"hamma"

some nice ties there dodfire, I found a pic of my brown craw tie, its got mono eyes and rabbit zonker claws, I will attempt to attach the pic, cant wait to use it.

Try the new Kastking, they sponsor the site and are in New york Or "did" sponsor this site, but I dont see them over there anymore>>>

I thought of that as I found a topic about it on another site. I did negate it as Im not sure how the mix will react in different molds I was told by some shore fishing trout anglers that they were checked by a ranger. They had to reel in their lines and the weights were inspected, how im not sure, but they were checked.

LOL,...6 inches? I got about 16,and my snowblowers gearbox is slipping, (hope its just an adjustment) its been flawless for almost 40 years now. Good thing we got kids and shovels,.lol,.. Spring will be here soon and the snows will melt, I too, wish it could be tomorrow instead of waiting.

I dont know if I can thank you enough, the above info cant be measured in a values aspect. I will follow your advise and get the pro pot IV, as well as the rest of your diligent instructions, I did read all of the posts in your links, and am grateful for all you have instructed Excellent work Will! Thanks again!

Tidal fishing is a entity all its own, Catt had it right when he stated Bass are controlled by the tide. They are in fact "reacting" to their environment and its daily changes. Current can be considered structure in some cases, and bass will use a current break just as any other salty fish does in the ocean. Its like a buffet, at times forcing forage right to them. Dypsis's "spot" held fish at certain times as, when the tide moves in and out so do bass. They move "in" when the tide is rising, and "out" when its falling. Much like a reservoirs bass will do as water rises and falls. But,..this movement is taking place twice a day in each direction. Bass will gravitate to the best spot in a tidal river to ease the amount of actual ground they will have to cover. Also referred to as the best "structure" and the available cover on said structure is what you will catch the bass off of, be it a tree, boulders, seawall, logjam etc. Dypsis's deeper water to shallow was the drop, or structure, the cover being the trees. This "spot" could also be just a temporary holdover spot in a highway the bass use to migrate on during a certain depth in the tide, moving to another as the tide receeds etc. Typically on tidal rivers the best "structure" will be the biggest and most profound point, or a gigantic flat that has the channel beside it, or a huge but sharp turn in the river, creating a deep channel on the outside bends and shallow flats on the inside turns. The key to the tidal question is finding the proper and prolific cover on said areas. Usually a grassbed, or waterchestnut, Hard cover will hold bass to, but usually only for a shorter period of time, unless it harbors deep water at dead low tide.. Bass will also have a abundance of forage to choose from in a tidal river, the options are endless, usually its a match the hatch type deal. The wary angler will seek out what the river is offering at that time for prolific forage.,... could be herring, or shad, or even crabs, elvers are a option at a certain time of year as well. Pinpointing what the river is holding, and mimicing that forage will put you in the fish gods good graces, but dont ever negate a jig and pig in a tidal river. The upper freshwater will have crayfish all the way down thru brackish water, and we all know how bass feel towards the protein rich crayfish. Tidal rivers are a different animal, understanding it's quirks, the tides movements, and variations of its movements, key areas, and best covers is just a small portion of their allure. The tidal bass are tough, and strong, like a river bass, as they have a constantly changing current to deal with 24/7, 4 changes every day. If you can follow the clues a tidal river can be a great place to fish, offering a changing environment that must be adhered to. Creating angling opportunities that a lake just doesnt have. Most tidal anglers will have a routine they follow religiously, known areas that at certain tides hold bass, can be miles apart or just around the bend, and at the incoming, and outgoing tides they may not be the same, or may be. And the "may be's" can and usually are the best areas. One thing about tides is this, not all tides are the same, some days high tide may come up say ten feet on a cement seawall, but a couple weeks away? it may come up that same wall fifteen feet, and the same goes for out going tides as well,.. thats why the biggest and most profound structure on a tidal river is usually a good bet. Bass are lazy!

