king fisher

I have read many times that a black lure is the most visible to bass, then the next article I read, the author talks about taking a black felt marker and coloring the last couple of feet of an anglers braid to make it less visible. In other words, pick the color you like.

I love the way my reel screams on a long down wind cast, I hate picking out a backlash after casting in to the wind. I love the way the wind masks my presence, allowing me to get closer to my targets, I hate the fact I still can't hit my targets. I loved it when a strong wind keeps every one else off the water, I hate it when I realize I should have been like every one else. I love a nice cool breeze on a hot afternoon, I hate it when I get completely soaked by splashing waves.

Where I fish, the wind blows hard from the west every afternoon. I hate fishing in the strong wind, but the fish like to feed when the wind is blowing. The wind makes casting difficult, controlling my kayak almost impossible, I loose far more tackle in the wind,(try using a lure retriever in a kayak with the wind blowing 30 mph), and I just plain get tired of being out in the noisy wind, but I catch big bass when the wind blows and that is what I'm on the water to do. Like a friend of mine always says nothing good in life come easy. He may be right, but I will have to work hard to catch big bass regardless, so it sure would be nice if I could get a break from the wind for a day or two.

I have a Zillion SV and love it. At the same time I bought a Tatula 150. The Zillion is incredibly smooth, and just has an IT factor that I can't describe. That said, the Tat 150 casts just as far, and catches just as many bass with zero complaints. If you want to be practical get the 150, if you want romance get a Zillion.

I use all three types of line for different applications. I do believe Fluorocarbon is more sensitive, and I know this is not a fact, just my opinion. It could very well be a mere figment of my imagination, but once something gets stuck in my head, it is hard to remove. I also believe Fluorocarbon is strong, and if you are careful picking and tying knots, than it will land the biggest bass in the lake. The problem I have with fluorocarbon is it expensive and quality line such as Invisx is not readily available where I live. Two years ago I hooked a bass that was a couple ounces shy of 11 pounds. Instantly it wrapped me around a tree branch. I fought the bass back and forth for 15 min. The fight finally got to the point I could no longer feel the bass. I wrapped the 15 pound Invisx around my hand and proceeded to break the line. Pulling as hard as I could I could not break the line. I had to wrap the line around my paddle and pull even harder. Right when I thought the line was going to break the bass came loose from the branch and I landed my trophy. Obviously I could not fault the line. It held up far better than I would have expected from any 15 pound line. Of course the knot held, proving I didn't make any mistakes on tying it. My problem came with how strong the line would be after surviving the epic battle. The first thing I did was check all of the line that was wrapped on the tree to see if there was any sign of abrasion. I ran the line between my lips, as well as visually inspected it for any rough spots. The line appeared ok. Unfortunately it wasn't. The next time I went fishing, I snagged my lure the line broke with just a couple pounds of pressure. I went to the shore, and reversed the line to finish out the day. The obvious fix to the problem of over stressing the line was to put new line on. That is exactly what I would have done if I had been fishing with mono, but mono does not cost more than the national debt, and can be purchased anywhere. If I could afford to change out line every time I have a bad backlash, or have to break off of a snag, I would fish fluorocarbon on almost everything. I know there are many members here, who will say they have the same fluorocarbon on their reel for two years now and haven't had any problems. It doesn't deteriorate from exposure to sunlight, like mono does, and other than getting a little stiff will last a lifetime on a reel. I am happy for them and their success with the line. I wouldn't recommend they come to Mexico on a once in a lifetime fishing trip, and not bring enough fluorocarbon line to replace on their reels every day if need be. I do believe it will last forever for some anglers, but for me, I'm only one bad backlash away from a disaster. ( After 48 years of fishing with a baitcaster I still backlash. I guess I am a slow learner.) Because I do love fluorocarbon when it is new, I do have it on my bottom contact rods, where slack line sensitivity is important to me. For moving baits I use other lines. The day I win the lotto I will have it on every rod, excluding my punch, and topwater outfits. Of course the Monkey and I have other big plans for life after winning the lotto, but buying a shipping container full of fluorocarbon will be first on the list.

