the reel ess

I still have not caught a smallie. There are a few places in SC you can catch them, but I haven't been there yet.

Yeah. Or more to the point, you won't catch a 10 pounder in a body of water that has none larger than 5 lbs. There are places that just grow bigger fish. There are places where a 3 yr old bass is 3 lbs and places where it's barely a pound. Fish the former every time.

Right on! I've read many articles about how to target trophies and this is the top advice in every one of them.

I've seen a couple shows where the host takes the EWG and bends the hook point out. Gives you the space needed for the worm to get out of the way and the point to snag the fish.

T rigged Berkley Chigger Craw. I've caught almost all my fish over 5 lbs on it in the last 2-3 years. You can probably swap out any of the premium craws. Another good one is the Zoom Super Speed Craw. I'm convinced bigger bass eat more craws. But they'll also catch smaller ones.

You won't be disappointed.

I knew people who would sink brushpiles or gutted appliances at night. Then they'd return to fish the new cover/structure with T-rigged worms. Once you located the fish attractor, you just make note of the landmarks and mark your map. That would be hard without GPS, so they were usually close to shore, but not on the bank.

I have an anchor and 20' of thin rope as well as a cleat on the kayak. I don't even take it with me because it's more of a pain than the wind. I just use the paddle and make minor corrections all day. You can find a weedy place to set your boat to make casts while stationary. If there's standing timber or stumps, you can get yourself stuck in them. This can be a hassle though. Another option is to have smaller bodies of water to fish. I have reservoirs/ponds from 25 acres to about 2 acres that I've gotten permission to fish. If you have choices you can walk the banks somewhere if it's too windy to paddle.

I hired a saltwater guide once who showed up with a 20' center console towed by a V6 Honda Passport. Now I have a 17' fish and ski and claimed I needed a Silverado 5.3L 4WD to tow it. I asked him how the Honda handled the boat and he said just fine and he'd been doing it for years. But it was a very good ramp that he probably uses all the time. He probably only tows a few miles each time and takes it really easy on his tow rig. I don't think it would do well on long tows or on tough ramps. But at 2500 lbs you should be just fine. But the transmission is the major concern. You can buy a cooler kit for most vehicles.

I don't know the pond. But my favorite way of catching pond bass in summer is to go about 2 hours before dark. I'll throw something that bumps the bottom and maybe a Trick Worm until the light gets low. Then I'll start with a frog and Spook or Chug Bug. These can really wear out some pond bass. And it's a cooler time of the day.

Good luck! What river?

That is intersting. I noticed damsel files a couple weeks ago and got some midday bites on topwaters. But only when a cloud came over. When the sun was out, that bite was over. The pond I fished last night was smooth as glass. I used only topwaters. The owner said when the wind picks up, nothing will bite. But I never take anyone's word for it. I take it into consideration, but I have to see for myself. I guess I should have been from Mizzurah.

Here's a least fav: The frog that has realistic looking legs. Y'all know the one whose name won't show up on this site. I've been told by a few people to give it another try before I condemn it. I tried it again last night. Bites are not the problem with this bait.I got 3 bites on it and no hookups.And it lost a leg! It was waterlogged on the second cast. Looking online, I see the price on them has come down quite a bit since I overpaid for mine. I tied on the Pad Crasher and immediately started catching those fish and continued to catch them until dark.

I did it just last night. There's nothing you can do about that particular fish. You've lost her for the outing and you might have educated her to the evils of the frog. That fish in all likelihood won't be in that spot next time.

Yeah, it's happened to me many times. I don't lake fish much anymore, but that scenario seemed to happen to me a lot in the fall when bass were gorging on shad. Usually, I'd try something different. If bass are actively chasing shad, I'll throw a full size Spook over them and/or drag a worm across the bottom. I have also cast a jigging spoon and yo-yo'ed it back across the bottom. And if/when that fails, I'll go elsewhere and look for fish that are relating to specific cover or go have a beer. A Rebel Pop-R can be a good bait when bass are chasing shad to the surface. Just wait on a fish to boil and cast right to the spot. Occasionally, you'll get one's attention. Don't be delicate, make some noise with it.

I fish mostly ponds. All ponds are not created equal. My favorites are: Zoom Trick Worm, weightless, Craw, T-rigged or Yamamoto Hula Grub, 3/16 oz weight or smaller if using spinning, Booyah Pad Crasher frog (if you think fish are too small for a big frog, they make a Jr size too, another topwater bait, like Spook, Jr or Chug Bug. Fish in ponds will hit topwaters better than those in large lakes. Honorable mentions: T-rigged worm-weighted, Fluke, Rapala Minnow jerkbaits, Rebel Craw crankbaits, Rat L Trap, spinnerbaits, jig & trailer, Beetlespins, crappie tube or grub jigs, Inline Spinners, fly poppers or frogs, +1 for the Rebel miniatures (but big fish will wreck UL tackle).

My dad and I haven't fished together in maybe 10 years. But he has a buddy with a pond. So I called the buddy and asked if I could wet a hook last night. When he said yes, I called my dad who said he'd like to ride along. We three ride down to the pond, which is well-hidden about a half mile off the highway. I take one look at this bass fishing postcard and tie on a frog. My dad sat on the golf cart with his buddy and said "I'll spot you one". Well, he spotted me two because I had three bites and 2 bass after maybe 5 casts. He was up like a shot and grabbed a spin combo with a Trick Worm. He caught two 2 pounders and lost several more. I caught 9 total between the frog and a Spook in a little more than an hour. It's the 5th anniversary of my mother's death and I know he needed a distraction. And nothing provides a distraction quite as well as cooperative fish.

I went to a new pond last night for about an hour and a half. As soon as I saw it was full of lilies and standing (and laying) timber, I cut off the C-rig and tied on a frog. I caught 9 all between the frog and Spook. My dad went along because he knows the owner well. He grabbed the Trick Worm and caught a couple and missed a few. A little rusty. Anyway, I'm glad my dad went. He usually says he's too old for that and not into fishing anymore. Watching me catch a couple got his interest.

Just looked on my rods, pre-rigged for next time out. Spook, Jr 10" worm C-rig T-rigged Craw Zoom Trick Worm weightless

Yeah, you have to understand that bigtime pro bass fishing is simply NASCAR on water. . I like to watch YouTube videos made on a GoPro by guys just like me, and usually fishing from a kayak. The more low-buck and low-tech, the better. But I do critique their videos, and rarely give anyone a thumbs down.

You know what grinds my gears? The guy using 10 minutes of his video showing himself driving, often in the dark, to his destination. I know what driving is like. Yeah, I know, I can just move the video forward. And I do. But a note to aspiring YouTube producers: Stop showing yourself driving in a fishing video. And give me MORE Topwater Blowups!!! Videos. I can't watch enough of those. That is all.

Unless there was a curve given to the smaller species, that would just be nonsensical. But wouldn't weight be the deciding factor, not length?

15# Berkley Big Game. Cheap and disposable. Tie on something that weighs 3/8-3/4 oz and go into a field and start casting it. I used a heavy hardware nut from my dad's shop when I was learning. I already had a good idea how to use it before I even went fishing. Take the big spool of line with you in the boat in case (when) you need it. You can strip off line down beyond a cast length and tie onto that and refill.

Yeah, why didn't the OP think of that? Take your woman and she can show you up. Mine always have.

After comparing the 2, take the Lew's. No comparison, really.