jb_adams

Well my partner's boat is having issues still so we haven't tried main lake points yet. We did go to another local lake (oversized pond) with my 6yr. old son and caught about 40 white bass!! ;D ;D ;D That felt good! Like being a man in the desert trying to find water and then when can't take anymore, you crawl over a sand dune, you see a swimming pool with bikini clad women serving your favorite beverage. BOY that was a fun day! I've heard about schools of whites that large but never seen one. An area the size of a football field just opened up into a freestyle jumping contest for white bass. They looked like piranhas!! We are planning on going back to Beaver maybe as soon as this weekend. I will be sure and try the suggestions mentioned.

The boat was broke this weekend for night fishing but I tried a black finesse jig & grub trailer and large t-rigged worms. Got a few nibbles but I think they were from really small bass or perch. Still, it was fun to know that the fish could see almost as well at night as they can in the daytime. I tried explaining it to my partner and gave him the visual that if you sqint your eyes in the daytime, that's about the difference fish can see at night in comparison to normal vision during the day. It's crude, but it explains how their vision is about half the intensity at night and why darker colors help in contrast. If you were looking at a light brown worm vs a black worm when you squint your eyes, that's why darker colors work better for bass at night. Contrast makes the difference at night as well as vibration and water displacement. I found some scientific journals that explained this theory and it made sense to me. I now fish at night with confidance. I know that fishing at night can be a lot easier than I thought. I've hunted deer for years and I know how well they see at night, especially with a full-moon. I just never thought of fish having the same type of vision. DUH!!! (I feel like such a goober now....) :-[

Thanks guys. I never new a bass had such a high level of sensitivity. I knew they could sence vibration well but MAN....that's pretty sensitive! ;D

That's correct.....my mistake. Algae bloom to us is lake turnover because the water smells bad for several weeks. Even the local news media calls it "lake turnover" including local scientists. Yes Yes and sometimes up to 40ft depending on where you are on the lake Still trying to figure out that. I can find schools on fish finder, I see them on occassion but I don't know how to follow them and stay in the school. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Some things are all about confidance. The reason I have not tried spoons yet is because it was about dark when I got to the spot & I didn't think they would see it or feel the vibration. I didn't know fish can still see so well in the dark (I know better now). I haven't tried some of the other baits yet because I don't have any of them. It was all I could do to get home from work, grab my stuff, hook up the boat and then drive for 40mins to the launch. Cut me some slack would ya please! By the way, I have been fishing with some really good anglers and they were catching all the fish on the same baits. Sometimes it doesn't matter what bait you throw. It's all how your "wiggle the worm" or how you bounce cranks off trees, or how you drop-shot that catches fish. Give me a spot where you are catching 20 bass in 30 mins. and I will only catch 5 in 30 mins. It's all about learning curve and personal hands on experience. I know that much. That's why I ask a lot of questions, so I can tap into a large field of experience within this forum. Aggressive answers are NOT the experience I need. Keep in mind, a lot of us are newbies and still learning the craft so again, it's all about confidance. Ever tell your kid "trust me, throw your bait over there". They throw there once and then they are re-tying and throwing somewhere else. Confidance in new things are frustrating and experience only comes with perseverance and personal sacrifice.

I know bass key in on vibration more so than vision when it comes to bait. Or at least vibration seems to be more important than vision. I always thought vision was just as important during daylight hours as much as vibration in clear water. At night, vibration seems to be more important because if the moon is not out, it's hard to get any light to penetrate even clear water. So how does a fish find a t-rig worm, a jig, a dropshot, etc. at night? Is there enough vibration and displacement in the water for a bass to pick it up with the lateral lines? I have a hard time being confidant using a t-rig worm at night even with a bead & brass knocker. I'm affraid I'm waisting my time when throwing something that doesn't vibrate or make a noise (buzzbait, crankbait, topwater, spinnerbait, etc.) So....my question is, how does a slower presentation work at night? Just how good is a bass's vision or sensitivity to vibration?

