hi_steel_basser

The rig you are fishing with sounds like a good pointer rod. Try jerkbaits, or light spinnerbaits if the water is stained.

Thank you Lord for the beautiful scenery you have created. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy it. Now please bless me, if it is your will, with a big fat hawg. OK, maybe next cast. YOO DA BOSS. OK, how about a fish today? I dont even care if he's big or not anymore. PLEASE don't let me get skunked again. OK, thank you for that one. What a beautiful fish! Once again, thanx for the time alone with you and your creation.

I have had times that deadsticking worked, but only if I reeled fast after I got the backlash picked out. Also there have been times like you described, where the bite came as soon as I stopped working the worm slow and really moved it. Sometimes it means that the fish want a faster presentation, but most of the time it just means that a fish was investigating your lure and you took it away. He had to eat or not, and he ate. IMHO, it's a hard pattern to duplicate.

A tube can act like a shad or a crawdad, and the action leads the bass to believe it is what it is. The styrofoam trick is awesome for imitating a dying baitfish on a c-rig. T-rigged, and dragged on the bottom, tubes look more like crawdads. I don't know what lake you are on, but I would say that smaller tubes would probably do better there that the tubes you used in Fl. Also, think lightweight. Use a small weight, as opposed to the sinkers you used in Fl. I would go with 1/8 to 1/4 for the t-rig, and less than 3/4 oz for the c-rig.

C-rigged lizards and critters work well in the conditions you described, as well as jigs. Unless there is alot of moss in the area. I don't know what you should do then.

IMHO, this is a sure sign that you need to change the color of the skirt. It worked for me one day, after missing several fish. I finally hooked one through the lwer jaw, the way you described, and managed to catch a couple when I changed the skirt.

Dink!!! You have made a believer out of me, Randall. U DA MAN!

Welcome back! It might have been a program thing. I've been here about three or four months, but I've never figured out what my password was. My computer was banned somehow, but I was still a member somehow. I still ain't sure what was wrong or right, I just know this is one cool site. Maybe when they fix your problem, they'll tell me what my password is so I can change my avatar and stuff.

Shaky head in muddy water?!? Bottom of my list. :-? I might try it someday, but the spinnerbait and jig will always be my go-tos if I am forced to fish these conditions.

For me, the bass is the most fun and the king of fishing for one simple reason. They are picky. I know there are other fish that fight harder, taste better, get bigger, etc. But the key toa successful day bass fishing is understanding what the fish are doing, where they are at, and which lure best fits the situation. Then you figure out how they are biting, what the best color and size lure is, and finally reach a point that you KNOW, there is a 3-lber right there, I'm gonna get her to bite right... NOW! FIGHT ON!!! I live for that experience. It doesn't happen nearly enough.

I have had the same issues with it.

If I were you, Id get a pro qualifier combo with a 7' mh stick for wormin and jiggin, and a crankin stick with a cheaper reel for crankbaits and other reaction type lures. There just isn't a rod made that does everything well. Split your 250 up, and maybe upgrade the cheapest thing in a year or two. The BPS reels are good for the money. They aren't chronarchs, but they aren't 250 just for the reel either. They last a long time if you take care of them.

Good find, Muddy. What does everybody think about the 7'6" heavy action rod for light swimbaits? I am really a beginner with these lures, so I am not sure what to look for in a swimbait rod. I think a light action rod ould be perfect for small cranks and pop-rs. Sorry to butt in with a different ? I have another post going with a swimbait topic, if yall could post responses to my question there.

OK, here goes. I am looking for a decent rod/reel combo to handle c-rigs and lighter swimbaits, mainly under 2 oz. Is this even possible? Or are the actions totally different. I don't have Steezmoney, but I'm game for GLX and under.

Thank God I am not good enough to face this dilemma. ;D The top pros put in more hours and days away from home than us regular guys couldeven think about. At the same time, they get to fish all the time, whether they want to or not. I would really have to think about it long and hard if I was at that level. If I didn't enjoy the challenges I face at my regular job, it would be a no-brainer.

Hey, Matt, are you sposoring Randall? I'm gonna have to have a couple of bluegills and a baby bass in the VERY near future. Bait monkey is beating me about the head and shoulders, and Randall is adding force to the blows. ;D

I don't know where you are fishing, or how, but here are a few ideas. First, I usually let a fish run with a lure if I am fishong bigger lures. The only time I set instantly is when I am fishing a jig or a reaction type bait. Second, You may need to use a heavier action rod or bigger line or both. Also, look for the teeth marks on the worm. If the worm is still rigged straight, the fish may have gotten everything but the hook. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

I have a Callisto. It is not the smoothest reel on the market by a long shot, but it casts well. I have used it to throw everything from light jigs to swimbaits, pitching sinkos and slinging c-rigs. For the money, it is unbeatable.I have it matched to a Compre rod. It is the cheapest combo I still use, but I like it.

That's the way I do it. I prefer this knot for lines under 10# test. Anything above that, the knot is more difficult to tie right, and the line will bite on itself well enough without it. My 2 cents.

I have been wondering this. How do you find crawfish in your lake? I remember reading about a pro who found a neon orange craw in a lake and cleaned house with a jig. I was wondering if there was a way to catch crawdads just to see what colors they were.

That guy shoulda been DQ'd instantly. Snaggin's cheatin'. PERIOD. I have never intentionally snagged a fish, or weighed a snagged fish.

Hey, Crazychuy, welcome to the forum. I smoke, too, and these are some solutions I have found. First, bass DO smell the tobacco on your lure, and second, it WILL stop them from biting. Now, if you really want to quit, read no further. Here are some solutions to your problem. Use a scent on your bait at all times. I like Jack's Juice and Carolina Lunker Sauce. Both in garlic. I never throw a slow moving bait without it. Second, if I am pitchin, I will spray my right (lure holding) hand with a liberal dose of Jack's. Also, I have heard that Ivory soap is actually a positive scent for bass, so you may try washing your hands with it after a smoke. I have'nt tried this yet, but I have had several people tell me to try it. Good luck quitting.

If you are really that determined to throw the rig without so many knots, use a pegit or tstop in a glass bead. You can then slide the bead up or down the line without damage. ;)I use this setup alot for mojo rigs. If I want to pitch the lure to cover, I just slide the bead down to the bait for an instant t-rig.

So what if your obsessed with fishing? I am, all my friends know it, My boss knows, and it doesn't matter as long as I can do my job. Like the man said earlier, there are alot worse things in the world. Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

Jigs, tubes, sinkos, shaky heads, critters. If I ever figure out how to skip a crankbait, I'll do that too. ;D