scaleface

I always read the Missouri fishing reports and just do not get where this info is coming from . Almost 100 percent of the time it is different from what I have recently experienced . The fishing can be fantastic the previous week and the report will call that week slow and so on and so on . Other than current conditions the reports are ignored . How they get the info is beyond me , I have never been quizzed about it . Are your local reports accurate ?

Wow and look how thin it is. That bass could have easily been a couple lbs bigger .

This , it depends on what hook i'm using . Hold the hookup to the lure and see how it lies .

When I first started bass fishing from a boat I was not very successful , just like everyone else. I had a lot of days where a skunking or just a handful of fish were caught . A twenty fish day was exceptional . Now a twenty fish day is below average . So where have I improved ? 1: Lure selection . I'm simply much better at knowing what lures to use and when to use them . I dont switch nearly as often . Over 90 percent of the lures I use fall into four categories . Texas rig/ jigs , crankbaits , spinnerbaits , and buzzbaits . I use other lures but these get the most playing time . No doubt this selection would be different in other bodies of water . 2: Casting . I'm not a great caster and could use a lot of improvement but I'm a fearless caster . If theres a small opening in a piece of cover I'm gunning for it until I hit it or snag up in the process . Watching the pros live this year I noticed a lot of errant casting on their part too . 3: Boat control . Get the boat positioned to make the best cast . Often times this means parallel casting to keep the bait in the strike zone for an entire cast . Why sit in unproductive water and cast to shore and have the lure in the strike zone for a small portion of the retrieve ? 4: Identifying potential structure . I had no idea how to fish deep and took many years to start getting the hang of it . Especially points . I was clueless on finding productive points . I fished at short steep points , mouths of coves...and caught a few fish . Then when I discovered the long tapering points my catching success hit a whole new level .

There are five different models and they dive quickly and stay deep . I've used them a lot this year and have caught fish on all five from about 6 foot to 22 foot .

Berkely Dredger .

I dont recall ever having a buzzbait wire break . I have worn the blades through on lots of them . The only wire I know of that broke was on a Storm Wild Eye Shad spinnerbait which had a very thin wire . It broke after less than a dozen fish while fighting a small bass . I didnt buy another one .

I forget what lure I was using but I did that and let it dangle a several inches above the water . A small bass jumped out of the water to hit it .

Then what happens ? I hope the wire doesnt break while fighting a big fish . I would like to have a Cavitron heavy duty .

I think I lost one this year .

Another thing to try is a small spinnerbait with little blades and retrieve it as fast as you can .

One doesnt have to spend a ton on fishing lures with all the info on the internet . Even deep diving crankbaits . You can buy a few to cover every depth . If you get a Berkely Dredger in every size then you have 8 to 22 foot covered . My Long Lipped cranbaitk fishing this year consisted of all the Dredgers , a Wiggle Wart , Deep Wee R and a Fat Rap .

There is no doubt Cavitrons are great buzzbaits by the shear number of people that swear by them . They can be worked slower than my old stand by Lunker Lure and my homemade lures . So far I havent caught much on them but thats just the way it works sometimes . They do bend out of shape easily .

There is a big difference between the Rattle Trap and the Red Eye Shad . When the RES is allowed to fall , it still has a wiggle and tics , the Rattle trap lies on its side . The RES is one of my favorite deep water lures because of that . Traps nor Spots were the first lipless baits . Bayou Boogies and Pico Perches are much older . Heddon Sonics may be older too .

I'm also a Bomber Longs A user . One of the most successful lures for big bass I have used . Caught bookend 7 lbers on back to back cast and also my biggest limit ever . I won a fishing derby with them , all legal fish were weighed in any species . 2 bass 13thirteen lbs .

The Red Eye Shad is the only lipless bait I have thrown for the past two years . It fits my style of jigging it in deep water better than any other lipless lure i've used .

When I was a kid I sold night crawlers 10 cents a dozen .

I've been real impressed with the Berkely Dredgers .

I'm bumping this five year old post . Yes I love metal detecting . Been doing it since 1980 . I found this today .

Last time fishing I set the hook on an anchor rope with anchor attached . Landed that sucker too. 12 lb XL is good stuff .

Same here . I missed he state bowling tournament 2 years ago. Gout hurts like hell .

Of course it will catch big bass .

My casting shoulder is a mess . There is something torn up in there but casting doesnt bother it a bit . My elbow gets tendinitis and I cant pitch very well . Maybe you have some tendinitis n that shoulder .

All baits will work in a pond . Carry baits that will stay in the strike zone of your particular pond . If its a vegetation free pond , sinking baits work well . I use a lot of lipless baits and swimbaits . If i need it weedless then use a belly weighted hook .

I have never caught a bass on jigging spoons in cold water but have had good luck in hot water .That may be due to the stained water color around here . I used the Cordell CC and a homemade spoon .