Glaucus

Here's where I'm at with this thread. I've got more lures sitting around than I know what to do with. Many of us do. From different sizes, different colors, different techniques. All sorts of unused terminal tackle I will never get to. A plethora of rods and reels I never use. All because, and all when, I only truly do a few things and use a few rods because after a lot of time put in, I know what works the best and what I like the most, and I don't deviate from it. Like if I'm at a pond or something, sure I can throw a chatterbait and catch a few. But I don't because I know if I rig up a 4 inch Green Pumpkin Senko I'm going to out fish that presentation 10 to 1. And then we have the 60,000 dollar + bass boats when it is actually true that any decent Jon Boat is going to do the same thing for all intents and purposes. I'm just getting to the point where I see and have 100 different techniques, But if I'm honest I would only go through them all just for the sake of saying I did it, but my few preferable methods do the same thing, catch a lot of quality and quantity, and don't cost a fortune or waste away unused.

Spinnerbaits are useless. No loud topwaters. Worms have to be BIG. Senkos have to be SMALL. Black/Blue/Junebug colors. Lipless >>> Billed Frogs are great. Rarely fish the lake though. Usually river and ponds.

No swivel ever unless it's an inline spinner and even then I don't have the problems some have with line twist so I don't bother. No reason a worm should cause it. Might just need to respool if you are having problems with the line.

As the years go by, I'm finding that, more and more, a vast majority of my bass fishing gear and supplies is, for all intents and purposes, useless. There is seldom a time when I need anything but a M/F casting setup and a M/F spinning setup. If I'm at the river, I really only use KVD 1.5's, a Whopper Plopper 90, and the Ned Rig. If I'm at a pond, I really only use 1/4oz Rat-L-Traps, a Whopper Plopper 90, and 4in/5in Senkos (2/0-3/0 Gammy EWG Hooks for Texas Rigging - 1/0 Gammy Octopus Circle Hooks for Wacky Rigging). I fish from the middle of April to the middle of October. I look around at my supplies and think about all the money sitting here for no reason because I don't use the stuff - it caught me, not the fish. And I catch a lot of fish. The shelves of stores are filled with a plethora of different lures and tackle and gear. At my first tournament last week (3rd place), most guys were in decked out Jon Boats. One guy had a $60,000 bass boat. Another guy chuckled and quietly said to me, "The man's got a 60,000 dollar rig and catches the same fish as everybody else." I'm not talking down about people who have amazing boats, a garage full of tackle, 20 different rods, etc. I just got to thinking about the fact that most of my stuff is unused and I rarely deviate from what I have found that works and that I'm most comfortable and confident with. Not too long ago I was fishing with a friend who was using spinnerbait he was really excited about, catching fish few and far between, and I'm just doing my thing, tossing a Wacky Rig and catching all of 'em. To newcomers it can be overwhelming. It can be overwhelming to those of us who have fished for awhile. And it really doesn't need to be. Serious tournament fishing and trophy hunting is obviously a different story. I think for us who are Average Joe's who just like to fish, we can get carried away.

A week ago I thought I had a tournament in the bag with a monster bass, then saw that it was a Muskie. I was so mad. Released it without a picture, angry. Then realized I was an idiot and that was my first Muskie ever and I should have gotten a picture and appreciated it.

You can catch a 15lb catfish on an UL rod with 4lb test. You can catch a 10lb bass on a wooden stick with 6lb mono tied to it. It isn't ideal.

Wife and I got our first double together this evening. Surprised it's never happened before. Was a memorable one. We were sitting down talking for awhile, dead sticking 4 inch Senkos, with the occasional twitch. My line got tight and started to run, so I laid back and set the hook real good, and before I could stand up to fight it, my wife got one too. What a joy.

Catch a lot of channels at the dams on my river when fishing squarebills.

I fish a pond that sounds exactly the same. It isn't my favorite place to fish by any means, but it is the closest, so I stop by from time to time when I want to fish but not travel. What I have found is, there is no pattern. No rhyme or reason as to where they are. They just a scattered mess and the bite is tough. I have had to down size to a 4 inch Senko rather than my typical 5 inch. And then... DEAD STICK! Even in the vegetation. Maybe flick it a little bit once in awhile but don't move it far. My wife and I just got back from this similar pond this evening. Caught 2 fish each, and then we had an epic double. We popped a squat and just let the Senkos flutter down and sit, and we just chit chatted, barely flicking them once in awhile. And then the double happened.

He said he inherited it in his first sentence.

