Will

It sounds like the fish could of been spawning. Once they get on the beds they it can be very difficult to catch one. Best bets for spawning fish would be jigs, tubes, lizards, craws, dropshot, and senkos.

Oh, no you are not crazy by testing your lures in the tub. Do anything that makes you a better fisherman!

Night Fishing can be very rewarding, especially on lakes that are heavily pressured. Good baits during the night are black buzzbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, and other dark colored plastics.

For bedding fish I throw tubes, jigs, crawdads, lizards, sof jerkbaits, dropshot, finnesse worms, and senkos. One trick I use to tempt the bass is hook up a tube weightless and throw just past the the bed, slowly reel the tube so it is floating above the bed. Just let it sit their and wait for water to get inside and sink the tube which is very slow, while it is sinking then air bubbles will be escaping sometimes triggering the bite.

Popper: Chug Bug Frog Lure: Scum frog brown with chartresue legs Spinnerbait: Terminator Plastic: Brush Hog

Different rules to different areas. I believe New York and states around New York also have a "season".

Do you make your own skirts also? I have a little kit I take to big tournaments in case the boater has a color thats working and I don't have it I can make a couple the night before.

Maybe skipping a bait if your really good at it? Anybody tried skipping baits for a reaction bite?

It doesn't have any fishing tips and techniques if that is what you are looking for, but Bass Boss is a good book. It takes you through Ray Scott's life and then how he created the largest sportfishing organization B.A.S.S.

Look closely at the depth, structure, cover, and presentation you catch fish at. Once you catch a couple look for similarities. Such as if you are fishing a dock are all the fish coming from a certain corner of the dock.

Maybe some hand built crankbaits. Here is one company http://carolinachip.home.comcast.net/Carolina_Chips.htm

All I can say is keep the articles coming they are great!

I have had some bass and at first like ernel said dried shrimp work good. After the bass got bigger I feed him minnows from the river or nightcrawlers.

When bank fishing I have to guess the water temp. from what the fish are doing, month, and air temperature. Does anyone know a good way to get a good accurrate reading when bank fishing?

hhhmmmm tough question. I would probably have to say a bomber square A.

Have you tried using some reel magic on the line and eyes of the rod? It might work, maybe someone else will know for sure.

Whenever possible I always grab the cups, string, and plastics I find laying around the bank. It isn't to bad at most lakes, but I was fising in a bank tournament at a little lake inside a big city and their were was trash along the whole lake. I found hundreds of bobbers good and broken. In one area their was a pile of 20 bobbers just laying on the bank.

Use some light line say 8 pound test. Then stay as far away as you can, but able to throw a finnesse worm on a jighead to the dock. Small jigs are also a great choice.

During the warmer months you can always just get out on the water and fish. During the winter I really get down reading hundreds of articles, cleaning equipment, sharpening hooks, and practice flipping/pitching in the hallway.

I like fishing shallow water, usually less than 10 feet. If I need to though I will go deep for the fish.

I would have to say Quantum Accurist Pt. I guess thats the only kind of reel I own, along with the Quantum Kinetic PT.

I prefer creature baits over senkos, such as the Brush Hog or tube baits.

I don't know about number 1 best plastic bait, but they also work good carolina rigged, wacky rigged, and drop shotted.

I use scents all the time. Whenever I tie a lure on I always cover it with scent be it worms, crankbaits, or spoons. From my expierence I can't get more fish to bite the lure, but I can get the fish to hold on to the lure longer.

Kinami Flash are made from the same mold that the Yamamato senkos are made from. Their are most likely some differences in the amount of salt though.