BassKing813

Spinnerbaits and rattle traps are my weak points, both supposedly "fool-proof" lures, because I have never caught bass on them. The only thing I've caught on a spinnerbait is a bowfin

The reason you weren't catching them Tucson is probably because you were using a silver colored bait with a white bottom. When fishing at night, a white bottom does not show up very well. Try using an all black topwater popper or jitterbug because it really stands out against the night sky due to its sillhouette.

Bassmaster only. It has definitely made me a better fisherman. I look forward to reading it each month and find it hard waiting for the next issue to come in the mail.

Bassfishing in the rain is awesome. The fishing always picks up, especially right when it starts to drizzle. It doesn't matter what lure I am fishing when it starts because I will ALWAYS put on a topwater. My favorite is the topwater popper. This lure really shines when it starts raining.

A 14ft fiberglass River Master boat. It only weighs about 1,000lb and the Camry is rated to tow 3,000, so it's alright.

Yes, it should be at the back. The reason it's hard to steer when it's at the front is because there is nothing on the stern of the boat like an outboard motor to keep the boat stabilized and act as a rudder. I would guess you have a hard time keeping the boat straight right?

1991 Toyota Camry.

I have to pull my boat onto the trailer with ropes, but that's because I have a little 14ft fiberglass boat and the trailer isn't a drive-on. I have tried to drive the boat on and off but it just doesn't work. I don't know if there's a way to fix this, but it might be because an 8hp motor isn't powerful enough to back the boat off and push the boat on the trailer.

I like the t-rig more, but I usually rotate between liking the t-rig the most and the wacky-rig the most.

Try throwing something like a Zoom Horny Toad or a weightless worm, floating or sinking. If the water is mostly only 1ft to 2ft deep until you hit weeds, I would use a very light weight.

The furthest body of water from me is about an hour, but every once in a while I'll drive anywhere in Florida no matter how far.

My goal is to catch at least one fish and learn from mistakes I made if I didn't catch anything or if I lost a bunch of fish.

I would try fishing the shallows first with topwaters in the morning and evening, and texas-rigged plastics in between. If you don't get anything shallow, then I would try deep and use a carolina-rigged plastic. If you have the time and the patience, you might even wanna try throwing a big swimbait or 12in worm and see if you can't catch a 10lb plus trophy. Night fishing is excellent at this time of year, but if you live in Louisiana or Florida, I strongly suggest against fishing at night from the bank due to alligators.

I usually have more luck in the evening, but sometimes more in the morning. It all depends on the time of year and the conditions.

I always bend the bait to find the exact center and insert the hook there, but many other people have the hook a little to the right or left of the center. I think it's really a matter of personal choice. Either way you'll get a lot of action when you twitch it.

I have been bass fishing for about four years and have noticed that I never pay attention to moon phases. Do they really have that much of an effect on bass, and if so, which moon phase is the best time for fishing? I went on Sat., the day before a full moon, and had a lot of action, but now I don't know if it was due to the moon or not.

How small a worm should I use?

I would go with the spinnerbaits and crankbaits, and maybe a topwater prop lure or a buzzbait. You can also buzz the spinnerbait just below the surface. Stay away from the soft plastics if it is really windy because you won't be able to feel what they are doing under water.

Lately I have been having a lot of problems with losing fish. I fished yesterday on the Suwannee River with t-rigged worms and they were hitting it like crazy, but I lost four fish because I set the hook too soon and one fish that jumped at the boat and threw the worm in my face. This is a typical day for me and I lose five fish or more each trip and don't land any. Just wanted to know how many fish you guys lose each trip. Also, what I am supposed to do when the fish are nipping at the worm? Should I just wait a few seconds and let it take line before setting the hook? Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm a newbie and keeping seeing posts with the name Bait Monkey in them. What in the world does it mean?

I fish small ponds like this all the time. The best way to catch bass is a t-rigged plastic worm. Cast parallel to shore about 10ft out and slowly reel. Then walk down the bank a little further and repeat. Continue moving from spot to spot until you have gone around the whole pond. That's the most effective way. In the morning, buzzbaits will work very well, but in the evening I like a topwater popper. If you can get out there when it starts raining, the fishing should be excellent. Just make sure there's no lightning. By the way, this pond is in Florida right?

I recently bought a small, 6ft inflatable raft for fishing rivers. Since I live in Florida, alligators are always a potential threat. Do you think the chances are very high that one might try to attack while I'm in it?

I'm going fishing tomorrow in a Florida lake and am getting out there at sunrise. I have a buzzbait tied on now. Do you think this is a good topwater bait to use in the morning during summer? If not, what will work better?

Last weekend I bought a brand new Daiwa Procyon Heavy Action flippin' stick with an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur reel spooled with 50lb test Spiderwire and am going fishing this weekend. It will be the first time I have ever tried flipping. Any pointers on this technique or best baits to use.

I fished the Suwannee River in FL this past winter and couldn't get a single bite. I tried t-rigged soft plastic worms, weightless wacky-rigged worms, creature baits, jigs, and even a crankbait. Any tips on what I could have done to catch the bass?