1. Timing matters. Just last night I went out from 8pm-9pm and caught 12 LMB. 1 bass every 5 minutes. I went out today from 7am-12pm and caught 4 LMB. Less than 1 bass every hour. Same pond, same place, different time. I'm in North Central Illinois. We aren't known for our big bass or amazing populations of bass. The ONLY thing I could get these bass to hit on last night and this morning was a 4 inch Green Pumpkin Senko, Texas Rigged. No other color I had, no other size I had, and no other bait I tried. Just this. So that's another thing you have to figure out. Sometimes you'd think there were no bass in some of my ponds until you figure out that one bait, fished that one way, at that one time. 2. Power fishing isn't always rewarding. Fact of the matter is, unless you're in Florida, Texas, or California, or on a true, reputable bass lake elsewhere, taking a MH casting setup and power fishing isn't going to do much for you when the bite is tough; and in some places, the bite is always tough. You must figure out when the bass are active in your area, and then you must downsize and finesse your way through it on spinning gear. In creeks and rivers, I wouldn't normally mess with Senkos. I would fish the Ned Rig. If the Wacky Rig isn't working in the lake that you can get to, fish a drop shot. Slow down, scale down. Big, fast, in your face fishing isn't what your fish want, apparently. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...well, we all know the saying. I would go to a pond and try fishing the Wacky Rig again. This time, go even slower than you did previously. Cast to a juicy spot, and let the Senko do its job. A long, slow flutter. Cast to the same spot a dozen times. Sometimes that's what it takes. Do this, familiarize yourself with finesse and going slow, and boost your confidence by catching some bass. Then move out to the creeks, rivers and lakes you like to fish and try other finesse techniques, remembering to be slow.

For me the biggest worry about so many break offs is having a hook go through the foot.

My favorite hook for Wacky Rigging is the Gammy Octopus Circle Hook in 1/0. In 2 years of using this hook, I can only recall losing 1 fish on it. It's a reel set. But the point I really wanted to touch on is, it isn't a weedless hook, but it's a weedless hook. The hook point pointing inwards tends to let it roll right over snaggy cover. I'll even use it in grass and I seldom pull up grass with it.

My wife can't use a baitcaster. Would she be OK throwing KVD 1.0's and 1.5's on spinning gear using 8lb mono? I do this sometimes when I'm walking the banks and all I want to carry is a two piece and a backpack, but I'm careful about it as far as wood, vegetation, and other cover. She's far less experienced. It's my wallet and sanity at stake. ?

1/4oz Fire Tiger Rooster Tail

6'6" M/F 15lb Braid 8lb Fluoro Leader 3/0 EWG Hook You all know what's up.

I have a buddy who landed an 8 pounder in heavy weeds using a friggin Zebco and some light line. Also uses it for 10+ pound channel cats. No problems. Kind if crazy how far the industry and gear is coming. Not saying we should all use a Zebco because I only have 1 and use it very, very rarely, but it's 2018 and indeed expensive reels are not proving to be much different than cheaper counterparts.

Never used a KK reel. What I can say is, 7 year old Silver Max's have zero problems. Of course as fishermen we prepare for a day of DDs, PBs, and the worst cover of our lives, but then reality sets in and you're like oh this price and gear was unnecessary.

Doesn't get much better than Abu Garcia Silver or Black Max for 50 bucks or less. I'd go Silver for 50, Black for 40.

8lb mono or 15lb braid is all they get used on for me, so no issue there. Definitely not a line problem.

For such an unpopular line, I've never had a single problem with Vanish. I check my line frequently and replace leaders as needed, rather than trying to stretch it as far as it can go and thus risk breakage. I've never had Vanish just snap or break at the knot. Until it proves me wrong, 10 bucks for leader line is what I'm going to stick with.

I've got a buddy who is primarily a crankbait fisherman and who doesn't believe in spinning gear. We went to a stunning, secluded, and loaded pond a little while back. He had no faith in my floppy weightless Senko hooked through the middle on a 1/0 circle hook. After about 30 fish to his 5, he says, "alright, lemme see one of those stupid worms you're using." Shortly thereafter he bought some Dingers, circle hooks, and I sold him one of my spinning setups because I was in the process of upgrading anyways. ?

The exact same things I use in daylight, only in black or blue colors.

I've got 2 Jitterbugs. 1 black one in 1/4oz, and 1 double jointed frog colored one in 3/8oz. Both bought from different stores at different times. When retrieving either one of them, they don't move side to side evenly through the water like they're supposed to. They both retrieve to one side or the other and have no wobble. Inspecting them, they don't appear to have defects. When they get back to me, they don't have grass or weeds or anything on them, so they aren't getting caught in stuff that makes them do this. I fish them on mono. I just don't get it.

I love heading to the pond with a Wacky Rig. Big bass are cool, but I love bass fishing because I love to catch bass. So for me, when I'm targeting LMB in ponds, nothing beats the Wacky Rig. Simple and effective. Put it in a spot, wait a second and let it do its slow downward flutter, and then BAM!, you've got yourself a fish over and over and over again. Do nothing? Perhaps. But I don't care. I also love wading small, shallow rivers and creeks for SMB using the Ned Rig. Same concept, different setting and species.