big game is the first line I put on all new casting reels until I learn the settings and how the reel throws different weights, and big game is a line that is a good mix of all the properties you want-Floats, abrasion resistant, not too stiff as fluoro will be expensive if you backlash a few times and need to re spool, plus it takes awhile to get the hang of fluoro on any reel no matter how experienced you are. Look at line diamater and then search for breaking strenghs since you can buy 20 lb test line that is actually the thickness of 30 and will killl casting distance as well as kill the action of the frog since it is too thick...40lb braid and suffix 832 is my personal favorite on casting reels although Stren Sonic braid handles well also and is tightly woven so I never have issues.....

You will find both positives and negative reviews for every fishing line on the market from the entry level pricing to the most expensive. I personally feel that is because everyone uses different knots, do not check their line while fishing for dings and abrasions, or simply expecting a line to do something it is not meant to do...I used to hate Fluorocarbon until I realized that I needed to fish it more carefully and take my time with knots, and also needed heavier line as most of the nylon monofilaments and copoymers labeled 10lb test are really closer to 15lb test, and straight 100% fluoro in 10lb test is really 10lb test, so I needed to make the necessary adjustements and go heavier. Many people fish copolymers and think they are using fluorocarbon as companies make it tricky to figure out if a line is nylon, fluorocarbon, or a mixture, and breaking strengh vs. lb test can be decieving as lines like Hybrid are much stronger and thicker than other lines. I use Hybrid #10 since it breaks at 16.6 lbs and the 20 breaks at 31, but I also realize I am using thick line, and when using fluoro #10, I realize that it is not as strong so I am more careful where and how I fish with it. I have used Fluoro from Stren, Berkley, Suffix, Seaguar, and P-line, and have come to realize that they are all good lines if I have the right line for the job I am doing and if I make sure I check my line after every fish even though we all get anxious to make a quick cast after a good fish....I used to hate fluoro as knots would break, temperature caused it to be stiff, and even though it is abrasion resistant it still needs to be checked often if fishing bottom, near rocks, weeds etc. Nothing is worse than having your line break and realizing that it was because the last 3 feet of line was all rough from dragging bottom and it has been an hour since checking. I check as often as I think of it and will re-tie if I feel anything at all, and it takes time out of the water but will save you from losing a big fish. I like to buy line on Twarehouse as I sort by best selling and I look to see what everyone is buying,and I also take note of what brands are on all the storage racks and avoid those lines, although it doesn't take much for a line to get a bad rep when it shouldn't. I have alway's trusted Stren and Berkley products since they were what I used as a kid, and Seaguar is my first instinct with fluoro as it was the first I tried and heard good things about. I find Fluorocarbon will get you more strikes in most situations, but if I want to have a good day without breakoffs, I will go with #17 if I normally fish 12-14 nylon mono and if I look at the package, most of the 14lb test lines are thicker than the #17 fluoro. Yo-zuri #6 is actually 12.8 lb test....I have used that line for years and not sure I have ever had a problem with yo-zuri line breaking but I realize it is not a fluorocarbon even if they market it as such, it is a copoly just like the majority of lines out there but rarely do they mention that word, just market the fluoro fused or coated part and it confuses alot of people and it is not at all similar to fluorocarbon 100%, but great for topwater, or all around line on spinning gear, not my fav for casting reels.

Anytime you are fishing an area with overhanging trees, I try to create a loud splash as they are conditoned to falling lizards, frogs, and other insects etc. from the above trees, I have witnessed many Bass inhaling Lizards and beetles that fall out of trees after a squirel shakes a branch.... If I am having a tough bite, I often try using a loud splash to get attention or stir up activity, sometimes it works, sometims it spooks em, but I have had days where a loud entry was the key to success....

