Felixone

I saw a video where they were saying to cut pieces of a wire clothes hanger to use instead of a nail weight. I have been meaning to try it but haven't gotten around to it yet. The metal used for clothes hangers is soft enough you might be able to rough up the cut piece enough that it in effect makes barbs to help keep it from falling out. Again, I haven't tried it, this is just off the top of my head.

So I was browsing the articles on here and ran across this one: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/going_nutz.html This got me thinking about different things I could do to change up what I am throwing. Now I am curious what sort of crazy concoctions you all have come up with. So my question to all of you is: What "unusual" mods you have done and how well did they work?

Thanks for the response Retired. I have been out to Murray twice now, and I can see what you mean. I think I need to try a couple other places to put in. That lake is really too large for a kayak as far as I am concerned. The area near the ramp I was putting in at didn't have much. There is a creek/marshy area at the back that looks like it has a bunch of beds where bass have previously spawned. I am hoping the area will be much better in spring. Since I don't deal too well with cold I will probably alternate between the two to three spots I have been fishing for the next few weeks. Once spring spawning season comes are around I will probably start hitting up new spots. At least this way I will have something (researching new spots) to keep me occupied over the winter.

As I am still relatively new to this it hasn't happened to me much, but it did a couple weekends ago. I was finishing new water. I paddled out to a likely spot. One of the little quirks I have picked up is my first cast isn't intended to catch fish. I typically cast to open water, and just reel right back. I don't really know why I do this other than it is a simple test of my equipment. Well this time it worked. That cast no sooner hit the water and bam a fish hit it. As I wasn't intending to catch a fish the hit spooked me. It almost seemed like the fish hit before it even hit the water. I just saw the huge splash, and then the tug on the line. I set the hook, but the fish swam down into some weeds and threw the hook so I never got to actually see it. Still it was an exciting 10-15 seconds. I thought for sure it meant I was in the right place, but unfortunately all I managed to land that day was a couple of pickerel. Still it is moments like this that keep me going back.

I learned to fish saltwater from my father. We used to all go as a family, and although I was very young at the time those are some of the best memories I have of my father. He wasn't really into freshwater fishing so I have had to teach myself most of what I know. I have a few local friends who helped me get started, but after that everything else has been online for the most part.

I have run into this as well with a local pond I fish frequently. I was kind of annoyed at first, but I was able to use that time to "map" out some features of the pond I wasn't normally able to see. I have used this knowledge to help me catch fish when most people around me believe that it is near impossible to catch fish there. As a matter of fact I have now caught more fish from this pond than I have anywhere else. Of course as I am a new angler this isn't as impressive as it sounds given most people probably catch my lifetime total in a single day. As it turned out beavers were the cause of the low pond. They had setup a dam on the creek and the pond was draining out into another creek/pond. So even though it made for a rough day at first, it has made other trips more fun.

So I had a mixed weekend. On Saturday I went to one of the larger lakes in the state. It started out great, or at least I thought it did. Within the first 45 minutes I hooked a really nice looking bass (saw it on a jump), but I shook free so I couldn't land it. I thought it was sign that it was going to be a good day, but unfortunately it wasn't. I didn't even get another bite all day. All I managed to bring into the kayak was this load of junk left by other anglers. Since I fish from a kayak it is typically easier for me to paddle back into the brush and pull the trash out, and I am happy to do it. I have even gone so far as to help a fellow angler get unhooked since he was on a boat and couldn't get back to the lure in the brush. I like to think this builds good karma for me. If that is true then it paid off on Sunday. I went to a nearby pond that I have been repeatedly told you can't catch bass there. Well this was proven wrong as I caught 2 within 30 minutes of each other. The first fish was about 2 lbs (maybe a touch over), the second one is touch shy of 1 lb. They aren't much, but as I have been getting skunked over and over lately where bass are concerned I was very happy with them. I keep waiting for this whole fall bite I keep reading about, but so far it has been elusive. However, I did notice that the large lake I referenced is cooling quickly (dropped about 3-4 degrees this week and might be below 70 degrees by this weekend). I am keeping my fingers crossed that this means the bite will be picking up soon. Until then I will be happy just to catch a bass or two. P.S. Sorry about the picture quality. I didn't realize the flash was on and it is reflecting off the case.

