"hamma"

Looks like coontail to me as well,.also known as combomba weed,...if I spelled that right. As this stuff grows sunmerged, I will run a single bladed colorado spinnerbait over it, or a jerkbait with rattles, a topwater wont hurt either. I try to "call" bass out of it. When its reached the surface,.. I will frog fish the thick mats, and run a spinnerbait/jerkbait along its edges When bass bury themselves in it they seem to be alot tougher to catch, bait harbors in it well too, with all the room in the world to live their lives amungst the thick protected strands. At times a treble hooked lure will drive one nuts as this stuff will grow to some decent depths, and as you fish the "edge" there maybe more of it submerged that you cant see. A texas rigged worm is at home in this stuff, but the weeds "patch" can be huge, and texas rigged fishing can become a tedious, and exhausting task Its a good weed though (in my opinion) bass love it, lakes up here that have it are well known bass lakes, and can produce some good sized bass,. Again, when they arent buried in it, "dormaint" But,... when removal of the invasive specie of weed takes place, fishing will become tough, real tough. You'd think the opposite, less weed? easier fishing? but that usually doesnt take place. Its "almost" as if the fish are now homeless, and seek out whatever they can to relate to, apparently upset that they have been evicted, they become uncooperative. Either that, or the shiner bearing shore fisherman, plucks out the fish before I get there,...lol

If there is dense veggies? right around a prespawn time? I'd try flippin holes in it, with a rattling jig and pig, slowly pullin a frog over it, maybe a weedless rigged soft swimbait,... and if you can find any open water? toss a spinnerbait thats mimicing a bluegill,or shad maybe? or a rattling jerkbait fished with kinda long pauses. At least those are what I would attempt up here, Not to sure about your area tho. Your just a bit south of my locale,...lol

yeah of course I do, unless they are carrying a piece. Ya never know around here

Looked Like the angler was using a tube for that video, maybe that should be on the "versatile Baits" thread as a tube is quite versatile as it is.,...But THRU the ice? thats a new one,.... lol The video may be of "trained" fish, could be photoshopped, I hope we all know that "everything" we see on the internet is subject to scrutiny, and in many cases fake altogether,.But is sure looked real to me. I wouldnt put it past a bass to do such though. They are predators, and I've seen some crazy stuff while fishing for them. Like attacking baby ducks, bass that have a huge fish already half way down its throat and still hitting a full sized spook, I once saw one jump right out of the water to strike at a chick-a-dee on a bushes branch close to the water,. A snake swimming on the surface of the swamp,...and not a small snake either, a full grown 4 to 5 footer harassed all the way to shore! by a bass no bigger than a 1 lbr! for almost 50 yards!,....etc.,... Our quarry seems to take shots at whatever they can,. Its no wonder the helicopter lure and such are out there and actually selling. Not to spit at that lure, just an observation of the tenacity of bass. I too, would love a "consistent topwater" bite. Its so much fun! No worries Paul,.. I didnt take exception. Just an attempt to clarify

Two options,.... 1) remove the quickfire trigger and open and close the bail manually. 2) contact Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle,..(Site Sponsor),.He does awesome work and would most likely know whether its repairable or not I had one of these reels and loved it, casted well and was smooth. I miss it as mine got demolished in a fire.

Thanks, corn on the rob,...I must say that this pattern I got from a jig crafting website, so credit should go there. I liked the look as well, so tied up a brown and a green pumpkin version, and will "test" them this year.

Ummm, Did you ever try a floating rapala just after ice out? Slightly twitching it on the surface as in a dying forage? Over cover this can, and has, produced huge bass. And it has worked over drops in late fall as well. Maybe you have not tried it, or have, and it didn't work for ya. But, its worked for me. Then yet, in my younger years I was a bit crazy and would break ice at the ramp to get out to open water so I could fish. Not many others were out there then, and a perch patterned original floating rapala was one of the 3 lures tied on before I even got to the ramp. It may not be a pop-r, spook, or frog, but a "topwater" technique just the same.

Lews on the mojo,.. curado on the bucco, and buy a citica for the bps

Stren for freshwater,...berkley big game for salt

This ^^^^^^^ I was reading posts and was wondering when someone was gunna say it

It leaves a trail of bubbles if the ph is good, I do know the difference between bubbling and buldging,...Its a fine line there tho,... one breaks the surface and the other is JUST under it but not breaking it, making a "wake", or "buldge" on the waters surface. I was a huge spinnerbait fan in the 80's and 90's,..anything from a 1/8 oz beetle spin, or 1/8 stanley mini's.... to 1 1/2 oz Hogstickers, there wasnt many I havent fished, the old harts were nice, picasso's too. Flecks? they were ok and had some technique specific baits. strike kings, terminators? eh,...ok, Rocky ledge is a really nice spinnerbait,.. And the list goes on, but, I ended up with stanley wedge bladed vibrashafts, and Manns classics, being my favorites. And as I stated above, the manns will bubble

bone colored Pop-R is number 1, then a G-finished, red head and white bodied baby sized spook, and a chrome and black scale finished torpedo,.... both come in a close second All with better hooks and o-rings if need be. But,...I like a j&p on pads too

Probably hanging on a spinnerbait "rack" as one would a double bladed buzzbait. At least thats what I thought when I first saw a DWP

I liked a Manns classic, with the larger gold indiana blade and smaller colorado, I can bubble, and bulge, or wake that bait better than any others I've tried. I see Catts got the technique down. One tip is to have the reel engaged and be reeling just before the lure hits the water, So the slack in your line is already taken up. It's now easier to keep the bait UP, and just under the surface,... from the beginning of the retrieve. This also provides a quicker reaction from you as to what speed you need to keep reeling at for "proper" waking, bubbling, and buldging. I kinda miss fishing that way, hope the opportunity arises this year.

