Bucky205

Their talking tournaments, not practice days.

A better question might be. How often do you get skunked? Most do, some less than others. I try to learn from it and move on. It is almost an exercise in what not to do. Even on a fishing trip where you caught absolutely nothing, you gained knowledge. Over time the should do, outweighs the what not to do. After 40+ years I still get skunked, but I learn from it.

Easy answer, which has it in stock at the best price, it is the deciding factor for most people

We fished the ones on the North side down close to the bridge. That's where 3 of our fish came from. I keep thinking there has got to be a stream flowing in somewhere offering some cooler water, haven't ever found it. August is tough here, friend fished Saturday morning 5 to 11 without a bite.

We fished a 7 hour night tournament last night and it was tough. Water temp was 90 degrees, winds about 12 mph NE, 1/2 moon low on the horizon. We caught 4, 3 right at 12" and one about 14". What was strange is that we couldn't even find shad on the electronics. We fished everything from finesse, spinners, cranks from the surface to the bottom which is about 30'. We tried flipping grass, and jigs under docks right at dark. Everyone seemed to have had a tough night. Two boats tied with right at 10 lbs, with the winner having the largest big fish. August is always a tough month in Alabama when the water gets 90 and higher they seem to vanish. Some of you people with warm water jump in and tell me where your finding the bite?

I have the same rod and I like it for finesse and less than 1/8 oz lures, it has an IM6 blank and is very sensitive. Your issue comes from what you’re fishing. If this was going to be a do everything rod I would probably choose a 6'6" M/F (LR661MS), and a reel that would hold around 120 yards of 12# mono. Your issue is coming from wanting to finesse, fish vegetables, and other things with the same rod. Given what you’ve described the 6'6" M/F will give you the most versatility and probably be a better all around rod for you.

How often depends on two things. Location and location. The location of the reservoir, then the location of the larger fish within that reservoir. What is average on one reservoir may be a trophy on another. Alabama is blessed with some great fishing, but even within the state there are large differences in quantity and quality of the bass. Alabama DCNR has a group called B.A.I.T. (Bass Anglers Information Team) that looks at all the data and compiles it annually for the different bodies of water within the state. http://www.outdooralabama.com/sites/default/files/bait2015.pdf It's interesting to see the major differences on size within a relatively small area. On Guntersville this spring Casey Martin put 5 fish in the boat that weighed 40-11, at a lot of other lakes in the state that would be close to impossible.

The water is really warm right now. The bass may be hanging in any deep spots, or shade available. Casting a weightless wacky rig to the edge of the vegetation and twitching it a couple times down the outside edge of the vegetation will sometimes entice a bite. Couple of questions. How big is this pond? How deep is it where you can get too? Are you pretty sure those were bass you saw busting in the middle? Can you run a frog across the vegetation?

Just curious what types of other fish, and bass forage are you seeing there?

LOL, If you use your fingers for drag instead of the reel it will also increase reel life. If you don't run your trolling motor through thick stuff. If you don't run your boat at full speed. Your rifle will last longer if you don't shoot it a lot. Lighten the use and increase the life holds true for most mechanical devices. IMO, they are all tools, don't abuse them and keep them clean, use them to get the job done, then repair or replace.

A spinnerbait will go through places a chatterbait will hang. Chatterbait does not have as much versatility on depth, you slow it down enough to go deep and your changeing the action. You can retrieve a Colorado blade spinnerbait at 1 to 50’ with close to the the same action. I think chatterbaits offer advantages when you’re trying to keep your bait shallow and slower. You can keep a willowleaf spinnerbait really shallow, but it is really moving and going to have a lot of flash. Sometimes you just don’t want as much water displacement as a shallow colorado blade would create. Chatterbait definitely has it's own specific uses.

An orvis knot will put your tag end down towards the hook. It's not as strong as a palomar though. https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/orvis-knot/

FG

Try moving your rod tip to remove any slack before you start reeling. Reel down the slack and drag or bump with your rod, then repeat. The more slack you have in the line, the less likely you are to feel a strike. If your reeling slack line it wont spool correctly.