J, thanks for sharing this. That little down flick you did with the rod is something I had been missing. I am going to give that a try this weekend.

So I made it out this weekend. I tried a bit of jig fishing. I am not completely sure what a roll cast is, but I think that might be what I ended up using. It was more of a side arm underhand cast. Really more of a gentle toss over to where I wanted. It seemed to work pretty well. Unfortunately, it didn't catch me any fish. I blame that on the day more than the technique though. Hopefully this weekend will be better. I will be trying a new spot that at least from the map has a lot more cover as well as quite a few docks I can work.

I did some poking around after posting, and it sounds like this is military only. Oh well, you guys have it rough enough. I am more than happy to let you guys have at least one lake to yourselves. Good luck fishing there. I hope you catch a new PB.

Ugh, I just hate that the weather completely ignores my fishing plans. We had a cold front come through Saturday night. It was a little warmer here in that it was in the mid 40's when I got up. I stalled around a few hours before heading out, but nothing was biting. At least that included insects. I also would like to second that comment about stealth. A couple weeks ago I was fishing in a small lake. My typical MO is to paddle towards the area I want to fish. As I get close I stop paddling and coast into the area. Well apparently I did a pretty good job. As I was coasting in I could see a big old catfish swimming right towards me. He was probably close to 3' and he didn't even notice until he was maybe 5 feet from the bow. As I said this is a relatively small and shallow lake. I didn't even realize they had catfish that big in there. It was very cool to see. Here to hoping you can make it out this weekend and catch all the fish!

I unfortunately can't provide any information about this lake. However, I am in the area and am curious. Does this lake have public access or is it located on the base (military personnel only). I have been trying to find a new spot and this is well within my travel range if I can get access to it.

J Francho - Like I said, I was just poking fun. I really didn't mean to get you upset. My apologies.

So I am getting frustrated with fishing the couple small lakes and ponds I have been hitting lately. I am thinking of trying out Lake Murray, specifically the area around the Hilton Recreation Area (X: 34.09552 Y: -81.32841). Has anyone fished this area with any luck lately? If not does anyone have any suggestions for other spots around there that has public boat access? I am fishing from a kayak so long runs to different parts of the lake are out of the question, at least for now. Since I haven't fished this lake before does anyone with experience know if this is considered a clear/stained/muddy water lake? I am trying to put together the right tackle to bring. Any suggestion of lures would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Congrats on the keeper. Looking at the pic of the lure reminded me of something my father taught me as a kid. I noticed you hook your lure through the eye of the guide. My father taught me that this was bad to do. The hook/barb can scratch the inside of the guide which in turn can nick or fray your line. I don't know if there is really any truth to this, but it is something I am cautious of. If my rod doesn't have a hook holder, I will hook the lure through one of the arms of the guide just to be safe.

I am just poking a bit of fun, but I find it kind of funny that your profile pic shows you in a small boat with jeans and a sweatshirt (also no PFD).

Thank you for sharing. I am so glad to know it turned out ok for you. It is a good reminder to me for why I wear mine all the time. I generally fish alone out of a kayak. I am terrified of something going wrong while I am out, even though most of the water I fish out of is shallow enough for me to stand. Fortunately for me, even though my PFD is a cheap one it is actually quite comfortable. I actually like the snug fit, and keep it cinched up as tight as it will go. Keeping it really snug helps with it riding up so it never really gives me any trouble, and even though the padding is low on the back it actually helps give me support. It kind of works like a lumbar support. For those on the fence, there was a quote from a EMT/S on here a while back in a similar thread. They stated that they have never removed a PFD from a drowning victim. Although just one persons experience, this is a powerful statement. Accidents can happen at any time. Stay safe everyone!

