the reel ess

I've broken 2 War Eagle spinnerbaits. But my current PB, caught July 2020 was on one. Beyond breaking the arm off, the lead head gets loose after a good bit of use. I bought a Megastrike Roland Martin Big Bass spinnerbait and it seems very sturdy. The wire is thick and it's twisted into an eye for the line tie.

I tie on 5, 6 or 7 things that I think will work based on seasonal patterns, conditions and location. It's a different thing from day to day. But in warm weather, especially in a smaller body of water, I'll sometimes have 3 topwaters tied on for the morning. As the sun rises, I'll usually switch at least 2 over to something else. For instance, I may start off with a buzzbait and switch it over to a spinnerbait. Or I'll switch a topwater over to a lipless crank. I don't have a rod for every lure that I use.

I like Tactical Anglers clips for treble lures, especially topwaters. Small, strong and don't seem to affect action.

That's the cool thing about the kayak. I substitute paddling for my cardio exercise that day, especially if there's a stiff breeze. Even if I zero it's still never a waste.

When I get to the lake and start unloading the kayak and didn't forget anything. Not the paddle, crate, fishing rods or the tackle box I actually wanted. Or the actual kayak.

Cool! Let me know you you do.

I hooked one Saturday morning as well, but on a jig. When it dug in I thought I had the monster of the lake. It came to the surface in some brush and opened its mouth. It didn't even have a hook in it. It was just hanging on.

Popper, spinnerbait, jig, lipless crank. Lately I'm getting most bites on a shaky head worm.

Welcome. I'm from the piedmont of SC. I can't speak about the lakes near Chapel Hill. But Badin and Tuckertown are two nice lakes within driving distance. I've fished there with my uncle and we were usually one of very few boats on the lake. Development is very restricted on Badin.

It's my experience that, if you can get a bass to take the jig, they'll hold it a while. A good bit of the time that's how I recognize the strike. The jig's just moving off in an odd direction. I either get that type of bite or the bass tries to yank the jig away from me.

Or just buy the bone color.

I do. I just forgot to mention it. I prefer it to small poppers.

Buzzbait, Teckel Sprinker Frog, SPRO Rat, Devil's Horse, Tiny Torpedo are a few of my favorite oddball topwaters.

I've caught fish with hooks in the roof of the mouth. I've had a fish break off my Spook and I found it a little later floating. But I've also caught bass that had a mouth full of trebles. They could have swam for days and not worked them out. Those fish would likely die if they had broken off.

Absolutely.

Looks like you answered your own question there.

No, like this. It's very useful in placing a quiet cast to a target.

I use the sidearm a lot because I kayak fish and that's how I cast or skip under trees and docks. It's a matter of rotating the bait underhanded and allowing the tip of the rod and the bait's centrifugal force propel the bait when you release the spool. Look up "roll cast" on YouTube. Keep practicing. You'll get it. I've been using a baitcaster since I was 13. There are still a few things I'm not too good with it like a backhand cast or skip.

If you're lake fishing, a Normans DD22 works well. I've caught them on flukes, Traps, plastic swimbaits.

nm Someone beat me to the punch

I have one in frog color, not that the bass can see the back of it. My previous PB was caught on one. It was a July morning. I cast to a twig sticking up in about a foot of water and the fish just slurped the bait before it moved. I just didn't see it anymore so I set the hook and it was on. I think the hooks on it are pretty good, if a tad small. I just sharpened mine. I prefer the Chug Bug to a smaller popper because those are almost too light to accurately cast on most BC gear. Saturday i fished 4 1/2 hours before catching a bass on the Chug Bug. And it was almost a double. two fish came out of the water getting after this bait.

Nah. And on lures that I need a really hard hookset, like jigs, I have the drag set very tight. On trebles, if you sweep the rod on a hookset that will usually get it done. I keep the drag set pretty loose on those because I use braid almost exclusively now.

Heavier rod, braided line, faster reel. I walk and fish a place that's all lilies around the edge. The idea with a long, heavy rod is to get the fish to the top of a mat and drag them in. Doesn't always work that way though. Actually, I fish the mat with a frog more than I cast out from it.

4 hours unless the fishing is just horrible. I fished for 4.5 hours Saturday for one fish late in the trip. But it was a healthy 2 pounder on topwater and there were two fish going after the Chug Bug. I almost had my fist double ever.

If you're interested in a Wilderness Tarpon, take a look at the current Perception Pescador. They're very similar. From what I've been told, the Pescador (not the Pro) is the last generation of Tarpon. It's the same mold. You could save a wad.