the reel ess

Sunrises and sunsets are a spiritual thing for me. I prefer sunrise because it signals the promise of another day. I can still continue to fish after it.

June 25th 9:12, T-rigged SK Ocho stick worm. Pulled it over some lilies and let it drop off the deep edge. BAM! I have another 8 lb. caught a few years ago about 10:00 AM in a shallow flat in full sunlight, July on a War Eagle spinnerbait in gold shiner pattern. Not really sure which of these is the PB.

Weightless worms like Trick Worm and Speed Worm, finesse C-rigs, very light treble lures, shaky head, anything with a light wire hook, Small Pop R. Anything difficult to cast with baitcasting gear. During spawn, I'll rig one up with a lizard.

CacthCo's Trashmaster is the BEST jig I've ever used. I don't think I've ever lost one. And it's the best for skipping too. Other than that, I'd just say an Arkie head and a good hook will get 'er done.

One more rule to live by: The best way to get the best bite of the day is to cast someplace fishy and get a backlash you have to pick out.

I fish all of the water column. It's just more fun to me when they'll bite topwaters. I'll fish however I have to to get BIG bass.

-It's more fun to catch two 2 lb bass on top than four 3 lb bass off the bottom. -If you want to improve at a technique, leave all the other combos at home, in the truck or in the rod locker. Also, go somewhere that receives little pressure to try new techniques. -Cloud cover and light rain is your friend. -Bass in heavy cover have a false sense of security. If you fish all around it but not in it you're selling yourself short.

-Big bass are solitary creatures and usually won't inhabit the same territory. -Don't give bass too much credit. Fish are neither smart nor dumb. They're just running on pure instinct and have no idea why they do the things they do. If you could ask one and he could answer, the answer would be "I don't know". -Topwater bites from largemouth in open water, in direct high sunlight are very rare. -You don't need more than a few colors of each soft plastic, only 1 if you choose black/blue, junebug or purple. -Braid on spinning reels eliminates a whole lot of line twist issues. -When you can present a jig and craw to a big bass in cover, they'll usually bite it and they won't want to let it go. -If big bass are what you're targeting, expect the occasional skunk. -When they get used to your arsenal, show them something new. -When you get your buddy's fishing report that they aren't biting, don't believe it. Tournaments show that someone always catches some. If the water is high, fish the new habitat (with a spinnerbait)

As you said, no absolutes. I caught a previous PB in about 18" of water in July. Then, there's the spawn where you can see most of them.

Yeah, I would do this with a weighted EWG the same as I do a toad. But I would probably use the Rage Craw for more action.

Someone on here recommended the Daiwa Fuego to me for a $100 reel. I bought one and didn't care for it. I mean it works but it's noisy. So the next $100 reel I bought was a Lew's LFS. It was so much better than the Fuego I bought another LFS. I've also owned 3 Tournament MBs and I'm still using 2 of them. Lew's is some good stuff.

Yes. Practice the sidearm. You can skip that way too. I rarely flip. I've tried punching, but the weeds don't grow very deep here.

Wonder if this is the reason the Tactical Bassing guys relocated.

Tournaments on big bass lakes have been won using that and similar worms.

A paid for truck is a luxury a lot of people don't have. Look for the cheapest jon boat you can find and rig it yourself.

I agree totally. But you are in Florida. ?

People thing they won't get many bites on the big ribbon tail worm. I caught a 1 pounder on a 12" Culprit recently.

Come over to the southeast. Not to get into politics, but it's a little "more free" here. OK, it's a lot more free. A license or a permit is what you get when the government takes away your liberties, then sells them back with stipulations. And gas is way cheaper here. Of course, in SC, we don't have any 20+ lb. bass. Are there no lower cost opportunities? Or are you after a trophy? If the lake is full of 10+ lb. bass, I'd probably pay it too. I tow a kayak in the bed of my truck approximately 2 miles. So gas is negligible. I spend whatever I lose in soft plastics most days. Sometimes I lose a blade bait. I have thrown a Plopper that broke off so high in the trees I couldn't see it. But my buddy got it back for me months later. So I'd have to say I don't spend much at all per trip, though my wife and daughter would disagree based on the Amazon cart.

Try a very light one. I use the 1/8 oz. I tried every EWG hook in my box before settling on the VMC Drop Dead. But I've noticed fish don't know or care if the toad is upside down. It's just a personal preference for me.

Yeah, that's the problem with videos from Florida. I went to FL one winter for two very warm days and bass practically lined up to get on my hook. Came home and zeroed twice. Most lures work better there. I had some good luck a few years ago with the Devil's Horse in postspawn situation, near week edges. But it's not a bait I'd expect to slay them on every time out. In fact, I was giving the lure a rip-rest-rip retrieve. Roland just twitches it. On my best day with a Tiny Torpedo I was retrieving it steadily, like a small Plopper.

I have a Heddon jointed Pikie that I've thrown.I bought it at an antiques store after watching people jigger poling on YouTube. Haven't caught anything though. LOL.

I still use the Chug Bug, Spook, occasionally a Torpedo or a Devil's Horse. It doesn't get much more old school than a worm, though we have a lot of varieties to choose from now.

Last night I took combos rigged with a shaky head, swimbait, toad, stick worm, lipless crank, Whopper Plopper. I also took a monster ribbon tail worm and a blade bait, as well as my primary topwaters box. I caught one on the stick worm and 5 on the toad. Lost one on the WP and one on the toad. So, all my bites came on 2 rods. I didn't know until I saw a video about junk fishing that I've been doing it since I started bass fishing. I think most people with a kayak don't have electronics and are really "throwing a net" in their style of fishing. But I fish a few private places so I'm familiar with the hot spots, the contour, the structure and cover and the seasonal patterns for them. That narrows down the blind casting a lot. For instance, there are stretches of my favorite 30 acre reservoir that I just paddle by lately because they're a waste of precious time. I only had 3 hours to kill after work last night so I had to play the odds.

I also use VMC drop dead weighted 1/8 oz. Not sure of the size though. I'm pretty sure what I did was go to Academy, get the hook and get a toad and see which looked the right size. If you get a Seizmic Toad the hook should rest perfectly in a slot in the back of the toad with the point barely stuck into plastic, making the bait very weedless. This toad gives me the best hookups, not that I've tried every toad on the market. I also like the Zoom Horny Toad.

I'm hoping they're improved. I'd only spend $35 for a one fish bait if I knew it was a PB.