Mobasser

I like many of the new bass rods I see at my local tackle shop. Super light, fast action and very sensitive, to feel those light strikes on jigs and soft plastics. Here's a simple basic concept that I hope hasn't been lost because of all this high tech tackle. The concept is keeping your line between your thumb and index finger during the retrieve. I'm sure many will dispute this, but actually touching the line can detect strikes that you would never feel with even the most expensive rod made. This is nothing new or groundbreaking. Fisherman have been holding their line between their thumb and index finger for decades, way before sensitve, light rods were ever available. Many bass fisherman like to " palm" a casting reel, guiding the line onto the spool as they take up slack, holding the line in the process. It's not so much about the type of tackle your using. It can be done with a baitcaster, spinning reel, or spincast reel. It's having your fingers/ thumb actually touching the line that's makes the difference. Regardless of what style of rod you use, your line is the first connection to the fish. Many of the very best jig/ worm fisherman do this. They would never rely on just the rod only to detect the faint, almost nothing strikes. These can often be the strike of the largest bass.For a novice fisherman, this can be a good way to learn. On those tough, slow bite days, it can make the difference in catching fish or catching none. Do you hold the line while fishing? What's your method? It's a simple concept I've been doing for as long as I can remember. It can help you land more bass too

For me at times it only makes sense to fish through a spot very slowly. Your bait stays in the strike zone much longer. Some guys may never like it. It's just not the way they fish. If fish are not hitting fast baits, they pack up and go home. I'd rather fish longer, even if it means fishing super slow. It's paid off for me.

I think slowing down, when you need to, is a skillset. Just like casting, tying good knots and everything else in bass fishing.

I like the feel and look of a nice cork handle.

A-Jay, I too like a rod for moving baits with a little tip flex. Probably not the most popular these days. Also, I thought those Lamiglass rods you modified were really nice. I've thought about bringing back an older Fenwick glass rod I have. The composite and glass rods have an old school feel- they load and cast so smoothly. Makes them fun to fish with- and effective on moving baits too

I agree. Many young guys learn much faster now than years ago. Internet, videos, etc help all this. Nothing wrong at all with learning on your own. Actually fishing is still the best way to learn

Catt, the reason I made this thread is because I've been reading Bill Murphy's book on giant bass. It's influenced me quite a bit. I can't really stitch a worm like he did. He fished very slowly with this style. My own PB was caught this way years ago, in hot weather, fishing slowly. Maybe I should step up my retrieve in hotter weather, but this has worked well for me. Plus, I'm looking for bigger bass, especially after reading Bill Murphy's book.

Fishes in trees I agree on this too. Hot weather is when fish are most active, and feeding the most.This is simply how I have fished, and done well in the heat. I fish standing timber also, and suspended bass, with a 4" plastic worm reeled slowly through the school.

My main lake has a milfoil bloom going on. Stringy weeds that grow up an coil on the surface. I can fish a buzzbait over some areas ok, but crankbaits get hung up quickly. The good old Texas rig is about the only thing that will come through this stuff

Here in Missouri the dog days of summer get very hot, sticky, and humid. I see fisherman fish the same way at that time that they do in the spring, rapid casting spinnerbaits, and lipless baits to the banks. I don't see them catching much more than a few small fish. A tackle shop owner told me years ago that the main reason some guys can't catch bass at this time is simple. Their fishing too fast. I think this is 100% true. I like plastic worms for much of my bass fishing, and over the years I've tried to train myself to slow down, sometimes way down. It's takes some self discipline and practice to work a plastic worm super slow. If I'm casting into a deep hole, I let the worm sink to bottom, then deadstick it for a bit. I can put my index finger under my line in front of the reel and tug on the line lightly, then give the worm a slow lazy lift, and repeat. Sometimes it may take me several minutes to fish a plastic worm through the cover this way, but I know from my logs that it has helped me hook more fish and some better size ones too. It takes all the patience I have to fish like this. Many trophy hunters who fish for the biggest bass are advocates of a super slow retrieve. Do you fish slowly like this? Has it worked well for you? It's one of my favorite ways to fish. With all the fast paced run and gun fishing styles in bass fishing now days, I wonder how many folks fish with a super slow retrieve? It takes patience, but can work very well.

