WVbassin87

Lol y'all and the sarcastic comments. my buddy does have a food plot he's keeping an eye on. the black bear around here are enough to make ya jumpy in the dark, throw coyotes, mountain lions, and the occasional bobcat or weed grower defending his crop and just about any noise that time of night will make a man nervous

Looked it up on youtube and what i heard was definitely a female mountain lion screaming. found a video of one making the same noise that ran me outta there.

it's been said around here that mountain lions sound like a woman screaming.

A few weeks back, i went night fishing at one of my favorite ponds. i was slaying them on buzzbaits at about 3:30am when i started listening to my surroundings a little more closely. i noticed two coyotes howling back and forth to one another from opposite sides of the field i was in, but that didn't bother me. What did send chills down my spine was the sound of a woman screaming. i knew it was an animal, and not one i wanted to mess with, but couldn't remember what. being alone, unarmed, and 300 yards from the car i decided to call it a night. i've been regretting leaving early ever since, until yesterday: my friend shared a trail cam pic of a mountain lion taken in the same area. now it's gone from regret to relief.

what do you do? Let's say it's early into your retrieve, and a fish strikes at your bait, but there's no hookup. Do you continue your retrieve as if nothing happened? Quickly reel in and cast again? Switch lures? I just need some kind of general guideline as to what approach works best. A recent example for me was fishing a spook, and watching fish miss it on the surface, but any other lure wouldn't get a reaction.

The only spook i've ever owned is a Zara Puppy. super easy to learn on and flat out fun to use.

This may be a copout, but i'm chalking it up to tough conditions. After having a little while to calm down, i'm not quite as bothered. i actually still had fun. i got to practice more with a few lures i hadn't used yet, like my zara puppy. i still need a little practice walking it, but it is pretty cool i managed to get strikes at it my first attempt. thanks for the responses folks. good stuff

They were over a rocky flat in the deepest water there (guessing around 2-3 feet). they were hitting bugs on the surface. seemed to be a school of smaller fish. the water is still way below normal level, so i knew i had my work cut out for me. chances are they were redeye, and the smallies were elsewhere.

Just got back from a rough trip. threw every single lure in my tackle box. the only thing i even had a hit on was a spook, but they kept missing it. nothing else worked: craws, yum dingers, spinners, cranks, jigs, buzzbaits, poppers, NOTHING. talk about a rough day. i knew they were in there, but just couldn't figure it out.

i'm definitely gonna start out my trip with a buzzbait to search areas. if i get a few missed fish, i'll at least know they're there and go to plastics

I use fluoro for buzzbaits, but it doesn't make any difference there because the whole point is keeping the bait on top, so your line doesn't have any real chance of affecting anything. i have noticed the way it messes with spooks as ianbass8 said.

Great video Bobby! thanks for sharing it. i now REALLY want a Cavitron.

I also considered a weightless fluke, but threw one for 2 hours last time without one nibble

i've got some tubes, baby paca craws, and yum dingers, think those would do the trick?

Some spots less than a foot, there are a few deeper areas (i estimate to be 1-3 feet) and i tried those last time with absolutely no luck

We've barely had any rain in the last few weeks, and i plan on fishing the river tomorrow. what works best for really shallow, clear water. for some reason i'm thinking a jig or t-rigged craw, but i could be way off.

Raul, it's just what i'm used to seeing is all

even if the colors don't match up? like green pumpkin on a black/blue?

The bait monkey got me again today: had just a little change left over after buying line to get a little something. since so many people seem to love black and blue jigs, i grabbed one, but don't have a trailer and won't be able to grab any before my next trip. will that severely affect my chances?

FrankW, do you think a weightless senko might do the trick?

I would, but I don't have a lot of extra cash. Being a dad, and sometimes being lucky to have anything left over after bills and household needs, all fishing gear is bought with saved up spare change.

So, I've decided to upgrade from my zebco 33 in the near future. I need some recommendations in the CHEAP range ($20-$30 you can get at Walmart) to get me started more seriously. I bought a Berkeley spinning combo once, but after 3 casts managed a tangle in the line that ended my trip prematurely and I returned it. Been fishing all my life, but I figure if I wanna get serious, and maybe increase my odds on the bank, I need something better.

I'm the opposite lol. I've gone as far as reaching into my tackle box and handing someone a mister twister I have rigged up and telling them to try it.

I share anything I can. We all have one thing in common: the thrill you get when you hook into a fish. Why not help someone share that excitement. Unless you're fishing in a tournament, it's not a competition.

It's the 1/8th ounce Booyah Baby Boo