Yep, 30 feet is where the depth I'm finding fish. They are moving around and scattered right now. Yes, Beaver is my home lake (not by choice!). If there were another big body of water close by (within 30min) I would go there. Table Rock is about an hour away and I have yet to make a trip there. I may just do that in a week or two. The algae bloom is what the locals in this area refer to as lake turnover. It does this every spring and fall. The water never really smells of rotten eggs like most lakes because the water is so clear and it's a river reservior. There are big chunks of algae breaking off underwater structure. I've seen limbs on cedar trees that are only an inch or two in diameter look like they are 3-4 inches in diameter because that much algae is growing on the limbs. Everything that is under water has algae on it including rocks, silt, trees, etc. The large chunks of algae is making it hard to find fish because the fish finder shows the algae breaking off and floating around. I went back to my cove last night and the fish had already moved out back into deeper water or another cove close by. There were still some bass there & big ones too. I couldn't get a bite though. I even creeped up on a big one that was smacking shad on top around 9:00PM and I through a 2-1/2 inch Pop-R right past his blow up. I would pop it once, let it sit, make it spit two times then pop it and let it sit again so I was retrieving it slowly so he could find it. Nothing.....not even a boil. I fan casted that area pretty thorough and nothing. Tried a few other spots and the Pop-R couldn't get a bite. I tried several crankbaits, rattle-trap, black chatterbait with varying retrieves, jerkbait, swimbaits, etc. Not one bite. The water was as smooth as a plate glass window and very quiet. I felt like I was hunting instead of fishing because I was very quiet and slow with my movements. I didn't want to make excessive noise which would spook the fish. Of course when I was leaving the cove, I was pulling the trolling motor in and making some noise, a nice bass blew up about 10 ft. in front of me. It was his way of say "BYE LOOSER!" So now I question the theory of excessive noise spooking fish because I was really noisy when that one blew up. Beaver Lake is THE hardest lake to fish and I think the spotted bass population is suffering. None of the ones I catch have any weight on them. If you catch a limit, you've had a good day. If you catch a limit of tournament keepers, you've had an awesome day.

Well the lake here is turning over. It's a reservoir lake and river fed. They did a story on the news a few weeks back about the type of zooplankton that makes the water taste funny every fall. I forget the name of the plankton but it's very potent and some people can pick up like 1 part per million in drinking water. Everytime I brush my teeth I feel like I'm using a bass for the toothbrush. So how do you see the schools on the water? I've seen them go by the boat when they are within 5-10ft of the boat but that's the only time I see schools of shad. Kind of hard to throw a bait in there and follow it. Well, I am going back to this one cove tonight to give it a whirl. I'll post up any fish pics or various findings from the outing. By the way fivebasslimit, the water is VERY clear. Even when it's stained green as green tea, you can still see 8ft down pretty easily.

I think we all have our favorite members that we know we can count on for good advice and they all come with years of experience to back it up. Mostly, I'd like to thank BassResource.com for offering a place where us "glassy-eyed" bass addicts can learn from each other. This site introduced me to my fishing partner and new best friend..."Jolicious" (BassResource.com member). We sent a few PM's because we were both in the same regional area. I later went fishing with him & his son one day and the rest is history. We've been good friends now for about 1.5-2 years now and we fish every chance we can get. For that, I am very greatful. Fishing with a friend is even better than fishing alone. Who else can witness your screw-ups and your success? As far as no. tip I learned as a newbie would be color selection. I just wasn't getting it and now it's second nature to me. There are too many members to give credit for way too many questions from me alone! (haha) I'd have to say that I personally believe LBH, Avid, RW, Rolo, Raul, ReelMechanic, Fish Chris, & so many others have all personally helped me become a better angler. Everyone here is a contribution and equally important. So thanks BassResource.com for being such an awesome group of folks!

