the reel ess

When my dad and I used to catch schooly stripers they would come into the boat flopping around and wrecking the rods and tackle with trebles snagging everything in sight. The average one would be 5 lbs. We would want to get the fish off as quickly as possible so we could get more casts in and catch more. I had a pair of those Adidas shower shoe-type flip flops. I would whack the fish on the head with the heel end of that shoe and it usually did the trick. If not with the first whack, then with the second. You couldn't count on a school being within reach for very long so we would take that fish off and drop it in the floor, short term while we kept casting until they didn't bite for a few casts. If you're going to kill a fish, put it on ice, not in a livewell unless the water is very cold.

Go early or late if you can't go at night. My buddy told me lately that the bass were doing NOTHING at our local reservoir and he's been catching some crappie instead. I got on the water before 7:00 and caught 8 bass on three different baits, including a couple big'uns. 5 of them came on a Pop R. All but one were in shallow shade and the bite was over by 9:30. Even if bass are really not into it, there are usually a couple windows a day for some bites.

Well, I still use a couple Berkley Lightning Rods ($35 normally, but I got them on sale for $25 each) that I bought more than a decade ago. I have a 6-6 MH for spinner/buzzbaits and a M for topwaters and cranks. At the time I bought them I always thought I'd replace them with higher quality when they failed. But they never did. They're reasonable light and the actions are spot-on for the techniques. I have some higher quality rods for sensitive or specialized techniques. And I've eventually changed out all my reels to better quality units. If they do what you want there's no reason to change.

For starters, when you use a weighted T rig, you'll usually feel the telltale "thump-thump" so you'll know that's fish...could be bream though. For a jig it's different, and I'll admit I'm not the best at it either. But veggies still won't move. Bass will. Sometimes you feel the thump with smaller fish, but usually, for me, it's moving line that tips me off. Reel up any slack fast and set hard. I've found that some baits fish will hold longer than others. A Berkley Powerbait they'll carry around all day. This covers up a lot of fisherman error, giving you lots of time to set a hook.

I had success in early season with a black/blue chatterbait. That got me thinking, now that the water is clearer, would I have success with a baitfish color bladed jig. So i rigged up what you see here using @cadman custom gold shiner jig. Has anyone else tried this? Do you think the two split rings will have a negative effect on action? I'll use a gold swimbait trailer because gold shiners are present. I'll give a report after trying. I get a real kick out of catching bass on something I got crafty with.

It's a pretty good way to salvage a trip when the bass are hitting the bait so much they destroy the skirt and you don't have a replacement. But sometimes it just messes up the balance.

1. Right 2. Nah, not in my dad's tackle box, LOL. He didn't spend money on such frivolous things as custom painted cranks. If I know him it was a Walmart exclusive el cheapo. Don't get me wrong, I loved my dad. But he had different priorities than mine.

I just Googled it. I think you nailed it. But I'd never seen that color.

This was in my late father's tackle box. It looks very useful. I'd guess a 12' diver, max. 1/2 oz. and about 2 3/8". Thanks.

When you fish around docks and stumps, run the bait into them as you retrieve. Fish dig that.

There's really no weigh (pun intended) of knowing. I caught a new PB Saturday. My previous was 6.75, a long thin fish with no gut. Saturday I caught what I thought was going to shatter that PB by more than a pound. It had monstrous bug eyes and a gut that looked like it ate two softballs. I was so excited my hands were shaking. It was only 6.92 lbs. Still a PB, but still not even 7 lbs. No pic because i didn't have my phone and I didn't want to kill the fish transporting it. I was kayaking, so no livewell. Had I stopped fishing then to go get a phone I would have missed the 5.2 pounder I caught 20 minutes later. The 6.92 lb looked twice the size of the 5.2 lb. My best day size-wise in...well, forever. On a side note, my wife said "Why didn't you call me? I would have brought you your phone or a camera. Oh, never mind." LOL. Nice fish and I'm guessing over 8, less than 10. That's the best i can do.

The only place I ever fished that was overrun with frogs didn't seem to have any bass in it. I didn't even see minnows and it was summer, so I split.

I've not been successful with it yet. I have the 90 in monkeybutt and 110 in bone. I started out throwing the 110 yesterday morning. I got about 1/3 the way around a 20 acre reservoir and switched over to a Pop R on that rod and got a bite on the next cast. Ended up with 5 on the Pop R, including a 5.2 lb. The bites subsided by 9:00 and they were all in shaded areas. I'm a topwater junkie so I'm always trying one of them, even in full sun. Sometimes I'll go with 3 or 4 tied on, intent on catching something on the top. The Pop R standard size has been the hot one for me this summer. And it's just so easy to use. Do you y'all have most success with a steady retrieve? That seems to be what people are doing in YT videos.

