hawgenvy

You guys are all being unscientific about this. To answer the question you'd have to first agree what exactly you mean by sensitivity, that is, figure out how you would meaningfully define sensitivity. Then devise a way to measure line sensitivity objectively. Then test enough line diameters to get meaningful data, and, voila, you'd have an answer to the question. Or, you could also sink an old pick up truck 30 feet down in a muddy lake, get a bunch of rednecks in bass boats to "fish"over it using hookless jig heads, and the first guy to figure out the year, make, and model has the most sensitive line.

I sometimes bank fish with a certain friend of mine who always uses a snap swivel. I'll typically catch 3-4 bass for every one he does. Of course, there are other variables, but I suspect his extra hardware is a factor. Anyway, lures are designed to have a certain action, and that design is based on the lure tied clean to the line.

One of the easiest (if there are no surface weeds) is the Heddon Baby Torpedo. And it is very effective. You just toss it out and reel it in. When it gets bit, you just keep reeling. No fancy hookset or special timing needed. BTW, I'd bet those guys popping bugs on the surface are bream of some sort. There may be hungry bass below them awaiting an opportunity to nab an innocent little bluegill. Maybe toss a senko where the bug suckers are feeding and let it sink to the bottom on semi-slack line.

As long as it's a thin, sharp hook I'll start with a reel set, which is just reeling fast till there's a good bend in the rod, and then, while keeping the pressure on, I'll reinforce that with a lateral sweep to make sure the hook penetrates past the barb. Lately I've been liking the Gama G-Finesse jig-headed hook, 1/16 oz size.

All braids bleed because the polyethylene strand the braid is made from is colorless and has very low surface friction. It is a filament of plastic, like monofilament or fluorocarbon, but stronger and slicker. Unlike monofilament line, it is not possible to add color to the polymer mixture before it is extruded. For braided fishing line, colorless strands of polyethylene are woven together, and the resultant braided line then appears white. Then the coloring is added. The dye is essentially added to the surface of slick plastic filaments. It is the little spaces in the braid that are relied upon to hold the dye. Unless you want a white braid, the coloring is simply going to bleed. To try to make the braid darker the manufacturers add extra dye, so it ends up bleeding more. That's the best the current technology can offer. But braided line is thin and low friction and strong as hell, so regardless, we're lucky to have braided line available to us for fishing.

You may want to put up some barriers to keep out the swarms of hungry bass, pike, catfish, snakeheads, etc., that are bound to soon show up at the garage door, attracted by the attractive attractant. If they do get in, have some nets, ice bags, filleting knives, a frying pan, and the freezer ready!

I had trouble at first, too. Gets easier after a while with practice, if you have a good tool (not fingers). And at least trebles are less likely to be gut hooked.

Confidence is fishing hard all day long in the heat of the summer or after a nasty cold front. Confidence is when you haven't had a bite in four hours, and you're not only still fishing, but concentrating 100% on your rod tip and line to detect the tiniest tick. Confidence is when you've got credit card debt but still ordering stuff from TW, even though you haven't caught but 12 pounds all year. Confidence is going fishing after you've been skunked three times in a row. Confidence is when there is a lure or lure category that you've never caught anything on, and you fish with it exclusively until you figure out how to catch fish with it. Confidence is skipping docks with a bait caster. Confidence is a virtue that a reasonable man would find that we bass anglers have beyond reason.

Hey, Mike, Did you see the BR Savage Gear vid of these crazy California bass baits? Some of them look pretty amazing, and the fish-shaped ones look awfully good just swimming slowly and twitched: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/savage-gear-duck-rat.html Good luck, man. You're gonna have fun with them -- at least till you lose one!

Di Mshuge Fisher

Are you getting bit and missing the fish, or not getting bit?

I have spinning and baitcasters but I use the BCs a lot more because they can handle heavier line for fishing weedy areas and for hauling in large fish out of cover. And I find them to be more accurate as far as distance. You should get one! It's best if you get a high quality baitcaster that has a good cast control system. That means MSRP will likely be over $150. At first it will probably be frustrating, till you get the hang of it and get the reel dialed in right. There are tons of vids on how to do that. After some practice you'll find it easy and will probably love it.