Whats wrong with stren? Take a look at my PB over there<<< Yeah,.. caught on stren, 12 lb test,..... how u doin? and Bill Dance is making a living doing what he loves to do again,...How u doin? not to sound abrasive, but,...really? Enzo Amoire, Big Cass, and the WWE universe couldnt put it any better. In Enzo's quiet voice,... how u doin? lol,.. just funnin around

the am, just before sunup, then the rest of the day is upon me, I can leave and come back if I want to evening fish,..all in the same day.,....what a concept huh?

I agree, considering the WHY in some instances is the hardest part of bass fishing in my opinion. But yet still alluring. Up here? There arent many big lakes where bass are the top predator, or only predator, for that matter. Pike, pickeral, and various trouts, will fill up a finders screen with deep water haunts just as much as a bass will. Only way to determine what you see on a finder is to catch one, if you can,.... some of these species will, and do, not only colonize the deeper waters, but will mix in together as well. To say that what you see on a finders screen is bass, is a very difficult assumption, as these fish will harbor these "deep haunts" while either inactive, or targeting specific forage, which again, is a difficult assumption alone. Due to the fact that there may be a couple dozen different forage's to choose from. Insect's such as hellgramite's, mayflies, skeeter larvae, etc. etc. etc, to suckers, dace, chubs, herring, alwive, shiner, shad, crayfish, eels, and so on. Keying in on the correct forage maybe a dauntless task, and these deeper fish, usually drive most bass anglers nuts trying to figure out "what's down there?",... From NH's lakes region, Maines big lakes, Quabbin, and many other large waters in New England. Most bass anglers stick to the shorelines due to this difficult deep structure entity. "Some" will venture out with a dropshot rig, or carolina rig, jigs, and swimbaits, All seeking that magic spot on a spot that harbors those chunky deep water bass, be it smallies or largemouth, but most,... give up frustrated. I am stubborn, and over the years of being so, have found a few tricks, tips, and hints, that dont "always" work. But pan out on a 50/50 basis if im that lucky! Maybe thats why Im such a "jighead and grub guy" as this is my bait of choice to initiate the first hit. Many of these predatory fish will hit it, be it, reluctantly, or with reckless abandonment. And much like Rick Clunn, at that moment, the why doesnt matter,....its more the "what is on the line" right then. And that right there, is deep water structure bassing up here in a nutshell. There's alot of doubt, considerations, and anticipation, until you finally see what you've hooked. And if it is a bass? then comes the why.,... Only,.. that thought doesn't arise until my next cast, as the lure dissappears into the depths once again. Anxious for another tummy filled smallie that pushes the PB issue. Affirming another deep water haunt that holds them during a "easterly" breeze, at that time of year. Science, art, and why? up here? To me, only follow's trial and error, and much of it at that. Then I can start picking apart, or put together, the science, art, and why. I wonder how much success Buck Perry would have enjoyed employing his theories up here, that would have panned out as bass. Trolling spoons, over deep structures up here? many salmon, and laker guys do catch some smallies, and some largemouth. But they also get pike, pickeral, rainbows, and their quarry as well.

The only reference I've seen so far was a in-fisherman show. And from what I saw? its far from a "regular old swimbait" in my opinion I still have some old sassy shads from the 80's, and although they still work, and I do use them. Their all you got in a bag, no jigheads, and rattles? needed to be added, and the action? was mainly just the tail wiggle. Maybe its a older angler thing, but I was impressed by the action, built-in rattle, and the newer longer bodied plastic.(like a keitech) I do have some of the previous storm swimbaits with the built-in hook and weight that are the 3/4 oz size shad pattern, and about 3-4 inches long,.. that I use for casting at stripers here on the bridges and piers in the salt water. And the stripers are suckers for them. And yeah they do work for freshwater bass as well, but rattles, and the swimming action? Even a step up from my striper lure as far as I can see. Here,.. there is a lead ban, and I can see this being a good lure for us as a weighted hook "must" be less than 1 oz, so,.. many swimbait hooks that offer a swimming action to their plastics? cant be used at all, unless its a eco friendly version, which I've yet to see. This may be a answer for "eco-friendly states"

I choose a follow up, by what lake im fishing, and what cover Im targeting as well. The prevailing forage usually dictates it, and season decides size.

