SJS

Thanks. I want to fish that far down slope slow and on the bottom because that is the area where I catch fish when they hit lures higher up in the water column. When the bite is off, I try to go light and slow on the very bottom to get hits, but I think you are confirming that it can't be done from my spot on the bank with the rigs I am using. I can't get a position that is perfectly parallel, but I can spend more effort getting as parallel as I can, and try weightless plastic. Thanks again.

I have a pond I am fishing from the bank, but the same issue could arise from a boat. There is a spot which runs down from the bank on a steep angle to about 6 to 8 feet. The bank on which I stand is itself another 3 feet above the water surface. From the bottom, going outward, the bottom then immediately angles up, less steeply but it is not a gradual rise. It goes up to about 2 feet. This is in a small cove and after the water gets that shallow it stays shallow for the rest of the cove. Most of the fish are spending time in that gully. If I want to fish on the bottom with a jig, a drop shot, a texas rig, etc., etc. I cast out to the shallows and work the retrieve back through the gully. Most strikes occur there and it is no problem with anything not on the bottom. But with bottom retrieves, whether it be small hops, drags, jerks, steady and slow, whatever, I have no control over the lure once it starts to decline down that outer ridge. It goes the speed that gravity and friction dictate regardless of what I do. Unless I want to speed it up but that defeats the idea of trying to fish slowly on the bottom. How would you fish this if you want to go low and slow?

I really appreciate all the comments. This strikes me as a great business opportunity. Is there such a thing as a clothing engineer? Boy, if someone could invent fishing clothes that are really comfortable, really cool in summer, really protective against sun and bugs, really cheap, and make me look 20lbs lighter, they would make a fortune.

I live in SC and it is pretty hot and humid these days. Being retired, I get to fish every day and spend hours outside and I am not crazy about lathering up with sunscreen and bug repellant. So, I decided to try one of the fishing shirts that claim to give good UVA protection. It seems to work for the sun, and the mere covering of my skin also provides bug protection. Problem is, despite its claims in the advertising it is not comfortable against the skin, does not breathe well and is hot. I think the reason is I tried to get away with buying a cheap one. I would love some suggestions for a comfortable, long sleeve shirt or hoodie that breathes well and is cool in very hot and humid weather. Suggestions for light weight pants would be great too.

Great fight, were you using light or ultra light gear?

Well, what got me thinking about it was tying on a jig today, which has the eye fixed vertically, and wondering if it made a difference in the motion of the jig when I wanted to hop it across the bottom.

When threading the fishing line through the eye of the lure do you: 1. Run it through the eye from the bottom up? 2. Run it through the eye from the top down? 3. It depends on the kind of line? It depends on the lure? It depends on the technique to be used? It doesn't matter?

DON'T! DANGER, DANGER, DANGER! Yesterday, I was fishing at one of several small ponds near my house. Across the road was another. Two small boys rode up on bikes and started fishing the other pond. I have been stymied by extremely hot weather, so I was fishing ultra light for bluegill to try and get something on the line. Then, things went out of control. I caught 3 bluegill in short order. Instantly, I had two small boys by my side casting. They were using large lures for bass so I gave them some of what I was using. They started catching bluegill. And talking, and talking, and talking, mostly about how their dads caught bigger fish than I did. I wished them luck and left. Seeking peace and quiet, I left for another pond a bit away; a secret pond. Not that folks don't know it exists but don't know how good it is and it is not as easy to access. Three minutes later two small boys show up on bicycles (yes, the same two boys). I was striking out. They, using my lures, started catching bass. As I walked away muttering like the grouchy old man I am they offered to teach me how to fish. And now, it is summer vacation and they will be there every day. No good deed goes unpunished.

Never mind, I looked it up on google and see its part of the normal Shimano lineup. Thanks for the tip, it looks like just what I need.

Casts-By-Fly, I no longer have my old trout gear. I have a St Croix bass rod that I like a lot so that idea appeals to me. I had not previously heard of JDM Miravel. I have a Shimano Miravel 3000 but want something smaller and lighter so the JDM sounds good. What is the difference between the JDM and the Shimano? Is it the same but JDM offers better pricing?

My current panfish rig is a Daiwa Regal LT 2500 and Okuma Stratus 7 rod with 8 lb mono. It works great but I am going to get myself a higher quality rig for no other reason than I like fishing a little more with better quality gear when I can and Father's Day is coming up. I never really looked that closely at panfishing gear, but I used to live in good trout country and in the past have had good rigs for trout. My general google look at gear gives me the impression that folks spend less on panfish than on trout. Why? Trout can get bigger, but most trout caught by most people are not larger than good size panfish. I don't think they fight any harder, just differently. I don't think they taste any better, just differently. Is it just that trout are aristocrats and panfish are blue collar? Anyway, I'll quit rambling and just ask my question. What would be a good rod and reel for panfish that would be a noticeable step up in quality from what I have now?

I posted a PB thread here on May 1. 10 days later I went to the exact same spot and caught a larger one on an Urchin bait using a drop shot rig. No scale again but it measured 27". I went out and bought a fish scale. Haven't caught anything over 2lb since.

Thank you Glenn. Appreciate all the hard work.

Don't recall what the thread was but I recently read a post by Swamp Girl that spoke about the simplicity of her fishing with her canoe. It got me thinking about getting a canoe or kayak for fishing small ponds, but I would not be using electronics or any other gear beyond two rods and extra lures in my pockets. I don't need a tricked-out fishing machine but something simple and light that I can lift by hand onto and off the roof rack of my SUV. I have experience in both kind of craft but not as fishing platforms. This will be shallow, still water with no waves or rapids to deal with, though the occasional bump by a gator is a possibility. I would appreciate comments on the merits of one type of boat over the other for this kind of fishing.

