LunkerLust

My favorites are Zoom meatheads in watermelon green and green weenie, and 3' sluggo in ark. shiner.

I see that you like fishing Lake Saltonstal, I,m always hearing about guys catching 5 lb bass there, mostly on senkos and weighted worms. No bigger than average baits. What size bass are you catching there? I'm also in Ct. When I catch 5+ bass it's on the same baits that I get the 2-4s on. I really think it's just a numbers game. There's not as many bigger fish around, unless you found a really sweet private lake. Be patient and keep doin' what you're doin'. You will get a few 5s, just not every week.

I live in Shelton, a kind of dead zone, with mostly private lakes, water company, and small ponds. When I travel in your diection I like Quonapaug, Messerschmitt, Uncas, Pattagansett, Rogers, Powers, and a little further north, Moodus. A few that I want to go to are Amos, Long pond, Billings, and some others that I would like to camp out so I can avoid the traffic jams on I95. Also, you can go online to the Ct DEP store and get the lakes and ponds guide for around $20.

It almost seems like the top end of the foot is too wide and won't slide far enough into the cup.

Thanks for the response. I was thinking about a foot pedal to try to position the boat especially when there's a fish on. I hate to take a hand off the rod to back up or move.

So far in Ct it even though the pads and weeds are filling in, the fishing seems really slow. I look forward to this time of the year to beaking out the baitcasting gear and start throwing brush hogs and tubes into the weeds. The water seems cold still! How has it been in some of the nieghboring states and the rest of Ct?

Late last year, I picked up a St Crois Triumph BC rod and a Cabela's Prodegy reel, which was made by Daiwa, for wormin' and tubes. Started using the rig this year and got a couple of small bass. Last week I flipped a tube into the pads and got a good bite, 4-5 lber, I'd guess. So I set the hook, hard, and the reel pops off of the rod! Fish gone. I put it back together and hand tightened the rig as much as I could, but it only happened again. When I got home, I tried the reel in my Team All star rod and All Star Platinum rod , and the same thing, the reel moved back and forth in the reel seat and I was able to pull it out no matter how hard I hand tightened it. So I tried the reel in an old Daiwa BC rod and it holds fine??? Anyone ever have anything like this happen to them, with Daiwa gear or any other brands? Also, do you ever use pliers to tighten down the reel ??? I never did.

Can you add a foot pedal to a trolling motor or are they only sold together? Can these rigs go on the back of the boat, or are they all bow mounts? What are the starting prices, something for a small 8' johnboat?

I prefer using spinning gear also because the reel hangs below the rod. It feels much more balanced and I don't have to change hand position. I am much better casting a spinning rod, especially skipping baits under docks and overhanging trees. I do use baitcasters, but only for pitching and flipping in and around heavy pads and weeds. With a BC combo I can winch big bass out of the slop, can't do that with spinning gear.

I learned the hard way, fishing in and around pads and heavy weeds. At first you will break the line, when you start using braid you will strip the gears in your spinning reel. If you get a cheap baitcaster, you will strip the gears in that too! All this on 4 - 6 lb Ct bass. I can't imagine how tough it would be to haul double digit Texas bass out of the water. Bottom line, spend at least $100 on a good baitcasting reel (I like Revos), and maybe $60+ on a BC rod, and you should be able to muscle them into the boat, before they get dug in to the weeds. This ain't no game!

When you're jig fishing a lake with almost no weeds or pads, in like 10'-20' of water, is it important to make long casts away from the boat. I see a couple of guys fishing this way and was wondering if it was a rule of thumb? They look like they're casting as far as they can! I guess I'm asking because if you're drop shotting you might throw out the bait only 10' or so.

Thanks for the feedback so far, all of it positive. I was mainly interested if it has a breakage problem.

I'm another fan of Yozuri Hybrid, which I learned about on this website. Thanks RW. I would say try the ultra soft if you're using a spinning combo.

I am thinking about a ML Carbonlite rod for some finesse, drop shot fishing. If you have ever owned one or used one, let me know if they are as light, and strong, and sensitive, as is claimed. If you're not impressed, then please give me a reccommend for under $100. Maybe the BPS Extreme?