Things Change,....this is not only inevidible, but also the title of my favorite movie,..yeah I know,... Its not star wars, exorcist, or terminator?,... nope!. Not the big blockbuster flick, but yet, decisive. Things do change, and the same will go for the internets influence on the paper industry sooner or later as well. Just as the magazines we all once relished in its monthy arrival starts to fade, Im sure the industry itself will come back. As a single slight virus, dip in a puddle, or drop on the floor, will erase all the info you once had saved on a electronic device. Proving the value, of a paper copy. A visit home this past holidays season for a family dinner, brought to me a situation of stored away, 13 years of Bassmaster, In fisherman, and Bassin magazines in moms cellar. "When the bleep, are you gunna take all these magazines home with you?",...lol. "I need to clean out this cellar full of all you boy's crap!, before I croak!",..."Ok Ma, I'll come by with the truck soon",.... And I do plan on doing so, as mom can be more diligent, as I am winded,...lol, As for my brothers? good luck guys, you got more stuff down there then I Back to the post at hand? Yeah these prices may be a good deal, and the content may not be as informative as they once were. But as I started this post,....things change,. Will the recreational fishing industry bring about a new and improved "magazine" that will arrive by the mailman, or via the internet? I'm not sure, nor a gypsy in front of a crystal ball, knowing all and seeing the future. But, I do know that, where there is need? someone's got there hand out for a payday to fill that "void" To facilitate such, voice your concerns and needs with the subscriptcions that you subcribe to, with every payment. Explain your displeasure, and expectations to them. Send in a money order for your payment with a letter of demands, explaining your "LEVERAGE",... Plead your case, with your cash in their face, and maybe, just maybe.,....things will change

Flip? Pitch?,... I use a Jig and Pig,.... colors? depends on conditions, the lake Im fishing, and if I'm fishing weeds, wood, or docks. I prefer a black blue version, but also have green, brown, and black jigs as well

The statement "I found myself going through the motions", tells me that your concentration is lacking. Without such, your really not "in the zone" and putting forth a concerted effort.. No matter what you have tied on the line.,... I found myself in that situation before, and found I needed to address the things that were on my mind, that had nothing to do with my bass fishing at all. Could this be what you are going thru? Something else in the background maybe? Just a thought As for your final question, what I do when fishing gets tough?,..I slow down, and fish smaller profile lures, with a heightened amount of concentration. In this time of the year, Id be tying on a small hair jig with a tiny, cut up with a razor blade, pork frog, also a 1/4 oz, or smaller jighead with a 3" grub. A smaller profile 1/4 oz, bladebait, a silver buddy or sonar. Also, (heres a blast from the past) another jighead and grub, but with a smaller beetle spin arm and blade, and a small swimbait. And lastly, and kind off the mark,.. a rather large suspending jerkbait in the lakes previlant baitfish pattern. Fished S-L-O-W! All of these get smothered with a scent, bass are slower in colder waters and will react in a slower manner. I believe the addition of a scent aids in a hit in colder water, just as the fish will be slower, they may actually be "inspecting" the lure, and deciding whether to strike or not for a longer period of time. Also I will target the deeper waters in the lake/pond, as this is where most bass tend to winter. Your depthfinder "should" be your best buddy this time of year At least this is what "I" do,..

Hi , and welcome to the forums, I wont discriminate due to your baseball preference. I've spent some time over in East Windsor CT, and have fished a few waters over there as well. I found some good bass waters, but still prefered the river by far.

