the reel ess

Why do you say "Dang"? They're awesome. I've discovered they'll last a lot longer if you put them on a jig or palin jighead.

That's why I fish private waters and usually alone. I have a boat I don't use except in the winter in one of those private places. There can be other people in one of them because there is other access. But it's big enough that often I just see them from a distance.

This reminds me of another current thread about favorite plastic craws. Someone said it seems bass are just as/more likely to bite a plastic that resembles a craw as they are one that looks exactly like a craw. Well, I have a couple Vudu Shrimp baits I bought for redfish and never used that I think I could probably catch a bass on even if it has never seen a shrimp.

In one of the last season episodes of Bill Dance where he answers viewers' questions, he said that research shows that the days around no moon were the best for catching huge bass. He gave the stats, but I can't remember any specifics. Not that you had to be fishing at night, just during the phase change from waning to waxing.

My dad used to call bass fishermen in high powered bass boats "gnats on a turd" because they couldn't sit still. When one would come screaming by us at full throttle he would say "Hope he hits a stump." And I've seen it happen.

Does anybody know if this company folded? I got a sample pack of each of their baits in different colors from them as a Christmas gift from a salesman I worked with. I can't find a site for them now. They seemed like good enough baits. I ran out of Trick Worms once and used their black and pumpkin worms with good results. They advertised "Spongebait" technology, though they felt pretty much like other soft plastics.

When mine has gone with me she catches all the intended species and I catch channel cats. But she quit going with me right after we got married. She said "I don't mind if you go or how long you stay, but I won't be going with you anymore." I said OK, deal. I really like going alone.

If you're going to use treble lures (1/8 oz. Rooster Tail) for bluegill, bring your pliers. They somehow get all three hooks inside the mouth every time. A week old dead snapping turtle smells awful.

If you sell baits and have a website, PM me. I'd love to take a look.

I like the Zoom Super Speed Craw. But it isn't available everywhere so I've switched over to the Berkley Chigger Craw. I like it better. The smell is about what you'd expect a small crustacean to smell like and fish will hold it a long time, giving you ample opportunity to get a hook in them. I don't use it as a trailer as much as I just use it plain. I like it on an Arky weedless jighead by itself. I caught my current PB on that rig. I've got some of the Ultravibes and Yamamoto Hula Grubs as well and they work great. The Chigger Craw just seems to get bigger bites for me. Therefore it's my confidence bait. I know that's anecdotal evidence, but I'm 110% convinced.

Check this out. This guy has the best topwater videos from some great trophy fisheries. Usually, I take conditions into account. After you've gained experience, you'll have those guidelines to draw from. But, as with any other technique, just when you've figured something out, bass will show you you don't know anything.

If you had two identical reels except that one had a smaller diameter spool, that reel would have an effectively slower retrieve. Therefore, that reel would have more torque. It's like the difference between bigger rims and smaller rims on a vehicle. Big wheels are harder for the motor to turn, adversely affecting how much power you can put to the ground, and fuel consumption for that matter. I can attest to this because I put bigger rims and tires on my Jeep. It's getting around 14 MPG around town.

Now Spring, summer and fall. If I lived in FL, then winter as well.

I've got a fly rod that's suitable for bass, but I never use it. I've only caught a couple bream on it. It feels like trying to fish with one arm behind my back. It would be my luck I'd hook and lose the fish of a lifetime because I was using the fly rod. That said, if I was at a place full of dinks, it would probably be fun. They're not always going to bite on topwater. You don't have to spend a lot. One line, one leader and some bugs. Go to someone who knows what they're talking about to buy the line or you'll be fighting it more than fish.

Well, I carry 6 or 7 combos every time I go fishing. I usually catch most or all my fish on one or two of them. I'm going to do what I want to do at some point during the trip. Then, if fish aren't really into that, I'll try other lures. I won't try every topwater or every lipless crank in my box before I conclude they aren't going to bite one. It's more like, OK, they don't want a couple of different hardbait topwaters, I'll switch to a lipless crank or regular crank for a while. They don't want that, I'll put that rod down and go in a different direction. On another rod, I might start with a buzzbait and switch over to a spinnerbait after a while with no action. Sure, I have more baits than I actually catch fish on, but try not to let colors and options paralyze me.

NM edit: Since I have posted this, I've searched and read some threads. So if mods want to delete this thread, that's OK. If you want to comment please do. Any advice on the technique is appreciated. Thanks.

BD caught his PB on a spinnerbait. So did I a couple years ago. It's a big bass bait. But it seems to me that I just don't get a lot of bites on one. I read they're better when there's a little wind so that might be your guideline. But I caught that PB on a day with no wind. Keep trying it through the fall. It should produce when fish are a little less lethargic.

I'm throwing a Spook or similar bait from spring until the water is too cold. The Spook was good to me last year, but the Pop R and Chug Bug have been better this year. I just use a snap to attach because that's my lipless crank rod too.

I don't know if this is new because I couldn't find a date in it. http://www.abugarcia.com/AbuGarcia-news-berkley-abugarcia-named-premier-sponsors-of-bassmaster-events.html

This thread leads me to share this tidbit. Cabela's Tournament ZX rods are on sale for $75. That's what my frog rod is. edit: a few models are left

Are you telling me $100 is a cheap rod? Then no, you're not the only one. I have 2 $100 or more rods and I actually bought one of them used from a guy I worked with for $50. Aside from that I have 3 Lightning Rods and an old BPS Viper spinning rod that came on a combo for $70...For the whole combo. As for the higher end rods, one is my jig rod and one is my frog rod. Two areas I didn't want to skimp on. If I broke a cheap rod I'd replace it with a better one. And I just wish they were a little lighter. But until then I just keep catching fish on them. How many pros do you see using the Duckett rods?

They eat live baitfish. They're more of a "gamefish" than the blue cat.

I want to catch some smallies and this is the closest river to do so. Does anyone know public access points for the Broad River north of Columbia? I don't want to fis the lower end around Cola.

And some believe it attracts fish. ? I'd experiment with it rusty (except the hook point). Fish probably won't care. Or change out the blades. I've kept every spinnerbait I've ever had so I have some extra blades and swivels around.

Panfish are vicious. They'll rip a plastic to shreds. I've had a jig tied on all season and one thing that I've noticed consistently is that the bite doesn't usually feel like anything. I usually notice the line moving before I feel any weight. I reel up any slack until I feel the weight and quickly set the hook hard.