FishChaser1

Hey everyone, So there’s this local large pond/small lake that I used to fish at quite regularly. It receives a lot of pressure from fishermen, but most people have been throwing the same types of lures for the past couple decades, leading to a QUITE satisfying amount of large (albeit very smart & cautious) bass. they will RARELY strike at any fast-moving, flashy lures as they will just become spooked. I found a few years back that slowly-retrieved jigs work far better than any other lure I have tried (Texas rigs are far too common & overused at this lake, and I personally am not a big fan of crankbaits). I haven’t been fishing in about 2 years, and I’m getting a little into it this summer. I’ve been out to this lake maybe 4-5 times so far this season, and I have yet to catch ANYTHING. The water is very clear and filled with weed beds or lily pads at almost all angles; I usually fish around sunset at one of the 3 creeks that the current pushes into, or at an open area full of submerged rocks where the bass used to regularly feed. What gives? I’ve had about one bite this year.

Any luck? Edit: Misread post sorry :3

Actually the carry capacity can be surpassed, it just quickly goes back down it. Also, why would the bass need to compete between each other if they aren't at their carrying capacity?

Sorry, anyone who claims this doesn't really know what they're talking about. If a population reaches above its carrying capacity (max. number of individuals of a species that an environment can support), then the population will shrink back down until it gets back below it or evens out around the carrying capacity. This is logical; there's a limit to how many bass can be supported. But throwing out dinks would only work assuming A) dinks can outcompete large bass for food, which is unlikely, and B)the population is above its carrying capacity, which can only happen for very short periods of time so that is again unlikely.

Watermelon red flake, green pumpkin, black and blue, white

Use bigger (and usually less vibrational/spooky) lures. Best way to do it this time of year where you live is to get together your jigs, big swimbaits and big soft plastics and fish them around dropoffs and other points with the most professional slow(ish) action you can. You said you fish a small lake, so these points can probably be more subtle. Bigger bass are often much more cautious and will bite lighter than other fish so you really have to pay attention to vibrations in your rod, but you'll know you have a lunker as soon as you set the hook. I don't know if you're a bank fisherman, but if you're stuck to fishing shallow water cover and weeds still then these bass are usually active, meaning they're waiting for food to pass by so they can strike. Even lunkers that are active will almost always be more aggressive than other bass (i keep saying usually/probably because there are always exceptions). Keep in mind that using bigger lures means you are missing smaller fish, but if you catch that lunker it's worth it

Searching for a 7' 4" to 7'6" mh fast rod to be used for casting far out swim jigs, pitching/flipping/punching, heavier topwaters and some swimbaits. my budget is around $130, anybody know any good rods?

Alright guys, i guess i'll just keep trying... I've already said it's not anything with my reel settings, don't know why some people keep insisting it is, I can see my reel right in front of me..

What about financing a bass boat? Anyone have experience in that ?

No its the spool tension for sure, hahaha... Also I think it's something terribly wrong with my technique because it comes off the spool fine for regular casts. I've watched many videos and have read articles but I just can't do what they say in real life

I've practiced a lot but no matter how hard i try, no line comes off the spool when i try to pitch/flip. I played around with the spool tension but it just doesn't work. What could i be doing wrong?

Yes I figured that out pretty quick, but are they fast enough for big lakes?

Well I'd like it to go fast enough that I can use it on my trip to Lake Fork this summer, but i don't know if it's possible on a lake that big with this kind of boat

I am very overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. I'll be using it on local lakes/large ponds and also on yearly trips to some of the big lakes, and it will probably be something pretty basic because my budget is low. I really don't know how to decide what is good for me, what type of boat to get (pretty sure I want an aluminum boat), or where to even start researching with so much information. I want to keep the price around $1500 for the boat and the motor.

For fishing shallow flats with small rocks and some weeds (if you had to use a jig)