Josh Smith

Use a stinger.

What about the football jig style etc? Aren't these classed in with swim jigs? Back when I learned about all this stuff I don't recall us ever having swim jigs (by name, anyway). I didn't fish for about 10 years, and there are things like this that I never did learn about. Thanks! Josh

Hi Folks, I've been looking for a complete list of swim jig head shapes and their uses. I cannot find anything along those lines, though there's plenty on traditional jigs. Is there anything you're aware of? Thank you, Josh

I had bluegill hitting my bass lures left and right last time I was bass fishing. The swimjigs and TX rigs were too large to hook up, though. Josh

Hello, They were definitely being swallowed, and the location is one in which I'd expect leeches to be. Plastic worms work really, really well in this lake, especially black jelly worms. Those, blue and black swim jigs, and chartreuse/black cranks all seem to work best. Crawdad lures seem to work well, too, but I'm just starting to experiment more with those so it's too early to tell how well compared to the others. Josh

I've done that before. Take your time; you don't want surgery! Regards, Josh

Yes, Sir, and at this point in my life I'm glad to have the salad take over. I'm being forced to learn new techniques, and I always have had a need to learn. The bass are so much healthier than they were in the past that it's worth it. The one downside is that I believe the concentrations to be on the other side of where I can fish without a boat. I'm trying to find some vacation time to finally finish boat repairs and get over there! Josh

Hello, They looked just like this: Josh

Been out fishing? Thanks! Josh

This worked extremely well! I used the lighter friction-type tape on the BPS. It makes a wonderful jerkbait rod now! I don't feel like I'm losing it when I cast. I also found some thicker, rubberized stuff with a sticky back, and bought the Wilson brand. After putting it on my Cherrywood HD, I then wrapped it with that thin friction stuff. The whole feel of that rod changed! I liked it before, but now love it for critter baits! A $20 rod simply should not work this well for much of anything. I'd change the eyelets to ceramic of some sort if I wanted to take the down-time, but the metal guides work OK, so I'll live. Tennis is not something I've ever explored, and so didn't know about the grip tape. It works wonders! Josh

To the OP: I just go to the BPS site and make sure that anything I order is an "A" handle. It's just the shortest grip. Some are pistol grips and some (most) are just short split grips or short straight grips. Regards, Josh

I feel crankbaits just fine on a '70s Lew's Speed Stick MH fiberglass rod. The reel is a 5500(pre-c) Ambassadeur spooled with mono. Regards, Josh

You should experience about the same feel with fluoro as with mono. I like braid for increased sensitivity, but you should by no means feel nothing with fluoro. Josh

Hello, What Francho said. As some here know, I was away from fishing for about 10 years or so prior to last year. When I came back, I was overwhelmed by how much things had changed. The lake I'd fished as a kid for bluegill overgrew with moss, and not knowing how to fish it (never heard of a frog then) I sort of gave up on that lake. When I came back last year, the moss was mostly gone and replaced with weeds of various sorts. Knowing what I know now, I wish that topwater moss was still around. As is, I'm getting a special thrill out of doing with modern lines and tackle what I couldn't do with it back in the '80s and '90s. For example, cover isn't nearly the obstacle it used to be and I catch most of my bass in deep cover I'd never have thought of tackling with my previous setups! But yes, the water is much greener and more fertile. The bass I catch are extremely healthy and well-fed. I don't recall a time when I've seen a healthier population of fish critters. The downside is that these changes have made the fish move, so the tree (still there!) that used to produce large panfish no longer holds much of anything I can find. I'm having to re-pattern the whole lake. I plan to have my boat going this year and take some soundings again. (Nobody I've found has bothered with this small lake). I look forward to seeing you post. I'm sure the changes in fishing techniques and equipment will surprise you as well. By the way, just a small secret: Some of the lures and techniques we used to use "back in the day" are working very well again, better than some modern stuff. It's because these new generations of bass haven't seen them before! Regards, Josh

Hello, Here's my thing: You should be able to feel a crankbait work with a reel duct taped to a sapling. How are you holding the rod? Try pointing it at the water. Josh

Hahaha! I went back and got him today. I'm posting another thread asking about the critters I found in its mouth (what's it feeding on?) That's located here: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/156041-whats-this-bass-feeding-on/ Regards, Josh

