king fisher

Swearing doesn't help, but I keep doing it anyway.

Not as much as I want to, but way more than I need.

I can remember when I couldn't afford to buy Rapala baits, and bought Rebel lures instead. Once in awhile I would buy a Rapala, and it was definitely worth it, until I lost one, then I always wished I would have bought the Rebel which caught many bass for me. Now I buy Rapala because they are less expensive than many other brands. I'm sure Megabass can be worth it, but if I were to lose one, I would surely start singing the lyrics from an old song, "I won't get fooled again." Back in the day I also didn't want to spend the money on Bagleys crankbaits, so I bought cheaper plastic baits. I sure wish I would have paid the $4.50 for a few Bagely's baits instead of the $3.50 I paid for the cheaper brands st the time. I can't say what I will pay for some models of older Bagley's, but I will say whatever the price is they are worth it.

I prefer a light gray color. I mostly fish open water, or rocky banks, and the color of the water is a light grey. Around vegetation, I would prefer dark green. I always wonder why people take a black felt tip marker and color the last few feet of their braid black in order to blend in better, then will use a black worm because it is more visible. Which is it? Is back more visible for baits, but less for line? Truth be told, I care more about which shade of purple my worm is or if my chartreuse crankbait is more green than yellow, than the color of my line and the bass probably don't care about the shade of purple amount of green in chartreuse, or line color.

I didn’t know they came in any other color.

Red and white, makes them bite.

Diawa Tatula X for $150 and Diawa Ardito Travel Rod, $180 at Tackle Warehouse. I haven't tried the Tatula X, but was very happy with the Tatula CT which the X has replaced, and absolutely love the three Ardito casting rods I own.

I lost it all to the Bait Monkey years ago, and I'm at peace with my fate.

I haven't lost an expensive lure, but I once broke an expensive rod trying to save a $3.00 lure.

When I was a kid my favorite lure was a Heddon Super Sonic. It was one of the first lipless crankbaits and had no rattles. The first year Bass Pro Shops offered Bill Lewis Rattle Traps I bought one. I will never forget the description of the Rattle Trap that was in the catalogue. "We put a whole handful of BBs in this one". After patiently waiting a couple of weeks for my new bait, it finally came. It did have a handful of BBs and I must have shaken that bait hours longer than any toddler with a rattle. The first time I took it fishing was the last time I ever considered fishing a lipless crankbait without a rattle, and was also the day my friend started needing therapy. He was forced to fish his Sonic because he didn't order a Rattle Trap, thinking they were only a gimmick and the Sonic was the best bait ever. After watching me catch a bass on every cast he was wishing he had bought one. He did manage to catch a bass or two that day, but when I landed two bass on the same cast with the trap he started fishing for crappie. I know that was years ago, and the bass may have become accustomed to rattles. The size and shape of the bait might have also made the difference, but for some reason I can't get myself to ever fish a lipless without rattles and doubt I ever will. If I want a silent bait I fish something else. When I fish a lipless crankbait, I want it loud.

Any size, any knot, any species of fish, any day time on any water. Just get it wet.

Thanks Tom. I was enjoying a relaxing evening, then I read this, and the Bait Monkey crashed through my door screaming BFS BFS. I tried to calm him by showing him my spinning rod collection. He just kept screaming BFS BFS. Just to shut him up I started looking at some BFS equipment online.

There is more than on Menderchuck? I have spent years trying to find, one, with zero success. If I can't find one, I don't have any chance of finding multiple Menderchucks.

I understand what you are saying, and I do agree I like new gear, and proper wildlife management. I also do not want to see any businesses go under or people put out of work. On the other hand I wouldn't mind being forced to use an old cane pole, and dig worms, to use as bait due to lack of equipment being available if that meant having a lake all to myself. If nobody fished, there would be less need for management, and if fish populations in a certain body of water suffered due to lack of management, I would fish another lake that was responding well to fewer anglers. I do like to see kids get interested in fishing, because it was such a big part of my childhood, and I hope others can have the same experience I was so fortunate to have. I can appreciate the pluses and minuses of less people taking up, and continuing the sport of fishing. Good arguments can be made for both sides. I do my best to represent the sport in a good way, and will always fish, no matter if I'm alone, or in a crowd. My being fair minded only goes so far. I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ONE FISHING MY SECRET BIG BASS LAKE IN MEXICO.

Fewer anglers competing for a limited resource is a bad thing? I'm selfish, I admit it. Please go watch a baseball game, and leave my bass alone.

I only troll while moving from one location to the next. I usually troll with whatever I already have tied on. Rattle traps, a variety of crankbaits, jerkbaits, and inline spinners have all been effective.

Winters are tough. I sure wish I could go ice fishing.

Academy Sports H2O crankbaits. I bought them because they were on sale for $2.99 but found out they fish as well as baits costing way more.

I'm not sure how well they work on ice, but here in Mexico they work all year.

As slow as you can go but still keep it on the surface. You can also tune them to run slightly one way or the the othe making it easy to get closer to and under targets.

Before I want to, but later than I should. In other words, before I break off my second big bass, but not until I already lost my first big bass. Floro lasts forever unless you kink it, backlash it, or over stress it ( a normal fishing day for me). If I fish often, I change it often, if I fish occasionally I change it occasionally. I change mono after a few months regardless if I fish it or not, and I only change braid when I need more on the spool.

You might get lucky and they will multiply. A 3.5/0 hook might be just what you need some day.

Go out on a calm summer evening, about an hour before sunset. find an area with weeds and other cover near the bank. Look for bluegill feeding on insects. Cast an original floating rapala tied on a medium light spinning rod, with 8 pound test mono. Cast it out and let it sit for awhile. Give it a twitch or two then let sit again. Do this a few times then slowly reel it back. You will get bit. They might not be big, but a bass will bite. Do this a few evenings, then expand out from there with other lures, and different times of the day. Eventually you will find other seasons, time of day, locations, and lures you prefer, but that late summer evening bite will always be there for you to enjoy.

I haven't tried any yet, but I am hearing a lot of good reports from others in Mexico about a swimbait made by a company called Real Prey. They are made of silicone and look similar to a Bacca Burrito. They are supposed to be fairly durable. I personally have had success with the Burrito, and know of others that swear by storm Wildeye swimbaits.