Josh Smith

Is it December again?

I agree that slowing way down is a good idea. I use a 22ipt reel, and about all I do use are squarebills. I think you told me something along those lines on another thread..? The rod I have is an S Glass. Before that, I used a Daiwa M/F graphite rod. Though it was labeled as F, it was more of a moderate-fast and I found it worked well, but I wanted something that would support slightly heavier crankbaits. I feel most obstacles well with the glass rod and stop reeling right away. I do get a lot of bites that way, as you say. My problem comes when I run into submerged branches. Those can grab and give a little, and feel an awful lot like a fish. I might try a graphite rod for this, though, something in the MH range instead of the M that I used before. Do you have any suggestions as to brand (not too expensive)? I'd like it to be 7' or a bit over for cranks; I generally like 6' to 6'6" rods, but for spinnerbaits and crankbaits I prefer a bit longer. Regards, Josh

If a crankbait or spinnerbait doesn't rattle my teeth, I usually don't like it. I'm enjoying both now that I have a place clear enough to fish 'em. My biggest problem is with crankbaits in the river. I lose a lot due to submerged trees from last year's flooding. I feel the vibration stop and set the hook into wood, and generally can't get a knocker down there to free it. Spinnerbaits do better here. Josh

Weird how much difference 100 miles south can make. Josh

It looks back up now. I am on a PC, too. Thank you, Sass. Josh

Hello, As of Wednesday the bass look to be on beds, at least a few. I saw a bass hanging out by a boat ramp. I tossed several lures at it, and the only one I could get it interested in was a plastic worm. It picked that up well aft of the hook and carried it away. It's definite spawning behavior, but I didn't see a bed. Also, I proceeded to catch one largemouth with a jig; it definitely was not bedded, and its tail didn't look as if it had been building a nest. So I'm going to say that early spawn has started here, the Peru/Wabash/Huntington/Ft Wayne area. Josh

Hello, I typed in "bassresource.com" and got this: I usually check the front page several times per day, then move on to the forums. This time I had to come directly to the forums. Am I the only one seeing this? I've not seen an announcement. Thanks, Josh

You need to crawl it along whatever cover there is -- there will be something in open water that the bass will associate with, or ther won't be bass. Also, parallel the bank. Josh

Later... I just looked and one feller is asking $850 or best offer for the exact model you have, only difference being a different handle. There is a 5600cdl (thumb bar, fast gears) that sold for $811 plus $30 shipping, with 19 bids. The fact that yours is a four screw does make it slightly more desirable, too. Looking through the completed listings, I did just find a "Vintage ABU Ambassadeur 5000CDL baitcasting reel-Mint in sleeved wooden case" ... that sold for $359.00 plus $21.50. The seller was in Malaysia. I'm not a collector. I just frequent places for parts and rebuildable used reels, and notice these things. Regards, Josh

Good gravy! A moment of silence in respect for the awesome presence of the Ambassadeur... As was said, collectors will pay through the nose for that. While it might only appraise for about $200, I've personally seen them go for much more on auction sites and FB groups. I'm not going to link to auctions here because, though I've not seen any rules addressing it here, I may have missed 'em. Generally posting to live auctions on websites is frowned on. Go to the various auction sites and search on "Ambassadeur". Regards, Josh

There's still the matter of the beer cans left behind.

This evening I was able to get out to the river between storms to do some fishing. When I pulled up, I found someone in my spot. That was OK; he was a crappie fisherman I'd talked to before; nice guy. Knows what he's doing with crappie and tells me about 'em, how to catch 'em. I'll have to get out and try it sometime. He held up a stringer of some really big crappie; he's not a bucket fisherman. They were all the size you'd expect a responsible fisherman to keep. I looked over and saw a dead bass on the rocks. I mentioned it. He said, "Yeah, I saw that too. Who would do something like that?" His wife -- she was there -- said that there were more in the river's slack water near the bank. I check that out and ID'd those as drum. Three of 'em. Yeah, they were "only" drum. Still... That bass would have gone 2-3lbs easy. Around it were Bud Light cans and evidence of night fishing. I don't get it. So, what, a bass (it was very light in color; it had been deep) ate someone's bait and they killed it? The drum, too? Never in my life have I done that crap. Hell, I throw carp back unless they're Asian carp, of course. Those we're required by law to kill. I personally don't like common carp, anything about them. They're ugly, and they're a general pain in my butt. Still, there are those who like to fish for 'em, and they serve the environment. They're naturalized. For these reasons I release them. Then folks come along catfishing and kill a bass because they were too lazy to throw it back. To be fair, it would have died and washed up. Its eyes were gone, unlike the drum. But how it got so far up the bank is a mystery in that case. The river looked like it had been up that high, but not in several days and not since I'd been there last. I'm pretty angry. Josh

