Mobasser

In many ways, it seems like tactics used by walleye anglers apply to bait fishing for bass. My wife's relatives in Wisconsin always take some live bait on every fishing trip. They're big walleye guys, but won't turn down a mixed bag of fish also. They've caught many nice smallmouth, big bream, and walleyes. A jig and crawler is they're #1 year around. This may be a regional thing also. It seems live bait is more popular up north? Around my area( north central Mo) if you buy a dozen crawlers folks just assume your going for panfish or catfish. Not many serious bass anglers consider them any good. My friend proved this wrong this summer. He caught numbers and some nice 4lb bass as well. I think it's all about where your fishing them, slowing down, and rigging them the right way. And, he insist on using fresh, lively crawlers only. I would imagine that a Lindy Rig, could be deadly on bass in certain locale.

In the lakes we fish, the edges are rimmed with moss. Bluegill are always hanging around these edges, and fishing a live nightcrawlers hasn't been good. The gills tear them up, before anything else can get them. We found a hump offshore that was made when they dug this lake( a qaurry). He's caught some good bass fishing on either side of this spot by scratching his crawlers. The gills leave it alone. Yea, pesky little dudes. They make it a habit to peck at the tails of my plastic worms also.

Here in Missouri, most shops sell minnows and crawlers. That's usually all. Up north I saw crawlers and minnows, as well as leaches, crawfish, riverworms, etc. I do agree panfish can be a problem, as well as carp. But in the right location they work great for bass. I think any fish will take a pop at a crawler.

Good book. I took a trip to Wisconsin a few years back. Many tackle shops carried a big selection of live bait, much more than here in Missouri. This may have been for walleye guys, but, it seemed like crawlers were always on the menu, and probably are used by many bass anglers also.

I have an older friend who bought a starter kit to raise nightcrawlers this year, in early spring. These have turned out to be fat, thick crawlers, some reaching 4" long. He's caught a good number of bass over this summer on them. Here's his rigging methods: over deeper water, he hooks the crawler once near the front. A splitshot is placed 15' up the line. The retrieve is a slow, stitching style, moving the crawler along inches at a time. He also hooks his finger under his line as part of the retrieve. This has worked well over humps channel bends etc. The second style involves a worm blower, again hooking the crawler once, and adding a splitshot on the line. Injecting a shot of air in the crawler makes them float off the bottom, and wiggle around. Any bass that's nearby will find this hard to resist. Lastly, he tips marabou jigs with a 1/4" piece of crawler, as kind of a float and fly rig for LM bass. The floats are weighted, and made by Comal tackle. The jigs are 1/8 oz, and made with a good quality hook, sized for bass. On the bottom crawler rigs, he pinches down the hook barb slightly, which helps with unhooking a bass. His main thing with this is to set the hook quickly after any sign of a strike. Doing this helps to hook the bass in the outer part of the mouth, making for an easy unhooking job. I've heard and read all the negatives about live bait for bass. Many bass anglers would never consider using it now, but I think live bait has its own set of skills also. Fishing a minnow, a live crawfish, or in this case, a big nightcrawler has accounted for scores of bass over the years, and some big ones too. Nightcrawlers( especially raising them yourself) are inexpensive, and, for fisherman who can't afford many lures, can be a good way to go. I fish with lures 99% of the time. But after seeing the results my friends had with his live bait, I may take to stitching a big crawler along the bottom myself, especially on the tough days. Live bait isn't just for beginners, and, it could be one more thing to add to your skills, and help you catch more bass. At the end of the day, that's our ultimate goal.

I've used a few different spinning reel brands over the years. Shimano, older ABU ( cardinal) Lews, and Diawa. In a thread by Northern Basser, he mentioned his new Shimano reel. The reel stems on the new Shimanos are shorter and a slightly different angle than the older ones. I have a newer Sahara which is this way also. This hasn't bothered me, but I've heard others complain about the shorter stem. Some guys with large hands have stated that the short stem is uncomfortable to use, and the bail actually hits they're knuckles on retrieve. My Sahara cast light baits better than any other spin reel I have, and I think it's due to the angle of the reel stem. The angle puts the spool in more direct alignment with the first guide on the rod, and seems to aid in casting distance, especially with lighter baits. Some reel stems are longer, and it's a little more of reach to pick up the line before your cast. This also causes the line to enter the first guide at a lower angle. It may be a very small amount, but the shorter stem seems to cast lighter baits better. This is just an obsevation, and there's probably more going on here,( line lay, spool size, and guide diameter) that can make a difference. Has anyone ever noticed this, or have you ever thought about this before?

I used to work in some rough areas of Kansas City Mo. I never carried more than 20 bucks on me then. Now, I'll carry more because I don't go down there anymore.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here on BR that's noticed this. Sometimes, a worn, chewed up, partially torn plastic bait will catch more fish than a brand new one. I've seen it happen quite a few times, and for this reason I'll continue to fish them, and patch them back together until they're completely unfishable. I've got a 1/2 oz chrome Ratlletrap. It's so old I can't remember when I bought it. Almost all the paint is gone, and it looks rough. I've knocked it against wood, banged it against rocks and concrete, and reeled it into thick weeds many times. It's a miracle I still even have it, and havnt snagged it or lost it years ago. But, despite it looking like a piece of junk, it's one of the best producing lipless baits I've ever owned. Another one is a small, light jig, I've used for a long time. It's made by Lindy, and called the Little Nipper. It's a small marabou jig, and it's not really sold as just a bass lure, but a multispecies jig. I usually fish it under a quarter size round weighted float, and it catches all sorts of fish. After several fish are caught, the Nipper starts to look a little ratty. The marabou is roughed up, some might get torn out, and even the head wrap thread may start to become unraveled. I've glued it back on and kept throwing it, because, once it gets that " ratty" look, it works better than a new one, fresh out of the package. Lots of bass guys are picky about how they're baits look. They want the best looking colors, paint jobs, and detail. I like the way new baits look too. But, it's a strange thing, that some of the most chewed up, banged up, rough looking baits will outproduce new ones. Have you guys ever noticed this? Do you have any explanation? Do you have baits like this also?

