the reel ess

6"-8" plastic worms in any color as long as it's purple. I got where I would only buy purple at one point. My favorite topwater lately has become the Spook, Jr. But at times it's been a frog, Chug Bug or a black buzzbait.

I have some buzz toads, a ton of soft plastics I got on sale, a few soft plastic swimbaits and a jointed Jitterbug that haven't seen the water. I have fished some baits that I shouldn't have because they caught my eye and not the fish. Mostly big jointed swimbaits.

I got this one about 7 years ago for $500 at Academy. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/perception-pescador-angler-12-sit-on-kayak#repChildCatid=1352017 I've had a great time using it and have caught a lot of fish from it. That said, the only drawbacks are the seat (hurts your but after a couple hours) and it's not quite stable enough to stand and fish in. I'm pretty clumsy so i really don't want to stand in a kayak anyway. If I did I'd get an SUP. That's still a possibility. I would prefer one with a stadium seat to keep the butt dry. Actually, I think they'd have a harder time seeing you if you sit.

My PB to date came on a 1/4 oz Snag Proof Original Frog. The same one in my avatar.

A frog and a Trick Worm... AND A FROG! It seems you already had that idea. But I try these in all ponds.

I've only had a "problem" with catfish when I'm bass fishing during their spawning times. They seem to inhabit the same spaces and bite just about anything then. I believe that's usually in spring. Looks like you need a change of scenery.

It's good that you set it right with him. If you have a conscience, which a lot of people don't, that kind of thing will eat at you. What seems justified at the time often looks harsh in the rearview.

I go to the beach once a year and fish in an inlet. I fish artificials exclusively because I'm in a kayak. Same thing. Everybody says to get mud minnows. Flounder will bite Gulp Mullet same as mud minnows. I seem to ahve as good or beeter luck as others fishing with live bait. I really like casting and retrieving artificials and I've been doing it since I was able to fish. That said, I do want to try some live shiners on one reservoir I fish because they're in there and there are BIG bass there. it's a good opp to catch a PB.

I like $20 Calcuttas in amber. I've owned 3 pairs. I'm bad to leave stuff in restaurants and it's better to throw away $20 than $100-200. They look like $100 glasses and ppl will walk off with them, thinking they are. These glasses are light and the lens quality, specifically for fishing, is much higher than your average $20 sunglasses. Honestly, I don't know how they provide such quality for so cheap. I've paid a lot more for glasses that weren't this good for fishing. If I were to spend big $$$ on glasses now, I'd be looking for some with reader lenses in the bottom. It's getting hard for me to see to tie knots, but I can still see a mile away.

Then again, a lot of people get a kayak to get away from the masses and don't want you to paddle right up to them while they're fishing. Speak to them from a distance first. If they're inviting, go up and converse. I speak to a lot of people while kayak fishing but rarely do I get close to them. Only my buddy who is on the trip with me, if there is one.

I'm sitting anchored at a spot casting toward the bank. And I'm easily close enough to hit the bank. I'm anchored because the window of opportunity at the spot is very small. A couple feet either way and you don't get a bite. A guy trolls into the cove and trolls right between me and the bank over the spot he knows I'm fishing. I just keep casting at him with a T-rigged worm. He has to pick his trolling motor up to avoid my line and he says to me "It's a big @#$! lake." I let him have it (verbally-I did not back off and leave the spot) and hit his motor with one more cast. I said "Yeah, and you're the one squeezing your boat into 15 feet of it!" Another time, same place, and old man in a jonboat drives right up to the bank with his motor running! He lets a kid out to pee, waits on him and drives away, never cutting the motor. It's maybe 4' deep at the deepest part of this spot. I've had tourney fishermen and other bassboats run from the back of a narrow cove out at full throttle. I can't understand why they don't start fishing at the back if they're going to ruin the cove for everybody else. I've had tourney guys tell me to leave a spot or just not fish one so they can win their tourney. I don't care about anybody's tournament. It's the only Saturday of the week for me too. If you get on a school of something like white bass or stripers, all bets are off. people will just about board your boat to get to them. All this is why I bought a kayak and started looking for smaller and private waters.

I've caught more on shad color. That's what bass primarily eat most places. But I've had better luck with Gold metallic/black in ponds. Assuming there's shiners in said ponds. Firetiger works, but I don't know why. Yellow perch are not a staple most places I fish.

I went with a buddy a while back to a body of water we both know very well. He could fish it blindfolded. After a couple hours we were stumped and he pulled out an old 4" do-nothing worm pre-rigged with 2 hooks and rigged it with a splitshot about a foot up the line. He proceeded to catch bass. He threw me one and I did the same. Since then I've had good luck with a Zoom Finesse worm C-rigged with 1/8 oz weight. I can use a weedless worm hook with it. It's really HOT here and fish are in a negative mood so finesse size baits will get you more bites. They almost always will get you more bites for that matter. I also try to go early or late in the day. There's usually a better chance during low-light periods to get bites. That's all I know.

When they strike the frog and miss, yank it out and toss a wacky rigged worm to the same spot. You'll get some of those fish.

In the summer heat in a place with a lot of shallow cover, I like to go at low light periods and fish topwaters. The best time of the year for topwaters seems to be the most humid mornings and evenings. And places with a lot of weeds and/or logs are the best locations. My favorite topwaters are...drumroll...ALL OF THEM. But try everything you try everywhere else. Every body of water is different. If your buddies can find the place again, bet they'll be there when you return.

Plastics and jigs.Single hook presentations where a solid hookset is required.

That's funny because I noticed the common thread, pun intended, between avocados and braid. I even though avocado might be a color of braid.

I don't keep big fish. And by big I mean over 3 lbs. I usually keep nothing because I'm fishing from a kayak and it's a hassle to keep them. When I got to one place the fish are stunted and my buddy tells me to keep them all, put half in his basket and keep the rest.

Not to argue with others, but when I've bought used reels off ebay (twice) both were worn out in some way and needed repair. It was still cheaper after the repairs, but it was a hassle.

Don't know about the Hero, but I have the LFS Tournament MB 7.2:1. It's awesome for the price point of about $120-ish.

My friend has a small pond exactly as you described. I've caught 50 small bass out of his pond in a couple hours. You have to persecute those small bass and large bluegill. The food source of bluegill has gotten too big for bass to eat and is competing with the bass for the same minnows, crawfish, etc. Keep and eat them, give them away, throw them over the dam, invite a slew of people over to catch all they can or whatever you have to do. They're usually so hungry they're stupid and both species will eat the same baits. You can make it more sporting with light tackle. To keep a pond in balance you need small and large fish of both species. Crappie only make the situation worse as they eat minnows almost exclusively. That's one main reason most people don't want crappie in a smaller pond.

I bought this one because it was basically on sale $20 off. But I've stayed away from that since. I remember the Fritts reel. Wasn't it specifically for crankbaits, with a slow retrieve and an old clutch type anti-reverse?

I use PowerPro and Haas Avacadoes when I can find them.

Well, it was $80 on closeout. It has a solid aluminum frame. Another member on this board who works on reels told me it's essentially the same as a Johnny Morris reel but with fewer ball bearings and a cheaper drag. He told me I could upgrade it and have a JM reel that will last me a long time. But the drag has not been the problem. The cast control button has never engaged smoothly. It seems to need a lot of cleaning and lubing to keep it working well. But it will cast a mile and I've caught some bigger bass with it. If it quits I'll replace it with a Lew's. I'm high on their quality.

Thanks, that did the trick. I can see there are detents machined into the right side spool shaft. I have not been pleased with the quality of this reel from day 1.