buzzed bait

I have to say that when I allow the fish to take the frog for 2-3 seconds my hook up ratio improves 2-3X. this is with a hollow body frog. if i try to set the hook as soon as the fish hits the frog, it generally comes flying out of their mouth headed in the direction of my head.

First off, I'm jealous as I would like to fish some cypress swamps like that! I would definitely second buying a frog and tossing that in there. As far as what you have, I'd texas rig those plastics with no weight and fish them along that weedline. Also, try that senko worm texas rigged, no weight and fish it like a top water bait and let it fall into the holes as you pass by them. wish i had this fishing hole near me!

I like the War Eagle brand. I DISLIKE the bass pro shop brand, they are cheaply made and do not last that long.

Wondering if anyone bass fishes the river around the Atlanta metro area? There are spots around the Morgan Falls area that look more like a small lake/reservoir than a river. Just wondering if it's got some decent bass fishing? If so, would I be better off floating in the kayak or rock/bank jumping? Thanks!

Let them take it under a couple of seconds before you set that hook. They will get it under the water, turn the head and suck the frog in and THEN you set the hook. I also like to throw the frog on the bank where it permits and hop it in the water from there. I've had many strikes with that method. Walking the frog and taking some long pauses is the other method I like to try. I simply jerk my rod tip about 6 inches then crank the reel a full turn and repeat this method, pausing along the way.

I've recently moved to a new area (Atlanta) and am not very familiar with the place so I'm trying to find some new locations to fish. There are many times when I only have a couple hours so rather than load my kayak and all my gear I'm trying to find some ponds/small lakes to bank fish. However, my approach doesn't seem to work well for me here. Every body of water I locate and research on google maps, but when I get there 99% of them have been private or gated off or posted. Any advice on locating some good ponds that are fishable, but not so private? Thanks!

What's the best way to fish this lure? Constant retrieve or sporadic? Slower or faster? Or is it personal preference/fish preference?

So I was browsing WalMart friday night and they had an Abu Garcia Black Max baitcasting combo priced at $12.98. Obviously this was wrong, but the guy checked it and it rang up $12.98 so I snagged it and ran. I've looked it over really well and there is nothing wrong with it! The rod is a 6'6" Medium action. My question is what would you use this set up for? What would be the best line/fishing styles with this rig?

JT, I know some folks that listen to music while fishing.... what would you say about that? I'm saying from the speakers of the boat, not headphones.

Sorry, i should have clarified... i meant where/how you intended on mounting the transducer....

out of curiosity, how do you plan on mounting that fishfinder and what type of kayak do you have? i just installed a garmin echo 150 on my Ascend FS10. I used Duct Seal to "mount" the transducer behind my seat and it worked VERY well.

Don't be afraid to throw that frog anyways. I have the best luck throwing the frog on the bank and then jump it in the water. I'd say at least half the strikes I get on a frog come when it jumps from the bank to the surface. But you can't go wrong with the other 3 baits you've listed. As far as the times, right before the sun comes up and the hour or so before it goes down are the hottest times. As you know, it doesn't start cooling down in NC until about 7 at night anyways. I'd say anytime just before and just after the sun comes up and about anytime after 7pm. And as mentioned, topwater night fishing is pretty good too.

Well not the whole lake, but Lake Norman in certain places and certain times (summer) is just a waste of time for me. White caps from the boat traffic and richie rich's complaining about you being close to their dock or "their bank". A couple days of that and you'll be ready to find a new fishing hole.

I bought 3 Rebel lures about 2 weeks ago and everyone of them ran good right out of the box, the best part was they were right out of the $1 box! The floating jerk baits I got were working really well for me this past weekend. If i can catch 1 fish off a $1 lure i'm happy!

that contraption would scare every fish off around when it flopped down in the water!

