the reel ess

If you use bottom-bumping lures, they'll always be fouled in the muck.Try those top- to mid-running lures. Topwaters, Trick Worm, jerk baits, flukes, spinnerbaits, etc. Comb the lake. Sparse cover makes it easier to pinpoint fish. You'll find the parts that hold fish. Then concentrate on them. But those places will change seasonally. In a lake that shallow, the fish can move from day to day.

Anybody ever "fizzed" a bass? I think it's to release air from their bladder after pulling them up from deep water. I wouldn't attempt this for fear of killing the fish needlessly.

I fish a similar pond. I've caught one over 6 lbs and tha next largest has been 2 lbs. I like the Roadrunner in 1/8 oz and small Jointed Rapala to catch both small bass and large bream. Kills two birds with one stone. But you need help catching and keeping fish to really make a dent in the populations. Or you could fish every day of the week a couple hours.

I was the opposite. I got on the BC bandwagon back in the day when people didn't use the spinning gear anymore for bass. I just bought a MH spin combo about 8 years ago. It was a good one and I still have it. I just added another M combo. Now I finally have the 5 combos that all the pros say they take on every fishing trip.Like having a full toolbox.

There's a thread on this board called "How do I catch bigger bass?" This is how. If you don't control the population, it's a lot harder to catch big ones when all there are are small ones.

I have probably been guilty of mistreating bass in the name of making the catch. I mean, we are conditioned to think that if it's not in the boat, we have failed somehow. Most of the smaller fish I catch will go to the deep fryer, so they're going to get abused badly at some point. But this thread reminds me to do a good job with those tiny and large fish I'm releasing. The kayak to me makes this easier because you're at water level. You have to lip that bass and you're at the right level to release it as unharmed as possible

I fish primarily 3 ponds. One is almost completely stunted. Another is mostly stunted and there are a very few bass over 5 lb. Another produces some trophies, especially for a big pond. This one has big gold shiners. Enough food for the bass population. The first two have very little harvest and very few people using it. The third has at least three people keeping as many small bass in the 3/4-3 lb slot as possible.

One think I forgot. Mostly because I haven't done it but keep meaning to. People are replacing skirts with swimbaits nowadays. It's supposed to give them an edge when fishing pressured situations. Seems like a great idea. Don' throw that SB away when the skirt gets destroyed.

I've caught more bass on the BPS brand of el cheapo SB's than any other. Colors you need: White and chartreuse-you can get other accents in the head, but probably doesn't matter. You need a Colorado blade for cold water and willow blades for warm water. There's really no reason for a single willow blade, so tandems will do. You need from 1/4 oz-1/2 oz. So,, that's 3 sizes in two basic colors. Use gold blades where there are shiners, use silver where it's shad. That will cover most of your daytime fishing. Now you can buy some specialty ones like black for nighttime/extremely low light. You can get one of those small ones like Pond Magic for small fish/small waters. If you fish a place with a different baitfish, you can try to match that hatch. Or you can buy them with painted or baitfish specific blades. I never have. Lastly, some people will disagree, even some pros, but I don't care...You should use a quality trailer hook. I put a good one on every SB I get when I get it. You'll catch a lot more fish with it. There will be fish you catch that you wouldn't even know were striking short. Worried about hanging up? Why? Go get the SB out of the snag. You usually fish less than 5' deep with one.

When you watch Bill Dance's show you can tell he's on his own ponds/lakes.He pampers the fish he catches and talks about them like they're his children.

Berkeley Vanish is a good brand too. I've had some on a BC reel for about 3 years. No issues except for it being stiff.

If you don't they'll stay dinks. Some of those are older fish that can't get the nutrition to grow.

Never again will I use a snap or swivel unless I KNOW there are no big fish where I am, like a creek. I had a snap straighten out on me with the largest fish so far this season. I should have tied it on, but I really didn't think the fish would be killing my presentation because they hadn't been biting well. I was experimenting.

He's the master at it. He caught a nice one while fishing from my big boat. He was more concerned with me not knocking his beer over than lipping that bass. I can't hold a beer and cast/reel. I find it difficult to catch a buzz while fishing.

I've got a friend who will just get bored and paddle...or drink beer. But he tells me I'm a good fisherman. I tell him you won't catch anything without a hook in the water. So I don't count, but just keep casting until I find the fish, the technique or a better feeding time.

I had considered the Walmart/Sam's insulated bag. They do a good job of keeping things cold without ice. That may be the best solution yet. As long as the wife doesn't get mine mixed up with hers. I already stole her Playmate cooler for fish.

No offense, but if you prefer a Mexican fish grown in sesspool conditions to pond bass be my guest. As I mentioned before, several places I fish are in need of harvest. Two owners even ask me to keep them. I already have the cooler method, but space is at a premium.

You could just buy shaky heads

I have fashioned an anchor system and bought an anchor. I never even take it. You get used to the wind. If it's bad enough, you have to use a heavier anchor anyway, which makes the experience a chore. As for the paddle, I just lay it across my lap. Sometimes I'll use the paddle with one hand to correct my position. My yak has a bungee on the side for holding the paddle, but it's not convenient to put in and take out. I made a milk crate/rod holder using PVC holders and zip ties to stow 3 rods , one small tackle box, etc. I have another flush-mount that I keep a rod in that's a little easier to get to. So I put the rod I think I'll need in there. You just need to take advantage of your opportunity to cast to a target when you can. If you mess up that cast, you are already blown past it and have to do some work to get back. You could screw up your chances of getting a fish there by thrashing around. But you can use the wind like a trolling motor or you can go against it. Fighting against it gives you longer to cast to a particular target.

I forgot I started this thread. Thanks for the replies. Enhancing the experience means eating some fish after a day of fishing...being part of the food chain. Several of the places I fish are in bad need of some harvest, but that's harder from the kayak. I hadn't considered a good whack on the head. I don't know why because I used to do it with stripers that were flopping in the boat, wrecking your tackle. I used to use one of those Adidas "shower shoes" flip flops with the heavy heel for just that purpose.

You need to keep as many as possible. Eat 'em, give 'em away, just get them out of there. Over time this will decrease numbers and increase average size. I fish one place that I feel certain there's not enough bait in and the fish are very willing and small. I caught over 50 last time there. I kept half the fillet size and left half for the owner. Stunted growth is probably due the lack of baitfish. No shad, no shiners.

I had never even heard of this lure. Then I looked it up and I see why. For $18 I'd have to hide that purcha$e from the wife. I'm not above doing that for a good lure. What's your favorite color?

Where I fish most there are 3-7" gold shiners. I catch more bass on a 7.5" bubble gum or limetreuse trick worm. There are no such worms swimming in that reservoir. When I fish a minnow or crank, it's usually gold, but not a great match. And craw patterns almost always work anywhere.

Med HvySpin with braid, Med Hvy BC with 12-14# mono. MH is not the best for everything, but it's a good compromise between everything. If I had to alter one of these, it would be a M spin.

The generic M action graphite BC rod 6.5' to 7' would do the trick. Graphite rods of a particular action tend to be about 1 action higher than composite or fiberglass rods. So the tip should be moderate but the backbone stiff. Best of both worlds. But then you have to fill it with line. I like heavy mono for spinnerbaits, but lighter diameter line for cranks. Maybe a braid would be a good compromise if the tip is moderate enough.