roadwarrior

Whoa! mac7373, I'm not a tournament fisherman. I don't just "go fishing", I go CATCHING. My ratios are based on counting everything. First of all, I fish for big fish on water that holds lots of them. I fish the same water most of the time. I NEVER search for fish. If I'm on new water or big water, I hire the best guide on the lake. Second, I generally fish live bait on the Tennessee River. I feed them exactly what they like to eat. I catch multispecies, and I count them all. Yep, that's right: skipjack, drum, gar, buffalo, bream, crappie, catfish, sauger, white bass, Kentucky, largemouth, smallmouth and stripers. I'm not a tournament fisherman, I don't get jazzed about catching 15-20 lbs of fish over a two day event or fishing for twelve inch "keepers". I do much better than that fishing artificials on my ponds. Maybe you should come on down to the river and discover what catching is all about. Sure, we'll target smallmouth and you might catch a monster, but along the way you'll catch a lot of other fish, too. If you like catfish, you can keep them all and take a hundred pounds home with you. p.s. My comments on this thread were directed to Redtail's post, not "YOUR CRITERIA". Again, I'll stick with my ratios for my fishing.

I'll stick with my numbers: Pond: 1 loop: 5 bass/ 1hr 30 min. 2 minutes per cast (soft plastics) = 45 casts catch ratio 1:9 I often have a better day, I rarely have one worse Tennessee River: Well, I count everything , use live bait and one cast can last 5-10 minutes. Sometimes I'll catch 200 lbs of fish in a day, on a slow day probably 50 lbs. I catch more fish and certainly more pounds on the river than at my ponds. Catch ratio 1:5, I'll stick with that too. White River: This weekend I was fishing for one big fish, which I caught. My partner was more typical, he caught 90+ in two days, many in 4 and 5 fish streaks. Unless you get hung up, one cast usually resulted in a fish. I would guess his ratio was 1:3, but it might have been better!

Agreed! Required course to operate a powerboat. That sounds simple.

Rather than getting all worked up, I offer assistance to those guys and gently explain ramp etiquette. They don't know! We have a very busy ramp and loading or unloading equipment isn't going to get it. It's a two boat ramp and backing down the middle doesn't get it either. Most guys are pretty receptive to some constructive suggestions. No one appreciates a loud, in your face confrontational tone. Approach the situation in a positive way and it will pay dividends over time.

I like topwater, shallow cranks, hard jerkbaits and Slug-Gos early. Shortly after sunrise (within an hour) I switch to soft plastics or a jig unless there is significant cloud cover. When it's dark and cloudy, surface or shallow lures can be effective all day.

Nick_Barr, I fish a lot slower than you, probably more like twenty casts per hour, but certainly no more than thirty. I expect 1:10 on my ponds, something less on big water and more like 1:5 on the Tennessee River (although they are not always bass). If you are really 1:288, I think you need to try some different technique or find a new place to fish.

I experimented with red hooks last year, alternating red with standard Gammies throughout the spring, summer and fall ('04). My results were: Absolutely NO difference.

Go to the HOME page and you will find numerous articles for BEGINNERS. Read EVERYTHING in that section and then read all the other articles! The BassResource library is EXTENSIVE. You'll learn far more from these pieces than you can from individual responses to specific questions.

I would fish the drop between the flats (4-12 ft) and the 50 ft water, especially spots where the drop is dramatic, similar to a ledge. Position yourself so that you are fishing parallel to the shelf so as to maximize the time your lure is in productive water. I would fish deep diving crankbaits bumping the bottom and lipless cranks at somewhat less depth in search of suspended bass. When you find the fish, slow down your presentation with a Gitzit, Kut-Tail, Kreature and maybe a C-rigged lizard. That's how I would start if I were only fishing artificials. BTW, I fish similar structure on the Tennessee River, but I'm fishing for smallmouth and using live minnows. So, if you really want to catch some big fish, that might be the ticket.

Just put them on ice in a cooler. They'll die shortly and you can keep them this way all day with no worries about spoilage.

I'm not superstitious, but I have a friend that throws a dollar in the water to start every trip.

