Josh Smith

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and it turns out that the fast reels from back in the day were around 4.7:1, or 21ipt or so! Even worse, the standard reel had a 3.8:1 ratio! That's only 18ipt or so! How did anyone ever fish fast enough to make bass strike? I thought a minimum of 5.3:1 was necessary, with 6.3:1 to 8:1 being preferred. What if the bass ran the boat, too? Help explain this to me! How was this done?

Hello, I am setting up my crankbait rod. Years back I'd have gone directly to Trilene XL. I read somewhere on here that it's changed. True? I do run 12lb XL on my light crankbait rod and it still seems decent. What mono would you choose, and what weight? I will be running mid to deep drivers, and I cannot run a leader because the rod has micro-guides. Thanks! Josh

Hello! Josh

Could be he didn't want Google to key into that. Or maybe us? Who knows. Google emoji ➡ ? Josh

OK, thanks. Never knew it by TRD. Do they make these weedless? All tubes and ballhead jigs I've thrown come back with bent hooks. Josh

TRD?

Hi Guys, I have a part of the Wabash River here that is excellent habitat for smallies and walleye. It's a lot of limestone cover with plenty of submerged downed trees. I pull some big fish out of there. Here's the problem: Over the winter it gained even more cover. Today I lost two jerkbaits, three square bill crankbaits, and even a T-rigged Jelly Worm. The fish along here only want crankbaits most times. I fish mono along here unless I'm using bass jigs, in which case I use 65lb Power Pro and my jungle lake rod/reel setup. The limestone isn't sharp enough to fray the braid at all; just really smooth all around. I need to know how you guys fish heavy cover like this. Lure retrievers would have little chance of working due to the nature of the snags and underwater terrain. Last time I tried a knocker it didn't even make it to the lure. Thoughts? Thank you, Josh

Well, guys, things are starting to warm up in Northern Indiana a bit. That water's still cold, but improving. Nothing at the lake today. Lots of sunfish, but they didn't act like there was a predator in the area. Instead of changing spots I went to the river. I was trying out a new setup I made specifically for shallow crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. It runs 12lb mono (Trilene XL). I'd lost some of the line earlier at the lake, and spliced in some 8lb fluoro I had on hand. Well, I hooked up with a smallie. That EON 3600 did much better than the reviews would have me believe, and I fought that smallie for a while. It would pull the drag, I'd pull the fish back in, it would run -- it was fun! Then it saw me and spat the crankbait right back at me and took off. I confirmed it was a smallie at this point. I think the rod's tip wasn't soft enough, and combined with the 8lb fluoro, I had enough mismatched that I lost the fish. Still, it was a huge bummer. It was the first fish of the season and fought better than the 15" smallie I landed last Thanksgiving! That part of the river is rich in smallmouth and walleye. That's because of the habitat. There are downed trees and lots of limestone. Problem is, that leads to lots lures. I lost five today -- two jerkbaits and three crankbaits! I need to figure this out in a hurry or I won't be able to afford to fish! I did throw some jigs -- they usually work along there -- but got nothing. The rocks along there are smooth and I've not experienced any fraying when I fish braid, so that may be the solution. Thoughts? Josh

If I ever go back to the shotgun for home defense, I will be getting one of these: Josh

I'm weird. I'd go to the nearest tackle store, try every rod there, and, provided its by a quality maker, go with the one which felt best. The reel would be Abu Garcia for round; Shimano for low-profile. Josh

While not specifically a bass boat, the one Dad bought when I was a teenager is just needing major repairs in the form of floor replacement. It is on the original Minn Kota and second outboard. I'll probably have to seal the rivets (never did this) but, in all, it's not needed anything major. Heck, the fish finder is a black and white from the '90s that we never upgraded. The way I fish, I need stability. Speed is a secondary consideration. Josh

So, the wife and I are on Season 3 ...

