mjseverson24

best performing dropshot baits for me are the gulp alive leeches. i also like the yamamoto shad worms. Mitch

I use 12-20 lb segar red label or invisx or abrasx. depends on the lake and conditions, if it is realy dirty water straight braid works fine, but in more than 1.5 ft clarity I use floro. I like the little bit of stretch in floro, braid has no forgiveness on either the fish or my rods. Mitch

I believe the real question and answer lies in your own statement. You don't know where the fish are. You are relatively new to bass fishing, this is a common issue when starting to fish a new species. Dont be discouraged about this, be excited that you will only get better and have more success. Since you do not know where the fish are and when they are there, the best thing to do is find them. Cover lots of water, with as many lures and techniques that you know how to fish. experiment with the windy side of the point compared to the wind protected side. try different times of day and weather patterns for the same spots. I would suggest using search baits for now just so you understand where there are actively feeding fish. once you find these fish maybe a jig of some other slower presentation will work, but untill you know where and when fish will be and be hungry flipping a jig out to a desert wastland is probabily a bad idea. find the fish be confident in the approach you are using, but always be prepared to switch up presentations. I personally never have only a few rods on the deck, I have probabily 7-10 minimum and most of the time many more. If a spot looks like it should hold fish and the conditions are right I will throw 5-10 different lures in the course of 20 min untill I find the presentation they want or I convince myself they are not feeding, or are not present.

the best answer is kind of confusing, but in plain terms the force required to pull out drag initially in a baitcaster is more than the rating on the reel. this is because the reel is rated for the force of the drag while it is already in motion. pull out the drag on your caster you will feel the drag be hard to pull then get easier as line comes out. in a spinning reel the force required to pull the drag is much less than on baitcasters, this is mainly because of the materials the two drag systems are made out of are very different. if you want to have a more technical ubnderstanding google the concepts "coefficient of static friction, and the coeficient of kinetic friction". this will give you a better understanding of the issue you are having. Mitch

either the W&M rick clunn square bill rod, or the st croix triumph 6'6" M for $80.00. both handle cranks in cover very well. Mitch

I realy like the two rod choices, I think you will be very happy with both of them. I think the lightning rod will supprise you with performance, and durability. The promax is a good reel for the price as well. the veritas and revo combo will be awesome as well. Mitch

do not use this for punching mats. you will either have a very poor strike to land ratio, or break the rod. either way it is a loose loose. I would use closer to a 7'6" heavy action rod definately not a MH. Mitch

use your DNR website to find out what species are in your lake. this is a good starting point, also ask your local bait shops for their input might be another good avenue. Mitch

I was a bank fisherman for the majority of my childhood, and so I know your frusterations. You do not have the option of going to the fish you have to wait till they come to you. that being said, the guys who talk about their great days off the bank are probabily talking abou the day that the stars aligned properly and they caught them like crazy on this one magic lure. well if you bank fish long enough you will probabily have that day, but they are few and far between. this is the reason people buy boats for the ability to quickly and efficiently change locations. with this in mind I think you need to understand a realistic average day for you at your lake is just a few fish with the posibility of a large one. if you want to catch more fish save some money buy a smaller used boat. this will take your fishing to a whole new level and probabily your enjoyment of the sport as well. by the way a dropshot is a great tool for your aplication, but the angles of the bank with rock will make the bait far less effective than if you were casting up to the bank and bring in it back over to the deep water. Mitch

I only try and pattern large fish 4+ lbs. If I can figure out what the kicker fish are doing then I have a good pattern but if all I am catching are 1.5-3 lb fish I will probabily move on untill I find the big ones. patterns can be the biggest downfall for anglers especially if they found the pattern in prefishing a tournament. the tournament is a new day with new conditions figure out the new pattern or as I like to call it "crack the code" for that day and you are in for a good time. Mitch

I would still suggest buying two rods for your budget. try using a dropshot on your 7' mh rod, or using a crankbait, or a weightless senko. then try using a hollow body frog. one rod cannot do all you want. two rods cant do all of this effectively but it can get a lot closer to it than one rod. as far as centrifigal breaking systems you still have the spool tension knob that can be used easily on the fly. Get two rods one 7'MH casting and 6'6" M spinning. you will not regret having more flexibility. Mitch

the answer to your question is yes. by putting a heavier weight you may get a better reaction bite, but at the same time it may just take the bait out of the strikezone faster than your current set up. if your brother is outfishing you with moving baits I would switch to a reaction style bait instead of a bottom hop bait like a t rig, if you still want to stay with the t-rig then try some yum f2 sent and maybe change up your colors a bit, you might get more bites. Mitch

if you are worried about just catching your five fish why are you fishing in a tournament? some lakes might be tough at certain times of the year, but just scrounging up a limit will only keep you from looking like a dummy. 99% of the time a limit of 2 lb fish is not going to get you anywhere. now it is good to know how to find the limit fish if you already have some nice fish and you just need to fill out, but making the limit fish a priority over the kickers is just goofy. JMO Mitch