I can never get photos posted on this site

To me a pond is less than 50 acres, and a lake is anything larger....Where I grew up, most bodies of freshwater were in the 5-30 acre range, so when I still call 100 acres a lake and consider it a good size as you need to find them on a lake that large, where in a 25 acre pond, you know where the fish are and then it is all about getting a strike. Some of my favorite places to fish for big fish here in Florida are ponds under 5-10 acres, and some are deep over 20 feet, some are all shallow, and if shiners or a healthy panfish populartion exists, it is possible to catch a lunker from any of them. I fish a pond that is 3-4 acres and has depth of 12' and a nice sand flat in 4-6', and great structure near shoreline and lots of flooded timber, so we try to control the panfish and also the Bass Population as it is loaded with shiners and eels and the fish are starting to get big....People stop to fish it once in an while but we have placed so many sharp rocks and cinder blocks in the water it is almost impossibe to get a 5-7lb fish in if you don't know the lanes since people are always looking to steal you fish down here to move into their own local ponds.... I have seen pics of 10lb bass that have come from stormwater ponds that are under an acre, and a huge bass can be in any puddle as long as it has an ambush point, bait, and some deeper water and at least some sand flat to spawn.

Chrome blue, chrome black, craw patterns for pre-spawn in orange/red, something with chartruese in it, and then a firetiger, bluegill color...I also do well with gold and have a few gold spots with barely any paint left on them that I would not trade for anything. On cloudy days I find Gold to be killer anywhere I go. The Rippin Rap in gold is a great Lipless as it has a ton of flash and falls with a nice shimmy like the Red eye shad....Also check out the Sebile flatt shad suspending versions, they can be fished over grass as long as you hvae 6" of water and they need better hooks, but I put a short shank on front and a t3 treble on back and it is amazing where you can get this lure to go and it has flat sides witout rattles so it is great all year round, and the glitter liquid inside is effective, I would say that is my favorite lipless crank in the 77 su model, gives fish a new look and not overbearing with sound as many times fish will hit the Flat Shad suspending or sinking when they won't touch a one knocker, low pitch, or high pitch. If you like to yo-yo a trap, the Yo-zuri vibe and Red eye shad are good choices for a slow shimmy on the drop and the Vibe has higher pitch then most others in that category.The Clackin rap is good if you want a gliding fall after ripping through weeds but it has 0 action as far as a wobble or shake, It sounds trivial but I usually am most concerned with action on the fall as I rarely just burn a trap....Reaction Strike makes a good lure that has a nice action for the price point, just awful hooks.

How much does it cost and how much does it really help? I have thought about trying it on a baitcater to get longer casts. If I could get an extra 20 feet that would be worth it for sure.

The Knobs have never bothered me on the citrix, but I also don't mind the T3 from Daiwa either and people complain about them all the time,and I never replace that stuff, I guess if you like softer knobs the Komodo and Helios have them, but call Okuma, they will usually work with you as they are trying to gain market share in the low profile baitcasting reels and rods, as well as Freshwater in general since they are usually associated with Saltwater down here in Florida. I would call Okuma and see what options you have, they may have extra handles to send you from factory defective reels etc. and they may have a solution for you. The Komodo is a big step up in Money for the reel, same as the Serrano all though they have come down to $100 on Ebay if you get lucky, but the Komodo is still in the $129 range at best,although all reels are better than that price point imo. The Citrix is a good first reel, I think they still have a rebate for the combo of $20 and a Jersey so I would check or ask about the rebate, I am almost certain I saw the rebates a few weeks ago for the Citrix, Helios, and Raw.

If it is your first baitcaster, I would strongly suggest purchasing some Limp Nylon Monofilament line as a line like Berkely XL in 12lb test will make the learning curve with a new reel much faster.....I adjust the tension knob on mine based on the lure I am using and when I get a new reel, I always make sure it is barely falling when I set the tension knob to prevent over runs. I also start with the dial all the way up until I can work it down to the 2-4 range and have the lure or worm fall at increasing speeds until I get it to the point where the thumb is not needed unless I have to stop the bait from going to far....It is an easy reel to use compared to alot of the other higher end models, I have a few High End reels that still give me issues at times due to all the settings and features that I never use.