I was right around your age when I stopped working in the medical field and opened a business doing what I enjoy. If you want to, don't let age (or lack thereof; we're still young, Dude!) prevent you from doing it. Josh

It depends. Generally speaking, I bring a smallish tacklebox (two drawer) and five to six rods. I load this smallish tacklebox out of the (much) bigger tacklebox I have. Recently, I added a tackle bag as well specifically for river lures, or lures I use mostly on the river as opposed to the lake. Rods: 1. 6' Cherrywood Rod MH/F with 65lb braid. This is my jig rod. I love the blank; it does exactly what I want it to do, makes the exact action I want from jigs. It's a good rod but the cost was kept down by using lesser-quality guides and reel seat. Been talking to DVC about a better built rod with the same action as the Cherrywood. 2. 6'6" 80 Million Modulus MH/F Jimmy Houston rod with 12lb mono. My Texas Rig rod. Because this rod is so light and sensitive for the price (retail about $80, if I recall) it's on probation. 3. 6'6" 80 Million Modulus MH/F Jimmy Houston rod with 30lb braid and 8lb leader. My jerkbait rod. I picked up two of these on clearance, and like its twin, it's on probation. Still, I abused this one and couldn't get it to bust, so I'm hopeful. 4. 7'4" KVD Quantum MH/F cranking rod with 12lb mono. Obviously, my crankbait rod. 5. 7' Daiwa MH/F with 50lb braid and 12lb leader. My spinnerbait rod. Was my frogging rod but I'll be finding a H/F rod for that this year. 6. 5'6" Quantum UL rod. For panfish or when the bass are just being really finicky. The rods all have Ambassadeurs of one sort or another on 'em, except for the ultralight. That has a Pflueger spinning reel. I don't try to use all these. I do start by using each one, from what I think will be the most probable to least probable to get a bite for a given location and time. Once I figure it out, I keep on with the lure/rod/reel combo that's working until it stops working, then I repeat. The tackle boxes contain mostly backups and maybe an alternate color or two for what I'm using. I don't generally switch, but I may I'm getting short strikes. Mostly, there's a color for clear water and one for muddy. I snag and don't always get the lure back, so the backups are essential. I don't want to leave a hot bite just because I lost the best-producing lure! Josh

I generally use dual locking snaps. Swivels get attached to the dual locking snaps if they are needed. I use different size snaps to control jerkbait action and/or adapt to water temp. Spinnerbaits (not inline) get tied directly. Josh

It's controlled insanity. We repeat the same action until we get a different result. Insanity is genetic. Josh

Dad used to practice by casting to the neighbor's small dog. I used to practice by casting to my German Shepherd. Broke the monotony! Josh

Hi folks, I found a lot of NOS on an auction site. Many are brands recommended here, so I'll try 'em and see what I like. Thank you! Josh

Hello, Which are the most rugged spinnerbaits these days? Best value? Most vibration? I have a bunch of Dad's old ones that are very well made. I don't really want to fish them, though, because where I fish I tend to lose lures. I lost my high vibration Mann's I bought a while back, and need a replacement. That thing shook the rod at very low speeds -- are there others out there like this, or should I get some more Mann's spinnerbaits? How about best value, ones that I could potentially lose without being out a fortune? Thank you, Josh

Yes, Sir, that's why I do it! ? Josh

This is why I consider a jig to be a lure I move with the reel and not the rod. Dragging looks like a foraging crawdad, while popping it looks like a crawdad trying to get away. Josh

Thank you, all! What, in your views, are the pros and cons of braid vs mono or fluoro when fishing spinnerbaits? I like braid for most things but do still use mono when it's called for. Thanks again! Josh

Look, man, here's what you do. You have 1/8oz 1/4oz 3/8oz 1/2oz 3/4oz 1oz Multiply the top and bottom numbers by a number to get be the same as the largest bottom number (denominator). In this case it's 8. So: 1/8 no change 1/4 x 2/2 = 2/8 3/8 no change 1/2 x 4/4 = 4/8 3/4 x 2/2 = 6/8 1/1 x 8/8 = 8/8 So you're now looking at 1/8oz 2/8oz 3/8oz 4/8oz 6/8oz 8/8oz Of course there are weights like 5/8oz and 7/8oz that I personally don't see much any longer, but if you do you can throw 'em in their slots as well. Regards, Josh

My wife is gifted in crocheting, and my brother's wife's mom (does that make her a mother-in-law?) loves it, especially for her granddaughter (my niece). I'll have the wife suck up. Now, to finish fixing the boat... Josh

I just learned that my sister-in-law's parents live "very close" to Okeechobee. That makes me a happy panda!