Catt, I've looked at the Falcon Lowrider rods. These are about the only rods I've seen that have much tip flex. Most newer rods don't have this. Xfast has always been good for worm/jig fishing, but not always the best for spinnerbait, traps and other moving baits. I've even thought about an all glass rod too. Heavier of course, but they load up and cast really well, and as others have said, your not as apt to jerk these baits away from fish, which can happen easily with a stiff fast action rod

When my older brother came home from the service in 1970, I was 13yrs old. We stayed at my grandfather's farm that summer, and fished almost every evening. He was a much better fisherman than me. He's the first one that taught me how to cast to targets, choosing the correct lures, tying knots, and everything else he knew about fishing for bass. My dad and grandpa liked to fish too, they just didn't have as much time for it. Later, when I started in carpentry work, I met a guy 20yrs older than me. He taught me more advanced stuff, plastic worm fishing, structure fishing, etc, and got me into reading some good info too. We fished together a lot, and entered some club tournaments together too. Now my grandson Aiden is my main fishing partner, and it's been a rewarding experience trying to teach him, and watch his fishing skills improve. Having a patient teacher when your starting out can make a big difference in this sport. There's so much to learn. Who taught you how to fish for bass?

Sorry! Me too?

Went fishing with a friend years ago at a large pond. He weighed probably 250lbs, a big guy. We had a 10 ft Jon boat. Ray said I'll get in first. He climbed in with rod and tacklebox, but when he sat down the whole back of the boat sunk into 2 ft of water flooding him up to his waist. When he tried to stand up, he lost balance and landed in a mossbed near shore. I couldn't stop laughing! He made it to shore soaked through, with a 6" piece of moss stuck to his neck! I still laugh about it. Went fishing with a friend years ago at a large pond. He weighed probably 250lbs, a big guy. We had a 10 ft Jon boat. Ray said I'll get in first. He climbed in with rod and tacklebox, but when he sat down the whole back of the boat sunk into 2 ft of water flooding him up to his waist. When he tried to stand up, he lost balance and landed in a mossbed near shore. I couldn't stop laughing! He made it to shore soaked through, with a 6" piece of moss stuck to his neck! I still laugh about it. Went fishing with a friend years ago at a large pond. He weighed probably 250lbs, a big guy. We had a 10 ft Jon boat. Ray said I'll get in first. He climbed in with rod and tacklebox, but when he sat down the whole back of the boat sunk into 2 ft of water flooding him up to his waist. When he tried to stand up, he lost balance and landed in a mossbed near shore. I couldn't stop laughing! He made it to shore soaked through, with a 6" piece of moss stuck to his neck! I still laugh about it. Went fishing with a friend years ago at a large pond. He weighed probably 250lbs, a big guy. We had a 10 ft Jon boat. Ray said I'll get in first. He climbed in with rod and tacklebox, but when he sat down the whole back of the boat sunk into 2 ft of water flooding him up to his waist. When he tried to stand up, he lost balance and landed in a mossbed near shore. I couldn't stop laughing! He made it to shore soaked through, with a 6" piece of moss stuck to his neck! I still laugh about it. Went fishing with a friend years ago at a large pond. He weighed probably 250lbs, a big guy. We had a 10 ft Jon boat. Ray said I'll get in first. He climbed in with rod and tacklebox, but when he sat down the whole back of the boat sunk into 2 ft of water flooding him up to his waist. When he tried to stand up, he lost balance and landed in a mossbed near shore. I couldn't stop laughing! He made it to shore soaked through, with a 6" piece of moss stuck to his neck! I still laugh about it.

Zebco and Quantum both make good stuff. They catch fish for thousands of folks. What's not to like?

Yes. When my older brother brought home an ABU5000 reel, my grandpa said " Well, it better clean em and cook em for you too!"

J Francho. I have no time for it either

That's right brother!

When I started, I worried about all this. I quit worrying about barametric pressure, moon phase, etc probably 25 yrs ago. Now I go fishing whenever I can.

