MacJig

I agree in part with that statement Freeing a snag is part of the fishing equation. Everyone gets snagged. The only way out is to try and work (not horse) the snag free with the rod. That often works. But when a gentle, normal tug of the rod results in the tip (or worse) breaking, that is a fault of the rod. Whether the manufacturer will replace it fee free is another story!

I'm sure many companies incorporate these fees to counteract the customers who just try to take advantage of warranty privileges. You're right. If you step on a rod or slam a rod in a door or get it caught up in the ceiling fan, hey that's your fault. You eat the cost. But many will concoct a story to make it sound like it was the rod's fault in order to get that "freebie" . So, many companies have to incorporate this kind of scrutiny and fee structure in order to counterbalance these opportunists. The rest of us pay for that!

Have you ever had to exercise a warranty on a fishing rod or reel? Was the experience favorable or fiendish? I have "tried" to exercise warranties a few times and either the hidden fees/shipping fees were ridiculous or the company was unresponsive. My best experience? Abu Garcia! I broke a rod at the tip trying to clear a snag. I wasn't yanking or cranking the rod to clear it but the rod surprisingly snapped. I originally contacted them to get the upper portion of the rod as a replacement (it was a two piece rod). I was more than happy to pay for it. Unfortunately they didn't have the piece in stock but said that I could use the warranty. The process was painless. Sent them a pic of the broken tip, a copy of the invoice and an explanation as to what happened. I even told them it may have been my fault. Still, I got a better replacement rod with no fees, didn't have to send back the broken rod and I got free shipping. Nice ! How about you?

Excellent, thx. I went there (Quarry Pond) about a week ago to throw frogs for a few hours. Nothing. But did see some huge splashes from what was obviously big fish. Another fella stopped by and said the ponds are good for bass and pike. Time will tell.

Yeah, those are beautiful. I limit myself to banking along Lyell St. and for now the bite is off. But, it is a beautiful and relaxing place. Never caught a Walleye there. Maybe I will see you out there one day. Will stop and say hello if able. Question. Have you ever fished the ponds at the High Acre Nature Area in Fairport (the ones tied to the Waste Management Co.)? They look promising but have never heard much about them.

Many thx ! I am a bank angler and found the Widewaters in Spencerport to be great in May/June. But towards the end of June and now into July, fishing is slower than the turtles I see in the pond. Can't buy a bite and yet I see them jumping the surface to get at the bugs. It is what it is.

I'm from the same area as you. Tough, really tough. Its even harder for us bank anglers. I can see bass, big bass jumping, feeding off of bugs on the water. But do you think I can get them to take my tastier, plastic? Nope. July takes a lot of grit and resolve.

I get your point. Being in upstate NY, our winters are like ... "man, what am i going to do now" ... sort of thing. So, I use the time to tie my own hair jigs and count down the days. Actually considering doing some rod building this year. But, these dog days can be tough. Went to two places yesterday: one local pond that looked perfect for frogging; nothing and the other that is one of my "go to" places ... again, nothing. But being outside, feeling the breeze, enjoying the wildlife (saw my first mink about six feet away from me -- just sitting and staring at me) and remembering yester-years fishing with my dad; that's good stuff. But -0- fish !

Yes, off of the canal. Reallllllly slow this time of the year. Do you have any other recommendations for us bank fishermen during the dog days of summer? Thx! Which reservoir is that? Boat or bank? :-)

Yup, I know the frustration. In May and throughout most of June my local pond was being very nice to me. I had a very long stretch where I forgot who the skunk even was. I went out yesterday and nothing. Not a bass. Not a pan fish. Nothing. Not even a bite save what looked to be a Rockie as he followed it to shore. Those are frustrating times. But all you can do is pick yourself back up, get back out and hope the bite is on again.

Went to Widewater in Spencerport yesterday. Fished 6 hours and had one bite at the shoreline. May was great. The first half of June was good. But over my last three times out at Widewater I got like three that went after it but landed one. Funny how the bite just seems to end. My best presentation thus far has been with the green pumpkin Pit Boss. But over these last three times out even that wasn't producing. Sometimes you just have to scratch your head and go home.

I kind of agree with you right now but don't want to pass up on a good priced rod only because it is a long handle -- the shorter handle for me feels more comfortable but i'm sure it is only because it has been the only type I have used -- so i am going to make it more of a practice to take my long handles with me on the water -- like anything else, eventually you get used to it.

many thx all for your replies -- i suppose practice makes perfect in this case -- i think i will take one of my long handles out today.

