LunkerLust

When the weeds started to get really heavy, I went to my local bait & tackle shop for some 3/4 and 1 oz. worm weights. They only had 1/2 oz. in lead. The guy said I should be using tungsten anyway. So, I bought a pack of each totaling around $12. On my second fishing trip I was pulling out of a snag when the rig came free, flew over my shoulder and I heard the weight plop in the water about 50 feet behind me. Drat, my mistake, I guess. Next day different lake, I lose two more, this time on pickerel bites. So I decided to try a rig using 1' of 7 strand stainless steel leader with my last weight to try and make it pickerel proof. Well after about an hour the leader broke off at the crimp, without even getting a bite. I guess it was like bending a tin can! So, my questions would be: 1 Are most of you using the Tungsten weights? 2 Are there any pickerel proof rigs? 3 How often do you lose rigs, with any kind of weigh? I use Power Pro 50# with Palomar knots, and I try to retie often. Also, these were BPS weights.

I like watermelon seed in light pads. I go to blueberry in heavier weeds or when it's overcast or later in the day. There is one lake that I fish where they murder either grasshopper or watermelon/blue. So far for me I catch many more 1.5s - 2.5s with Super Hogs, but 3s - 5s on Brush Hogs.

I'd like something around 7' that's strong and really sensitive. A local bait & tackle shop has Crucials and Team Diawa, but I was wondering if the Team All Stars would suit my needs better. They don't carry the TAS. I am using a Revo S with Power Pro 50#. Also, an inexpensive Quantum rod, which is strong but I never feel any ticks or touches with it. Often, I only feel a heavyness, that when I set the hook, the fish is already moving, and the line rips through the pads without a good hookset. So, your help is needed! Please reccommend a broomstick with sensitivity in the price range of the three rods above

If the water is really clear, you might try going back after dark. Use any of the above suggestions and add a rattle.

When I first started using senkos, I always rigged them wackey. I would go through a whole bag When I first started using senkos, I always rigged them wacky. I would lose a whole bag in a full day of fishing. Now I Texas rig 'em first, with no weight. I fish them in cover or skip them under overhangs and docks until they get pretty beat up. Then I rig 'em wacky for open water. A bag lasts 3 or 4 trips now!

I love getting up early and driving to a lake, before all the traffic starts. However, I just don't seem to have much luck fishing at dawn. I do a lot better the last 3 or 4 hours of daylight. So I pretty much stick to fishing at dusk.

I rarely catch anything in the sun, even in deeper water. If the sun is high I want sunscreen, lilly pads and cover. Deadfall, docks, shady weed lines, or anywhere an overhanging tree provides some shade.

1. 7#8oz 4" black Renegade worm t-rigged no weight 2. 6#7oz 5" watermelonseed Yum Dinger t-rigged no weight 3. 5#12oz 7.5" watermelon Strike King 3X worm trigged 1/4 oz weight

I just found out from a friend that his brother gets paid by the state to fish for bass!!! The Department of Enviriomental Protection here in Ct wants the fish to examine. Maybe your state has a similar program. Of course, once it becomes a job...

Any time you increase your knowledge you have to improve your skill level. I know a local guy that years ago cut open a fat bass (unthinkable!) to see what it had been eating. He found three crawfish that were all about the same size. He has been fishing artificials that mimic these ever since. He does very well! Four of the ten biggest bass ever have been caught on live crawfish.

I cannot stand up in my canoe. It is almost 12' long and very narrow, more like a kayak. I use a paddle and it moves pretty fast when I get it going, and it holds more gear than a kayak. My concerns about noise come from paddleing into and through lilly pads. I can hear the vegetation scraping against the bottom of the boat, even when I go very slowly. So I thought that I would have to flip, seated, 10 or more feet away in case fish that were close by are already alerted. I can often see smaller fish scattering when they see me moving along, so I try to be quiet and move slowly. Also, some of the time, I'm only in 3-4 feet of water so I'm assuming that the boat, shadow and paddle would spook fish that are right underneath. I have been swinging about 5' of line like a pendulum, by raising and lowering the 7' rod tip and flipping it between 10 and 20 feet. Even though there is some splash, I usually get more strikes than when I lower it quietly closer to the boat. Which is why I'm thinking that fish that are closer are aware of the boats presence. Is this less of a problem in deeper water?

I have tried flippin' in the pads lately, from my canoe, and I've had some success but still have some questions. 1. How close to the boat can you flip without the boat itself spooking the fish? Should I be throwing the bait 20 feet or more? 2. If you flip longer distances does a noisey splash entry spook the fish? How important is a quiet entry? 3. Is flippin' only meant to be done in a stand up position? I have been catching some bigger bass this way, but I still miss more than I bring aboard.