Kevin22

Anyone ever try taking a topwater bait and add a small 2" piece of frayed nylon instead of a back hook? Could work well.

I'm having good luck with the cabelas dawg in the smallest size. 3.5" I think it is. I'm catching smallies, largemouth, and white bass on the white one. Just today I hit a pod of small whites and had a blast, the fish were all about 8-9" but still blew up on it. I even caught a small largemouth in the middle of the whites. If you have aggressive fish they most certainly catch fish. Not a bad price either, I paid $1.99 on sale but I think they retail for $3.99.

What you are seeing is probably a fungus. It looks like red swollen up sores and are often on the fins. They can be groups of sores or just one big patch.

Lamprey marks are easy to identify. Round red sores with a hole in the middle. Usually around the pectoral fins.

Can you guys recommend a good line for topwater walk the dog type baits? I want mono for sure. I am currently using 17# stren original Since I am throwing the little 3.5" sammy style and not the 4.5" version I think I want to downsize to 14lb so I can get more line on the reel, with the smaller bait I should be alright with a lighter line right? . With a couple casts today I was within 20' of my backing at the end of the cast. Would 14# be suitable or should I stick with 17? Although the stren is doing the job, I feel that since there is quite a bit of memory to it that I am not getting the best action out of the lure. What mono's do you guys like for walking baits?

Lampreys prefer clear water., but they will go wherever the host takes them. Leeches will live anywhere and everywhere.

Increased sensitivity, smaller profile weight, and a very high price. That is the essence of tungsten weights.

I have some bags of F2 scented yum baits, they seem to work well.

gulp angle worm and gulp 1" minnow.

Take some braided lie or light wire and tie the skirt on.

As seen on T.V... Soon seen in garbage can.

Do you mean an inline spinner or a spinnerbait? Any time I see green water the first thing to fly though the air is a white double willow spinnerbait.

Looks like someone's wacky rig hook. Fish probably bit the end of the worm and the hookset drove the hook right through his eyeball. Since the fish was snagged he probably ran like a freight train and broke the guy off. Pinching the barb and removing was the right thing to do.

Looks like a lamprey to me. Be careful with them. While some are invasive and detrimental to the fish population, others are protected species and removing them could mean a big fine!

Sure, I would suggest moving the splitshot a little closer to the worm, it will help you fish it faster. Have you seen the bull-shots? They are a pinch on bullet weight. Pretty much a combo between a splitshot and a bullet weight, you might like them. Tackle warehouse carries them, not sure where else.

I use that color in murky water. The same thing happens with all red/chartreuse tail'd baits I use around here, bluegills and small bass pick at them and annoy the crap out of me. But they do catch fish. My suggestion is to fish them a little faster if you want just the bigger fish, go for more of a reaction bite. Use a 1/4-3/8 bullet weight and T-rig them. Fish them real quick, lift and fall, lift and fall, lift and fall. When you feel the thump, let him take about a foot of line and then cross his eyes!

There are a lot easier fish to catch for food than bass. If you need to feed your family then put some meat on a hook and catch a catfish. Or dig up some worms and catch 25 bluegill.

It's not. Looks like an octopus hook. A circle hook would not have snagged the fish.

You did the right thing, I would have done the same. The testifying won't be much. Just have to dress nice and tell them you witnessed him catch the fish. Simple as that. Nothing to worry about. Does your state have a reward? Iowa has a small reward, something like $200 for a tip leading to a prosecution. $200 would pay for my time to testify against him plus some....

For the price, how could you pass them up? http://www.mistertwister.com/products/bargain-bin/index.php?fid=55&familyname=Comida

Best way to catch a carp is with an arrow or a 6/0 treble on a flipping stick.

Fish were caught long before the invention of fluoro.

Try something on the next hit you get. When you feel him pop it, drop the rod tip a foot then set the hook. This should give him time to suck it in, close his mouth, and turn away from you. That should increase your hook-ups. That goes for any bait you are dragging/swimming and having a hard time getting good hook-ups.

Any time I am fishing topwater I have sunglasses on. Even if it is late evening and I can barely see the water. I've had too many close calls where the bait flies out of a fish and right at my face, catch a treble hook in the eye and your day (or life) is never going to be the same.

Grab them from the back and pinch the gill plates. Don't do a death grip, just enough so the fish holds still. This will usually make them open their mouths also. As long as you do not do a death grip it will not harm the fish at all.