I'm fishing almost nothing but T-rig currently just so I can improve with that method and I still feel like it's as much luck as skill that I get a good hook set. Despite that, I am catching more and larger bass since starting this. I'm also starting to enjoy the technique while originally, I did not, I just used it because everyone raves about it.

Thanks, Kyak Koz. I have had the same experiences with them, and I would not get in a kayak in these lagoons. I am used to them coming in when they detect a struggling fish on the hook, but when they come right up to me for no reason except me being there, I leave when they get to about 10 yards. I have lived here 10 years but have only fished these ponds for a few weeks and they are pretty great except for those beasts.

How close did you let gators get to you before leaving? Did you have any close calls with them?

I moved down south 10 years ago into a housing development that has several small ponds, and those are what I fish daily. These are not natural ponds, but shallow depressions bulldozed and dug out by the developer to create scenery and provide water drainage. I have found no lake topography maps as exist online for larger natural lakes. Boats are not allowed so no onboard electrical assistance is available. I have no idea how fish are in them since they have no natural structure but there are sunfish, bass, catfish and even huge alligator gar, not to mention many, many alligators. Trying to imagine what structure does exist from the lay of the land above water, the depth from sinking lures and the snags is all I have, except for my assumption that fish I have previously caught are an indicator that there is something fishy at those particular spots. Today I saw something new and wonder if it has any meaning. It is raining cats and dogs and is in the 60's with no wind. I went fishing and noticed that while most of the pond had a choppy surface that blocked any visibility below the surface, there were irregular areas where there were the individual circles of raindrops hitting the surface, but the overall surface of these areas was smooth and had some water clarity. I did not have my phone so took no pictures, but these irregular areas looked like depressions or ditches might look in shape and might mean more depth in these spots. What else would cause these spots less disturbed by the rain than depth? This would mean structure, except these areas did not correspond that closely to what I have previously thought were the good spots. I assumed it was structure and fished those areas today. I had no luck but that may just be because they are not biting this morning on the lures I used. Any thoughts? Think this is a good indicator of structure? To make it easier to respond I will present multiple choice answers: a. You are a moron, of course it is structure b. You are a moron, of course it is not structure c. You are a moron with too much time on your hands d. You are a moron; you need a new hobby that requires less intelligence e. You are a moron; did you take your pills this morning? f. You are a moron, does the nurse know you escaped your room? g. Fill in the blank _____________________________________________________________________________

Have never had a lot of luck fishing the Texas rig. I have been forcing myself to fish it and try to learn to do better. Yesterday I had two good bass strike and had the feeling I had set the hook, but each one threw the hook soon after. I have only light, medium light and medium rods and wondered if I just need more backbone in the rod to get a better hook set, since it seemed to happen most often with bass and the Texas rig. Not the same problem with other fish or other rigs. So, this morning I went to Dick's and bought a cheap Lew's Medium Heavy Fast Action rod. Went to one of my local ponds and within 5 minutes got my PB largemouth. Had to be the rod, right? No scale with me and I had to release it, but it measured 23.5".

At 77 I am a long way from my physical prime, but I am enjoying fishing as much as I ever have. I will never again wade deep into a large powerful river while far from civilization to cast to fresh, unpressured fish. I may never set a new PB for any species. But the main thing is the same as the first fish I caught at 6. There are so many wonderful things about fishing, but the main thing remains the same. What is the main thing? When I first retired, I used to fish almost daily at a large fishing pier in a tourist destination. It had many anglers every day from every age, race, social position, economic position, education, ethnicity, etc., etc. I noticed one thing that every one of them had in common. It was the look on their face the moment of the hook set. I don't know what to call it. Thrill, joy, satisfaction, relief, or what; but I knew what they were feeling. It is the same for all of us. And, that moment in time, that feeling, never dims regardless of age. And that, my friends, is the main thing. So, there is much to look forward to for you . . . unless you never get another bite.

I was reading an Inside Fisherman article about several scientific experiments they did years ago with bass and was surprised at the statistical advantage of using fish scent. They mentioned Dr Juice formula, so I bought some. I applied it liberally and it didn't make any difference at all. In fact, if anything I caught fewer fish, though the mosquitoes seemed worse than ever. I mean, I wasn't cheap about it. I put a bunch on my head, on both hands, my forearms and my lower legs. I nearly used the whole bottle. But then I read the label and saw my mistake. I had mistakenly bought the one for saltwater fish. I have ordered the one for bass and can't wait for it to arrive.

Because I don't own a boat, but maybe I'll cast out today and run along the bank and see how it works out.

"They last forever in a sealed package" Yeah, that kind of got lost in my original question. I am not asking how long they last in the sealed package. But, once you take it out of that package and use it, do you continue to use it outing after outing when that particular worm has been out of the sealed package and sitting in the tackle box? Of course, it is plastic and will last forever, but the question is, will it catch fewer fish than if you use a new worm, fresh from the sealed package, each trip?

When you open the plastic container for plastic worms, they are moist, slippery and smelly. One outing and they are not. Just caught a few small bass on brand new worms and I wondered how much it matters if they are fresh. Usually, I will fish them until they are torn up in some way. How about you? Do you think fresh worms are better?

I used to live near the Susquehanna River in PA and fly fishing with streamers was actually the most effective way to catch a lot of smallmouth. Now I fish small ponds in SC and still water is different. I use it sometimes at dusk with small poppers near the banks and do OK with small largemouths and bluegill. There is definitely a learning curve.