Ok,..This isnt what you asked for,.. but more along the lines of need and direction. Somethings to consider: My "mainstays",.. a single bladed colorado, a double bladed willowleaf, (get the stanley vibrashaft with wedge blades if you can), and most of all, my favorite, the "original" Manns Classic,... gold plated, Indiana (main blade) and colorado secondary. This bait works so well because not many anglers use them. But a great all around bait. These three baits will cover just about any scenario you may encounter, techniques you can employ, and the different water colors, and clarities you may possibly fish. Weights? start off with what your comfortable throwing,..most anglers will start with anywhere from 3/8 oz. to 3/4 0z. with 1/2 oz. being the usual Colors? start with white, its basic but works well under sunny skies, and a chart/blue can be a great cloudy day bait, or perch patterned, or bluegill will do the same,.It comes down to "your" preference and what you fish.,.if you night fish? a black single colorado spinnerbait is killer. Trailers? I use manns classic split tails, or a grub. I dont use trailer hooks unless I'm fishing a tournament. Retrieves,... there are many, and some are specific to a certain blade types, But before we get that far, be sure to cast "beyond" your target and work the bait up to it, maybe even hit the target. Just, dont cast right on the target for you may just spook a giant to the saftey of the depths, unless you quietly pitch to a dock etc., etc. With that said? A steady retrieve is common and still works, but you may want to add a pump in the rod tip every once in a while to vary that steadiness, it will add some extra flash as the blades will slow then speed up again, also that stutter acts like a wounded bait. Bulging,.. is when you run the bait "just" under the surface, by keeping your rod tip relatively high, and works under calm conditions. You will actually see the waters surface "bulge" from the wake of the blades. deadly technique around submerged wood or weeds, or shallow muddy water. Slow rolling, this is used in deeper waters, typically a single colorado baits technique, but works well with others as well. This is done by tossing out and "slowly" reeling just to keep the blade, or blades spinning as the bait decends into the depths. Great for targeting dropoffs, and deep rockpiles, brushpiles etc. Helicpotering, again a single colorado technique in which you cast past a target and reel up to it, then kill the retrieve, the bait will drop and that single colorado blade will spin like a copters blade. You can also quietly pitch to a piece of cover and helicpoter, like a cypress tree stump, or dock etc. These should be enough to get you started, spinnerbaits rule in wind, in my mind, but I also use them in just about any condition and always have a Manns classic tied on my spinnerbait rod. Just be sure to use a snap, as the classic is a great bait. BUT, it has a twisted eye to tie to, if you tie directly to this bait, and the bait flops on the cast you may wrap the line around the eye, and pinch your line in the "twist" of the wire, so use a "quality" snap or clip with the manns classic to avoid snapping your line. I use berkley crosslock snaps, best ones I've found yet. That sudden stop, when a fish hits a spinnerbait can be as exiherating as a topwater bite. the line moves off to the side and you know theres a fish on, the tell tale swinging of their heads to shake the hook can also tell one how big that fish is without even seeing it. These things can be the "hook" that buries many bass anglers into becoming a spinnerbait fanatic, It can be said spinnerbaits are a lazy mans bait to use, as its "main" use is to search a area out looking for a active fish by just a steady retrieve, But when you get into all the different techniques, baits, and uses, Its far from "lazy", they can do alot more than many think. I take about 30 when I fish, but own a few hundred from 1/8 oz. to 1 1/2 oz. they all have their place. I hope this helps you some,...keep ya line wet!

If im facing a skunk? i will break out the ul gear and have a blast with the perch, crappie, bluegills and eventually break the skunk with a bass Its alot of fun

When I was tourney fishing I used a tacklewrap, just marked the bags with the lengths of leaders with a sharpie, and had one bag designated to swivels, weights and beads in the front. and to make it even easier and quicker,.. I put a weight, swivel and bead in much smaller ziplocks. That were put in that front bag. Nowadays? I just make up a leader as need be. If Im to c-rig,(which is rare) I'm going to be retying anyways, and Im in no hurry, so I just use the line thats on the rod im going to use,.. as to not "need" a spool of line tangling up anything. The slightest bit of moisture will deteriorate those paperboard boxes line spools come in. My best, and most expensive combo is my c-rig rod, but it also doubles as a worm/jig rod as well, and usually has either of them on it. As I choose much like Bluebasser to fish other lures for that domain.

