IgotWood

Similar issue where I fish. Chatterbaits are a good option, but I do tend to burn them in an attempt to keep it from hanging up in the weeds. Speed worms, swimbaits, and swim jigs alshould he on your roster as well. Another good option would be a split shot rig. I have done well with the split shot rig on my lake, with a 1/16oz-1/8oz weight and a work of any kind. Compact spinnerbaits are on there option.

This time of year you can simply hang a stringer over the side. Once it starts warming up, those cooler bags would be a good idea. You can use ice packs. Doesn’t have to he loose ice.

I’ve got mixed feelings. I am a super secretive fisherman. It’s just the way I was taught. I don’t like to draw attention on the water. Most of the lakes I fish don’t have boat traffic, so stealth is good. However, on an area with traffic, o want to stick out as best I can. I have come so close to being run over in my kayak quite a few times. It’s very scary. Additionally, I do t feel like the color of my kayak has any effect on the fishing. I have hooked fish plenty of times right under my bright yellow kayak. No worries there.

I fish smaller spinnerbaits throughout the winter. It’s not always a winner for me, but it has saved quite a few outings.

Water clarity is relative to the specific body of water. If your lake is normally 3'-4' viz, I'd say that's pretty clear, and all of those colors should work just fine. But please understand that black/blue is not strictly for dirty water! My local lake is normally 4'-6'viz, and black/blue is my bread and butter! It's just that black typically contrasts well in dark and dirty water, thus it is the usual dirty water color for most fishermen. The green pump, and watermelon should fish just fine in the conditions you stated. I notice that the greens begin to lose their effectiveness once I lose clarity at about 1'-2'. Some other things to consider is the make-up of the bottom, and the amount of sunlight. Experiment with those colors, and keep track of conditions when you are successful.

I feel most people are asking way too much for most items. There are some items out there that I am willing to pay top dollar for if it is something that I know I have success with and there isn’t an equally effective alternative out there. But a $200 rod used for one season for sale for $175...I’ll respectfully let someone else jump on that deal. It’s 100x worse if you take a look at the small, but ridiculously expensive New England surfcasting market. “$1000 reel for sale. Only swam in the salt with it for two seasons. Has some sand in it but still works great. I’ll let it go for $850 plus shipping”....

If I am going big, I like the Power Team Conviction Craw. It’s 4.5”, but it has a lot of bulk, and it looks like a lobster when rigged on a jig. Great bait on its own, but still practical enough in size to rig on a jig. Lots of bulk, good movement, durable plastic, and their colors are great.

They rig nicely on the Rabbit double hook. It looks a little funny because the hook gap is a tad big for the bait, but it works just fine. They do sink though. You won’t be fishing this road slow if you intend to keep it on top.

At this point in the season, I normally find shallow water fish in, or close to the big spawning areas. Not sure if coincidence, or if there is something to it.

Nobody likes change. It's a tough thing to deal with. Especially for fishermen, who's sport is generally based on repeated weather, and seasonal patterns. Someone mentioned kayak fishing. I have to say, it is a whole different ballgame being on a small lake or pond with no boats, no noise, and no fishing pressure. And the limited amount of gear also add a new edge to the game. I am confident in believing that I am just as effective on most days in a kayak as many of the boat fishermen out there. Whichever way you go, I hope you find a way to continue enjoying the sport!

Man, you said it. The only other thought is that it is that as technologically advanced as fishing has become, there is still something primitive about fishing. The idea that if I absolutely needed to catch fish to feed my family, I could out-wit a fish, and be successful on most days...that is a reward to me. Predicting nature, and putting it to work is a great feeling. Also, in today’s world of cell phones and internet, it is fun to brag among the good folks here on bassresource and with our friends in our fishing circles.

As previously said, the fish will cling to cover. I’d go with something that makes noise and/or vibrates. Squarebill, lipless, spinnerbaits are all good choices. If the fish won’t move for a bait, try heavy jig like 3/4. Bang it around in the cover and cause some comotion with it.

What hooks are on the Pointer 78? I have a few in desperate need of new hooks. I know they are very suseptable to to tuning. What hooks?