I stopped in at a tackle shop Saturday afternoon. I looked around, but didn't buy much. As I was leaving, I passed by some young guys who were teasing and laughing at another kid. I overheard them, and they were teasing this kid because he bought a new Qauntum casting reel. I turned and walked away. I've developed a no tolerance policy towards folks that bash other fisherman for their tackle choices. I've known some very good fisherman who used older tackle, and not always the latest or best and caught plenty of bass. I seriously doubt that guys who poke fun or bash others have even fished with some of the items they complain about. These days, there are so many nice rods/ reels out there it's hard to go wrong with any brand. An old buddy who is gone now, said it well. We had entered a club tournament together, and Frank showed up with 2 rods/reels. He took second place that day, fishing a spinnerbait, and a plastic worm. One young guy approached him afterward, and questioned how he could do this well , with only two rods. He said: Son, this ain't no tackle show! This is a fishin tournament. Use what works best for you! I hope that guy learned something there. I know I did. Every major tackle company makes some very good quality gear these days, so it makes no sense to bash any one brand. The mid grade tackle that's available now is way better than top end stuff from 10yrs ago. I'll never judge any fisherman for what they fish with. It's simply wrong! Do you like a 6cyl or a V8? Well, I like a V8. But I would never be critical of those that like 6cyl. If you think on it, bass fishing is really an individual sport. You can learn much from other experienced fisherman, books, videos, etc, but after all is said and done, your the one who makes the cast, hooks the fish, and lands the fish. No one does that for you. It's an unproductive waste of time bashing others for what tackle they use. Use what works best for you. I'll have no part of it. Just my own zero tolerance policy.I hope others agree.

When Larry Nixon won the 1983 Classic on the Ohio river with a blk/ blue Ditto Gator tail worm, myself, and many other anglers took notice. This win was followed up by Rick Clunn in 1984 on the Arkansas River, who used a gator tail along with crankbaits, and George Cochran on the Ohio river in 1987. All Classic wins in part due to the Ditto Gator tail worm. This worm was first produced by Bobby Ditto in 1980. The company was sold to Peter Allen in the 1990s and was out of business by 2003. For several years the gator tail, along with a straight tail worm, usually a Creme Scoundrell, we're the only two worms I carried. The 5.5 inch baby Gator Tail was my all time favorite. I always felt like it was unique among worm designs. Not a round body like most worms, but a different body shape, with the large tail that gave it great action. It caught fish for me in ponds, strip pits, and on large lakes all the same. The Zoom G tail is about as close as I can get these days. I also understand that pro angler Terry Scroggins has bought the original molds and pours this worm himself, giving them out at tournament events. I'm sure there are many other fans of the Ditto Gator Tail. Do you still fish them, or their imitations? I leaned towards dark colors. Blk/blue and grape were especially good. In my humble opinion, one of the all time best of the plastic worms. Thoughts, opinions, or stories? Who remembers or fished the Ditto Gator Tail?

We all love to catch good size fish. That's what many of us strive for in bass fishing. This doesn't always happen of course, but sometimes the day can still be fun with numbers of smaller bass. My own most memorable day happened several years ago, with suspended bass. These have always been the hardest for me to catch consistently. I tried crankbaits, traps, and blade baits with no luck. Putting on a 4" plastic worm with 1/8 oz sinker, I caught 16 bass in one and a half hours. As long as I could count down to the correct depth and reel very slowly, the bass would hit. When it stopped, it stopped for good. Last summer, my grandson caught 14 bass in a little over an hour on a rage tail menace grub, rigged on a 1/8 oz shakey head. He was fishing a drop off. Each time he pulled this bait over the drop off, he got a strike. It was a huge confidence builder for him, and now the menace grub has become a favorite for both of us. What are some of you memorable days with numbers of fish? Catching bass of all sizes is in. Sometimes the smaller bass save the day.

Yes. A Road Runner or Beetle spin are both great lures for a youngster to fish. They catch almost everything

Nice fish! Congrats!

Nice size slab here for sure!