I fished this past Saturday and Sunday, at Presa Corinches. I got skunked at this lake two weekends ago, and hoped for better success. Saturday I landed one 12 inch bass after fishing all afternoon. Sunday I fished all day. I didn't get a bite until 2:30 PM. when I landed a two pound bass. Finally with an 1/2 hour of day light left, I landed this 4.9 pound bass. I lost one other bass for a total of 4 bites in two days and even though the wind drove me crazy, I never gave up and kept casting until I had to leave. I have not had much luck at this lake. This is the peak season for other lakes I fish, but I keep fishing here because my wife and I sold my cabin in Alaska and built a small cabin near this lake. We picked this location as an investment, tourism is growing in this area, and there are bass. The other lakes I fish are far from any towns, and besides farming have zero economic potential. Rumor has it bass fishing was far better a few years ago, and the fact that all of the restaurant have bass on the menu, but never have any bass to order may indicate the fishing was better then than now. I keep thinking I will unlock the secret to catching giant bass at this lake, but I'm starting to think, maybe either the bass are not there, or my skills will never be good enough to catch them. I'm hoping to fish another lake next weekend that is in the middle of nowhere, no cabin, I have to camp, but has DD bass, that just might bite my line.

If you go through with this diabolical plan, remember there will come a day when the bass wont bite any lure, except for one of the ones you so carelessly hauled away. Then you can sit in your boat next to a skunk, and the Bait Monkey thinking how wonderful it is to have more room in your basement. It's fishing gear, you bought it, you need it end of story.

I would try skipping baits more often, if only I could skip this step in the learning process.

Orvis will replace rods for any reason. You slam the rod in a car door, and you get a new one no questions asked. Of course you pay for this service when you buy the rod, so in the course of a lifetime, the money is the same.

I'm on and off the FC band wagon, more than a rockstar is in and out of rehab. Currently I use it on my T rig and jig rod. If I could afford to change it more often, I would use it more. I don't use conditioner, tie my knots correctly, and do not have difficulty casting it. My big complaint is if it gets kinked, or over stressed (pulling on a snag, or professional over run,) than a week spot can break my heart when the big one strikes. If I was a pro and got free line, than changing it every time I over stress it would not be a problem, and it would be on almost all of my rods. Like I said, one day I sing flouro carbon's praise and the next I say I will never use it again. It has been a long time since I have had any problems, so I'm back on the FC wagon. It does stretch, but because it is heavy and sinks, I believe I have more sensitivity especially on a simi slack line. This may be my imagination, but if it is I don't mind paying the price to live in a fantasy world.

Crankbait in the rocks, T rig worm and square bill in wood, buzz bait, bladed jig in grass, spinnerbait in the wind, Spook, and popper early and late in the day, paddle tail swimbait in open water, and a #3 inline spinner when I start to smell a skunk.

The Magnum Trick worm sinks like a rock, but the bass still crush them Carolina rigged. I use all the baits I T rig, with on a C rig. None of them float, but I don't think the bass care. Floating or not, it still looks like something alive on the bottom. 7 inch Senkos on a C Rig can be exceptionally effective for giant Mexican bass.

Scissors or fingernail clippers wont cut braid like mono or Floro, mainly because braid is limp. Scissors will cut it if pulled tight, but in order to do that on the water you would need 3 hands. The reasons for poor braids poor abrasion resistance is because one, it is made up of multiple threads. Each thread is extremely small, and a sharp object such as a rock can cut a small individual thread easily. Once one thread is cut, others are exposed and the line becomes weak. The same thing happens with mono, but instead of an individual thread breaking, the outside of the mono becomes frayed. The frayed portion is easy to detect, and cut out if weakness is determined to be an issue. Braid can become compromised without noticing the weak spot. The second reason is braid is not smooth. A line like mono is smooth, making a sharp object less likely to catch on a rough spot and dig in when the line is ran across it. Braid is rough, making it easier for a sharp point to catch and do damage. The third and arguably the biggest reason is braid is soft. The harder the line, the more abrasion resistant it will be. Some objects such as wood, braid is less prone to abrasion than other lines, but others such as basalt rocks, or barnacles braid does not hold up nearly as well as other lines do. If you are fishing in a river with rounded rocks, and wood, than abrasion will not be a problem with braid. If you are fishing in a lake with sharp jagged rocks, and metal objects on docks, than straight braid will work, but watch for damage and replace when needed.