It happens to all of us that fish a lot. I’ve had kids first day fishing land more fish. Sometimes it just works out that the bite is more suited for a different technique. No adult males I fish with will cut you any slack; it’s part of the fun. If it's a less experienced person you’re introducing to the sport, they deserve special consideration. Otherwise, "maybe you can get your little sister to show you how", or “set the hook like you do when were crappie fishing”. And if it is your wife, or little sister that out fished you, it’s going to get really rough.

I've run into the same with light leader’s occasionally finishing up FG's. If the braid slips after doing the two half hitches with the braid, I put a half hitch in just the leader and pull tight. I clip the leader and two more half hitches with the braid. The half hitch in small fluorocarbon is so small you don't feel it going through the guides. The knot prevents any possibility of the leader slipping through the braid, and allows the braid to draw even tighter on the leader.

IMO the easiest bait to skip is a tube worm. A tube with 1/8 oz jig head rigged inside it (Tons of youtube videos on rigging tubes for skipping) skips really well. I like skipping with a 6'6" rod and a spinning reel, sometimes I get a bad skip and a guaranteed backlash with a baitcaster. Smooth water helps tremendously.

I am probably going to take some smacks for this. Some feel there is never a time for ive bait. If I were going to Florida with my girlfriend, after buying 2 non resiident licences, only a couble days to fish, in strange water, and wanted to catch a nice fish. I would float shiners near the thick stuff.

There is not a set it and forget it even on the most expensive reels. You’re going to throw upwind, downwind, crosswind with a variety of lures. Even your casting style is not always the same. If you could always throw the same distance downwind in a 3 mph wind with a 1/2 oz bait, you could tune it to behave as well as a Zebco 33. Bait casters throw so well because there is less resistance. The spool is feeding out line as your lure travels away from you, but if the spool over spins you’re going to backlash. Reels can use either magnet or friction for braking. If you want to know if the brake is working reel all your line in and put a piece of tape to hold it in place. Spin the spool with your finger. You should see a difference between minimum and maximum braking.

*****EXACTLY*** Set your brake mid range and set your spool tension so the spool stops when the bait hits the ground. Let your thumb feather the spool, your thumb will actualy feel the loose line if the spool starts to over spin.

My Favorite bait if buying new, 1/2 Oz Chrome/Blue Rattl Trap. They sink at about 1 FPS so offer lot of versatility on depth. Vary your retrieve until you figure out what they will hit. Once I bang the finish off I use steel wool to take the rest of the finish. A sharpie and spray paint creates the new finish and you wind up with different colors. I tend to throw them where I probably shouldn't so they eventualy get lost. You can buy 1/2 oz factory seconds off the web for about $1 a piece, lots of 20. There is an assortment of crank baits in the box, but this is by far my favorite.

Mine Aren't Boat Buckle brand, they were on the trailer when I bought the boat. I like them. Makes strapping down, or unstrapping very quick and easy. I don't have to keep up with them since they are mounted on the trailer.

Friend and I were fishing the St Johns rive in Palatka, FL. with power lines overhead. Started hearing the crackling. I made a long cast using mono, and the line just hung in mid air, floating. Then bright flash, and simultaneos BOOM. I though we had been hit. That's probably the closest I've come. People tell me I'm exagerating when I tell them the line floated. Good to see it has happened to others.

Nope, but your on a very short list.

Stren Original, Clear/Blue Fluorescent mono. I also like the fact in lights up like a glow stick under a UV headlamp at night. I am finding myself getting more and more away from flourocarbon. I haven't been using all flouro for that long, at first I really liked the sensitivity, and I liked the fact it is almost invisible, but I hate the memory. Flouro is expensive and looks like a slinky after 30 days. I refuse to pay more money for conditioner to try and keep the memory down. I still tend to use flouro as leaders on my braid a lot, but thats about it.