MIbassyaker

I had to think about this, as I wasn't sure at first there is any particular bait I always have tied on...but I realize I do have one: a Senko or other stick worm.

Bass fishermen expressing their deep insecurity about using spinning gear is always good for a laugh...

I frequently get skunked fishing from shore, as I'm usually doing it for 15 minutes to an hour at a time, and usually only when my kayak is put away in the fall and spring. Its common for me to be out fishing riverbanks, park gravel pits, or around lake launches in March or November from shore for a half-hour or an hour at a time, and not catch anything in several successive trips. However, 2020 has been the first time I have been skunked more than once between May and September in the kayak since I started fishing out of one (twice this year, but not in subsequent trips). Last summer I broke a 2-year streak of not getting skunked on the kayak during a trip (I blanked during a 3-hour excursion to a new lake I haven't been back to yet).

I use them more or less interchangeably, but tend to prefer: 1) A chatterbait in clearer water than a spinnerbait (opposite of many people's preference) 2) A spinnerbait in brighter conditions than the chatterbait, to take advantage of the flash. 3) A spinnerbait in hard cover (e.g., wood, docks) over the chatterbait. 4) A chatterbait in vegetation over the spinnerbait.

ALL line-to-lure and mainline-to-leader knots are retied the night before.

Don't stress out about this too much. A swimjig can be pitched or dragged, and a pitching jig can be swum or dragged, a football jig can be swum or pitched. and vice versa, versa, versa, etc.. A jig is a weighted hook, dressed with a skirt and/or a trailer. Specific kinds are tweaked to maximize effectiveness for a particular kind of use (Narrow vs. wide head, angle of the line-tie, type of hook, etc.), but there is no hard and fast rule against fishing any jig in any way you want. For a good all-around jig, look for an Arky or Brush-style head. These will be common among jigs marketed as "pitching or flipping" jigs. Also, yes, as far as lures are concerned, flipping and pitching are the same thing. (Flipping vs. pitching are different actions made with the rod & reel; not different lures)

Vegetation growth and depth generally prevent me from being effective with squarebills in summer EXCEPT where there is current. So rivers and impoundments are a GO for squarebills all summer. In natural lakes, gravel pits, and bayous, however, I've more often got jigs, worms, or creatures rigged up instead.

Just three? OK: #3: #2: And...#1:

And, you always have a chance to win prizes each individual event, so being a late-comer only disadvantages you for the overall season standings.

I usually get to fish about 2-5 hours at a time, once or twice a week between late April and beginning of September, with a handful of other excursions here and there the rest of the year. This year I am down in terms of overall time spent fishing, total numbers, and catch rate compared to the last few years. To date 2020: 20 waterbodies (14 natural lakes, 3 impoundments, 2 free-flowing river stretches, 1 gravel pit) 104 hours 205 bass 1.97 per hour

It's lead. It sinks. It attaches to your line. If that's what you need, just get them.

I'm afraid I have to agree with this -- getting upset about other people's lack of etiquette is our true National Sport here in the States. In reality, the vast majority of people who use public spaces simply don't share the social rules and norms that have developed among enthusiasts, for the enjoyment of enthusiasts; they were never consulted in the first place, and the rules are not posted anywhere. For many casual bank anglers, fishing in close proximity to others is simply a common experience born of necessity, due to limited access. Pier anglers on the great lakes and river waders during a steelhead run will stack up shoulder to shoulder at times. I reckon few people on this board are more averse to being around other people while fishing than me. I don't like fishing with other people, I don't like fishing near other people. I don't like talking to people while fishing. An ideal outing is one where I never see a single other person. But I recognize that as my problem, not theirs; I go out of my way to fish at times and places where I'm likely to be the only, or perhaps one of very few, people at the water. and if too many people show up and get too close, I just move -- again: my problem, not theirs.

The In-Fisherman Critical Concepts series (3 volumes on Fundamentals, Location, & Presentation) Knowing Bass by Keith Jones (if you can find it for an acceptable price, or check it out somewhere) Lunker by Bob Underwood -- Underwater observations of bass from 1700 hours of scuba diving. High-Percentage Fishing by Josh Alwine -- statistical analysis of factors that do (and do not) relate to big fish catches. This topic pops up a lot around here, and as a book fanatic myself, I love these threads. Some previous threads with tons of recommendations:

Yeah, that sounds exactly like a filamentous algae. There are several species of Potemogeton we call "cabbage" up here. The best stuff tends to be the Large-Leaf or Clasping-Leaf varieties, which can grow in expansive underwater forests, reaching up to the surface by late summer from 10 feet down or more: This stuff is a food-chain wonderland, supporting lots of invertebrate activity at multiple depths, and in turn baitfish & sunfish...and in turn bass and pike. I look for any beds of cabbage whenever I'm out on fairly clear natural lake. It can be fished almost any way you want...the leaves and stalks are pretty brittle, so baits rip free fairly easily.

A number of years ago, Field & Stream magazine named the Curly Tail grub the #1 lure of all time. A 3" and 4" curly tail grubs on a 1/8 oz ball jighead were the first artificial lures I ever learned to use. Nowadays I use them primarily for river smallies, but I've caught both largemouth and smallmouth, as well as rock bass, crappie, walleye, pike, and channel catfish on them. My wife caught a nice largemouth on vacation over the 4th just jigging a 2" pink curly tail grub off the end of a dock.

I wonder if the folks at the Heddon Museum might have some information on old colors? http://heddonmuseum.org/

Mid to high 3s, but could be over 4 if longer than about 19". Time to get a scale!

My wife is paranoid that I will "misplace" a pack of powerbait worms in the pantry snack cabinet, and that she will fail to notice they aren't gummy worms until its too late...

Berkley Pit boss Missile D-bomb Gambler Burner Craw Strike King Game Hawg

I use several of the Plano 3731:

Things got a little wormy this morning...

Palaniuk Feider Cox Schmitt Livesay

"Deep" is always relative, but yes, in rivers, reduced flow in late summer will tend to concentrate bass in the deeper areas that remain as the water level drops. it does not mean they will not go shallow where they can -- much of the food production still occurs in the shallower riffle areas...It just means that a productive area in June may become too shallow to support as much activity in August, as more of the fish are hanging out a little deeper where they're a little less exposed.

Yes.

If you have the right kind and density of weeds, a shallow or mid diving crankbait can be effective. Crank until you feel the bill start to hang, then pause to let it float up a bit, and start cranking again to get through. it's common to get bit right as you speed up again after the pause. If weeds are too thick or stringy for trebles, try a paddetail swimbait on a keel-weighted hook.