JustJames

Or go big with your saltwater setup. There are plenty of sturgeon and Striper bass in sacramento river.

Boat or shoreline? Last time I went to the lake was two weeks ago. Water level is still low, weed everywhere some spot all the way to surface. If you gonna be in boat look for weed line 15-20 ft deep. Shoreline would be around lamp area, but still weed everywhere.

That is not good if BPS changes all cabela to BPS brand. I shop both but sometime cabela's cheaper plus no tax for me.

The only jetty I used to fish at is the one in Seal Beach. I caught nice halibut there. Surf fishing would be better around the beach area than fish from only jetties.

Jon, those buzz baitis look pretty good for snakehead. I have been searching for quite awhile in thailand. It just a balsa wood equit with buzz blade in the front. It can float when stop but makeing a lot of noise when retrieve. on the other hand, I already have a plan to DIY my own buzzbait just like that.

For regular snakehead you can find it anywhere in Thailand but if you are going for giant snakehead (images below) you have to go north-west of bangkok in kanchanaburi province. I watched Monster Fish today and they had a show about snakehead, from what I saw, I think there are pay-to-fish ponds for snakehead as well. Giant snakehead = Pla Cha-do

Snake head seems to bite pretty good at night. In thailand, there are many anglers fish for snakehead at night with any kind of lure that make some noise. Snakehead also will come out in open water to hunt so you dont really have to find them in jungle. I would think something with slow retrieve like pop lure would be good. I never fish for snakehead at night but I quote this info from fishing in thailand.

That seems to be a bit too much work for another few dozen cast or 1-2 fish. I'd rather cut a portion of the tail (undamage) 2.5-3 inches and make it finesse drop shot bait.

Or look around here for good used reel. That way you dont have to upgrade too fast. For rod lightning rod is good start and should last you for a long time. You can also check pure fishing outlet for discount price for rods and reels.

Can i add one more maybe #5.5 . Use the damage senko for wacky rig with either o-ring or heated shrink tube. I do this to all my plastic. Either trim deeper hook and then change hook style. I even show my friend which he throw away senko after it unhookable I kept those and still catch a couple more fish. Now he never throw away those expensive senko.

I hope the hype is true because I have two coming my way

Also it depends on how you hook the worm too. I guess most of the people here prefer nose hook so worm hook / offset shank hook might leave too much exposed. I, on the other hand, alway start with gamakatsu ewg #2 as my goto drop shot hook for weedless style to prevent any snag under water. I use that hook to all kind of worm, jr. Super Fluke, grub etc.

It is all depend on the bait/plastic you use. Most of the time drop shot bait is quite small so small hook would be better "key word finesse". But you can use whatever hook you prefer as long as it match your bait. I caught bass on EWG 3/0 before using drop-shot but I use Zman Craw as a bait.

Go with #4 copolymer then. I have that on my calcutta 50 and it goods for very lite lure/jig.

I consider myself a beginner too, started fishing bass with all kind of lures quite long ago but not so success. Until a recent year I just fish with one technique only "drop shot". Im getting a lot more success with this and gain more confident. I then learn more about other type like senko, texas and ned rig. Now I expand my technique to some hard bait like top water, crankbait and jerkbait.

I think I miss OP's intentionally for this post. Are we talking about beginner or yourself? I consider myself a beginner for bass fishing too, so I do agree with OP and WRB. I just recently start using other like crank/chatterbait or even differnent topwater lure. Remember beginner, minimum tackle, easiest way to catch fish.

It is still happen from time to time especially when changing from heavy lure to light lure or when changing reel. Last week I went out fish for a while changing lures a few time getting a small backlash very often until my friend said something must be wrong. I checked and you know what, the line wrap around my rod at the bottom guide. I dont know how that happen but after I fixed that no more backlash.

First I will say thanks to OP since Im going/trying to introduce my wife and kids into bass fishing next year. I already have plan for them on what gear and lure to use. You guess what? It is a spinning gear? and what lure? A senko, either wacky/texas rig. Why? It is easy enough for them to cast and dont require a lot of movement for them to get too tired before catching fish. I am new to bass fishing myself and you know what, I only caught ONE fish so far with spinner bait, none on lipless and Crankbait. All I want to say is most of the time a beginner would fish from bank not from boat. From bank of course they would have to walk around to find fish but boat with all the tech/experience you drive the boat to where fish at and just cast the lures. Lipless and crankbait might be good if you know fish is in the area and at depth you are presenting the lure. Now tell me how many lure / color / depth level, I have to have in order to catch 1 fish. Maybe I will let her use my deep diving and I think in no time she would say "my arm and my wrist hurt let go home" I rememer a few years back, when ppl tell me lipless is alway catching fish. I got a few of those walking around big lake, small lake, pond trying to catch just one fish. I'd been doing that for a few months with nothing in return, almost give up fishing altogether. Top water, this one great more fun but I think it need other like time/weather to successfully catch fish. I dont think my wife would want to wake up 5:00 in the morning or go outside when it forcast to rain for top water action with me. I have witness many times that bass bite senko even when it sit still. In this case I will have my wife cast it out shake a little bit or do nothing when she gets too tired. At first she would get to learn how to detech the bite / watch the line movement and hopefully get to learn how to reel the fish in. It is also very cost effective just 2 bag of senko shad and blue with a pack of 4/0 worm hooks and call it good.

That is true, with light jig no swievel (I do doulbe uni knot fluo to braid) once a while I have to free the line and reel in it tight to prevent wind knot. I do not have this problem with heavier lure like top water neither when drift fish for catfish.

I normally use Gamakatsu worm hook #2, becuz I got a lot of snag underwater. When the worm tear unhookable with worm hook, i will use mosquito hook for those. VMC spin shot is good, but I give that all to my friend since he doesnt know how to tie dropshot rig. skip those weedless dropshot/waggy hook from Gamakatsu, I tried those and dont like it at all.

I think Im not jn the group then. I dont use neither. I used to tie clinch knot but feel itis not strong enough. Now i only use trilene knot for everything, rapala loop knot for hard bait. And sandiago jam when I need more secure heavy lure.p

I got 20lbs on 3 of my spinning reel, fish with it a few time. The line pretty soft get wind knot a few time on light jig for panfish. Also the line trend to wrap around the tip of fishing rod pretty easily.

Hi there Johnny, I used to live in OC as well in cerritos area but now move myself to riverside. I soon will move to canyon lake where is bass fishing heaven.

Congart A-jay you gat a big today.?

X2 here. I work 6 days a week and only 1 day off which is Sunday, and Im stupid enough to promise my wife that Sunday would be a family day (after she let me buy a boat). I can fish maybe a couple hours after work if I get off early. If i get to fish more than once a week, I would be very happy.