I perfected this cast years ago, and still use it on occasion. How else are you going to catch the giant bass that live 30 feet up in the highest tree? I haven't caught one there yet, but I will keep trying. I know others are after those bass too, because once in awhile I see a lure almost as high in a tree as my best Rainbow cast. Don't be down on your friends Rainbow casts, he may be able to teach you a thing or two. Although I would encourage him to practice the cast with a baitcaster, instead of a spinning rod. A good Rainbow cast over a tree should end with a pocket knife worthy backlash.

Ya and I bet his wife encourages him to go fishing more often.

Spinnerbait. Buzzbait crankbait. Spinnerbait, because it is so versatile. It can be fished from top to bottom, fast or slow, any weather, any water temp, day or night, and seldom snags. Buzzbait, because it is the most consistent top water for catching big bass I have ever tried. If I am catching bass on buzzbaits and poppers, the buzzbait bass are bigger, I don't know why but I do know if they will hit a buzzbait, that is what I'm throwing. Crankbait- because I own hundreds of them, they are fun to fish, and I am a crankbait addict.

Diawa BG. No other reel comes close. I have one on a rod I use often in saltwater. It gets banged around on a boat, completely submerged in salt water, and dropped in the sand often. I have had zero issues with it. I have a Stella that has been in for repair numerous times that cost $800 more than the BG. The last time I had the Stella in for repair the repair guy couldn't get the parts. It was only a small plastic cover that goes over the bail spring, but he was not able to locate the part. Getting parts is not an issue with my BG because it has never failed. It is not as smooth as other reels I own, and is heavy for it's size, but is the most durable spinning reel I have ever used. Of course I haven't tried all the other spinning reels out there, but I have used many different models from 5 different manufactures and for durability The BG has held up to harsh conditions the best.

I have way to many Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps. Most of them I got in used lure boxes bought off of ebay. The Bait Monkey is always trying to get me to buy some more expensive Lipless cranks, but I keep telling him when I run out of the ones I got, I will try a few other types. Every time I tell him this, he starts to cry and say's he will be long gone before I loose all of my old Rat-L- traps. He always asks me what if the bass don't want the old Traps, I I simply tell him, if a bass wont hit the original, than they will have to hit some other lure in my box. It is easy for me to hold firm on this issue, because the original Traps almost always gets bit.

I just showed this picture to the Monkey. He left my house running faster than an Olympic sprinter. He should be at your house in a couple minuets. He didn't even take the time to sign off of the Tackle Warehouse page on my computer. He just ran out the door, yelling I'm through with my cheap Tatula ways, and am going to a real fisherman's house.

Words of wisdom.

Anything with a total weight under 1/4 oz.

They all taste great as long as some else cleans and cooks them.

Skunked. I fished 6 hours last Saturday. No big ones, no small ones, no bites, Zero action. I fished shallow, and I fished deep. Even though I struck out, it was better than spending the day chasing a white ball around an overly maintained yard. Good news is I didn't loose a single lure, bad news is, the Monkey thinks I would have hit a home run, if only I owned an expensive glide bait, or maybe a whole box of finesse gear. I told the Monkey I was going to blame it on the moon and to get lost. The problem is it was the same moon for Kyle Welcher. Maybe I can find a deal on a glide bait.

What planet are you from? Less than 10! After reading that, I had to give the Bait Monkey CPR. It took me three hours to try and trim my list to 10 and I cheated and combined my worms in to one.