Crow Horse

None of the above. In a way I'd feel like I was cheating. For me, fishing for bass is a mind game and I want to do it all on my own (if that makes sense). I don't want to have an inside track unless I put myself there. ( I'm not passing judgement on those who feel otherwise)........

I have no business posting in this thread because I'm a career bass student, but I'm compelled to add this to the mix for whatever it's worth. Sometimes you have to go with a "gut feeling", a hunch, or an anomaly that draws your attention to a specific area, I've had this happen a number of times when the bite was slow or non-existant and something or a feeling just pulled my attention to an area that I wouldn't normally go to. More often than not, I end up connecting. To that point, I wouldn't dismiss any "hunches" that you have.

Mr. Science mode on..... Here's some info to toss into the mix........ What bass can see is an arena that has me very interested. I've only begun to learn about it but here are several items that are variables in the equation. Keeping in mind that we have trichromatic vision and bass have dichromatic vision: Bass see in a broader spectrum than we do that moves into the UV & IR ranges. A paint"s IR or UV reflectivity measured via spectrophotometry can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from batch to batch. It's unknown if the IR or UV reflectivity has any impact on feeding behavior. Color shifts at different depths and in different water clarity and angle of the light source will alter what bass see.

For transporting and storage, I use a modified Apache 9800 rifle case. It's heavy and built like a tank. For my needs it works out great.

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum regarding transport. At this stage in life, I'm all about making it easier. Work smarter not harder. To that point, I use a trailer (Malone) and is much easier than my previous method of sliding it in the bed. Another issue that I had was that I was running out of room in the bed. Having the trailer freed up the bed for my fishing and kayak gear. When I was using the bed for transporting, I modified a Harbor Freight tailgate extender. I only have a 5' bed and 10' kayaks so I felt the kayaks needed additional support. A longer bed might not warrant the extender.

Just curious, but could you make do with only one rod? I'm betting the general consensus will be no. I buck the trend by using only one rod. Actually I take 2 rods out one my yak but they are identical with identical reels. The second rod is primarily used as a back up in case I develop an issue with #1.

Dye a white fluke?

I'm using an NRS Chinook. I love it with all the pockets. Most importantly, it's comfortable, so much so that I don't feel "right" not having it on. I fish from a small yak, so comfort is really important to me. That said, it's worn all the time. I've had mine for 9 years and it stood the test of time very well.

This is a terrific post by Raul. Most things in our environment go unnoticed to most people. Part of it is the conditioning we receive and another part of it is our hectic lifestyles. I find that the item that has the biggest impact on our ability to observe is to slow down. We're terribly our of synch with the environment and to reconnect, we have to "pump the brakes" mentally. Reconnect with the environment and operate at the same speed nature moves. It's stilling the mind, suspending all the nonsensical/logical thoughts we all have and shift from a beta consciousness to an alpha. This is where our awareness really improves. We can improve our powers of observation visually by making a shift from how we normally use our vision. Typically, we use tunnel vision to see our world and in doing so we miss so much. If we shift how we use our eyes and focus on expanding our field of view to it's maximum periphery, objects become slightly out of focus but our sensitivity to movement improves dramatically. When movement is detected then we can "zoom" in to that movement. To be a good observer, we need to expand all our senses. Another element in improving our observation is to listen to our "inner vision". It's that voice inside us that for the most part doesn't communicate with words. I'm sure we've all felt this but didn't know where it came from. Metaphorically, our internal "radar" is always sweeping. Things we need to be aware of will "fluoresce" in a matter of speaking as long as we've resynched with the environment. There's more to this and this is an oversimplification but when done correctly, a new world emerges. Just slowing down our movement will improve what we see. Instead of walking plantigrade (heel toe), try walking toe heel. It forces one to slow down and in doing so, we move quietly and will see more than you thought possible. Walking heel toe forces you to commit your weight before you know what you're stepping on and we plow through the landscape bobbing up and down. Walking toe heel is fluid and you can feel what you are about to step on before you commit your weight. My apologies for my lengthy post and I recognize that this might not be some folks cup of tea. That's fine. Whatever works for you is good.