Not sure what your budget is. My Regal Revolution and Peak Jurassic #2 vises are my favorites to tie on. The Peak Jurassic in my opinion is the best vise out there for tying jigs or anything with a heavy hook. It’s an entirely different system in comparison to any other vise. You’ll break a hook before is comes loose in the vise. They are a bit pricey. But I tie A Lot.

Nobody is really dying to drill holes in their brand new kayak, but you may have to if the wires are bothering you that much. I know it would drive me crazy too. Im not familiar with that boat but it looks like that compartment opens. Perhaps you can drill a hole or two and run the cables trough the cover. The hatch looks like it is designed to be watertight. I’d put the wiring and the battery in there. Just be sure to silicone the holes really well once you run the wiring through.

Try a very lightly weighted swimbait hook, like 1/16oz. The weight is basically just a keel to keep the bait from spinning. I like the VMC Drop Dead hook because the weight is molded near the bend of the hook which allows the bait to stay level when it’s sinking. It’s perfect for flukes.

Water conditions are relative to the particular body of water. On my local lake here in VA, “spring” patterns occur when the water is 65-80. “Summer” patterns occur at 80-95. During the heat of the summer, this lake is consistently 88-94 degrees. The “fall” patterns begin when the water drops again below 80. In the winter, the water stays between 45-55 degrees. However, the fish seem to stay in winter mode until the water breaks 60 degrees. Start documenting the average rage temps on your water throughout the different parts of the season. The fish on your lake might react differently to temps than on one lake than they do on another lake that’s only a few miles down the road. On one lake, if the water is 90 degrees, I know I’ll find fish in deep water on the shady side of the standing cypress. They will be lazy and sluggish and typicall hit only finess baits. If I drive 3 miles down the road to my other lake and the water is 90 degrees, I’m gonna find fish shallow holding under mats or downed wood as they use it for shade. These fish will likely chase top water and moving baits. These two lakes are only a few miles apart, but the fish behave entirely different in both lakes.

I used to striped bass fish behind an abandoned asylum in Connecticut. Up north, striker fishing typically happens at night. We’d hike through the property at night to get to the beach. When you’re exhausted, standing in the water in the middle of the night your mind tends to play tricks on you. If you turn around you’ll see the building with a giant steeple standing against the moonlight. There are rumors about what took place here way back when. It’s a very eerie place to be at night by yourself. And it’s always very quiet foggy out there. You’ll sometimes hear some movement close by, but when you turn to look there is nothing there. It always drove me nuts being there. I always had goosebumps when I was there. If the fishing weren’t so d**n good, I’d have nothing to do with that place. The worst part is hiking out of there by yourself after a long night of no fish.

Jerkbaits...

My mistake. I just checked the packages I have. They are the BPS brand.

^^^This^^^ They swim and catch just as well as Keitechs. They seem to hold up better and they cost half the price.

I love tying with rabbit. It has so much movement in the water. I am at the vise tonight too.

I tend to agree with this! Most baitfish are defenseless. Their uniform appearance and “power in numbers” is their survival tactic. They want to blend into the school. The one that looks different will be the one that the fish key in on. The spot behind the gill on a shad imitates an eye, which confuses the predator, and can also give the appearance of more fish in the school. The transparency of some baitfish like silverside minnows make them disappear when viewed from underneath against the light of the surface of the water, and the green back makes them disappear when looking down against the green or muddy bottom of the lake. However, most baits produce some sort of noise, and vibration which I think catches the attention of the fish. The unmatching colors also make our baits more noticeable in contrast with the real baitfish. Youll pull your hair out trying to make sense of the fish’s mood. Some days they want something that looks real, and some days they want something that looks like it’s dressed in a clown suit. Generally I start with natural colored baits in clear water. Dark or clown colored baits in dirty water. If no bites, I’ll adjust and try different colors or presentations until I get bit.

^^^Seriously!^^^ The sound that they make is what draws the fish. On top of that, I honestly don’t think I have ever missed a fish on the WP. This trebles are money when they are biting too waters. You don’t even have to set the hook. Watch them eat it and simply start reeling.

I fish throughout the winters. I also spend a lot of time tying flies, and this winter I am messing around with tying some hairjigs for float-n-fly applications. It’s a fun and productive way to fight the cabin fever. And so far, the bass seem be taking a liking to my jigs.