CPBassFishing

Hey everyone. I was surf fishing in NJ over the summer and my reel got repeatdly dunked. I came home and found it was almost frozen. It is very hard to turn the spool because of all the corrosion inside. I did spray it with fresh water after the fishing but it seems that didn't do anything. Is there anything I can do or should I just pitch it? (It was a cheap shakespeare reel, like $20.)

It wasn't on the main potomac, it was an offshoot that curves around and hooks back up. It was in sterling, VA.

I've got a nice little trick I use for wacky rigging. Instead of costly O-rings, get yourself a big roll of silicone tubing from home depot or lowes. You cut off about a half inch, slide it onto the worm, then stick your hook through the worm and both sides of the tubing. One purchase will literally last you a lifetime. The smell of the tubing also has no effect on the fish.

+1 on Abu Garcia reels. I had my silver maxx for 3 years, fishing 3 times a week and with no maintenance. I had to retire it when the drag gear eventually stripped. The only minus on the reel was that I could have fixed it if I could open it haha. There's no way to open it.

Wow! Thanks for all that great info 2 more questions. I have found that most epoxy is rather yellow, and I imagine that would spoil the look of the bait. What brand of 30 minute epoxy is clear? Also, what wire should I use for the inner hook mounts? Thanks!

Cottonmouths are biting senkos on the potomac........ I was letting one sink and something slapped it, thought it was a turtle at first but then it came to the surface. "HOLY CRAP"! 3 foot long cottonmouth, and I had to cut the line.

hehe i fly RC planes in addition to fishing

haha no i dont fish for bluegill. too easy! i was trying to say that the park rangers wont bother me for not having a license if im fishing without one when im 16. i figure they would be more likely to go after the hispanic people who fish to keep bluegill without a license. i tried to word it so it wouldnt offend anyone but i guess i wrote it in a way that was easily misinterpreted.

Yeah well of course I have to have a parent with me. How else would I get there? and no I won't be 15, but ill get a temporary licensce. There's not need to buy one around here, its just small drainponds and a few offshoots of the potomac. Not like anyones gonna check my school ID to make sure I'm under 16 because I don't have a licensce. I'm probably the least of there worries. I doubt many of the people you see fishing with target rods and taking home a bucket of bluegill have a licensce if you know what I mean.

I'm in ashburn, about 15 minutes from leesburg. Id love to go if this will be on the Potomac. no need for me to get a license, I'm 15

I also listen to music because fall fishing can get pretty boring sometimes.

Lots. You can easily fit 100 yards of 60 pound braid on a normal baitcaster spool, if not more. I have 150 yards of 12 pound berkley nanofil on my daiwa takara and the spool is only 3/4 full. Also have a pair of very sharp scissors.

I was on the potomac for an hour today and caught two 1-pounders on a 5" Senko with a 1/0 hook, just letting it sink, reeling slowly for about 5 seconds, letting it sink again, and so on. I also tried a fluke, a wiggle wart, and a redeye shad, which all got nothing.

I have a balsa block that I want to make a crank out of and I have a few questions id like to ask before starting. How should I mount the hooks so they don't rip off? How should I make the lip and out of what? I know I have to brush epoxy resin onto it to make it waterproof and not get all banged up. Ill do a build thread as I go along. Thanks! -Cullen

I had an hour in an offshoot of the potomac near Leesburg, VA today. Tossed a senko around a bit and caught a few 1 pounders. Fun stuff just letting you guys know what's working right now one of them hit it on the fall, and one hit it right after I pulled it up after letting it sink.

I've been there for a week. What worked for me was weightless senkos rigged on a 1/0 or 2/0 EWG worm hook. I pitch it to the dock, let it sink for about 10 seconds, then retrieve in sweeps. I caught a few nice ones that way. Do not use bigger than a 2/0 hook because the worm will go straight down instead of having that amazing wobbling action bass love so much. good luck and tight lines Catfish? Set up a few rods in holders at night baited with liver and have bells or alarms on them. I like to use a rig I devised, which is a 1oz pyramid weight on a 3-way swivel, and the 3rd arm of the swivel goes to your leader. The leader should be 20-30 inches long, with anything from a 3/0 to 6/0 octopus circle hook. On my catfish rod I use 60 pound braid for the mainline and 75 for the leader. Keep in mind that I go after 20+ pound cats in the potomac. If the cats you might catch are probably going to be smaller, use 20 pound main line, 30 pound leader, and 1/0 to 4/0 hooks.

Alright ill try that. Its odd how they just dissapear huh? Last spring there were 18 inchers cruising around the shallows during the spawn. I have not been fishing in any of the ponds this year because I have been flying rc planes for a while. Do you think they are still in there?

Sounds like a pretty highly pressured lake. When I go to one I like to ask what most people are using, try that for a day, and if it doesn't work try something the bass probably have never seen.

Hey everyone! I'm cullen, I'm 15, and I have been bassing for 3 years now. I've got one good rod and I sure know how to use it! (Berkley Lighting rod and a daiwa something baitcaster) I don't live around many good lakes but I've got 10 minute drive access to a private pond that the owner let's people fish in. Its fullof hawgs and I have caught an 8 pounder out of there! Its about half the size of a soccer field. I also fish in a branch of the potomac a good bit, which has some nice bass. (1-3 pounds).

Well......I just got skunked. Went to one of those shallow drainage ponds (you know what I'm talking about). Not a fish in sight, other than 2 bluegill. Are they all in the deep middle section tht I can't cast to? I tried a texas rigged rage tail thumper worm, a wacky senko, and a normally rigged senko. Got any tips for catchin em when they hide from you like that?