Bass-Addict

Esp bluegill, you can usually handle a crawdad without getting pinched if you know how to hold them but bluegill are pretty much impossible to handle without catching the spines. How do bass eat these creatures whole without tearing up their insides?

That’s what I’ve been doing, free lining and it works great but I’m missing a lot of the fish that are down lower in the column.

Ah yeah good point. So bobber is really the only way to get the minnow down lower?

Yeah I didn’t mean like rock bottom just bottom of the water column where the fish are at. Is there any advantage to the bobber setup over this? Seems like removing the bobber gives me a direct connection to the bait/fish and better feel of the fight which is what it’s all about. Bobber kind of ruins this somewhat.

That’s pretty cool, vintage. I thought of something, would a drop shot rig possibly be a good solution for me to keep the minnow on the bottom without the risk of getting hung up and easier to set the hook than with a bobber?

I am using live shiners, and I’ve been catching pretty successfully lately in this small river/creek I fish. My spot is a 3-5 ft hole at the end of a decent little bottle neck/current. I wanna fish tomorrow or Saturday but can’t decide which would be best and being injured my spot is a pain to get to on crutches so I have to choose my trips wisely. Overnight low tonight is 37, tomorrow is high is 45 and mostly cloudy. Overnight low tomorrow is 29, high Saturday is 53 and sunny. I’d prefer to go saturday as it will be sunny and warmer, I’m just worried that the overnight low of 29 will shock the fish. Is 8 degrees difference in overnight lows enough that it’ll matter? I linked the forecast below. Thanks! Weather Forecast

Ok cool. Would mosquito hooks not be a better happy medium? Also I already have some eagle claw baitholders, are these much better for any reason?

Is that the same as a baitholder?

Yeah. If that’s the case what is my best option?

Problem is I’m used to hook setting, I’d rather not relearn lol

Lol the VHS days. That still looks pretty hard to me, but I will do it. Am I less likely to lose the fish w octopus vs circle?

What is the diff between a set and a sweep? Lol sorry just wanna get this right.

Got it. So w reg octopus, you do set the hook unlike circle?

That’s cool, you find the circle don’t work as well?

And you use octopus circle or reg octopus?

Not to be difficult, but what if I enjoy the action of setting the hook? Is mosquito best for this?

Ah yeah duh sorry I’m getting hazy my brain is shutting down for the day lol been a long one ? Would a 6 still work just as well for the fat ones? I only ask because I’ve got a mix of small and big ones.

Thanks, I actually found some at the Dicks near me I’m just gonna go grab them tomorrow. I appreciate that though man! Wait wouldn’t I want a bigger hook for bigger bait?

Yeah just realized that, found them though. Is there any time a 4 would be better than a 6? I’m using some pretty fat shiners but the fish I catch tend to hover around 10-15”

Got it. For standards go w a 4 tho? I’m going to get whichever ships fastest. What’s the diff between standard and /0? Cool, thx for the visual. I’ve been using a 6 baitholder, what do you recommend for little creek smallies?

Cool thanks. 4/0 the same as a #4? The plain 4 is out of stock. Is that big enough?

Cool. Is this what I want? https://www.amazon.com/Gamakatsu-伽玛卡兹-Octopus-Hook-Pack/dp/B07V4GB39P

Good point Thinking back I remember reading that circle hooks are no good because you tend to lose a lot of fish and that mosquito hooks were best for minnows/smallmouth. Why do you suppose someone would say this?

Perfect that’s what I’ve been doing so this will be an easy transition. I’ve already got the thill bobbers too I just don’t like how they lay sideways.

Awesome, thanks! Protects the fish too. You think I still need thill or will traditional red and white ball bobber work? So would this also mean it’s easier for bait to slip off?