Fall is supposed to be the time of year where you fish creek-fed coves for more oxygen enriched water because shad are grouped & feeding on plankton. I am finding bass in algae invested waters (deepwater coves & some mainlake points) due to lake turnover & they are chasing shad selectively....not in large schools of shad. I've tried slow presentation, finesse, topwater, etc. No bites. The only thing I haven't tried is burning baits for a reaction strike. I watched a small bass chase my jig as I burned it back to the boat on a missed-cast. SO my new idea is to burn a spoon, use a hard jerkbaits with a fast erratic retrieve, chatterbait (I'm desperate) and burning shallow water cranks (2-4ft divers) over 20-30ft water with tree structure. My Lake Conditions: - bass chasing shad and biting on top (not schooling shad in groups, individual baitfish only) - water extremely green (emerald green) and algae chunks floating about halfway in the water column in 30ft (fish finder read it as large schools of fish if using Fish ID) - lake turning over in isolated areas of the lake - reservoir lake - fish are not concentrated & scattered in clear water areas but more concentrated in the "transitional" water (half green/half clear) & and in isolated coves deep water coves - some fish are located on shallow points near deep water Any suggestions?

Our lake started turning over and then it stalled due to warmer weather. Now we have cool nights & warm days which is making this turnover process longer than usual. The water supply has smelled fishy for a month now. The lake water heavily smells of fish too in certain areas. Lake Conditions: - blue bird skies, wind @ 7mph, barometric pressure @30.17 & steady for 24 hours, high pressure moved through with rain 3 days prior (third day after rain theory) - water surface temp at 78, air temp low 60's that morning and high of 82 - light breeze as sun rose more that morning - bass chasing shad and biting on top (not schooling shad, individual baitfish) - water extremely green (emerald green) and algae chunks floating about halfway in the water column in 30ft (fish finder read it as large schools of fish if using Fish ID) - lake turning over in isolated areas of the lake - reservoir lake - lower end of lake toward the dam is clear and not as green but has deeper water & more wind exposure (more oxygen) - upper river end has more algae content and less oxygen but more fish can be found (why?) - fish are not concentrated & scattered in clear water and more concentrated in the "transitional" water (half green/half clear) & and in isolated coves This weekend, I couldn't buy a bite if it were on a blue-light special clearance rack for a dollar! I reeled in my jig really fast because of a bad cast and I had a small bass chasing it. This told me the fish wanted a super fast action but why I didn't pick up on that immediately, I don't know. In my mind, slow and small was the way to go because the lake is turning over. My partner's boat motor was having "issues" so we had to call our trip short. Between two of us trying various topwater baits, jigs, plastics, rattletraps, buzzbaits, etc, we never caught a fish in this one cove even though we knew they were there. My partner threw a zara puppy next to a tree and seconds after it hit the water, three bass jumped at it. We think there mouths were closed and it looked like they were head-butting it instead of eating it. All three jumped up out of the water to hit it. Odd right? One of them looked like a seal or dolphin trying to hit a ball at SeaWorld. So I never tried a spoon and I didn't have enough confidence in a spinnerbait. I threw two a few times but felt the water was too clear for it. You could see the gold blades flash 8ft below and 20 yards away. "Too flashy" I thought. I think I could have thrown a spoon with a white grub trailer and burned it as fast as I could reel and I would have caught something. They seem to be chasing shad and it was opposite of what they have been doing.....eating an easy target. I plan on going back one afternoon this week after work. Fall is supposed to be the time to fish creek-fed coves for more oxygen enriched water and shad. I am finding them in algae invested waters chasing shad selectively....Not schools. My new idea is to burn a spoon, use hard jerkbaits with a fast erratic retrieve, chatterbait (I'm desperate) and burning shallow water cranks (2-4ft divers) over 20-30ft water with tree structure. Any suggestions?

I tried the "Pop-R / senko trailer" and it worked for me on the third cast. I missed the hookset so it got off. I felt the fish fighting and I thought it was on good but evidently it wasn't. This technique get's there attention to come look and the senko at the back looks like it's following the pop-r and looks super real. You have to be ready for the hookset and use a sweeping hookset like a c-rig to really drive the hook in & get the slack out. This weekend, I couldn't buy a bite if it were on a blue-light special clearance rack. I meant to try this rig but I honestly don't think it would have worked this weekend. The fish seemed to want a super fast action. I reeled in my jig really fast because of a bad cast and I had a small bass chasing it. Why I didn't pick up on that immediately, I don't know. In my mind, slow and small was the way to go. I will be sure and try this again though.