I would only target the biggest fish in the pond. My mind set would focus on a 10+ lb bass. If you are fishing from the shore, soft plastics only. Specifically, a 6 or 7" Senko. If you can launch a small boat, I might add a jig to the mix. I'm fishing a nine acre pond like yours, the Secret Pond. On my first trip I took a friend who boated the biggest largemouth I have ever seen in person. If I catch it, I'll keep it and we'll find out exactly how big it is. Maybe you will have the same success. Good luck.

Sounds good to me. Pick up some Ika and Fat Ika and give them a try next time on the same pond. Both baits have been very productive for me fishing them around the same structure and cover that I work a Senko. Chances are your bass have never seen these lures.

I posted a response to YOUR thread, "Fishing a Fast River". It describes EXACTLY how I fish the river.

I fish them both because I'm drifting in a boat, but upstream is generally more productive. Lazy largemouth are more often found in the slack water behind the rapids. I can't really help with lure selection, I always fish live shiners for smallmouth on the Tennessee River. There are usually a lot of guys throwing artificials, but I never see them catch anything. Go figure.

If you are talking about smallmouth, I have NEVER caught a bass IN the rapids. Smallmouth stage in front, behind and on the side, but not in the rapids. Trout, on the otherhand, are often in the rapids. Bigger fish seem to concentrate in deeper water upstream from rapids, but I have caught plenty of smaller fish in the fast water.

Advice for smallmouth fishing on a river: If you are fishing from a boat, drift live shiners on light line with a split shot rig. Use your trolling motor to keep the boat moving at the same speed your bait is drifting for a natural look. Position the boat so that you can cast to within a few feet of the bank. Cast straight out to the bank and fish at no more than a 45 degree angle, upstream, NEVER downstream. The better fish are generally 5- 15 yards off the bank. Smaller "bank runners" are up close. Pay special attention to structure in the river, that's where smallmouth ambush their prey. Another feature to concentrate on is the channel drop. Big smallmouth often suspend on or near these breaks. Don't overlook them.

A kayak is not an option unless you can leave it at the pond. It is just another boat in terms of transporting the thing. I don't use a boat on my locale ponds, I fish from the bank. My kayak is down at the Secret Pond permantly now. So, that brings us back to a tube, I think.

Like Marty, all my biggest largemouth bass have been caught on the brightest, hottest days of summer, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. These fish were all caught relating to structure, not cover. As Glenn noted, cover provides shade which may be more important as an ambush strategy rather than avoiding sunlight. Grass, lilly pads and docks are often productive during the heat of the day.

Use a Texas-rig and be sure the worm is straight. I don't have a problem with twist so I don't know about using a swivel. I just don't want anything changing the fall of the Senko. That's why I never fish it with a weight. If I need a weight, I use a different worm (Kut-Tail) or some other soft plastic (Gitzit, lizard, Hula grub or Kreature).

Peruse the BassResource library. There are about a zillion Senko articles available here. For me, it's always weightless and weedless in <12' of water, on structure or near cover. I generally use a #4/0 or #5/0 Gamakatsu EWG, but I sometimes use the #5/0 Gammie Offset Round Bend. Cast it out and let it settle. Fish SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, moving the worm with a short sweeping motion and letting it settle on slack line (so it drops straight down, not forward).

I sometimes fish 7" Senkos, but I have just as much success with the 6" size. I don't use 5" anymore because I think they attract too many small bass. (Note: My buddy, Z, caught the biggest largemouth bass I have ever seen (in person) on a 5" Senko two weeks ago). You can buy direct from Yamamoto.

I struggle with this issue all the time. I'm trying to get better at the "through the gills" technique, but I'm not real good at it, yet. For the most part, I do everything I can to remove hooks short of tearing up a fish. I'm pretty good with long needle nose pliars, but sometimes the hook is just too deep and I cut the line. Chris had a post citing an article that claims most fish will work the hook out over a relatively short period of time. I want to believe that's true.

Redtail, Maybe my response was confusing. I know what you meant. The majority of my strikes come after moving the bait off the bottom. The strike is often just as I move it. I think the bass are curious and just looking at it or maybe feel the movement and strike. When I do get a strike on the initial fall I think it's because I happen to cast right on top of the bass. In those instances, the strike is most likely a reaction strike. Otherwise, I feel like the general bite on soft plastics is a feeding bite.

Soft plastics are my strong suit. I fish them methodically as long as I feel I'm in the zone, that is, productive water, strucure and cover. I sometimes get a strike on the initial fall, but not generally and certainly not 75% of the time.