For frogs and buzzaits I go braid. And for the treble hook topwater lures, I use braid anyway! Sure, the braid gets caught in the hooks sometimes. But that's no more hassle than tying on a stupid leader. Playing with an uni knot for ten minutes does little to raise my spirits. Besides, the knot to the leader sometimes breaks. Oh yeah, I'll toss small floating topwaters, like baby Heddon torpedos, with FC using my crankbait rod. Got a biggun that way quite recently. So don't always believe all the hype, man. Try whats at hand to see if it works for you.

Summer in south Florida is horribly hot and humid. The water is 90+ and low in oxygen. The fish are stressed, and finesse methods work best for me. My most effective lure this month has been the Strike King 3X ElazTech Zero senko-type bait in PB&J color, rigged wacky (without a ring) on a Gamakatsu G-Finesse Series 1/16 oz Wacky Jig Head. I use a medium/fast rod with #10 FC, and work it slow.

I usually throw flukes weightless, but sometimes if I want or need to get it deeper I use a 1/8 oz screw in weight in the nose. It results in a faster erratic action when you twitch it on slack line, and it can be very effective, especially if the fish are deeper or more aggressive. Casts farther, too.

One thing that has not been talked about in this thread is the importance of managing the jump, which is where too many fish are lost. As we know, when a bass jumps it shakes its head violently, and the inertia of the lure can pull the hook out. I have lost less fish in recent years by more actively managing the jump. When a bass heads towards the surface to jump -- and I think we all know what that looks and feels like -- I lower the rod tip to the water surface, and reel faster so I can point the rod tip partly towards the fish without letting slack in the line. When the fish breaks the surface, I pull the rod sideways with the rod tip still at the surface, like a low sweep set, to keep the line extra taught during the jump. This keeps the hook pinned. Also, I can often pull the bass's head back down below the surface this way, aborting the jump. It helps to have a fast reel to do this effectively, which is why I like a fast reel even with crankbaits. Of course, you have to be extra careful doing this with light line and big bass, but if your drag is set right there should be no danger in it.

Hey, Glenn. I haven't seen it, but I'd like to. Can you somehow post it?

If the bass just slaps at your frog without inhaling it, he's either being ornery or he's trying to stun it before eating it -- let it sit there a good minute to see if he'll sneak back for it. Or, if there is not much cover you could try a treble hook topwater -- even with just an angry slap a bass might stick to it. If there is light to medium cover, you might follow up with a weedless worm or fluke or jig; if it's matted weeds you're frogging, throw a punch.

Dobyns Savvy 734 ($179.99 on TW) may be a good and versatile option.

Agree with the above excellent summary. I use a 3-0 round bend offset worm hook, and I'll usually fish it weightless. Most bites are on the pause. Also effective, if you want to get it deeper faster, is to add a 1/16 screw-in weight to the nose. Really nice to twitch through the hydrilla that way, if the fish are more aggressive. My favorite color is bluegill flash, but I'll also use white and watermelon seed.

I love the Zoom Super Fluke. It's a staple, especially when the bass are lazy. I Texas rig with a 3-0 offset round bend worm hook, usually weightless, on 8 or 10 lb fluoro line, subtle twitches and then pause to let it fall like a dying minnow. My favorite color is bluegill flash. Can also use a nail or 1/32 screw in weight at the nose, if needed to get it down. Haven't fished the Banjo.

Some options: 1) Stick with your current set up but take some line off. If the spool is under-filled the line will be less likely to fly off like that. Some people believe that line conditioner such as Reel Magic can help, too. 2) Use lighter line -- 6 or 8 lb 3) Use braid. But use a mono or fluoro leader unless the water is muddy. Make sure your knot between braid and leader is perfect.

Nice!

I don't know if superglue will work. Those VMC hooks, for the bigger EWGs (4-0, 5-0, and 6-0) have given me a lot of peace of mind. I don't know why manufacturers don't simply weld the eyes closed -- several companies already do it on some brands of flipping hooks. I suppose it's a pricey process. But as the bait monkey knows, people will pay a lot for things they think will catch more fish.

It happens occasionally to everyone, and everyone of course blames his- or herself. I lost two monsters not long ago (one was a 9 pounder I think) -- in a club tournament we would have won -- due to my knot slipping through or getting frayed by the eyelet gap in a Gama 6-0 EWG hook. After that I switched to VMC hooks that have epoxy protecting the gap.