Hi Folks, Forgive the poor cell phone pic. I'd not planned on taking pics, or I'd have brought my camera. I caught this bass today, smallish critter, and it has a mouthful of small black worm-looking things: I'm guessing leeches? But I've never seen leeches this small. This year, I'm trying to figure out the diet of the bass in this lake, and this is something for my notes. I'd just like to know what they are. Never have seen this before, or, if I did, didn't note it at the time. If these are indeed a major food source, then it could explain why plastic worms work so danged well here. That said, I did catch this one on a blue and black swim jig. So, what are these? Leeches, or what? Josh

You might try braid with a FC leader. I would think you'd feel something no matter how far out. Heck, I feel plastic crawdad pincers flapping on my Cherrywood HD 6' MH and it's a $20 rod! Likewise, I use a 5'6" Lew's Speed Stick glass rod from the '70s for my crankbait rod. I run a 5500(pre-C) reel on it spooled with 20# XT mono. I feel all cranks I throw with it. Josh

Hello, I'd planned to go fishing Saturday as it was supposed to be nice. The cold front got here a day early, and instead it rained and dropped in temp. So, I went today, the day after the cold front. Dangit. I took three rods: The BPS 5'6" MH/F, which makes an ideal jerkbait rod for the way I fish them, my Cherrywood HD 6', which I prefer as my jig/soft bait rod, and my ultralight spinning setup. The BPS and Cherrywood both have modified and supertuned 5500c3 reels on them, and the ultralight wears the smallest Pflueger President made. The first cast was made with the Cherrywood throwing a 3/8oz bluegill colored jig with a Rattlechunk trailer. It got hit by something, but it felt more like a bluegill than anything. A gentleman I didn't know showed up with an Ugly Stick wearing a baitcasting reel I didn't identify. Turns out it was his truck rod (I later found out) and he keeps it on hand for when he feels like stopping and fishing. I dig that. He fished a fallen tree next to me. I had been planning on targeting that later but he got to it first. Turns out he caught nothing. When he got ready to leave, he figured to try one more spot. He got bumped by the same thing I had, but said he thought it was a bluegill as well. Meantime, I'd moved over with the jig to the tree and began slow rolling off the branches... and BOOM, first bass of the season was on! The gent and I had just said our goodbyes again, so I hollered that I had a fish on as he walked off. He came back immediately to see me pull it in. I'd like to say I landed a big one, but I can't. I don't know what happened, but I do know that as I was fighting it, it reared its head out of the water and threw the hook. Could be I had my drag set too loosely. Could be I didn't set the hook hard enough. I know I kept the line tight, and I know I'd just sharpened all those hooks. First bass of the season... lost. And the old gent chuckled! I grabbed another rod and threw a worm. No dice. Ended up trying deadsticking a worm, working a swimjig, and playing with a topwater at the same time. Nothing. From what i can tell, nobody else was catching anything, either. I hope the season improves! Josh

I didn't make it too small, but the tennis racket tape might solve another problem I've been thinking on. I hadn't considered it because I don't play tennis and never knew of such a thing! Thanks! Josh

Hello, That worked rather well! The one spot I still need to address is where the arrow is pointing. The valley between that hump and the trigger needs to be wider. I don't know how much material I have right there to play with. The plastic could be thick, or not. It feels good now, just that one spot... Josh

Thanks guys. Some clarification for what I'm doing: I grew up fishing. Don't remember my first fishing trip; I was only 2 or 3. Dad taught me about cover, structure, etc from the time I was old enough to understand. I do fairly well with this knowledge. The goal here is to break the knowledge down further. I figure studying the habits of the critters in the lake will help me catch even more bass. For example, there are times when I know bass are feeding, but they won't hit anything I throw. Are they feeding on bluegill, or on an insect hatch, or on crawdads, or on leeches exclusively during this point? In other words, I'm targeting the bass. What are the bass targeting? Knowing the behaviors of the prey species should help, I'd think. I'll start with bluegill -- in fact, will probably take the ultralight out and target bluegill for a day with my boy just for my own information if not to keep and eat. I'll then study crawdad behavior if I can find literature on the subject, and leech behavior as well. It's sort of like trying to find a couple of my friends from my early 20s: It's Friday night. They like to drink. I'm not going to look at the museum, but rather target the seediest beer joints this town has to offer. Regards, Josh P.S. You'd likely find me at the museum these days, complaining about how the guns for the WWI display are all wrong. J.S.

Thanks DVT! The rod is going off to the shop with me today. I think I might have time as I'm waiting on parts to get here. Should be a fun day. Regards, Josh

Thank you, Captain. It's a good starting point! Regards, Josh

Yep. Pattern bluegill to pattern bass. Josh