Smalls

I’ll have this happen in the late fall. They’ll be chasing baitfish, and won’t bite any of my top waters. I’ll tie on a fluke and they seem to like that.

This is the only pro to living where the air hurts my face. We we don’t have anything that thinks we look like a tasty snack.

I’ve always got at least one bottle of water in my backpack when I head out. The bottom compartment holds 4 Plano’s, and I keep 3 in there so I can fit water.

Aha! This is perfect. I’ve been looking for something DIY-ish and this looks like a great base to start on

That’s a pretty clever one. A lot of the shirts sold by Columbia or Under Armour have a Velcro strap above the pocket, too. Already built in!

Mine has that, but the rods seem to get in my way when they’re in them. Plus my 7”6 rod catches low flying aircraft in there. Mainly want some sort of rod carrier because along with my 2 rods, I’m also usually stuck carrying 2 more for the kids, and I’d like to be able to set them down without worrying about anything getting in the reels. I wasn’t really complaining with the amount of stuff I bring, or looking to downsize, just seeing if anyone had oddball little tricks that helps on the bank.

Anything that makes life a little easier is great, right? So since we’re limited on what we can carry on our trips, what little tricks have you come up with to make you more efficient when beating the banks? I carry all my tackle in a spiderwire backpack. It’s got a ton of room, but I’m a tackle junky. So to save room in my plano’s, all my weights and hooks are stored in old prescription bottles. I can put them in the side pockets, their easy to identify and reach. I’m trying to figure out a way to easily carry my rods, and keep from laying them on the ground. I really like the Rod-runner that Cabela’s carries, but at $60, I’m not sure it’s worth it.

I’ve probably mentioned my god-awful knot tying skills before. My giant hands get in the way. I managed to to tie the FG in like 4 tries... with mono. It took me 4 hours and 3/4 of a spool to figure it out with fluoro.

I always thought that was kinda funny. I learned pretty early on that making casts along the shore was key. I bet 75% of my fish caught were within 15 feet of land. Overhanging trees are always my first casts.

I’ll study google maps before heading to a new spot. But it doesn’t show what’s under the water. So yeah, I’ll drag a football jig around pretty aimlessly to get a feel of whatever is down there. You wouldn’t believe how many awesome ponds I see on Google maps I see and can’t fish because there’s no access

Your post kinda smacked me in the forehead, and gave me more sense of it. Thank you. I agree, for the most part. I think as a shore angler, we might only be able to understand small sections of larger lakes. With such small clues, and so much missing information on what’s out beyond our reach, that theory might not work on larger bodies of water.

So unless I’m fishing a pond where I can reach most everything, I may never know?

Well, I was asking in more of a general sense of clues I can key in on to figure out what this area is to the fish- den, feeding area or travel route. I suppose my example might’ve diluted the question.

As a bank angler, how can I identify what is a “restaurant” and what is the “den”, or a route? For this purpose, let’s say I have a general sense of what is below the surface say up to 40 yards in front of me, and I know that I can often find bass there. For example, I have an area I fish that’s roughly 1/4 mile along the shore. There’s rip rap, a slight drop off, and then grass. I’ve caught bass working a number of lures at varying speeds. I might be off here, but reaction baits like a crankbait might either mean they’re hungry and chasing, or it’s an opportunity meal. Where if they’re eating a football jig being dragged, it’s in their living room and it’s more of a nuisance than a meal.

Tactical for sure. My favorite thing about Matt Allen is that although he does the great majority of his fishing in Cali, he makes sure to tie in how we can use this info up north. Sometimes I get really sick of watching informative videos and hearing “shad, shad, shad, shad, shad”. My fish don’t eat em, cause we ain’t got em.

As a shore angler, I seem to catch an equal amount of largemouth as I do brown guys off the river. They seem to love the shallow current breaks some of my spots offer. Caught my biggest in just above 4 ft of water, mid afternoon.

I don’t see that being an issue in anywhere but very clear water. That’d be the only place I’m ever worried about line visibility. I don’t have any water like that, really, so I don’t worry. Anything like that, I might change my tactics.

I have a rod I use for basically the same thing- squarebills, jerk baits, spooks, etc. I use 20-30lb braid tied to a 10lb mono leader. I like braid because it’s considerably easier to manage, cuts through grass, and sensitive. The mono leader is for a little extra stretch, and won’t wrap around the trebles as easily. Normally I use an Alberto knot, but I’m learning how to make an FG knot quickly and consistently. I don’t know why, but knots are just not my “thing”.

I have a feeling I’m on the lighter end of the spectrum, here. So far $150 on a new rod, $175 on a new reel, and probably $250-300 on tackle/line/etc.

I’m going hunt down open water tomorrow. Don’t care if it takes me all day to find it, don’t care if I even catch anything.

I’ve added a few split shots to a couple of my smaller frogs. Seemed to get me a noticeable difference in casting distance. I couldn’t hear much noise. A little, maybe. But not much. Like Bigturtle said, for noise- try additional nag beads.

So when do you guys start looking for open water? Checked the 15 day forecast and we’re supposed to see low 40’s all the way up to 50 in a few weeks. Couple of random days in the 30’s, but they’re scattered. Hoping the ponds will start de icing around then. Of course, this is Michigan, they could have a half a foot of ice the day I head out.

I keep a pair of linesman pliers at the bottom of my bag just in case.

For $10, you can pick up 50 blades online. I’ve never made a lure in my life, but at the prices even the cheapest chatterbaits go for, I’m gonna make my own this year. Plus now they’ll all be weedless.

I use the snaps. I still retie after catching a few fish, because they can damage line with their “teeth”. I won’t use snap swivels. All the snaps that come with swivels are not designed well for use with a lure, and will hinder action.