They might have something to gain. I know as I've aged, my manual dexterity has suffered because of damage incurred while working in a construction trade and metal fabrication shop. What was once easy peasy now is more challenging. Maybe a new knot that is equal in strength (or better) might be easier to tie.

Is it really much different than trying out a new line you've never used before?

Sometimes it is and we'll never know unless we try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.......

Like the title says, how willing are you to try a new knot? A personality flaw of mine is to fall into a "rut" and reluctantly deviate from my SOP. I'm working to break out of this self imposed prison this season. New lines, new knots, and new technique equals uncharted territory. I'm actually finding it fun to blaze a new trail. Perfect execution of knot tying is critical and I'm practicing almost nightly to develop muscle memory. The flip side of the coin is simple. If it aint broke, don't fix it. The KISS principal also plays a role. Why bother when what you use works and you have confidence with it? To those points, how willing or reluctant are you to try a new knot?

I've used a swivel, braid to leader because I didn't have the confidence of having a knot connection. I did this for 5 or 6 years on my spinning reels. This year I finally sat down and learned how to tie several braid to FC knots. I've been practicing tying these knots all winter to develop some muscle memory but my old beat up hands struggle. Using a knot tool (Diaichi) helps me tremendously and I have confidence in my knots now. The short answer to your question is yes, it will work but you'll be limited to a short leader. It might not be the optimum setup but it will work.

X2..... I've used mine for 7 years or so and it works well. No complaints and it floats.

This is new territory for me. I plan to use 10# braid with a 10# 25' FC leader and was curious as to which knot will pass through spinning guides with the least interference. I was also curious about how both knots will lay on a spinning reel spool and will it impair casting. Any thoughts on this?

My sense of it is that there are many triggers that initiate a strike. A "matching the hatch" presentation vs. an unrealistic presentation appeal to different "mental states" of a predator. A common trait of predators is to prey upon the weak, injured or ill. Realistic lures might appeal to bass if, say small perch are on the menu at that time. A realistic small perch lure will behave slightly different than the surrounding real baitfish to trigger an opportunistic feeding response. Along the same vein, an unrealistic lure will stand out and garner attention and an opportunistic or an aggressive response could be triggered. This is a gross oversimplification and environmental conditions play a significant role. My other "theory" for this that on some primal level, bass gain some pleasure by screwing with our heads. They are especially effective at doing this. I believe my second "theory" holds closer to true than my first one.......

Here's what I do to avoid fun situations like the one you mentioned. I have a floating net that I'll guide the fish into. I'll grab it with a leashed fish grip and then go to work unhooking it. The fish doesn't leave the water until the hook(s) are removed and is then lifted to catch it on the video cameras and then released. I have a sit in yak so flipping it in isn't an option for me. I don't handle the fish at all to avoid disturbing the slime coating and minimize stress to the fish. It also keeps the fish at a safe distance. I feel it works well.

Thank you for posting this! I had such a great laugh!!!!!!!

Prior to a days fishing, I'll sharpen single hooks. I've found that even new, right out of the package they aren't sharp enough for my liking. I use a Razor's Edge turret style sharpener that has been discontinued. It takes some time but they sharpen better than any other I've tried. This isn't the safest way to test hook sharpness but it demonstrates how wickedly sharp they become. I'll use a short leader with a weight (pictured is a hemostat) and hang it on my near vertical thumbnail. Almost all new hooks won't "dig" like this.

A good book on the subject is "What Fish See - Understanding optics and color shifts for designing lures and flies"" by Colin Kageyama. It primarily focuses on steelhead, but some of the information can be extrapolated into the the world of bass.

Other more specialized tools I use to crush barbs. I believe they are dental tools that I found at a yard sale. They work great. I'm a toolaholic....