My answer is both yes and no. I am pretty close to being done with buying lures/baits for now. I have a decent selection of hard lures. I don't really count plastics since they are consumables to me. Not unlike gas in your boat. There are however a couple holes I might fill out over time, but I think I would be hard pressed to find enough to even spend $50 on, well maybe $100. I recently was given a gift certificate, and struggled to spend that. Part of the reason is I kayak fish so space is limited. The other part is I have spent a lot of money on lures this summer and most of them either haven't seen water, or haven't caught a fish. Given this I am sort of holding off on buying more until I learn to use what I have. Where I really need to spend some cash is rods and reels. I have a couple cheap Walmart combos that are serving me well enough at this stage, but I definitely want to upgrade. Before I replace the spinning gear though I want to invest in some baitcasting setups. Once those are purchased I will upgrade the spinning gear. After that I will be looking to upgrade my kayak, and in a few years perhaps purchase a boat. So although I have what I "need" I am sure there will always be more to spend money on. At least so far fishing is actually one of the cheaper hobbies I have gotten into. I don't even want to think about how much I spent on radio controlled planes.

I am from South Carolina not Mississippi but we are looking at similar weather this weekend. I am headed out Sunday, and I am crossing my fingers this will be the skunk-buster day. The last couple weekends have been tough around here.

I haven't really heard anything about Lake Robinson, but I did read a recent report on Santee that said the bass bite was down. I know a lot of tournaments are held on that lake though so who am I to say. One thing I really like about Santee is I can easily rent a boat there so I could get around a lot easier than on the kayak. Since the chain is so large mobility would be a huge benefit. I am probably going to do a day trip over there in the spring around pre-spawn. Now I need to take a look at Lake Robinson...

I am looking more for the central/midlands area, but I have no issue traveling a bit if I know I am going to a good spot.

Wow, I didn't expect such a response. Thank you all very much for the great tips. It looks like I am going to have to start practicing. Like I said I have tried, and just couldn't get it. Now I know it is just me, and I need to practice more. Time to make the neighbors think I am even more strange than they already believe.

I have a question for all of you more experienced anglers. I really want to get into pitching and flipping jigs. Unfortunately, right now I am fishing out of a sit in kayak. I hope to upgrade in the spring to a sit on kayak that I can stand on. However, until then I was curious if anyone in a similar situation has figured out a way to do this or something similar from a sit in kayak.

Knock on wood or whatever, but so far I haven't lost too much. Mostly I have lost hooks and worms since I am only recently really trying to learn hard baits (I am a new angler). The funniest so far, at least for me, was just this past weekend. I typically fish from a kayak. I was in about 6 feet of water when I was trying to change out lures. I had pulled out the one I was going to switch to and set it on the side of my kayak. I cut the old lure off, and reached to grab the new one. Unfortunately, I wasn't really paying attention and lightly stuck my finger with one of the hooks. As I snatched my hand away the lure swung out over the side of the kayak and released from my finger. I couldn't do anything beyond sit there and watch as it sank to the bottom out of sight. The dumbest one is related in that I have a bad problem of setting lures in the channel around the cockpit of my kayak. One the day in question I got skunked, and wasn't in the best mood when I left the water. I had stayed later than intended in hopes of catching anything so I was rushing when I was loading up my gear. I picked the kayak up to load it on my car. I heard something slide, but didn't think too much about it until later that night. As I was sorting out the tackle I had used that day and getting everything back in order I noticed I was missing a couple lures. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what I had done. I had only cleared the lures off one side of the kayak, and dropped the rest when I picked the kayak up. This actually broke my heart for a while as I thought I had lost a very old popper that I inherited from my father. I searched all of my boxes, but didn't see it anywhere. It was definitely a lesson in what others in here have said. If you don't want to lose it don't throw it. Fortunately, this had a happy ending. The next time I went out I was digging in a box looking for something to use when I found the popper. I have no idea how it got in there, or how I didn't see it when I looked the first time. The last time I remember seeing it was when I set it on the side of the kayak. Now I am torn. Part of me thinks this is a lucky lure and needs to be used. The other side of me reminds myself how upset I was when I thought I lost it and how happy I was to find it. I still haven't used it again, but it does come with me each time I go out.

This is it! The last 3 times I went out got skunked. Well not completely as I was catching pickerel during one trip, but no bass. However, I just realized I was wearing a different hat than I normally do. I am going back out on Sunday so I am going to have to wear what just became my lucky fishing hat.