Man, sometimes I get a reaction bite when the frog hits the surface. Go to small pond with lilies around the edge. You'll get some takers then. It's my experience that the larger the body of water, the less likely you are to find fish with a frog. I know some will disagree with that but it's just one person's anecdotal experience. They just don't seem to be looking up for a meal as much in bigger lakes. But they'll still be there at the right times. Find docks with weeds and walk that frog all around them. Anywhere that the pads intersect with other cover or structure is prime real estate. If you see a bass go after some bait in the pads, throw that frog right at the spot. You want to get its attention because it's looking for food and isn't shy.

Just paint it black. Cheap fix. I see a popper and I want to paint it black...

Some say braid is not very resistant to rock abrasion. I haven't noticed since I usually fish smaller weedy waters. I did snap off a leader once, but I feel certain that was my fault for tying it poorly.

1. Yes, some TV shows and many YT videos are on private, and even trophy bass waters. 2. I don't think many are made with fish caught beforehand. But they might wear the same clothes for a week so it appears they caught them all in the same day. I'm pretty sure some TV shows are edited that way. If you really pay attention you can catch subtle clues like sun angle and cloud cover. A careful editing makes them look continuous. Most YT videos aren't that deceitful.

I've had people ask me for a big bass before and just let it go in front of them. I hate to see a trophy or even one in the making go for food, but there's no law against it. Now, if they're trespassing, and I've seen that too, I'll report them. Those people are the worst stewards of resources because they know they aren't even supposed to be there. They're really thieves. Here's how I look at it. If you catch a 6 lb bass, releases it and catch it later, that's two big bass, not one. No one could say it's the same bass. But it could be. On the other hand, smaller bass make good fried fillets.

I have a friend who was cracked open and had some rather intense heart procedure. He was back to pretty normal after a couple months. I would see him walking for exercise less than 2 months later and I know he fishes. I see his FB pics. Prayers for a speedy recovery for your "friend". God bless.

I think the popping Pad Crasher walks more easily than the regular frog design. And it attracts attention better on a mat. I usually have it tied on. I'm sure there are times when you're supposed to use either, but I just have more confidence in the popper. I just trim the legs the same length of the body, no more and not uneven. It's pretty easy to walk.

A lot of times there will be schooling bass or other species around chasing bait but there's so much bait you don't stand a chance. If they persist sometimes I'll use a Pop R to get their attention, but the action has to be pretty sustained. You just about need to be looking their direction and cast as soon as they bust the surface. If you get the chance to do this, be loud with the popper. And they'll usually be dinks, but sometimes they're white bass, white perch or stripers.

I transport a 12' kayak in my extended cab Silverado just fine. If not going far, I just put a strap across the kayak thru the side handles and hooked to the two eyes in the rear of the truck bed. If going far, I'll use another strap across the front thru the front handle, hooked to the front eyes. I've even transported a 14' jon boat in the bed of my truck. Just tie a red rag (flag) on the end that's hanging off the tailgate. My kayak is bright red so it's not really necessary.

Specifically, I like topwater because it's a challenge to get bass to take a lure on top and it's the most exciting bite you can get. But, generally, I like to cast and retrieve, no matter the species. I jut don't like trolling or using a bobber with live bait unless there's just no other way to catch fish. And that's why I prefer bass fishing.

I didn't even think you could see that word on this site. My favorite is a War Eagle, 3/8 oz., double gold willow leaf, gold shiner color. It works in places that have no gold baitfish. Ad ALWAYS with the trailer hook. I catch a bunch of fish by the trailer that I wouldn't have even known were striking short otherwise. Just imagine you caught your PB by the trailer. Would that matter to you?

I tried braid on a baitcaster when I was younger without the benefit of the InterWebs to tell me all about it. I didn't like it one bit. Now that I'm used to it, I can't imagine not using it. It helps greatly with hooksets and covers a lot of deficiencies and all but eliminates line twist if you handle the reel correctly as mentioned above. I wouldn't go back if you paid me. Even so, if he'll be fishing for bass, I'd still probably start him on mono until he has the hang of it. It's a lot easier and cheaper to cut mono tangles out and even respool than it is with braid.