Funny how when i buy more bait i instantly realize i have a new problem..... need more storage. so about the time i've solved the storage issue i start to think to myself hmmmm i need some more tackle..... it's a vicious cycle

i might even add that a hard hook set from an EWG or other types of single hooks can be as bad as a treble since you generally aren't setting the hook hard on a treble.... as for the issue with hang ups, try a frog on the topwater. very weedless and fun

I'd say it's fairly obvious what the problem is...... that Duke shirt in your avatar

When it's on.... it's on. nice day

I like the H2O brand hollow body frogs (pretty sure H2O is Academy sports brand). anyways the graphics mimic a spro or live target but for a fraction of the price! I also like Bass Pro's Kermie frogs, I seem to have prettty good hook ups with them even though the body seems harder and stiffer than you would expect. For me the most productive color is black or a green/black/grey combo coming in close second. i like to throw them all the way on the bank and then easily pop them into the water. I'd say about 75% of the strikes i have on a frog come from that initial plop into the water from the bank. hands down my favorite way to catch them!

good info guys, i appreciate it

PERF (people for the ethical reporting of fact) "Studies show that fish who are caught and then returned to the water suffer such severe physiological stress that they often die of shock" Often? how about sometimes or even rarely? see how one subtle word change makes a world of difference? "In commercial fishing, fish's swim bladders can rupture because of the sudden change in pressure." Thanks for the intermixing of types of fishing, is this about the dangers of harvesting AKA commercial fishing or catch and release? "Every year, anglers leave behind a trail of tackle victims that includes millions of birds, turtles, and other animals who suffer debilitating injuries after they swallow fishhooks or become entangled in fishing line. Wildlife rehabilitators say that discarded fishing tackle is one of the greatest threats to aquatic animals. Fishing is far from a harmless pastime. Please encourage anglers to ditch their poles and try alternative activities, such as hiking, camping, and canoeing." While I won't disagree about the need to clean up after ourselves I have to laugh at the suggested activities over fishing. I love to camp myself, but how many times have you seen someone leave a campsite a MISERABLE disaster? Often times some of these same environmental activist types..... I'm pretty sure our human developments i.e. pollution, erosion, etc are far more harmful I just wish we were in more of a partnership with groups like this to work toward conservation rather than the bi-polar one side or the other.... left or right, blue or red, whatever......

Nothing constructive to contribute to the thread, but good lord I wish that was my lunch break! If I could hit that during lunch, I don't know that I'd ever come back from lunch!

Thanks man! I actually bought the anchor trolley set up on ebay from a Settles Bridge Supply House, a company that was nearby in North Carolina. It was really easy to hook up and came with all the hardware (option for rivets or bolts) for like $22 I think. Can't beat that. As for the stake out pole, I salvaged 2 broken items I had. I had an old rod that was broken above the trigger area and i used that as the sharp end. I shoved it in (foam handle first) into the bottom of a broken kayak paddle. It's about 5' long so it doesn't work in all conditions, but it gets the job done in the coves that are shallow. I actually just made that crate setup a couple weeks ago and it's sweet. Allows me to bring all the rods I want and keeps it very nice and clutter free.

Finally finished installing my fish finder on my FS10 Ascend Kayak. I rigged up the Garmin Echo 150 onto the console of the kayak. I have a 12v battery that I've tucked into a small dry bag that perfectly wedges in the side consoles between the hull and the removable seat. For the transducer I've gone back and forth a hundred times about mounting outside the kayak with some kind of PVC arm coming off that crate in the back or sealing it somehow inside the kayak. After reading a lot of posts I decided on inside the kayak using Duct Seal which is a hard clay-putty type product. I installed the transducer into the Duct Seal in the back of my kayak behind the seat and I will see this weekend how it turned out in terms of functionality/clarity on the screen. Since the Duct Seal is a semi permanent (can be easily removed) application, I can always change my mind down the road and rig the transducer outside the kayak. I think I'm about done with all the rigging that I wanted to do. I have an anchor trolley, homemade stake out pole, crate with some homemade PVC rod holders and fish finder for my modifications. It's a bit of gear to hook up initially, but once you're going it's nice. I got the kayak back in November and haven't looked back since. I can't wait to get out and try out my new fish finder and get some feedback on my setup.