Big Easy Bassin'

Haven't really fished many jigs since I started bass fishing, but again I'm looking to expand my techniques. Picked up some 1/4oz SK Bitsy Flip jigs today after work. I bank fish and the ponds/lagoons I fish are very shallow, especially around the lilies and grass I've been catching fish on lately, so I wanted something light that would sink a little slower. I'm just looking to see what trailers y'all recommend for a small jig like the Bitsy Bug. Black and blue has been the hot color where I fish, so I got the black and blue jig and some matching black and blue Zoom Lil' Critter Craws. Any other plastics y'all think I should try?

A 4 pounder and a 3.5 from the past week. Got the 3.5 last Thursday after work and the 4 on Saturday. Those NOLA City Park post-spawn bass have been biting really good the past couple weeks

As far as rods go, I don't feel a difference in castability between a M and a MH dealing with spinning rods, so I'm not sure how much difference that will make while in trying to learn. Guess I don't notice it too much with a spinning reel bc if I wanna cast far I just whip it and throw it as hard and as fast as possible lol

Previously I've only tried the cheaper Academy/BPS reels. Now that I'm more serious about it and already spending more than I used to for my spinning rigs, I was looking to invest more into something better to learn with. I'm somewhat biased when it comes to what I will use, and all of my spinning rigs are either Daiwa or Lew's products, but I am starting to shy away from Lew's. I feel like their newer models just aren't the same as the stuff they were coming out with a few years ago. I was a saltwater guide specializing in speckled trout in south Louisiana and still fish for trout on occasion, and all the gear I used was always technically considered bass gear. I like using light tackle lol. But I've been looking at either the Daiwa Fuego or Tatula. Any thoughts on either of these? I don't mind spending money on fishing gear, but I was hoping to keep this combo around 300 to keep the wife off my back lol

I've only been bass fishing about a year, and I have only used spinning gear. I've tried casting rigs and have failed because I get aggravated with backlashes and just put them aside and keep fishing. I feel like I can do anything and everything with spinning. Although I've been pretty successful so far, as I get more into bass fishing (I've fished a couple of tournaments and looking to do more), am I missing out on possibly catching more fish because I'm only using spinning rigs? I've looked into trying a baitcaster, but when I'm about to get one I talk myself out of it and just keep thinking I'm doing fine without them. Just don't want to miss out on fish because I'm slightly impatient when it comes to learning how to use one. Thanks for any advice everyone!

Sure will. Thanks for the tip!

No I've never tried Audobon Park. Any good fish? Couple of guys I met Sunday in City Park told me they fished Lafreniere Park a couple weekends ago. They caught 20 or so but all dinks

I'm a pretty avid City Park fisherman. I'm out there pretty much every weekend. Is can be rough because it's very shallow and very grassy, but there's some really nice bass in there. Caught this one Saturday

Ok so I just got some great news. My wife and I are planning a little trip to Dallas for the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April, and I've been given the ok to dedicate one day to fishing. Planning on trying to book a guide and take a trip to Lake Fork. Just wondering if you guys have any recommendations/opinions as far as who I should look into. I'm hoping it wouldn't be too late to find someone. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

New PB today! 5lb15oz

Thanks. And I apologize for the child-like expression on my face... I was really excited about this fish. 8# test FC on my pole had me nervous lol

Great day in NOLA City Park. Started out a little rainy, but once the rain ended the fishing started. The LMB were coming out of the water crushing the shad. Started off with the popper, but couldn't seem to hook up with them when they would hit it. Switched to a 1/4oz Rat-L-Trap (chrome w/ blue back) and it was on. Little rough considering if I didn't hook a fish I was pulling in a wad of grass that weighed as much as a fish, but cleaning off the lure was well worth it. 17 LMB. Not a single dink. Every fish was 2# and up. And to top it off I can now update my PB on my profile!!!!!! 5lb 15oz!!!!!!!! Wish I could've hit that 6# mark, but it will come.

Just an update for everyone who has been giving me advice. By the way, I really appreciate the help. I know yall have been throwing out a bunch of different lure companies, but the SK Red Eye Shad has been producing for me so I've been sticking with what works. Went and bought about 10 different colors (all 1/4oz). I've been off of work since Wednesday, so I spent Wednesday, Thursday, and today in the park testing (had to do the family thing Friday lol) and this is what I've come up with. Like I said, I was trying to find 3 go-to colors so that I could limit the amount of tackle I was carrying around in my backpack. Well, I have found my big 3. 1. Sexy Shad 2. Orange Craw 3. Firetiger Orange Craw has been my top producer as of yet, especially today. Caught 15 bass, 11 of which were caught on O.C. The crankbait bite died out towards the end of the day, so I switched techniques and caught the last 4 on a weightless Baby Brush Hog. And I can now update my personal best to between 4 and 5 lbs!!! Caught the biggest bass of my life today on the Orange Craw. 4lb 4oz!!!