If a lure comes with dull hooks I sharpen them, If they start to rust? I will then change them out. I bought a ton of excalibur rotating trebles 20 years ago, and still have some. They work great, but as I cant find them anymore, and if I need a size I ran out of,.. I will go with just what KVD stated in the 2 videos A-jay posted. He makes some pertinent points,. and I'd end up typing out a marathon post to describe the why's. I dont "always" buy the KVD's,.. But at least replacements that fall under the same criteria. You really need to be careful when replacing trebles, not only for the salvation of blood,..lol,..but if you add new ones that are to long shafted,. they may get caught on each other, therefore fouling the presentation. As for feathered trebles? I tie my own up on the hook I wanna use, they can be expensive to buy, and usually not found in the sizes I want. P.S. Squam?,.. I get it

Ok I have a few different views on this,.... Frogs, to me, mean a topwater that I throw ontop of large lilypad fields. Many years ago I used either the available "snag proof frog", or the even better 3/8 oz. johnsons silver minnow spoon with a white grub on it as a "trailer". These were my staples and the snagproof? really wasnt,.. I used the spoon more. Then came the snag proof's replacements, the "hollow" bodied frogs you see today on the shelves, and although I have not bought a single one I did find a few, and have tried them, they work well but I have a better option (I believe) Try a 1/4 oz. weedless jig with a matching colored "pig" or pork rind, actually,.. in the heat of summer I will put a zooms salty chunk jr as the pork will dry out if left on the boats deck for over an hour. Just be sure to be reeling before the jig hits the pads, you can stop it on a big pad for a few seconds if you wish, and if centered on it? it wont sink,. you can also run it to the pad fields edge, then stop reeling and act like your probing the edge's depths. (like flipping or pitching) The main reason for a jig and pig on pads as if its a "frog" is: when you get a blow-up, but the fish missed it, often you can just let it drop in the hole made, and jig it for another strike. therefore having a "follow-up" as your "searchbait",... combining the two. I have tried worms texas rigged for this, and they did "kinda",..but they just didnt work as well as the bulkier jig and pig. A large worm would stick to the sunsoaked pads, and a smaller one didnt have the bulk to keep it up on the top of them. Maybe a senko, or mid sized worm? Im not sure,.. but would imagine they would "stick" to the pads as well.,.. So, to me?,.. the best frog on the market, isnt a frog

Thanks Smalljaw67,..I bought a pack of 4 or 5 tin jigs and experimented with them, the powdercoat failed miserably the first two I did, the second attempt I manipulated, I squashed the sides a bit with needlenosed pliers for a eye socket from the topside, then heated it up real hot, and dipped in a yellow/orange mix, as a base, and tapped some dark green kinda hard from the top, then a light tap of black on the top, and let cool, then in the oven at around 250 for a half hour, then I let cool again and added some stick on eyes, and coated the whole thing with 3 coats of "tough as nails" nail polish. This "seemed" to work and looked great as a perch patterned 4" slugo fin-s-fish jighead,..it lasted just about a day as the smaller bass were nailing it,.. near the end of the day a whole side was gone. I used some vinyl a long time ago on some crippled herrings, and gave it up for the same reason you did, the headaches were brutal. I will get some drop out to have handy when I finally do go get the equiptment Im planning to start with , Im thinking a lee's hot pot 11, a roundhead mold that has the screwlock bait keepers, and maybe a arky weedless as well to start. Hopefully they will receive the eagle claw lil nasty hooks as the thread I read about them seemed to depict a decent hook for pouring. Thanks again, I will seek cadman out well before I start getting my gear