Thanks for responces guys. I will give the Sedona a try. I just recently saw the VMC spinshot ds hooks online, and I thought that they were just a gimmick. Looks like there's too much metal showing right close to the bait. But I did like the fact you can use lighter line to tie on the weight, so if it breaks off, you won't lose the hook and bait. Okay, I'll give these a try also. One other thing about line twist, every couple of casts I lift the rig out of the water about 6' and just let it spin around until it stops. It helps keep twist down, but it does waste valuable fishing time.

Actually I was going to reccommend the Sienna only with a lightning rod or a shock. I would try Yozuri hybrid ultra soft 8 lb test with a bag of yum dingers and some 3/0 wide gap hooks. Also, I would wait on the baitcasting combo until you can afford about $200. A cheap combo will work OK until you get a 4 lber in the pads. I stipped the gears in 2 or 3 cheap BC reels, trying to muscle them out.

I think the question should be about line twist. Are there any reels that keep line twist to a minimum. Is this one of the things that make some reels so expensive?

This can be the most frustrating way to fish, you get twenty hits in the course of the day, and come away with only a couple of fish. I think what happens, most of the time, is that they just miss the bait. To add a little to all the good advise so far, after the splash, I don't count, but wait until the line gets heavy, then wham! Also, your new 7' rod should have a baitcasting reel on it, don't remember if that was mentioned. I learned the hard way, breaking a few spinning reels, trying to horse big fish out of the pads.

I try to keep it simple, clear open water-wacky. Weeds, pads, deadfall, T-rig. I especially like senkos T-rigged for skipping under docks and over hanging trees. It's more of a reaction bait this way.

What I do is, every couple of casts I lift the rig out of the water with 5 or 6 feet to the rod tip, and just let it spin around until it stops. Also, reeling it in slowly seems to help. I have been wondering if there are reels that lessen line twist....might make a good post!

I would like to spend a couple of days fishing eastern Ct in Long pond, Amos, Billings, etc. It's nearly a 2 hour drive to this area, and with traffic sometimes a lot longer. If there's a campsite nearby, I could take my time and fish a bunch of lakes on one trip, and avoid all the travel time and traffic.

I have been saving old ripped up rubber baits for a few years now. Finally last year I took a 3/8 dowel 5" long and carved it into a senko shape. Then I took two pieces of aluminum sheet and hammered them around the dowel to make a very rough mold. I have to clamp the two pieces together. Then I cut up the old baits into small pieces and put them in a microwave in a pyrex cup. I stop it occasionally to stir the mix. When it seems runny enough, I pour it into the mold. After about 20 minutes, you can take the mold apart and "tah dah" a senko dinger. ( I do have to trim off a little extra) Bottom line, I have been catching bass with these things, my best being a # 6.3

I used to fish senkos and kanami baits in deeper water with a wacky rig. Being really soft baits, they have the best falling action. I gave up that pattern to drop shot instead. I do still use senko like baits (dingers and Mann's hard heads) T-rigged in weeds and for skipping under docks and trees etc.

I'm wondering if most northern fishermen use a more horizontal approach to drop shotting. Most of the articles on the subject talk about fishing in a vertical style in water 30' + deep. In Ct, there are not alot of lakes that have a thermocline deeper than 20' to 25'. I don't think I ever caught a fish deeper than 16'! I drop shot in water from 4' (if it's not too weedy) to about 15'. I pitch the bait about 25' away from the boat and jiggle and drag it slowly back, to get hits. Is this horizontal technique more common to other northern bassers?

I have a Team All Star BC rod that I use for pitchin and punchin in the heavy weeds, and I like it a lot. It's a powerhouse. Some guys say that TAS rods are on the heavy side, but I think that's because they're way overbuilt. My rod is rated for 1 oz baits, but I think it could handle 1 1/2 - 2 oz , no problem. If you need a rod for 3/4 oz baits, get a TAS in 1/2 to 5/8. I will be getting another, lighter one for worming for next spring. I'm also planning to try their drop shot rod as well.