BrackishBassin

Said it in other threads, but I'll toss it in here too. Do those of us that require prescription glasses a favor and buy non-Luxottica owned sunglasses. Avoid Costa, Oakley, Ray Ban, etc. Not going to go into all the specifics as it just seems to stir up trouble. A quick Google search will tell you everything you need to know about Luxottica and what they do. So, my advice is to find a good pair of glasses that fit you will from an independently owned brand.

Wow! That's a huge range. I would maybe think about making two different hand outs. One for the 5-10 group and one for the 10-15. For 5-10, keep it really simple. Maybe just the parts of a fishing rod and the names of some common tackle (hook, bobber, bait, etc.). Anything else would be way too complicated foe them. You can get much more specific with the older group, but I would still suggest steering clear of the color baits for specific types of water conditions. If they're new to fishing, maybe talk about different types of freshwater fish and one good bait for each type.

No pictures available, but I threw a larger sized spinnerbait for the first time yesterday - 5 casts and 5 backlashes later, I cut it off and went back to a crankbait.

How old are the kids involved? The information that they can realistically process is largely dependent on their age.

I've had zero success with jigs in the two main ponds I fish. I'm not sure if it's the bottom make up (entire bottom is soft and/or hydrilla that grows to within a foot of the surface), or that people throw them all the time there and the bass are used to them. In that same pond, the only lures that have ever produced fish for me were soft plastics (Zoom lizard, worms of various types) that were t-rigged, shallow crankbaits, and a chatterbait fished like a crankbait. Most productive has definitely been the soft plastics. I've tried frogs, spooks, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs (green pumpkin and black/blue with and without trailers). Haven't had a nibble on any of them.

Coming from saltwater, I have the same issue. I'm used to soaking bait in the same area for extended periods of time. So, having 20 different lures to choose from, I tend to try and soak them all before o decide to move on. As a bank fisherman, I don't have as much of a choice as the bot guys, but I still feel like I spend too much time in one area.

Have you had issues with them eating up plastics? I've avoided using any of the 'chisel point' (for lack of a better descriptor) hooks because I'm concerned they'd cut through and tear up plastics. Interested to hear your take on it.

I have that same combo, and I had issues with it as well. I switched the mono I had on it to braid and that made it way easier to cast. The second rod/reel I bought was definitely a step up (med *** with a Tatula CT), and I found it to be much easier to cast with it. I only use the Black Max combo for really 'heavy' stuff now (minimum of 1/2 an ounce) and occasionally throwing a frog. Just not worth the headache. Plus, the CT is a joy to fish, and I seem to prefer the med rod to the med heavy for some reason. I know the standard rod for bass is a med heavy, but I haven't needed anything that stout for the waters I fish.

You guys seen those sportbrella things parents bring to soccer matches for their kids? Caught one jigging off of a pier. Thought I had a HUGE fish. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed. Definitely a clam. I come from the 'land of oysters' and if that's an oyster, it's the weirdest one I've ever seen.

Caught my PB on a Texas rigged 6" Zoom lizard (pumpkin with a chartreuse tail) during the bluegill spawn. Watched bass chasing the bluegill when they got too far off their beds (close to a depth change and hard grass line), tossed the lizard out there weightless, and she hit it like it was a topwater. Had lots of success with that same set up during the bluegill spawn ever since then.

I'm a bank guy, so I try to focus on depths like you're suggesting. That being said, I rarely get to fish 'good' topwater days. I may start with a topwater, crankbait of some sort, and a soft plastic/jig for the bottom, but I usually end up ditching the topwater and adding a finesse presentation instead.

Appreciate all the input! In spite of paying close attention to my line, it seems like it's an inevitable part of wacky rigging trick worms. I'll stick to my weightless senkos and drop shot for a while. Don't have issues with either of those two presentations and they catch plenty of fish. Thanks all!

