neocrunch

Yes, I'm using a baitcaster. I'll just keep trying... maybe I'm just missing hits on smaller fish that can't get the whole frog in their mouth.

Braided line, 7'6 fast action / medium power rod. I don't use a leader... but maybe I should? Although I'm not really having trouble getting bites, but rather setting the hook.

I'm having trouble setting the hook on hollow body frogs. I even upgraded my cheap-o frogs to the "lunker" frogs. I'm getting lots of bites but I either wait too long to set, or set too hard and the frog comes flying out of the mouth (and out of the water). How should my drag be set? How should I set the hook? Swift jerk upward? Long swipe sideward? Any other tips on using hollow body frogs? Thanks.

My wife's family lives in Germantown. We are planning a trip down there in July. I can't wait to check out the new BPS.

I took advantage of the full moon and the wonderful weather this evening. I caught a few largemouth on a Strike King Rage Blade and a few more on a Arbogast Hula Popper. This was my biggest (caught on a popper).

I had better luck after brunch...

I managed to land a few Indiana pond bass this morning on a rage blade. None of them were huge, but it was still nice to get a few tugs on my line.

It's good to see another Hoosier join the forums. I'm just up the road in Muncie.

I knew that was coming... Big-ish....

Central Indiana 15 mph winds Sunny, 60 degrees Dirty water, stormed last night I figured the wind was blowing the warmer water (and baitfish) to the shallow end of the pond. Sure enough, as soon as I started throwing a red spinnerbait I started reeling in fish. I caught about 20 fish in two hours. Here are a few of my best catches... I love days like this!

I went out in the drizzle for a couple of hours again today. I was having luck with a white spinnerbait and a green/silver Zara spook.

I got out for an hour before the sun set this evening. I wasn't having any luck tossing a jig so I switched to a Zara Spook. Just as I finished tying my knot it started raining. I still managed to land a couple before I started getting soaked and called it a night. I'm really enjoying my new rod & reel.

I caught half a dozen 10" bass from a central Indiana pond yesterday on a red spinnerbait. It was in the high 40s with a steady wind. Today is supposed to be warmer so hopefully I can get out for a while.

OP here... Thanks again for all the help. Without your assistance, I would still be standing in Dick's trying to figure out what kind of line to buy. They had buy one get the 2nd 50% off on Sufix so I got the Sufix 832 braid in 50 lb and 15. I got Trilene XL in 4 lb and 6 lb. And I picked up a small spool of Stren "fluorocast" in 12 lb for leaders (I just guessed the size. Let me know if this won't work well). I didn't make it out of the store before picking up some 1/4 oz drop shot weights and a pack of size 1 drop shot hooks, a bag of watermelon/pearl Yum dingers, and a pack of Berkely Havoc pit boss craws. Hooray for payday! Now I'm off to read up on putting black tape(?), backing, and braid on this new rig. Tight lines, y'all.

I've seen that lots of people suggest 40-50 lb braid, but I wasn't sure how the conversion worked... In other words, the listed line specs on the *** is 10-17 lb line... I didn't know if that was for braid, too, or if there was a listed-to-braid conversion. The last thing I want to do is break my fancy new rod.

I need to get new line for four different setups. I feel like the more I read through the forums, the more I second-guess myself. I’m open to suggestions regarding type, strength, brands, etc. *** *** (M) 7’1” (10-17 lb line) (paired with a Daiwa Tatula baitcaster) · This is my first “legit” fishing rod and my first baitcaster. I’d like it to be as versatile as possible until I can afford another rig (and another and another), which will allow me to start specializing. o I’ve never fished with braid, so I’m thinking maybe a 15 lb braid? Or is this a bad idea for learning how to use my thumb? o Maybe I can use the mono listed below as a backing for the braid? o Likewise, maybe the mono & fluoro listed below can be used as a leader for the braided line? Abu Garcia Conolon (M) 7’ (1/8-5/8 lures) (4-12 lb) (cheapo spinning reel) · Not sure of the best use for this cheapo rod. o Maybe 8-10 lb mono? Shakespeare Amphibian (M) 5’6” (6-12 lb line) (cheapo spinning reel) · I use this little rod for Rooster Tails (mostly for bluegill) o 6 lb fluoro? Or maybe copoly? Berkley (Light) 5’6” (1/16-3/8 lures) (2-8 lb Trilene) (cheapo spinning reel) · Also used for Rooster Tails o 6 lb fluoro? Or copoly? I live in central Indiana and fish farm ponds and reservoirs from the shore. I have quite a few topwater & squarebill lures in my tacklebox, but I want to start using more plastics (dropshot, Carolina rigs, etc), jigs, and swimbaits. Questions marks on everything because I feel lost. LOL Thanks for the help. And a special thanks to BassResource! I’ve spent most of my winter watching their videos. Now that the sun is shining I can’t wait to get out and practice what I’ve learned.

Yes, I've only fished with spinning gear... and relatively low-quality, cheapo stuff. This is my first "legit" bass fishing setup. I've been "tinkering" with fishing for almost a decade and I'm ready to get a little more serious about it. This site (and the forums in particular) has been a huge help. Thanks again for your insight on the gears. And thanks to everyone else who chimed in.

I just bought a *** *** (black) 7'1" Medium power (fast action) rod. My plan is to pair it with a left-handed retrieval Daiwa Tatula but I'm not sure whether I should get the 6.3:1 gearing or the 7.3:1. I will be fishing a wide range of lures, including swimbaits, jigs & chatters, lipless and square bill cranks, buzz baits, and maybe even the occasional A-rig or topwater frog. The Tatula seems to have good reviews and I like the idea of magnetic brakes instead of pins. Any suggestions on what gear ratio I should get? Is it easier to slow down a fast reel or speed up a slower one? Thanks for the help! * Feel free to push me toward the Tatula Type-R for an extra $30 if there's a good reason to do so. ** I'll also take suggestions for line. I'm planning on braid with a fluorocarbon leader... but I can be talked into something else... or a specific brand, etc.

My neighbor and I took an hour-long drive to Gander Mountain today. I got a basket full of lures and a 7'1" Med, Fast Action *** *** (black) that I'm going to pair up with a Daiwa Tatula (purchased online). It's my first baitcasting setup so I'm pretty excited.

I started with a jerkbait, but there's quite a bit of algae just below the surface of the water (is this normal right after ice out?). I kept reeling in big globs of neon green muck. As a last resort I tied on the popper. I'm glad I did.

Location: Central Indiana Water: Shallow end of a 3.5 acre pond Lure: X-Rap Pop (Yellow Perch) Gear: Spinning I hooked two in a row just as the last light of the day faded away. It felt good to get my line wet again. I'm so glad winter is over.

Hey everybody, I just joined the site. I'm in central Indiana (Muncie). If you're in my neck of the woods give me a shout - maybe we can meet up and do some fishing.

I usually fish Salamonie, Mississinewa, and Summit. I live just a few minutes from Muncie, so maybe we can get together and go fishing sometime.