$300.00 on a spinning rod and reel... well personally you can get some very quality gear for quite a bit less than $300.00. for a rod and reel combo that is In your budget I would go with either the 6' 10" M or the 6'8" M in the st croix legend tournament bass, this is $250.00 and for a reel a pflueger president for $60.00. the pfluegers have some of the best drag systems on any spinning reel i have ever used, and for the techniques you are wanting to use that is the most important thing, they also have 10 bearings so they operate very smooth. I would not spend that much on a spinning set up if it were me, I would go with a combo about $150.00 and it owuld be a st croix mojo bass 6' 9" ML for $100 with that same pflueger reel. JMO Mitch

since you are just starting out, I would suggest getting as many rods and reels that your budget will allow. with a budget like $250.00 I would suggest two combos for right about that $125 range. for a baitcvasting combo a 7' MH st. croix Triumph with a abu black max. this costs $120.00 for a spinning rod get the 7' ML st. croix triumph with a pflueger president in the mid size reel. This will cost $120.00. for a total combined of $240.00. thses are good rods decent reels but the ability to have two is key. You could even go with three rods two baitcasters and one spinnin if you want. the black max combos are $70.00 get one that is a 7'MH and 1 6'6" M that would cost 140.00 then get a berkley shock 7'6" ML with the pflueger president this costs $100.00. three rods and reels all in less than $250.00. Mitch

I use topwater baits from the moment the ice is out till the ice starts to show up in the late fall. I never catagorize baits by the time of year, the retrieve may be altered and the size might be different but I have caught on lures that most dont throw because it is not there peak season for it. sometimes using lures that are not the conventional wisdom can be what will get you the most success. Mitch

Big fish like small jigs under certain circumstances. I personally use small jigs almost all the time because I like the fall rate. I get most of my bites on the fall, so I want to maximize the fall time per flip. the SK bitsy flip is a great jig for this purpose, not the best but I have cought plenty of 4-6 lb bass on them. Mitch

The most underutailozed resource in bass fishing is the brain! The difference between a good angler and a great one is knowing when and how to use knowledge. knowledge is not found in a book or in a video, but in the exceptional understanding of anglers on the ecosystem, and seasonal patterns of their target species. the key is knowing when to stay and when to go, when to finnesse and when to power fish. fishing the past might help you get a starting point but relying on yesterdays success is a recipie for failure today. Mitch

the best way to learn how to fish slow is have success and gain confidence fishing slow. I agree that in most cases the larger fish are more skeptical of chasing moving baits, so a very subtle presentation can be the best way to catch the quality fish. that being said if just catching quanity is your goal use reaction baits and cover lots of water. there are plenty of 1-3 lb fish waiting to nail a spinnerbait or a crankbait if that is what you are hoping to achieve. Mitch

Through God all things are possible, may he bless you and your house. Mitch

I use whatever is available no brand in particular, but Kalin's are good quality. I use grubs very rarely as the quality of fish tend to be less than desirable. every now and then they work on a swim-jig but swimbaits have been much more productive for me. Mitch

since you have only caught about 10 fish with a jig it will just take some time till you get the feel for it. having good floro and or braid will help with that, also a longer more sensitive rod might help as well. Mitch

bass pro, pro qualifier about 100$ sometimes on sale for 80. Mitch

Spinnerbaits, squarebills, skipping jigs under docks, chaterbaits, flukes, swimjigs, jerkbaits, walk the dog baits, poppers... just to name a few. Mitch

I typically use a senko in only a few situations. 1) when I get a short strike while using other lures I use a senko as a follow up lure. 2) when dropshotting. 3) clear water situations in 6-10 ft using a flick shake. I like senkos I have only caught a few fish over 5 lbs using them so I typically use them to fill in a limit. Other lures I have found to be more effective on catching larger fish such as frogs, jigs, cranks, swimbaits, spinnerbaits with big blades and big trailers. Mitch