CPBassFishing

I hit up my favorite pond yesterday and got 4, lost 2, and had about 10 that chased it to the bank but didn't bite. The males have moved up to the weedbed to prepare for the spawn.....another week or two and the females will take their place while the males prepare the beds (was fishing a crank)

high forties maybe. Are you saying that fish spawn in deep water? That's the first time I've heard that.

So, I went out today for a few hours, and caught 4 by burning a squarebill back to shore from the middle of a small creek output into the main part of the pond. I also lost 2 and had about 10 followers that chased it right to the bank but didn't bite. The problem is.....they were all dinks. Not one of them was over a pound and a half, they were ridiculously skinny, and all male. Where are the big momma bass that should be moving up to the cover between deep and shallow? The males are starting to move up onto the new weed patches in the creek channels, but there are no signs of female bass anywhere.

I have neko rigged a netbait hardytack craw with the head down. . Really good action. Got a few fish that way.

Is there any place you can cast to the opposite shoreline? I caught 4 today by burning a squarebill along the edges of a creek channel. The bass here are just starting to move up for pre-spawn, idk what conditions you have there. Try burning a squarebill. Cast to the wind-blown shorelines, over new grass patches.....stuff that will hold fish starting to move up.

well.....I found the first one of those d*** stinkbugs in my house today. Another month and they'll be everywhere. Got any horror stories to share?

Try the little 2" rage tail crappie grub. They eat it like crazy!

Are you looking for small custom bait companies? If so I recommend Big Boy Baits, Teacha Worms Baits, or Pour House custom baits.

great post!

that's awesome! Really good idea.

I have only thrown it twice, I got a 2 pounder on it the 2nd time out. It is a #10 colorado from one of my grandpa's musky inline spinnerbaits. I can't wait to throw this in the summer. They should smash it if I burn it on top of the water over weedbeds.

The pond I like to fish has a section of it with flooded trees every 6 feet or so. They nearly always hold fish but they are a HUGE PITA to get a jig into. I have to back into the branches of one tree to flip the one next to it. Worth it though.

Give a hair jig a try. Rabbit fur strips have tons of action. They wave around with the tiniest bit of rod movement.

SOOOO much thump. Good for really muddy water.

Alright thanks for all the great info guys. I'll be throwing a spinnerbait as my search bait next time I'm out.

I literally just learned this by watching a Bass Resource video. Most of the time, short bites on a spinnerbait are caused by blade color. If they are short striking it, change the blade color instead of adding a trailer hook. Ex.-silver instead of gold. Also, trailer hooks ruin the weedlessnes of a spinnerbait because it can kick off to the side and hook into weeds or branches when you are fishing cover.

Alright thanks for the replies. I caught 2 bass on a squarebill last Saturday by burning it over submerged grass patches. I was just wondering if a spinnerbait could catch them the same way.

Will a spinnerbait catch fish if a squarebill is? Also, when do you use spinnerbaits? Just looking for some opinions on when to throw spinnerbaits.

you can't really excel at fishing a senko IMHO. she caught that bass because it had never seen a pink senko before, and it was curious. It just takes something a little different that what other people throw to get a bite. I read an article written by Homer Circle about how bass are conditioned to lures. He had a bass in a large tank with natural surroundings. it bit a green pumpkin senko 20 times before it stopped biting it. he switched to a black senko and nailed it. I don't feel that having a confidence bait matters. for example: if your confidence bait is a green pumpkin sweet beaver- you could throw it at a finicky bass hundreds of times and it might not eat it. if you switched to a white bait, the fish would think it was a completely different bait, and it might bite it. your confidence in the green pumpkin beaver would be gone. I never have a single bait that I start with. I check the weather and the water conditions, temp, visibility, structure, etc. I research and i ask what works on a certain body of water. I check tournament records, winning baits and techniques, etc. Then I will start out throwing baits based on the conditions and what I know has worked before, whether it is for me or other people. ex.- if the water is muddy, i throw black&blue. if it's stained, green pumpkin. if it's clear, i throw watermelon or smoke. I don't have a confidence bait. I take all factors into account and throw certain baits or colors based on those factors, and I catch fish.

you sure about that? I don't know if you'll be able to handle my youthful enthusiasm. I have a tendency to send 3 pounders flying when I set the hook!

PowerTeam Lures has 25ct and 50ct pro packs of their baits. 20% off of normal pack price. Really good baits. http://www.powerteamlures.com/default.asp?m=0

Don't buy the bitsy flip jigs. Idk about the normal bitsy bugs but the bitsy flips are AWFUL. I got one as a gift and the head was asymmetrical, the weedguard was off to the side (not even protecting the hook), and the hook point rusted and dulled after 1 use. If it's more black than brown you should use a black and blue trailer.

I use rattles on my jig in muddy water, at night, or in very heavy cover (punching grass mats). i only use the free-swinging rattles. if you take a jig with regular rattles and hop it around in a tub, you will notice that it barely has any sound, unless you are shaking it straight up and down, which nobody does. rattles attached to the collar are useless IMHO. they do not work on most retrieves. I attach my rattles to these- http://www.***.com/Naked_Bait_Jig_Rattle_Strap_Bands_20pk/descpage-JRSB.html I use glass rattles for more sound. when i use a rattle the fish will find it instantly. i use the 4mm version of these-http://www.***.com/Xcalibur_Glass_Worm_Rattles/descpage-EXWRAT.html its a tight squeeze but once they go in they are not coming out unless you twist them for a good 30 seconds. As i said, i feel that the collar rattles are useless, but the free-swinging ones are a useful aid for helping the fish find the jig in less than ideal conditions. I slide the swinging bands onto the barb that your trailer would normally go on, and i glue the trailer to the lead with a bit of superglue. you can also use a rattle in your trailer so you dont have to glue it. take a paca craw and cut the main part of the body off so the hollow part of the head is exposed. slide a tube rattle in the cavity and hook the bait like a chunk, through the hole in the tube rattle. this will work with any craw with a hollow head.

hmmmm......these sales always seem to happen right after a TW order.

try standing up straighter. i noticed that in pictures of me fishing that i tend to lean forward a bit, and my back starts hurting after about an hour from hunching over. wearing my backpack full of tackle corrected this and it's making my shoulders stronger.