This is my 20 year old daughter with her first Smallie, we had a great day on winnipesaukee last summer. Next pic is my youngest at 11 years old 2 summers ago up on Androscoggin in Maine with her first smallie. Funny part is, before they ever caught smallies they were just ok to go fishign with me,...since their first smallies? almost every discussion includes somewhere in there, going smallie fishing,...lol I just say they have good taste!

Thats Ironic!,.In the 80's 2 of my buddies had the same cars. Dave had a gs convertable, I think it was a 70, same body style,... and Gary a 67 cutlass convertable. Both white, and abused in the heat off the summers,...lol

No doubt,...That stuff is like gold to me

4" grub,..or whatever "you" can employ as versatile. Because if you think about it,...anything can be versatile depending on how "you" manipulate it.

I dont fish a lure without some kind of scent on it. Whatever I am emulating, the corresponding scent is applied. For jig and pigs and craw imitaions? real craw. For most other lures? usually smelly jelly liquids. Anyone that has ever fished with me knows I take my fishing seriously, very seriously. Back 25 years ago or so, many studies were being done on scents, and many anglers were skeptical on their results. I had the priviledge one day to be waiting in the Rochester NY airport for a flight home, and who comes over to a table next to mine but Al Linder, Dr Juice, and my hero at the time Doug Hannon,,... Dr. Juice's hat was evidently him, Al I couldn't mistake, and Doug? I coulda kneed down and bowed like a faithful islander on Gilligans Island, bowing to king Bali Bali!. "Bali, Bali, Bali!",...lol. So,..after a few nervous minutes, I had to speak up that I fish bass, and knew who they were. Anyways, they were to go fishing some of Dr.Juice's "new" species specific scents, and I had questions of course. But what struck me the most was the mutual agreement, that studies done did actually prove that human skin oils, are very offensive to a fish's olfactory glands. Hence the Dr's "new scents",.. Of course when the Dr's scents hit the shelves I bought some. And they worked great for me, but I havent seen any in a while so I just get what I can to cover the broad range of opportunities. The fact of whatever I touch, "can" actually offend a fishes sense smell? I always use some form of scents on whatever I fish, after that meeting? wouldnt you?

I bought a dropshot rod last spring and didnt get to use it at all. So im hoping I can "break it in" this year.,... as well as,.. soft plastic swimbaits, I bought a plano 3700 full of them last year and will try to implement them in their as well.

I had 2 "old greenies" I thought were trash, 20+ years of abuse really took its toll,... Mike serviced them and they are now as good, or even better than new. Thanks again Mike

Just proves my theory that bass will hit "topwaters" anytime,...lol

Skills?,..Hmmm. I put so much effort forth many years ago, to be a consistent and versitile angler. I feel I have done so, but could that be a skill? or strength?. Now that Im starting to wake up,...Im thinking strength. Oh yeah, I tried starting with skill,.. such a tough question for me as I feel confident in just about any. I can fish just about anything, but, maybe a dropshot as I finally got a rod for it last year. I guess a skill?,... i'd say,,,, the ability to determine fish activity levels quickly. I can at home, consider the current and past weather conditions, get to a lake, and at the ramp, touch the water for a feel of its temp, consider its position on said water, with all else thought of, and get a idea of how the fish are reacting. When I finally look at a finders screen and get the actual surface temp, and see if the first fish located is on bottom, just off it, or suspeneded. Make and assumption then and there, and usually be dead on target. Yeah, just 1 fish. Be it a bluegill or whatever, doesnt matter. I did so with JE1946 at Quabbin both trips last year and unfortunately they were tough days to fish. Each trip, first thing I said when we slowly backed up from the dock and were leaving the ramp,.. "Gunna be a tough day".First trip? ended as,.a tough day,.. The second trip? we both hooked up quickly,... but both fish were a false account, the day did indeed be ,...another tough day. John had the same assumption as well though,.. I must say. Good guy, and accomplished angler,...

Ultegra has aerowrap,... Nasci doesnt,...and thats a big deal for longer casts, and probably the reason for its price. Saros was the same. If I need a new reel, Id check one out, my last spinning reel is the saros, and I'm more than happy with it

You may want to search through the 100 pages of this thread, there is a ton of info on attaching accessories, anchors, holders, and such. well worth the search. I have a 8' basshunter and use 2 motors, and batteries, as I can reach both from the center of the rig. Whenever I need to anchor I just tie the rope to the seats bracket. But its rare that I do anchor.