The lake I fish most frequently is extremely wooded. So, what I carry is really season dependent. During the winter and spring I can afford to carry multiple rods, but I never carry more than 3 (1 ML spinning, 1 M casting, 1 MH casting). Once the plants get growing, I can really only effectively fish with spinning gear and won't bring more than one rod. I've tried casting multiple times and it's just too much of a headache for me. I also need to work on downsizing my tackle selection as well. I took a trip down a hill this past Saturday with my rod in my hand and about 15 pounds of tackle on my back. It wasn't pretty and it sure as heck wasn't pleasant. Ended up face down in the lake but, by some divine miracle, had 0 of the two sets of trebles from the jerkbaits I had tied on stuck in me.

Fishnkamp talked me into getting a CT and I love it. Granted, I have limited (none) experience with other 'good' reels, but I have zero bad things to say about the CT after owning and fishing it for 6 months.

I would have kept the bass if it had been legal, but it wasn't. So, I had to toss it back. I'll give circle hooks a shot. Guess there's always a drop shot if I want to go finesse. Never had a bass gut hook themselves on a drop shot. Yeah, there was no removing this hook. It had swallowed everything but the eye so there was no place to turn the hook to. Would have just stuck it deeper into his gut. I've used that method with worm hooks before, but it's much easier due to the long shank of the hook.

I do crimp my barbs. The one I couldn't save swallowed everything but the eye. I cut the line after I realized there was no way I was getting it out, but he flipped around for a while in front of me and then went belly up. I use circle hooks for saltwater, but haven't tried them for fresh. I guess I can give it a shot. Have to retrain myself not to set the hook though. I'm definitely a line watcher, but I never even saw it twitch. Never had that happen to me before. I spend quite a bit of time fishing ponds because they're local for me. 99 percent of the time I'm throwing a soft plastic of some sort and have only ever had 1 fish die on me. That one I chalked up to bad luck. Fish came out of the water bleeding like a stuck pig and was dead within 30 seconds of me tossing it back. I'm familiar with the through the gills method, but these were on the smaller side and I couldn't access the hook through the gills for one that died.

So, I got a chance to hit the lake today. Blue bird skies, hot, and not a breath of wind. Decided to throw a wacky rig from the bank. I was targeting lay downs and other pieces of structure/cover I could find. First fish (pickerel) I had zero issues. Next two fish (both bass) were gut hooked. I was able to remove the hook from one, but the other one died shortly after I put it back in the water. I absolutely hate killing fish I'm not going to eat. With both bass, I never felt a tug or saw the line (braid with a mono leader) move. I went to shake it up off the bottom , felt resistance, and set the hook. After the second one was gut hooked (the one that didn't make it), I switched up to moving baits and never got another bite. I was just too gun shy to continue fishing it. My question is, does or has anyone else had a similar issue fishing a wacky rigged trick worm from the bank? After today's experience, I'd be hesitant to throw them again. What if that fish that hadn't made it was a big one? Then I would've really felt like crap. What was I doing wrong?

A bad day fishing beats a good day doing anything else.

Yep. Doesn't bother me. I'm a bank guy.

It's funny how we all have our don't like to fish times. Some of my best days have been windy. Went out a few weeks ago. 15-20 mph sustained winds with 30 mph gusts. Caught a bunch of fish. Talked to someone else who fishes the lake I fished regularly, as in he's been fishing it for 20 years, and he said they were the first bass he'd heard about anyone getting this spring. Now, you're more likely to see me at the lake the more windy it is.

Probably. They seem to have no issues shaking them just as I get them to the bank...

I was too. I also thought it was weird that they were able to get a tongue hooked crank out quicker than one in their lower jaw.

Another interesting study I ran across. This one was specifically looking at whether or not a fish is affected by a lure left in their mouth. It's from a saltwater fishing group, but the study was done on a freshwater fish. https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-lure-left-in-a-fishs-mouth/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Blog&utm_content=Fishing lure in mouth#content

Thanks!

I'm referring to the prescription glasses and the industries that surround them that are the main source of Luxottica's income.