the reel ess

I got a Fuego CT on the recommendation of several members. It was gear-noisy right out of the box. Someone recommended I lube it because theirs came bone dry. I did but it didn't help much, if any. But I can't really complain because it seems to be working fine. OP: I bought a Lews LFS Tournament MB reel a while back for about $130. I liked it so much I bought two more later. I've now been using them 4-5 years without a single issue. I expect reels over $100 to last longer than 1-2 years and I'm disappointed when they don't.

That leaves a good amount to put toward a reel. Unless, of course, the ceiling for reel price is $250.

I've lost fewer fish since I started kayak fishing. I think it has to do with the lower rod angle and of course being on water level. And the fish can't really go under the kayak if you keep the rod angle right. They'll just turn the boat. I don't usually use a landing net for single hooks, but I do for trebles so I don't hesitate to secure the fish at the boat. It's scary when a big fish is thrashing with a face full of Whopper Plopper trebles.

The SK Rage line just says they smell. LOL. I'm going through so many I need to start buying in bulk.

I was convinced the Berkley Chigger Craw small was the best because it smells like a seafood restaurant dumpster. But now I like the SK Rage line for jig trailers and they supposedly smell like coffee. I can't smell it. But they taste like salt when I bite a little off. I couldn't bring myself to bite off the Chigger Craw. ?

Yeah, I've been to many a pond in the middle of the day and would swear there were no fish in it. But they'll perk up about 2 hrs before sunset and 2 after sunrise. OP: I fish a lot of topwaters in smaller, shallow waters and it's hard to get a fish to take one in broad daylight unless it's schooling activity where the fish are chasing bait on the surface, and that's not usually a pond thing. By that I mean the sun is shining down on the bait. So go early and late or on overcast days or target the shady areas in the day with the topwaters. If you have lilies or some other emergent vegetation, I'd be targeting them with a frog. It's an exception to the broad daylight rule. Fish will bite it more during the day in weeds if they're there. As mentioned above, some breeze will help break up the intensity of the sun. Also, the stick worm is pretty much the next best thing to live bait. If the pond is full of small fish, you can try a Trick Worm, downsizing to a 4" finesse worm or a small lizard.

Bass aren't Italian. They don't have to have garlic. That Culprit or Zoom ribbon tail worm is one of the cheapest bang for buck name brand lures there are.

That extra rod butt comes in handy on a frog hookset though. I know I had a good day when I have sore ribs.

I use a shorter (6'9") Falcon Bucoo pitching stick for this. I fish from a kayak so I don't pitch underhand very much. I sidearm cast a lot. The shorter rod is more accurate for me to sidearm cast. And I do use a reel with a smaller spool and lower line capacity. I bought it specifically for this reason.

I try. It's a lake the Army Corps of Engineers built for a drinking water reservoir. It' owned by the landowners whose property they flooded to make it. I have a key to one of the landowners' gates. There was one other boat there that morning and he stayed on the other end. BTW, I went back after work yesterday. Two dinks and a 2 pounder. I guess they can't all be banner days.

That's the entire reason I go to this place. Rarely do I catch more than about 7 or 8 fish. 10 is a lot there. But the gap between big fish is smaller than any other place I've ever fished. I know there are places with some bigger bass, but not near here. I have 6 over 4 lbs at this place this year and I lost a couple. On my birthday last summer I caught 2 over 6. I only caught 2 that day.

I've been slow getting around to posting this. But last Saturday I got a 7.93 and a 5.75. I went to the local 30 acre or so reservoir and made my way around 1/3 of it without a fish-2 misses. I paddled into a small cove and the first one bit my Whopper Plopper 110 in bone color. This fish really didn't want to give up. I had the drag set loose because I use a MH rod with braid for this bait. I had to control the drag with my thumb a couple times to keep the fish out of the lilies. I finally landed, weighed photographed and released it. I went around most of the reservoir for about 2 1/2 hours and got the bright idea to return to the scene of the crime. Same exact spot, same lure, I got a 5.75. This one really put a nice bow on the day as I only landed two other 2 pounders on a frog and jig. I'm headed back this evening after work.

When the water temp dips below, say 63 degrees, they're much less effective. But they're effective year round in shallow, warm waters. Some of the best places for topwaters are shallow, weedy waters. "Warm" is a relative term, depending on where you live. Here in SC, it seems to me 63 degree water and up is just fine for topwaters. We had a cold snap of 44 degree lows for a few nights at the end of last week. Saturday, they still bit the Whopper Plopper. I'll start trying them in March, which is prespawn here, and keep on trying until they work. Then they become a focus for me until the water cools too much in fall.

nm

Topwaters. I want to move to FL so I can use them year round.

There's a place about 20 miles from me I've fished 3 times. It's good for one fish a trip. Last time I put in two guys were getting out and told me get there early because they disappear at 10:00.

I'm 50 and I've come to realize getting old means having some kind of discomfort almost constantly. Also, now I can choke on air and I'm clumsier than I've ever been. My balance sux. I get on the floor and put my feet up on an ottoman and stretch my back and neck when I've tweaked something. A weightlifter told me to always stretch whatever's sore and it definitely helps.

Now that I have a few 7'+ rods, 6'6" seems too short. I still use a couple 6-6 rods though just because they won't break or wear out.

You can't go wrong with Falcon. I have the "big cranker" Lowrider from about 15-20 years ago and it's still my best quality rod. I bought it from a coworker for $50. I also have a newer Bucoo pitching rod I use for my jigs. It's also great quality for the price point.

IDK about you but I fish some heavier baits than I did in even the 2000s. I don't recall using any baits over about 5/8 oz. for most of my life except for a C-rig. I've moved up to a MH 7' rod for my larger treble baits like the Whopper Plopper and SPRO Rat, even lipless cranks. And I use braid main line with a short mono leader on it. I just loosen the drag to compensate for the higher power and the braid.

I just hook the snap onto whatever the lure has. The one lure I can think of that has a split ring is the lipless crank, or cranks in general and jerkbaits. It doesn't seem to make a bit of difference.

I haven't had any real problems with property owners, mostly just bass fishermen that want to crowd, especially during tournaments. But my buddy was fishing alone at a public landing. A car stopped at the road and let a shady looking character out. Then the car left. My buddy said the guy walked up beside him and chatted a bit. Then he got quiet but didn't leave. My friend said it was getting pretty uncomfortable and he was sure the guy was going to try to rob him. Then the guy just walked off down the road without another word.

I keep these two tied on for the most part. One exception is I'll sometimes start off with a buzzbait before changing to a spinnerbait.

Topwaters, the noisier the better. T rigged lizard. Spawning bass will simply not tolerate a lizard around the nest. The frog works well if there are any spawning near weeds or lilies. I've tossed one out and let it soak over a bed and the fish couldn't stand it. That's about the only time of the year I can get a bite in open water with a frog. Trick Worm in the loud colors. Spinnerbait and lipless crank round out the spawn arsenal for me. Prespawn females will eat whatever comes by that resembles their normal forage. Oh, and the jig. Winner-Winner!!! I caught the bass off three straight beds this spring with a lizard.

Gold is so much more productive for me and few spinnerbait mfg's offer one. I just bought one of those Roland Martin Big Bass spinnerbaits in golden shiner. This is the spinnerbait with the swing head design. I was disappointed to see the color was more black than gold. Have they never seen a golden shiner?