tcbass

I can take care of them. Just forgot this time. lol. First time that's ever happened.

How similar is that to the Zoom Fluke? Would you do weighted or unweighted?

I lost my cheap $18 Ugly Stick polarized sunglasses today fishing. I use the cheap ones so if I lose them I don't feel bad about it. However, I have been contemplating the merits of more expensive glasses and have read a lot of good things about Costas. I checked them out and there designs seem to be ugly as sin. I'm not Kim Kardashian. Either way, I was wondering if the quality and better polarization would be worth getting more expensive glasses. What's the consensus?

How do you mean weightless, like a weightless T-Rig?

Well, thanks you guys and the dang Baitmonkey I bought a 100 pack of green pumpkin w/ black flake Senkos from Tackle Warehouse. I waited for their July 4th sale. I also got a Live Target Mouse, a pack of Rage Bugs in green pumpkin, a Savage Frog with kicker legs, and a pack of Biffle Swing Jigs.

Usually I fish shallow, mostly along the shoreline. The depth of the water ranges from 1' foot to 5' feet. Traditionally I use Ragetail Toads on the open expanses between docks and Senko's under the docks. I have expanded my repertoire this year to jigs and more topwaters, mostly a KVD Sexy Dawg which has been pretty successful. I've also used spinnerbaits in the past. I've never really had success with any hollow body frog and would like to get better with them this year since I own a ton now. Well, this year has been difficult because the grass that normally blankets the bottom of the lake between the docks hasn't grown in yet. Even though most of it is in the 1'-2' foot range, when the grass is in, many bass hide in the grass, even in the hottest, sunniest days and will smash Ragetail Toads. So it's just really been the sand bottom the whole year. Well, today I noticed the grass appeared to have grown in overnight. Today I made a cast into it and let my Ragetail Toad soak for about 6 seconds. I then started reeling it in and had a nice 2lbs bass on it. I then caught a 1.5lbs bass with a Senko under a dock, and finally a bigger 2.5lbs bass while surface retrieving the Ragetail Toad. I lost two on the Ragetail Toad during the sink. So, overall a pretty slow day. And not one bite on my KVD Swim Jig or Scatter Rap. I tried the KVD Sexy Dawg here too, but it kept getting caught up with grass. I've been using a KVD swim jig on my last 5 outings and have caught fish every time on it, even out-fished my friend using Senkos yesterday. However, today, not even a bite. You can see that the grass is mostly underneath the surface of the water and some of it just breaks the surface. So, what kind of grass is this? And how would you fish it?

I definitely think which particular lure you're using matters. I've caught a ton of bass from small, medium, to large on Ragetail Toads and they all seem to inhale, creating a small surface disturbance rather then a huge splash. Never any huge splashes like in this video:

Your Mustad link doesn't work. Which weighted ones do you use?

Steve, and chance you can work with a company like Gamakatsu, Owner, or VMC do the hooks would be available in stores rather than just online orderable?

I usually miss them if they don't return my calls.

I've had good luck with peanut oil. What's nice about the Emeril deep fryer is it has a built in strainer so I can use the same oil about 11-15 times saving me a lot of money. Because oil isn't cheap.

I have the same problem, not with a certain lure but a certain reel. It's a Abu Garcia Revo SX which has a 6:4:1 gear ratio. I love the reel but I've never lost so many fish using a certain reel. I even started a thread on it. People told me what a lot of my other problems were so I figure they were right and it was errors on my part (probably still is). I was using a KVD Sexy Dawg and losing a lot of fish. I took the Revo SX off and put a Revo Rocket on. U haven't lost a since and have probably caught about 12 more on the Sexy Dawg. I then started using a KVD a swimming jig with that new rod set up and haven't lost a fish that has gotten past the 1st crank. Well, I used that same jig today with a different rod and that Revo and lost a nice one. So I'm going to stop using that reel for awhile. Have you checked the hook sharpness? Even if they're new hooks?

I just cook them and clean them the normal way. Maybe only eat them later when the water is cold and the flesh is firmer.And cook them the way I do with a deep fryer and Shorelunch. My brother tried grilling bass and it was horrible. We have an annual fishing trip where we go to my friends place and we catch and eat bass. All the guys love the bass and none of them normally eat bass. And like I said with my one friend, he thought it was walleye or northern because of the size of the fillets. Said it tasted like walleye. Most people can't tell the difference when it's deep fried in Shorelunch.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with you that bass taste like grass. I think they taste like any other white meat fish.

Someone on here suggested parasite clips. And they look good. However, they apparently have to be ordered online. Here's a trick I saw in Outdoor Life magazine. Slide one end of a barrel swivel into your line and then tie your hook. Hook the first part of your tube/bait and then put the other end of the barrel over the hook point and pull it down. Now finish putting on your bait. The barrel swivel should prevent it from sliding down and if you added a weight to the line first it will stop the weight from hitting your knot.

I love eating largemouth bass. Taste just like any other fish. I batter them with an egg and then Shorelunch and put them in my Emeril Deep Fryer. Surprisingly deep fried fish this way is my favorite way to cook fish now. I no longer order fish at restaurants anymore since it won't taste this good. Exceptions for sushi and Ahi Tuna though. My friend was skeptical of the taste of bass and I cooked him and his daughter some and they both thought it was great. He was surprised when I told him it was bass. Anything in the 1lbs.-2lbs. range is good for eating. Any bigger and it's doesn't cook well and any smaller and it's too small. I also like to leave the bigger ones to breed. I don't eat smallmouth bass or rock bass though. Who eats bass?

I'll usually rod lift a bass up to 3lbs into my boat. Any larger then that I'd be afraid that if break my rod. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. I did start bring a collapsible net and that's working out well. I usually hold the rod at the reel and my other hand about 8" inches in front of the reel allowing the entire rod to flex and I keep the rod level, not high sticking it. What's the biggest fish poundage wise that you will rod lift into your boat or onto land?

I'm just learning about this stuff but I don't believe water should be coming out of the telltale until after you have her running for a few seconds. I think mine took like 15 seconds the first time. I believe water has to be sucked through the engine when it's running to get water thru the telltale.

Yep. Brand new. Smaller then the destination stores.

I fish Bald Eagle and White Bear in White Bear, Minnesota often and am looking for a new lake in that area. Anyone know of any good ones that produce large, plentiful bass?

Cabelas has the Veritas's on sale for $69 right now. I think they are suppposed to be pretty good. Especially for $69.

I have a Zara Super Spook and Zara Spook Jr. Used both but only caught a few fish on the Zara Super Spook, so I'd go with that. However, I did get a KVD Sexy Dawg in perch and have been killing them with that this year. I love that lure. Not to expensive either. And it's got knockers in it which I think help a lot.

I was told Cabelas reels are Daiwa and Plueger and mostly Plueger. Not sure if that was last year though.

What's a big rat swimbait? A swimbait that looks like a rat?

I was under the impression that most people traditionally use lower ratio baitcasting reels for spinnerbaits and deep diving crankbaits (apparently not shallow crankbaits). Is that true? I don't want to get into a battle about what "used to be considered fast". Just currently. I think KVD said he uses a lower ratio reel to force himself to retrieve slower when using spinnerbaits.