C'mon Boys! Were all fisherman. We all share a common interest, which is bass fishing! No need for anyone to get upset, especially, about fishing rods, which is the topic we started on here. RELAX

The deal is, go to a well stocked tackle shop. There's so many nice rods now days, I don't see how anyone could recommend just one. I think the big factor is weight. Nice rods are so much lighter than they were before. Does less weight equal more sensitivity? It's all an opinion of each individual fisherman.

Some lures have been called a beginner's lure over the years. The Beetlespin has been called this. Most are cast and reel type baits, and don't require the skill of a jig or soft plastic bait. But, this isn't always true.

It's true. High end gear is more fun to fish with, but doesn't always make for a better angler. My old tournament partner, Frank Keller, ordered blanks from Janns Netcraft and had rods made by a local builder. They were mid grade, and never the most expensive. I remember him taking first place in one tournament, and some guys approached him afterward, and made comments about his rods. Frank said" son, this ain't no tackle show, it's a fishin tournament". " Use what works for you, and I'll use what works for me". I've always thought old Frank summed it up pretty well .

Try a smaller bait, shorten up the trailer, and add a trailer hook.

As a kid in the 1960s, the Beetlespin was very popular in Missouri. They've gone out of style now, but I still use them.

Thanks Glen!

Yes. If your having a slump, get your palm read before your next trip. And, if you do decide to have your palm read before your next trip, make sure they read your casting hand only. Otherwise, it will never work... Yes. If your having a slump, get your palm read before your next trip. And, if you do decide to have your palm read before your next trip, make sure they read your casting hand only. Otherwise, it will never work...

Yes. If your having a slump, get your palm read before your next trip.

J Francho, I agree. Every bite is a reaction bite of some kind, otherwise, it wouldn't be a bite to begin with.

Happy birthday to Jerry Lee Louis. Born in Ferriday Louisiana today in 1935. One of the wild men of early rock and roll, the " Killer", is also considered one of the most influential pianist of our time. These days, what he did seems tame, but in the 1950s, he shocked people. Pounding on his piano, setting it on fire, jumping on it, and playing standing on his head. Great early rock and roll music. After being married six times, with three or four of his wives passing away under mysterious circumstances, the Killer has finally slowed down a little. The man was definitely off his chain. Happy Birthday Killer.

Here's a couple more: live bait takes less skill, and is only for beginners. False. Inline spinners( Mepps) are only mainly for trout fishing. False

Looks like your set up to catch a bunch of fish. For spinning reels, you might check.out the Shimano Sienna. 2500 size for bass, 1000 for bass or panfish. Good value for around 30 dollars. Glad to hear you've discovered fishing. Good luck out there.

I worked with a young guy that told me he would never fish a Beetle Spin. He called them a beginner's lure also. I had to laugh. I still carry some along with me, and they've worked well over the years. Everyone is into the Ned rig now. Take a Ned bait, add a spinner arm, and there's very little difference.

After forty years of bass fishing, I've heard and read many things which I consider to be completely false regarding our sport. Some of these things were written by some well known writers years ago, other things I heard from other fisherman. Here's a few " non truths", that I've proven to be wrong myself. 1. Hair or bucktail jigs only work in cold water. False. 2. Plastic worms won't work in colder water. False. 3. Surface and topwater baits won't work in cooler water. False. 4. Spinning tackle can't land good size fish. False. 5. Spincasting reels will never land good size fish. False. 6. Dark colored soft plastic baits are always best in dark or off colored water. False. 7. The drag on a baitcasting reel is really not important. Always crank it down tightly. False. 8. Big bass can't be landed on light mono line of 6 or 8lb strength. False. 9. A bright colored lure is always the best for night fishing. False. 10. You need a 500 dollar rod to feel a soft jig bite. False. These are just a hand full of falsehoods I've learned through the years. Some of them are still being taught even today. Do you agree or disagree? And, please post some non truths that you've learned yourself over time. Let's clear the air.....

You'll never hear me putting anyone down for they're choice of tackle. I'm the guy that will say go to your sporting goods store, pick a combo that feels right, and get out there and fish it. More importantly, you've still got to find the fish, pick the right bait, fish at the correct speed and depth, and everything else that makes for a good day. These are the most important skills to have. The most expensive rod on the rack won't replace these skills, and it's been proven many times through the years.

For the last 15 yrs or so, I've worn a thin ( single layer) Carhart duck jacket with a hood for fishing in the fall. This jacket also doubled as a cool weather work jacket. After so many years and washings, it's pretty much worn out. I'm in need of a new jacket for fishing , and I'm interested in a fleece jacket. If I buy one a little big, I can layer up first, and remove it if need be. My main criteria is good freedom of movement, and a zip up style ( non pullover) type. A hood would be a plus also. I plan on fishing this fall until the lakes freeze up, so this one would be a cool weather jacket, and I have heavier coats should I need them. The thing is, if you get out there and get uncomfortable because your too cold, it's hard to focus on your fishing. If you've tried a fleece jacket, how has it worked out? Are they good in wind, with layers underneath? Any recommendations on a good jacket for fall fishing?