I can't speak specifically to your pond or the conditions surrounding it but for my favorite pond all they seem to hit are the texas rig craws. The strike king rage craw, Berkley pit boss and Yamamoto flappin hog are some of the favorites in green pumpkin. Bass caught are around the 1 -3 lb range: most around 1 - 2 lbs. give or take. That's all that seems to work for me in that area. You may want to give it a try.

I recently bought a few rods that have a longer handle. I bought the rods online and didn't realize that the rod handles were that long (ie. the reel seat sits higher up from the end of the rod than what I was used to). I decided to give them a shot and have caught fish with them but to be honest the "feel" of the reel being that much further up the rod was a bit alien to me. I got comfortable with the reel being closer to my body. I was wondering if any anglers out there who like the longer handles can give any advice on how to perfect their usage and what are the advantages of having the reel sit higher up the rod than "normal". Many thx.

I just purchased a 25 pack of ewg hooks from *** fishing. I just finished rigging a plastic craw and noticed that the bend in the hook Is more pronounced than in other hooks I have used. The point of the hook seems to be bent down more than the gamagatsu (sp?) that I usually use. Is there an advantage to this?

Many thx to all. What prompted this was a fish I caught a few days ago that was hooked around the mouth but seemed to be bleeding far more than usual. Some of the bleeding seemed to come from the throat area but no where near where the hook point was. Anyway, it just seemed a bit strange to me. Went out yesterday and had no issues. This is a great place for productive give and take. Thx again.

Thx all. I usually use a 4/0 with my creature baits. I was wondering if you noticed any more bleeding from the fish with the larger hooks.

yes i was thanks -- just yesterday i went out and caught three -- i usually use 4/0 with the berkeley pit boss and the larger size just seems to create more bleeding.

Hey, thanks for the reply -- i did find the article and it was from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Not sure how old the article is but the process the author flagged was called "encapsulation" whereby the fish "...are capable of rejecting, expelling or encapsulating hooks." Bass were not mentioned specifically by name so i can't comment on the relevancy of such to bass in general. But the argument was made that at times it is best to cut the line/leader at the hook and leave the hook in the fishes mouth.

Wow, an interesting and useful topic -- i just read an article today (which at least looked like a reputable authorship) that said if unable to remove the hook then cut the line and leave the hook in the fish -- the point of the article was that there is some biological process in fish whereby the healing process around the hook entry point actually cause the hook to fall out -- i neither credit nor discredit that point -- i only mention it as an obvious truth that everyone has an opinion here -- I just today ordered some solid hook cutters and will have them with me if I ever need them -- i appreciate the article on how to safely remove the hook -- but when I got to the "push and pull" part, it all seemed like telling me to do opposites at the same time -- kind of like saying ... you must do "right and left" , "up and down" , "north and south" and all at the same time -- what? -- I mean maybe with practice you get better -- but with a fish out of the water and as a rookie trying to follow these "simple" processes -- well, it reads simple -- just not sure how doing it (especially the first time) is all that simple.

Just curious as to what size hook my fellow anglers use when fishing for bass. I like using 4/EWG hooks but notice that when I do, the bass tend to bleed more frequently. I'm wondering if going down to s 3/EWG would be better but offer fewer hook ups. I don't let the bass swallow the hook and do a quick hook set immediately when I feel the strike. But I notice that even when hooked in the mouth there is often blood when using the bigger hooks. Thoughts?

Anyone fish from the shore on Hemlock and/or Canadice? Went yesterday at the south boat launch at Hemlock. I walked the trail a bit but really saw no open areas to freely cast from. Can anyone suggest an open and productive area to fish from? As always your responses are appreciated.

I'm just happy to get any bass off shore. I don't carry a scale with me but guess that my "typical" artificial baited bass runs about 2 lbs give or take. I boat fish when at Black Lake but, except when going for salmon via a charter on Lake Ontario, I am a bank fisherman. I find the success of bank fishing a bit more challenging and a lot more accommodating. Just put rods/reels and gear in the truck and go. But it can also be very discouraging; namely 5x out this year and no fish.

Ok, so I have been out maybe 5x so far this year. To be fair, I tried new spots that I never fished before and am, for the greater part, a bank angler. So the results 1.) no fish; like no fish; not even a crappie. 2.) no bites. Not even a mosquito bite. So, I fished fast. I fished slow. I jigged. I dragged the bottom. I hopped rage craws, flappin hogs, worms and others. I daydreamed. I thought ... Ok, this is really bad. I checked my diary from last year and noticed I didn't catch a bass until May. So, I felt better.