MacJig

Congratulations. Any bass in December represents time well spent. Yeah we had the high winds too. Wind warning with gusts up to 70 mph.

Yeah, that's not the kind of top water you want !!

Thx for all the replies ! Went out today as it was in the 60s in western NY. Tried three separate ponds all to no avail. Next week decent temps as well so I will review these responses and maybe up my chances. My December expectations are not high but if the weather man says it's nice enough to get out, I go !!

Living in New York I have the same problem. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. I've tried Texas rig, lipless, small crankbaits, wacky rig, small crappie type plastic swimbaits, different colors, etc, etc. It's just like in December the bite dies completely. I was catching bass up until the end of November. Then December comes, nothing! So I can't tell you what works but I can tell you what doesn't work, at least for me.

I'm from the NE, western NY to be exact. I fish when I can for as long as I can. I am for the greater part a bank angler. November was OK for me. December not so much. Even my greatest weapon, the green pumpkin Pit Boss, has been a "no go". Is December really the kiss of death for bass bank anglers or is there still hope?

I was wondering if somebody would guess that. Yes it is Epic Eric from the Smallmouth Crush channel (I believe that's the name of it). It's incredible almost jaw-dropping the number of crankbaits he has.

I'm with you on the drop shot deal! I decided that next year I'm going to become more adept at drop shotting. So I'm whistling The tackle/gear in! ?

So, I think it's inevitable: if you love the sport of fishing and count it as your #1 favorite past time in life, you will become a Tackleaholic. One of my closets is full upstairs and one shelving downstairs is being "worked on". I have Tupperware type containers full of hooks, plastics, cranks and other miscellaneous items. I know some of this will never be used or "used up" but I still like adding to my collection especially when I want to try a new technique. I saw a guy on YouTube who has rooms (yes, rooms) full of crankbaits. Anyone else out there part of this club? What is your weak spot? I don't think it ever goes away!!

It was a very good year numbers wise. I am a shore angler, from western NY so my 2021 fishing year is pretty much over. I do journal my catches and as of today's date my tally is 209 with over 90% of those being bass. One at 4lb (3.9 to be exact) and a few over 3. My buddy caught a 6lb+ from shore. Quantity wise I give myself an "A". Quality wise around a "B". If any one has some December bass fishing tips from shore in the NE, I would appreciate it. I had shoulder surgery a couple years back. Not easy. My knee replacement was easier than the shoulder surgery!

I had one experience with St Croix with a broken rod. I thought the experience was a little over the top. It certainly wasn't as easy as Abu. First, they wanted to charge me a $50 fee to replace my broken rod. Well it was a mojo bass that I think I paid around $120 for. So I'm paying s $50 fee for a rod I only paid $120 for. Seems like not much of a warranty. Then I had to saw my broken rod in half and send a picture. I said to the rep (who was very.nice and professional) "it's already broken. Why break it more"? I think the answer was something like ... "So you still can't use it." Ok !?! In the end, the rep did cut the fee In half for me at $25 so I did proceed with the service. If he would have pressed a $50 fee, I wouldn't have done it. Abu much more customer friendly. But I still like my St Croix rods and continue to purchase their products.

Oh, I really like both Abu Garcia and Fenwick. I have a number of their rods and reels.

Yeah Abu is a tremendous company.

Nice to know. I have one Loomis in my arsenal.

I crown you king of Anglersville. ?

I own about 39 combos now. But I'm a "hanger onner" meaning that I seldom discard, retire or just bury any of my old, cheap or broken gear. I just hang on to them. I also like fishing different species so my collection isn't just for bass. I enjoy crappie and blue gill fishing so I have dedicated combos for them. Do I need 39. No! But do I need a Buick when I could drive a Chevy. Need? No. But I enjoy my Buick so I own one. I also enjoy trying different rod brands. It makes life adventurous. Does anyone really have that perfect answer as to how many is just right?

I'm the type of person to never (or at least I try to never) discard something that has served me well in my love of sport and hobby or to toss something that has been with me early on. Yes, fishing is both a sport and a hobby to me. So in my collection I still have my Shakespeare Agility that I paid about nine dollars for. I also have two rods that broke at the tip but I still use. But as i grow in this great sport and hobby I like trying new and better things. So new things get added to old and, well, the collection grows. It's inevitable. But if you are a responsible person, paid your bills, raised your family, stole from no man then ...enjoy. If owning five rods or fifty rods makes you happy, go for it!

Thx my friend. Yeah, I started fishing (Pike) back in the early 60s. A lot has changed since then. The selection of rods and reels has just exploded! Not always good.

Many thanks. This really is useful. I'm an experienced angler. But if I want to try something new a chart like this helps immensely!

When I'm home (not at my yearly vacation lake) I fish from shore. I'm sure it's the same for my buddy. He gets a number of 4+ pounders from shore. We fish the local ponds in the area and the results have been fantastic. My favorite bait from shore is the green pumpkin Pit Boss. Plus shore fishing is easy ! Just put your stuff in the car and go !! The key is to get advice from other anglers where to fish a certain water and then work the water yourself. You will find your favorite spots. Plus Fishbrain helps in finding water and connecting with other anglers in your location.

I learned how effective bank fishing can be. I used to be a boat fishing snob. I always thought bank fishing was a waste of time. No more! This year I caught almost 210 fish from the bank (90% Plus of those were Bass). My biggest from shore was about a 4 pounder, 3.9 to be exact. Not bad considering I went out two to three times a week. My buddy caught a 6 pounder from shore. I will never think that bank fishing is a waste of time ... never again!

That has happened with kayakers too. I was fishing a little cove in a pond here and some kayakers came and fished directly in front of me. Really! Are you ignorant? Some may be but others just don't care. They unfortunately populate much of our culture today!

Fabulous. thank you !

Is anyone aware of a site that provides a simple, easy to read listing of the various rod combinations (ie. medium fast, ML moderate fast, etc.) and the type of lures that would be appropriate for those rods. I think that info for both spinning and casting rods would be useful. Many thx.

Yeah, that's excellent. Isn't Abu and Fenwick owned by the same company, pure fishing?

Yeah. Abu rates an A+.