I used to do that a long time ago, but lost a really big smallie, one day as it darted a bit to quick for me to keep up with, and the line snapped. I had the drag set, to set the hook, yet still give some, but, it failed the test miserably,.. that fish may have been my pb smallie. I was using a diawa td1600ss which has a good drag, but its possible I could of had it set just a bit too tight. Im not positive though, as they can dart, and it happened so fast. So I decided to go with the routine I use now, and have yet to have a issue. I really like shimano's rear drag reels with a fighting drag, so much better using this method., Its actually a lever on your reels drag knob thats easy to access, sets easily, and even easier to get back to your original setting by just a slight re-alignment to its "centered" position. I often wonder if it was designed, and meant, to be a smallie reel, it works that well. I'm sure any fast, hard fighting, fish would be subdued with this method.

I have "some" stories of strange behavior. One is,.... My home lake has alot of homes on it with docks, and there was this one home I liked that was for sale, and I'd dream of buying it, well it sold, and one day after I was flipping the line of docks where its located, and I was moving along quietly and caught a few smaller fish as I was doing so. I got to a few docks away from "my dream home" and noticed a woman sunning herself on it's dock with some earphones on. So I just continued on flipping and when I got to her dock I flipped in next to it's piling and BAM! instant hit, I set the hook on a nice 7 or 8 pounder, as I lipped it I said "YEAH BABY!" as it was the best fish I had caught in a while, and the woman jumped up, as I startled her,.I apologized,.. but she just kept slowly backing up, I said again, "Im sorry, I didnt mean to startle you", before I released the fish,.. and she replied "I didnt know there's fish that big in here", and quickly scurried off the dock and into the house. a few weeks later I was back fishing those docks, and there was a for sale sign back on that lawn again. One day just after work, I decided to go bait fishing for stripers at the bridge not far from home, before dinner. I grabbed my gear and cooler with some mackeral in it and off I went. I got there and was surprised that there wasnt many people fishing, just a few there. Traffic was heavy as it was about 4 pm, so i figured everyones just getting home from work. I got my tackle ready, when it was all set I cut a large piece of bait, put it on the hook and cast as far out as I could,.. Instantly a seagull dove down on the bait, came up with it in its mouth, and proceeded to swallow it.,.. so,..., there I was during rush hour traffic, on a busy bridge, battling a seagull with a surf rod, I got hollers, horns beeping, and some people stopping to see whats about to happen. I finally get the bird close to the rods tip and its going frantic by now, I grab the line and pull it close, but not close enough to hurt me or it, and cut the line as close as I could to it, I had no other choice as this thing was flailing about trying everything but attacking me, to get free. About a few days later I pulled into the Beverly peirs parking lot (just downstrem) and one of the lobstermen, that I give some of the mackeral I catch off the pier, for him to use as bait, in exchange for a couple lobsters now and then, had the same gull under his arm and was removing,....MY HOOK!,. The gull had landed on his boat and kept following him around till he noticed the hook stuck in its beak..so I had to explain my story. Now thats irony

No pics, but during the early spring I was "testing" my new ulterra trolling motor, utilized the spot lock , (awesome option by the way) and while using a rapala perch patterned x-rap, I targeted females moving up towards a spawing area. I was catching them off a submerged stonewall in about 15 to 20 feet of water anywhere from 4 to maybe 5 1/2 pounds (probably ten of them). Three old ladies enjoying a nearby shaded back porch kept yellin out to me, and they had fun at it..."Thats a good one!",... 'Wow!, another one",.. "You got the magic bait mister!",... and finally,.."Come pick me up ,..I wanna catch some too" (she was kidding).... Sadly,.. I only got to fish 6 times last year and this was the "most" successful day I had of them. There was another good day up on Winnipesaukee with my daughter, with some decent 3 to 4+ pound smallies and the biggest being her first smallie ever, but nothing to compare to my "spawning highway" day

Are you fishing tournaments? If so? I would add trailer hooks to both during a T. if not? no trailer hooks, unless I find they are striking it short. As for trailers? always, either a manns split tail trailer, or a 3" or 4" grub