Yep, I use the crease of my index finger most of the time but I have tried using the very tip of my finger. That resolves the funny feeling at the releast but I'm still not as accurate for some reason. As for the comfort zone in rod flex, yeah I'm aware of that too. Sounds like I knew more about this than I thought. Sounds like practice is the best answer. I'll have to get a few rods out this afternoon and practice hitting targets.

You have to balance the bait with the rod action. I know that. I try to match the bait to the appropriate rod action and type. And yes, to me the spinning rod makes the variances of an improper match known much faster than a casting rod. If your bait is too light or too heavy, the spinning rod seems to give you a more sensitive feedback that it's too heavy or too light. It may be my imagination but it feels that way sometimes.

My poor Wiggle Wart never makes it out of my crankbait box. I've used it a few times and never had luck. I just wasn't near a lot of fish a the time though. When the bass go back into the back of coves in late fall, I'll have to remember to get this little jewel out and wiggle his little tail off.

That's how I do it. The only thing I use my left hand for is flipping the bail and cranking the reel. Me too. I do that with my ultralight reel. Sounds like I'm using the right techniques, I just need lots and lots of practice. Thanks guys!

I already guide the line with my left hand for slowing down the bait. I learned that from a guide in Florida. Looked like a radio controled bait. bpm, that actually made sense With a baitcaster, you release as your stop the rod in the cast. Or at least I do it that way. When my rod comes back to about 10:00, I release my thumb at the same time but I always try to keep my thumb close to feel for any backlash in case of overcasts. With a spinning rod, you almost have to release the line just after the rod hits 10:00 to spring load the line a bit. You have to be careful because you'll snap the line and your bait (ie, BRAND NEW CAVITRON!!!!) will go flying away free as a bird. Not that it happened to me or anything.....(cough cough) OK, it happened and it was on a baitcaster. The water was over 25ft and I couldn't see past 22ft. so I'm guessing it was 30ft deep somehwere. I looked for a long time. I've thrown spinnerbaits on spinning rods and I noticed that I could throw a good distance if I load the line at release. I just prefer throwing spinnerbaits on baitcasters now because I can pick my spots eaiser.

Didn't sound boring at all. It made sense actually. I never thought about holding it lower. I'll try that. I've noticed rod action plays a big difference too. I guess practice is what it takes.

I finally got a chance to compare the Stradic and the President. The President is definately "eye-candy" compared to the Stradic. The new Stradics are not very "bling" on the shiny cosmetics scale. It's not about looks when it comes to fishing but it is a nice feature to have a nice quality look to match your gear. Anyway as far as which one is smoother, I think it's hard to say. The older Stradic is smoother than the new Stradic. New you ask? Yes, there is a new line of Stradics out. I was in the store and I compared the two reels. The new Stradic seems a bit course or tight in the gears compared to the older version which makes the new Stradic less smooth in feel than the President. The President feels like melting butter almost. Some may not like a real that smooth. As far as this new "bale balanced" technology that Shimano brags about....I couldn't tell a difference. I almost bought one based on that. Glad I didn't now. It's just like any other spinning reel as far as I could tell. Not that I'm an expert, just my opinion and I'm still an intermediate beginner into the bass world. Before purchasing, go pick up one at a local retailer and compare the two for yourself. You can't tell as much in a store as you can fishing but for the price difference, one is almost half the price of the other and if you're a weekend angler on a budget, I'd go with the President. I try to take good care of my gear but since I bought 3 new St. Croix rods, a new reel, etc., I find myself walking on eggshells now with my gear. It's a trade off when you buy quality stuff.

