Outdoor Zack

Cool, thanks guys!

I always seem to land the nice stuff in a tree or lodged between rocks on the first cast. But the cheap lures must be bulletproof....

I've had Z-Mam lizards get stuck together into a mess when mixed with Zoom worms. Not pretty

I went for the first time ever on Saturday. Not impressed by the sales on tackle. But I listened to a good seminar and got a new shirt, so I guess I can't complain...

Save your money and look for something nice on sale or used.

Whichever is cheapest.

I started last summer on a Shimano MH spinning rod/reel setup. Got some EWG hooks and some #4 dropshot-style hooks, pinch on weights, and 10 lb. line. Then I got some grubs, worms, a crankbait or two, popper, and cheap Wal-Mart spinnerbait. Pretty versatile kit for a beginner. Then buy more/replace gear as you go. Good luck, bud.

Thanks

What's your favorite way to rig those craws? Texas rig through the tail?

Nothing really good by me. A lot of saltwater tackle though. If you're into that...

Ok. Never used Stick-Os before, always found what I needed in the Dinger. To each his own...

Buy Yum Dingers. Save almost $6 a bag every time.

Do yourself a favor and buy a Shimano Stimula, 5' 6" UL and a Daiwa Sweepfire 2B reel. I've been throwing light crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps (1/4 oz), grubs, and other light lures for crappies and sunfish. For only about $40, it's a killer combo.

Tubes work well, as do small roostertails.

Nice catches!

Got some new jigs earlier this week and I got to thinking, would a jig 'n pig or jig 'n craw work well for catfish? Has anybody had luck with jigs?

Good thoughts, Hawgenvy. I have some 3.5" Keitechs in my box. I'll try them sometime.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Sounds like topwater is the way to go. But has anyone ever tried creature baits like the baby bush hog? They're supposed to be pretty good in my area (from what I hear from some buddies, anyway. They fish in different ponds than me though...).

Looking for some advice for fishing small ponds, like those found on golf courses, city parks, and such. The majority of the ponds around me (besides the spillway I fish for crappie) are pretty small in size and have stained, shallow water and a lot of weeds and lilly pads. How would you recommend I go about fishing them for bass? What techniques (flipping and pitching, hopping along the bottom, swimming the lure, etc.) do you like for such situations?

Rods: Shimano Stimula Reels: Daiwa (forget model/name) Bait: Twitchbaits, Rat-L-Trap, new crankbaits, new plastics Techniques: Jig fishing, "dragging," and others

Will take a look at it. Thanks.

Was thinking more about multi-piece rod that could get snapped together to catch a few fish while I'm out hiking. Was looking at the Shimano Stimula...

I do a lot of hiking in the summer and have been thinking about a compact, lightweight rod and reel that I could haul with me when I'm out. And I picked up "Ultralight Spin Fishing" by Peter F. Cammann at the library the other day. The book is awesome and I've even learned a few things. In fact, I grabbed an old, cheap panfish rod out of the garage the other day and caught a handful of crappie and sunfish with only a cork bobber, 6 pound line, a #10 hook, and a 1.5" tube. I really enjoyed it and I like the concept, but the rod, an ancient "Shakespeare," is total crap. I'm definitely looking into upgrading. Do you guys have any experience with ultralight rod builds?

Wow, A-Jay. Thanks a lot. Definitely a few things to try in that article.

Got some finesse worms recently and have been fishing with them a little lately. I still have some questions about them though: 1. What situations would be best suited for these worms? When and where is a good time to use it? 2. The 3 or 4 times I have used them, I have Texas rigged it and retrieved it pretty slowly, reeling constantly and twitching it every once and a while, but no luck. Is that an okay technique? 3. How do they compare to Senko-style worms? Do finesse worms have more action or are they meant to be fished totally differently?