the reel ess

I don't use any chucks, except with the weedless spoon as shown above. My philosophy is that bass eat craws year round. And the craws they eat don't look like frogs, they look like craws. So I just keep it simple with Rage Craw, Rage Bug and Super Speed Craw.

Go to the videos on this here board and start with "beginner" videos. These things didn't exist when I was a kid so I learned from what others would divulge or show me or trial and mostly error. Fishermen used to hold their cards close if they were on a good pattern. Find yourself a place where the fishing is easy. I visit my friend's pond sometimes when the bite gets really slow everywhere. The fish are stunted and hungry. It's a great way to develop some techniques. If you see a private place that looks fishy, don't be shy about asking the landowner if you can fish it. You'll be surprised how many would prefer someone take some fish out. And if you like to eat fried fish, pond bass are generally the cleanest you can get. Don't overthink it. I'd start off with a T rigged worm (I did), spinnerbait and a topwater lure. Practice with these. If you see a technique that looks fun, research when and where to use it. If you try a topwater frog in January, you probably won't get much action, unless you're in So FL. As you advance, you're probably going to want more than one combo so you can specialize a bit. Techniques are easier and more enjoyable used on the combos suited for them. The first I would get is a MH. I won't specify baitcast or spinning. Whatever you're comfy with. Next would be a medium for lighter and finesse lures. There are many videos out there regarding which rod actions/powers to use for which baits. Lastly, fish the way you like to fish. Most of us aren't tournament anglers, so numbers of 15" fish are not that important until the bite gets really slow. Enjoying the sport is the most important thing. My favorite lures are topwaters. It's usually warm here April to maybe November so I get a lot of opportunities. I'd rather catch 2 on top than 4 on bottom. Good luck (make your own luck by being informed).

If it's a big fish I usually overestimate it by a pound or two. I've caught 2 over 7 this year and one 6. But I caught a 3.75 on a Whopper Plopper last weekend that fought harder than any fish I've caught this year. It wouldn't give up, even when I lipped it. Thank goodness for the hooks on a WP. Best hooks on any lure I have. But some of the lightest strikes I've gotten were big bass on topwaters, like a popper. They'll just sneak up under it and it'll disappear.

I had to yank a topwater away from one twice. I saw it coming though as it swooped both times.

Around here, time of day is a water temp issue. In winter, the window is noon to about 4. As the water warms, it spreads out more. It seems like you can catch them any time of day during spawn, though I like some shadows for the topwater bite. Then, postspawn, when the water is getting warmer quick, it becomes more of a morning-evening thing. In the hottest part of the year, I don't even go midday. Of course, you gotta go when you can go.

I got one of my biggest crappie as a bycatch, fishing for bass with a CC Super Spot.

I have a few ponds I'll usually try for bass and if they won't comply in about an hour, I'll break out a Rooster Tail or a Beetle Spin for the bluegills. Not surprisingly, this usually elicits a few bass bites as well. It doesn't take a big bass to be fun on an ultralight combo.

I went to the local bait shop in Pawley's Island, SC and asked for some lures for reds, trout and flounder, expecting to pay $30 for an assortment. The guy working there handed me a gold Johnson Silver Minnow and a bag of Gulp Mullet with a couple of jigheads. I caught flounder on both, but nothing else except a small toadfish.

You probably only got that one bite. And don't feel bad. That's how I notice most of my jig bites. The good news is they'll usually hold it a while.

If Lot lived in the present day South Carolina he would have a SALT WIFE sticker on the back window of his pickup.

I use a wide array of colors: black and blue. When I want to change it up a bit I use blue and black.

NM. Replied to the wrong person.

Same here. Catching a few dinks is not really what I'm trying to do. It only takes one good fish to make a day worthwhile.

When confronted with a lure dropping in their faces, fish have 2 options. Flight or bite. But big fish have less flight in them. And I'm sure the entry sometimes triggers the strike. Often times I'll toss the frog into the lilies and make it plop down. It gets their attention. Sometimes they bite immediately.

I got three off three consecutive beds Saturday with a T rigged lizard. But those were the only beds I saw with fish. Well, I saw one big mama cruising another bed, but I spooked her. I went back about 30 minutes later and didn't see her and couldn't get a bite with the usual spawn baits.

Big ones are always 1-2 less than I think they're going to be.

I generally won't drink much before I go. I sip on a bottle or a steel bottle of water throughout the day. I usually don't have to go. But when I do, I just get out and duck behind cover, if anyone's there. If not I just pee and get right back in the boat.

I have fished a bed for 30 minutes before getting a bite. They aren't really eating most of the time, rather removing the bait from the bed. I caught one two Thursdays ago off a bed and went back and caught it again Saturday. I checked its mouth for marks and it appeared to have been caught recently. Males are more likely to bite than females, unfortunately. Some people will keep the male after it bites and work on the female, then release both if she bites. @compositi It's almost always at least stained water where I fish. I like black/blue for creatures. I should say the bass like it. Oddly, when it comes to the Trick Worm and fluke, they seem to like the wild colors: bubblegum and limetreuse. I believe fish can see a lot better than we imagine they can. One little rule of thumb is to go into Walmart and see which colors they're out of. Then go to Academy or online and buy those. They're most likely the best colors in your area.

I went last Thursday and caught a male off the bed. Went back Saturday and caught it again. I switched up lures. Jig the first time and lizard the next. There haven't been any females on the bed. They may have been since Saturday though. I'm going again Saturday AM.

I caught one the other day 4.5 lb. that was not yet spawned out. It looked like it had a 6 lb. head and a 3 lb. body. And it was pretty banged up. When I released it, it just stayed right where I placed it for probably 30 seconds before slowly swimming off. I think the entire spawn season is rough on them. Some don't eat for a couple weeks.

I'm not saying you should wait around to set the hook. But my experience is they'll hold it a while. Sometimes I detect the bite because the jig is moving off to the side. Other times I detect the bite because I start to move the jig and the bass pulls it back. My experience is that bigger bass don't want to let go even after they feel resistance. Then there are the times I feel the telltale tap-tap. That's generally a small bass biting and spitting it out repeatedly. I think they're trying to stun the crawfish so it has no defense.

Same here. It only takes one good fish to make a trip worthwhile for me. And I learn more sometimes grinding it out than I do catching them easily. Occasionally, I'll load the kayak up and head to a different place.

Spinnerbait, jig, jerkbait and Whopper Plopper anywhere from the spawning flats to the first dropoff. Some years here it's exactly as you describe. For some reason it's been better this year. I've caught some good females off the wood cover between deep water and spawning flats. I've also cleaned up on the 1-2 lb. males in the shallows. I've seen beds but only one male on one. I caught him twice. He was still on that bed 3 days later.

I tell anyone who asks me for bass fishing advice to join this forum and search its videos. Not that I don't answer their questions to the best of my ability. But it's not easy to impart 50 years of fishing in one conversation.

3/8 oz. for me. But I've tried 1/4 and 1/2. 3/8 is easier for me to cast than 1/4 is. 1/2 seemed to be always getting hung up. 3/8 skips better than a 1/2 to me also. But I started using the Trashmaster jig. That greatly decreased hangups. There's nothing worse than approaching a promising looking laydown only to get your jig hung on the first cast. But I use a lighter weight on a T rig. Usually 3/16 or 1/4 oz. The rate of fall is quicker with no skirt.