I struggle with my spinning tackle for accurate casts. It has to be my technique. Here is what I do, tell me where I'm wrong: (by the way, I cast right handed and retrieve right handed, I know that's wrong but it's comfortable) - I hold the rod with my index finger & middle finger in front of the reel seat/shaft while the other two are behind the real seat - I use my right index finger to hold the line against the bottom of the rod to hold tension on the line while I'm opening the bale - I open the bale with my left hand - My left hand holds the butt of the rod while I cast with my right hand (for short casts, it's with only one hand) - I release the line with my index finger as tension builds on the line during the cast to get more distance (usually, I feel the line jumping off my finger as I release it because of the tension) I can hit a general area most of the time but sometimes, I can't hit the general area because of release. It has to be because I'm holding too much line with my finger or something. I just can't get the same distance I can with my baitcaster and not as accurate either. The whole rig just feels cumbersome compared to a baitcaster. I want to get over this hump and become comfortable with my spinning tackle. Any suggestions?

Congrats! You'll like it! I know I like mine....light, sensitive, and still powerful enough to do the job.

What about using a fluke as a trailer? I read in the new FLW mag that Woo Daves uses flukes as trailers for his large deep water spinnerbaits. He's using 3/4-2oz spinnerbaits. That is also what get's you deep or higher in the water column as well as the blade type....the weight of the bait. It takes a heavier ounce weight to get double willow leaf blades deeper. I've rigged my best spinnerbaits (War Eagle, Stanley, BooYah) with color matched flukes. I have one or two with grubs for the extra action. I'll post up a thread if it works.

Ever heard of a "Chicken Charlie"? It's a fluke with the tail cut off and a feather or fur stuffed & glued to the end of it. My buddy looks at it and rolls his eyes. We were both fishing flukes one afternoon and I had the honors of "first bass" that day and because of "ole charlie", that one fish put me one more than he! (haha) I would say it should work if you fish it just slow enough to turn the blade. Give it a few twitches to pulsate the furr/feather and then go back to slow rolling. It should catch something because of the lifelike pulse action. Experimentation is great! I come up with the idea of a chatterbait/spinnerbait and I called it the "Cha Ching!" as a joke. Now one of our sponsors makes and produces it. Must have been a good idea if two people thought of it. They beat me to it though. ;D

I caught my first bass on one as a kid by just reeling it in like a buzzbait. I didn't know how to fish it either and it seemed logical at the time when I was about 12. I still have that bait too. (haha) I should take it out of my tackle bag but, I just don't have the heart to retire it. I never use these anymore because I fish really clear water. Come to think of it, I've caught several on a Hula Popper in the same color in clear water. I should try these again. Maybe it will get me off my fixation with Zara puppies.....I just can't put that clear one down. I can count on a strike with it if I want to find bass even when they aren't biting.

No hi-jacking required....go right ahead! That's what this topic is about.

Well thanks to this thread, I purchased a 1/4oz Cavitron with gold prop blade and a shad colored white/grey mix skirt. At first, sounded like any other buzzbait. The more I threw it, the louder it became with this annoying sqeal. After about 20 casts (no stikes) it became similar to the sound of a small bird chirping and flapping around on the water. It's not the slowest buzzbait to me but it does have a unique sound that I think makes it a great buzzbait and makes it stand out from most. That squealing chirping sound it makes is enough to get the attention of a hungry bass 30 yards away. Sadly, I finally find a spot in the cove where the bass are and the line snapped on a cast and down to the bottom she sank. I am hoping to go back this afternoon and see if I can find it. If not, the baitmonkey has already hounded me about buying two more and replacing a few of the "never used" buzzbaits I already have. As for the slowest buzzbait, I'd compare the Strike King Tri-Wing Buzz King. It is the slowest in my opinion. I have to crawl this buzzbait to get it to chirp the water like the Cavitron. This is a rather quiet buzzbait though and sounds a lot more natural and less "noisy". It just makes girgling and chirping water sounds. It was good enough to catch my personal best and 13 other bass in a day though. That's not including the short strikes that day that missed the bait. Add 5 more strikes to that number. I'm not saying the Buzz King is better, just different. I like the Cavitron and I will be trying it out on the pond where I caught 14 bass on the Buzz King. It has very dirty water and the bubble trails will be awesome.