the reel ess

Are you using spinning gear for it?

Competing for 2 pounders on big public lakes. Just too much trouble. Not too good at finesse. This comes back to doing what you like instead of what needs to be done. You know you should try the dropshot or shaky head, but you just don't want to. Not into deep cranking for very long either.

My dad used to say you can catch a bass on any color worm as long as it's black. He later amended that to include purple. I use some version of black, black/blue, black/blue flake or blue/black more often than any other. It works better here than the pumpkins or watermelons. Our water is usually at least a little stained. I'll bet you catch at least as many on black if not more.

Generally, I'd say if most fish besides the bass are small, that would mean more forage for the bass. But in a larger ecosystem, there are many factors. For instance you always hear that having bass and crappie in a pond is a bad idea because they eat the same thing. But I fish a 30 acre place (basically a big pond) that has both and some really good size of each. I believe this place has an abundance of baitfish, including gold shiners. It doesn't have any pickerel though that I've ever seen. But then I fished there for a decade before catching the first catfish, a big flathead.

I work and have other family responsibilities and now have a gym membership. So if I take time off to go or I find a free 3-4 hours on the weekend, I go barring foul weather. And I don't consult the so-lunar table. I will pay attention to wind speed and direction. I also don't love bluebird skies, especially following a front. But if you don't go when you can you are missing some good days. It only takes one good fish to make the trip worthwhile. I like your YT channel. ?

Check state regs. Moored boats are supposed to have lights in some states. I'm convinced some guys do this because I used to go before the chickens and be on the spot I wanted to fish first and there would already be a boat fishing it and another staged to follow.

In turbid waters they tend to like darker soft plastics. In clear water I'd go with the pumpkins and watermelons. It's mostly off color all year here so some combination of black/blue is the go-to. I stopped buying those other colors. Color seems to matter more than bait selection sometimes. Plastic is plastic.

I usually only fish 3-4 hours max. So no, I just bring water. I love coffee. But if I'm going early, I just drink about half a 5 hour energy and that lasts longer than coffee.

Keep the boat, scrimp and save for the kayak. They're similar, but not the same thing. I'm 53 now and I'm starting to really feel the kayak in my back after a couple hours. But also, the kayak is great for places with no ramp, small waters, rivers or creeks. At least, if you buy the kayak and don't love it, you still have the boat to fall back on.

I have a friend whose father in law owns a very nice pond that at least one 10 pounder has come from. I've fished it a couple of times, and I've caught a 5 lb. there. But don't like to. I have to go through his uncle in law's yard to get there and he thinks I'm coming to see him. He always seems to be outside and makes a beeline for the truck and literally won't take his hand off the mirror while he tells me 10 different ways that the bass don't bite down there if there's no wind. Bless his old heart. But I usually don't have more than a couple hours free.

A striper will take the hook right off one. They're kinda dainty.

I'm with you unless it's a dink. But when I catch one on a good flipping hook or a jig, I'm bringing that one right to the hand. I'm in a kayak though and that's a whole lot easier when your hand is at water level. I bought a large Frabill trout net to get one big enough for bass, but with a shorter handle.

Blue Dawn dish detergent. It's the best stain remover there is and most people already have it in the house. Treat the stain and let it soak in a while, but not long enough to dry. Wash it and hang it to dry. You don't want to dry the stain with heat if it's not all gone. If it doesn't completely work, repeat. If that doesn't work, you're stuck with the stain.

A good guide will make you feel at ease. I fished with a really good one in So. Florida. I told him he could fish with me if he wanted because it was just us two. But instead he spent two days running the remote control trolling motor and rigging up the next thing he wanted me to try. He did fuss at me for boat flipping a peacock that I caught on a 3 treble hook jerkbait. I told him sorry, but I was not grabbing that fish even if it got off. He needs a net. He wanted to take a pic of every for his social media. That slowed my catching a bit. He did compliment me on not getting a backlash either day and for fishing really hard. He said I was pretty trouble free. I told him I was trying to get every fish I could for the money. And got a 7 lb. largemouth on a live shiner.

I find that a lot of the time the bass that are shallow in summer are small and they have a hard time taking the whole bait. These dinks hang around the weedy edges and pick off small bream. Big bass I've caught on frogs usually have the bait deep inside the mouth. Big bass are decisive. Small bass are more timid and often won't even bite the bait, just sort of slash at it. I did have one frog I couldn't catch a thing with. I missed bite after bite on it no matter what I tried. I finally threw it away and ordered a replacement. I'm partial to Booyah Pad Crashers. They're usually soft enough out of the pack. Trim the legs to about 1.5-2" long.

Most are lacking in time on the water and fishing where there are big fish.

That's sad. I had a black lab we got at 3 years old that was so trained to go after the decoy I couldn't take her. Every time we'd cast she would jump out of the boat. She was such a good girl. I miss that dog.

To me it depends on whether it's a friend or a stranger. Stranger danger! LOL. I have one buddy I like to fish with in his boat.

Flooded timber, east and the channel in the cove to the north.

Do you have any fishing buddies? Either ones with boats or ones to go bank fishing with. I find that I enjoy company more when bank fishing. Honestly, I'd enjoy company kayaking, but no one around here fishes that way but me.

I find jigs get more bites when you target a particular piece of cover. Almost all bites come on the first drop. When I'm dragging deep I usually use a worm or lizard. But if you can get bites on the jig they should be better quality. There is one exception. I use a 1/2 oz. football swing jig with a craw or a lizard with more success deep, especially in cold water.

I went this afternoon and it was pretty hot. But not intolerable. I fished for more than an hour with one dink. Then I cast a T rigged craw to some deeper structure at the mouth of a small cove. I felt the line go limp and reeled up the slack and set the hook solidly. This fish thought it was twice the size it was. When I finally lipped it I saw its bottom jaw or lip was split or broken right in the middle. It was actually dislocated in the middle. I suspect maybe a snapping turtle. That didn't stop it from eating or fighting hard.

I started keeping a grip attached to my scale so I can get a pic, weigh and get her back in. But if I'm fumbling trying to get it together I hold the fish in the water, something easily done from a kayak.

I haven't found the weight at which you can't hold a bass vertically. How else would you weigh it?

You mean set a trap with wine and chocolate?