What does that entail, carting it on top of a vehicle? I have a S-Blazer with a luggage rack, but have no idea what I'd need. Thanks! Josh

Speaking of canoes, how do you guys transport yours? I've been wanting one but don't want to plate and insure a trailer. Also, with inflatable boats, do you have to carry DNR numbers on the bow? If so, how the heck is that done? Figure I'll ask these here as they're somewhat state-specific. Thanks! Josh

I'm sure it does... I just haven't this spring, yet. Was determined to today, but man, my Frogg Toggs weren't up to the whipping wind. I left. Wasn't enjoying myself, and that's rare. Josh I saw some Falcon and other rods in there last time I was there. They weren't marked down so I figured they were just deposited there by folks finding better deals. I might just have to go back and ask now! Thanks! Josh

Been spending some time trying to break the Houston, and it won't break. Seems pretty sensitive, too. Bought a used Daiwa Triforce reel that looked new, got inside and tuned it, and mounted on another Houston rod. It's not one I'll use but will make a decent beginner rod/reel combo for an adult. Line is 12lb Trilene XL. I'm debating one more rod to mount a beginner's Shimano I picked up, when I get around to fixing it. Should be another good beginner's combo. Josh

What count were you using with the jerkbait? I'm trying to get better with them. Josh

If it's not running true you'll notice it. Just watch it run back as you retrieve and you'll be able to tell easily if it's running to the side.

You'll still need to tune them eventually. They may be better out the box these days, but they lose tune if I fish rocks and such. Josh

You'd not need to go through Indianapolis. We're both north of there. It's pretty much a straight shot from Muncie to Salamonie on I69, about an hour's drive. I'd probably put you on smallmouth, but the river's up right now (The average size is about 15in in the area I go. Lots foot traffic but no real fishing anymore -- we'd go there for walleye all the time when I was a teenager. No idea why folks stopped going there.) Hominy Ridge Lake will be moving into pre-spawn in the next month or so if it's not already; thing is there are a lot of smaller (10-12") bass you have to catch in that lake before you figure out what the big ones want. I have a business without a storefront, so it's easier for me to take off than most other folks. Let me know when you're free and want to come up and I'll clear it with the wife. I'd recommend waiting about a month, though. Regards, Josh

I target pre- and post-spawn fish. I would target bedded males if I needed food. Though I like to sight fish, I don't get any thrill from watching a fish clean house of my lure. I mean, it's literally taking out the trash! Not an ethics problem for me. Just an enjoyment issue. Josh

Are you willing to drive? I can put you on some fish, but figuring out the how and where of the bigger ones is up to you! ? Josh

Thank you for digging this up. I'd not been able to find a complete report and I'd looked. I can speak from direct observation that the bass are bigger and there is less vegetation. Also, they stocked crappie at some point. Josh

Hello, A while back, '60s or '70s, Hominy Ridge Lake was born from one or two small creeks which drained higher ground. It's a simple earthen dam with an overflow -- not an outlet that can be controlled. That overflow keeps the lake levels relatively even. Because it only drains when it rains or snow melts, there's no constant current flowing that way. Mostly, it sets there like a natural lake. Still, there should be some buildup near the dam. Hominy Ridge: The dam, with the arrow marking the outlet: As you can see, there was a little bit of flow toward the dam that day. You can always tell because some mat migrates. Mostly, fishing is awesome if you know how to approach it. Naturally, there are a few places you can only get to by boat, but most parts can be reached from one shore or the other. Still, how would you study this lake? As a reservoir, or a natural lake? Though I fish all over, this is probably my favorite place. It's peaceful. Josh

You know, lots of times crappie jigs serve well to finesse bass when they need a light touch. I mentioned on this board bass fishing with an ultralight at times, in relation to a question about a high modulus ultralight rod. One person who answered started with "If you're going to handicap yourself by bass fishing with an ultralight rod..." Problem is ultralight weight, small lures are all some of them will bite. My biggest bass last year was caught on a small plastic worm whacky rigged on an ultralight. It didn't look like it had ever been caught before, and I'd been through its hangout many, many times with bass jigs, topwater, and pretty much anything else you'd throw on a bass rig. It was a heck of a fight -- the bass did more dragging than I did reeling, I think -- but I eventually wore it out and landed it. I didn't weigh it, but it was of a size I'd not have tried swinging with a M/F rod. I'm also convinced that there are a lot more large bass available from shore than we generally realize. About half my lifetime fishing experience has been from a boat, and I'm currently repairing that boat with new decking etc. However, I'm not as urgent about it as I might be otherwise. I'm finding that I'm primarily a shore fisherman, meaning, even from the boat, I would fish the shore. The boat was just a way to fish from the other side of the shore, and to more easily parallel the shoreline. (Still, there's a nice matte of vegetation accessible only from boat that I want to hit this year with frogs!) Just some random thoughts. Regards, Josh