the reel ess

I'm always looking to improve techniques or make fishing more economical. And I usually order off the interwebs.

I've been having some success lately with the Zoom Super Swimming Fluke in Houdini color. The reason I bought this bait was actually the color. Gold works well around here. Well, fish love them, and better than average size fish. But they don't last long. I went through two bags quickly, not even catching a fish per bait sometimes. I even bit off the first 1/4" of bait to reiuse after they got What are some comparable soft plastic swimbaits that might be more durable? What are your favorites? I've been rigging them with an EWG hook and a 1/16-1/8 oz bullet weight.

Bubble gum is the BEST Trick Worm color I have found. I use a whole bag of them for every one worm of a natural color. I usually use the naturals for regular T rigs. If you ever wonder what the best color is, go to WalMart and see which one they're out of. Then order it off Amazon.

When I was a kid I'd always try out whatever bait I just bought because Bill Dance told me to. My dad would always use a T rigged worm, 6-8" with a 1/8 oz. bullet weight. He would say "they may bite this andnthey may bite that, but they'll always bite the worm." You're missing what they'll bite when they aren't biting reaction baits. Of all the baits, for me, the T rig has the best hookup percentage of them all.

Don't do what Bill Dance does. He wants you to see them flopping beside the boat until tired out. It takes some time, but you just counter what the fish does. If he wants to jump, lower your tip in the opposite direction of him. If he goes left, you go right. He goes right, you go left keeping pressure. Only get your rod tip up if he's just going deeper.

I don't know, man. Where I fish it makes a pretty good difference in visibility at least to my eye. It's stained here at best year round. these are pretty fertile waters. Even so, i can still see it. I have been using a leader on a green braid main line this entire year and I really can't tell any difference in number of bites or size. Well, actually, the size has been worse with the leader this year.

I tell them what I think I'm doing well. They can either do it or go another direction. Some won't do what you suggest. I know I've not taken someone's advice before. If you're keeping fish, split the take with them anyway. At least they can enjoy some fruits of the good fortune. Someone on this thread is lacking a sense of humor.

You're speaking my language. I like any bait that will come through shallow weeds, assuming you have weeds. My all-time favorite shallow pond bait is a Trick Work, weightless in the bubble gum color. Just toss it out and twitch it back. If you get no bites at all with this (unlikely) try the same thing with the Finesse size worm. As already mentioned many times, stick works are good. Lately I've used a Zoom Swimming Super Fluke with a 1/8 oz. bullet weight with some success. I love hollow body frogs. I'll throw almost any topwater bait in a shallow pond, but generally, the shallower the pond, the less noisy they need to be. Fish that are trapped in 3' max of water might get spooked by a buzzbait, but who knows? Another recent favorite is the SPRO rat. Of course, there is the ever-popular T rigged worm and craw. Good luck.

It looks very gimmicky, but so did the rat and I've caught a bunch of fish off the rat this year.

N/M

I have the frog specific model of this rod. http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/fishing-rods/casting-rods|/pc/104793480/c/104764680/sc/104823180/cabelas-tournament-zx-bass-casting-rods/1619298.uts I really like it. It has a lot of backbone for pulling a bass out of the slop, which is how I usually fish frogs. I'm on my third season with no problems. It is quite stiff though, so if you want it to do double duty, you'll probably be looking for a MH.

Try it again with the Colorado blade on the outside and the concave facing the same way. It spins in a wider spiral than the willow blade. Worth a try.

I don't even have one. I've put it in the cart several times, but found another lure like the SPRO Rat, Chug Bug, Spook Jr or Chug'n Spook to replace it. I'm sure it works though. There are too many people on YouTube having success with it to be a fluke, pun intended.

I'll do this at the local creek/little river or at one pond where I know the fish are stunted. You get a lot of panfish bycatch at the same time. I like the Rebel Tiny Craw, crappie jigs, & Rooster Tails and Beetle Spins.

Yes, I've found the Poppin' PC walks more easily than the standard. So you can walk, pop or mix up the retrieve. I also have a bunch that never get used. I will occasionally tie the one in my avatar on a spinning combo just for kicks.

Might also catch a panfish with it. The frog has caught me something every time I've tried it since mid spawn. I switched from the standard Pad Crasher to the popping model and gotten a few more bites.

The thing about BamaBass is he's fishing managed bodies of water with lots of trophies. If the average fish is approaching 5 pounds, you'll catch them on big baits, especially if the natural forage is big. ie: golden shiners. When I use mega sized baits, I catch nothing. I do fish one place with some big bass, but spinnerbaits and lipless cranks seem to be the ticket there. I know, I know, you have to dedicate yourself to fishing for big bass and eventually the huge baits should pay off with fish. But that could mean three or four trips with no bites. I haven't tried it yet, but I have the feeling live shiners would do the job nicely. We tend to fish however we like to and take whatever fish will bite. I have the habit of fishing the shallows with topwaters in the middle of summer in the evening. I'll take one topwater bite for every 2 my buddy gets. And here's another thing. There are some baits I use that just seem to fill a "slot" of big bass. Meaning they catch 3-5 lb. bass, but not 6 and better. Though I know there are bigger bass, I'm just not getting them to bite. The frog and the spook are two such baits. The average size is good, but never a trophy. Don't get me wrong, I'll never scoff at a 3 pounder, but I do want a monster bass. I guess I'd better rededicate myself to a trophy with fewer bites.

I'd pay $6 to stay out of WalMart if I could. I think they're the antiChrist. I have a theory that one day all trade will take place inside mega WalMarts and you'll need their mark (stupid smiley face) to buy or sell. Or not...just a theory. It's OK though because, as I said above, WM's the debbil.

I don't think any line "disappears" in water. I think fish can see fluoro, just not as well. But then it's stiff so they can probable feel or sense it. I saw a guy talking about his tag end of a fluoro knot and said "if that 100' of main line doesn't offend the fish, that tag end won't bother it either. My feeling is it's the same with any line. I'm giving a leader a try right now, but I've caught fewer fish this year. It's anecdotal because by buddy who usually fishes the same water has caught fewer as well.

Any color braid is good as long as it's green.

Shooot! Only 10 lbs? I'd consider that just right. Maybe a tad skinny.

How often did you let her catch you? JK. Couldn't help myself. Please take no offense.

I've done this with a couple topwater baits before and was surprised to find a fish still on the line when I picked out the backlash. It taught me to twitch the bait a little before beginning the retrieve.

Well, you have to give them what they want. I used to fish a lake with almost no weedy cover and I rarely caught a fish there on topwater. Still, if the fish are shallow, it stands to reason you could entice one with a buzzbait.

nm