How much difference will the 3/8oz make from the 1/4oz? I went with the 1/4oz just because I don't fish in any water much deeper than 4 or 5 feet. Wasn't sure how heavy I should go in that shallow of water

I've caught quite a few on the wacky rig and T-rigged finesse worms. Been trying to expand my arsenal and learn some new techniques since I'm just getting into bass fishing. I haven't thought about a swim jig yet. Gonna have to add that to my arsenal for next weekend. Thanks

Just want to get some opinions on crankbait color choices. I bank fish ponds around the New Orleans area, so I am limited to the ammount of tackle I can carry. I have recently started using the 1/4oz Strike King Red Eye Shad and the Series 1 Square Bill and I really like them. These ponds and lagoons are normally no deeper than 5-6ft at their deepest and the water is stained (usually 6-8in of visibility). I'm wondering if 2 color options is enough or should I go with 3? And what are some of your go-to colors?

Got another solid cold front and woke up to temps in the low 40s (that's cold here in NOLA). Got to New Orleans City Park for another round of bank fishing around 5:30 and hit my favorite golf course pond that I have permission to fish. Was able to get 2 largemouth on a chartreuse spinnerbait.unti leaving around 7. One was between 3/4# and 1#, the other close to 2#. Didn't have much luck for a while, so I took a break from around 10 until noon. Went back and fished a lagoon with 1/4oz Rat-L-Trap and caught 8 more, the biggest being a very nice fish around 3.5#. Need to get my iPhone back so I can take pics because this fill-in (flip phone circa 1999) doesn't upload to the computer. A pretty good day for this bass fishing beginner.

@gulfcaptain. I'll look into a crankbait rod. I'll get them at around 1' to 2' and when they come up to the top I'll pull the hook as soon as I see them. From the research I've done on the net I think it's because of the MH setup I'm using. I think a medium setup will help me with that (or at least I think lol)

Thanks Big C. Already looking at a 7'6" Heavy for frogs. I was thinking I could use that setup for dropping a big jig down through the grass as well. But I'm wondering if I should do the 7' Medium or the 6'6". And I'm also unsure about the action. That would probably be my spinnerbait/crankbait rig. Should that be Moderate, Fast, or ExtraFast? And would that style rig be good for a swim bait like a Fluke? I feel like my current setup doesn't do well with a swim bait.

I just started bass fishing about a year ago. I bank fish both in the pond at my apartment complex and in New Orleans City Park's ponds/lagoon system. Both are very shallow. I'm usually fishing in 1' to 3' of water, and they're 6' to 7' at their deepest with a lot of grass pretty much everywhere. Right now I'm basically throwing strictly soft plastics and I'm looking to venture out into some new techniques, but I need some advice on new rods and reels. Currently using a Team Daiwa S Spinning Rod - 7'2" - MH - EF paired with a Daiwa Exceler 2000SH spinning reel with 8# P-Line Flourocarbon. That has been my only rig for bass fishing. All of my others are set up for speckled trout fishing in the South Louisiana Marsh. I'm a big Daiwa guy and I've been using their stuff for the past 2 or 3 years so I'll probably stick with them, but I'm not exactly sure what I should get. I've tried some spinnerbaits and crankbaits and I've caught a few fish on them, but I seem to be missing a lot of bites. I'd like to get 2 new rod and reel setups. One for spinners and cranks, and the other one is still undecided. I bank fish for bass, so 3 poles in my limit. I also strictly use spinning setups. At some point maybe I will pick up a baitcaster again, but for now I like my spinning gear. So what kind of setup should I look for in a spinnerbait/crankbait pole, and what are some ideas for a third rig? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice. I'm new to bass so I've just been trying everything to learn some new techniques. Not many spots to bass fish other than ponds in my area.

I've been fishing the small 1-1.5 acre pond at my apartment complex since the beginning of summer. I've had quite a bit of success, especially considering people who have lived here for years would stop when the saw me catch a fish that the didn't know there were bass in the pond. Honestly I didn't either. I always saw people catching perch and a few catfish, but I got bored one Saturday while the wife was working and started throwing a Texas rigged Baby Brush Hog with a 1/8oz weight and caught 3 fish my first trip. Since then I'm out there at least 3 days a week on my days off. I've caught all sizes. Anything from the smallest bass I've seen to my PR of 3.1lbs and I've been having a lot of luck lately fishing a junebug colored Berkley Powerworm weightless on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWB offset worm hook. We're finally getting temps in the 50's down here in NOLA and fishing has slowed down a good bit. Just looking for some alternate techniques. Pond is very shallow. Only 6ft or so in the very middle near the 3 fountains. Very grassy in the middle too. The pond is lined with rocks, and the last time it was redone a lot of rocks fell into the pond, giving it a nice sloping bank of rock all the way around. Most of my catches have come either bouncing my weightless rig off/through the rocks or just off the rocks on top of the grass. I'd really appreciate any thoughts.