papajoe222

When targeting big fish; Put your back to the shore as 75% of the big girls avoid the shoreline pressure. No bait is too big, or too small. Three mommas in a day is a good day. They actually eat more often than their little sisters. The same structures produce regardless of the presence of vegetation, or other cover. Always have some odd ball bait tied on a rod for the guys at the launch to see. Hold on..............Are we talking your lake, or mine?

If I'm casting to a target, I'll let it sit for a few seconds. If I'm casting over weeds, it's moving when it hits the water.

Worm................Culprit Tube..................NetBait BK Swimbait.............Havoc Grass Pig Grub...................Kalin's Lunker Grub Craw...................SK RageTail Craw Creature..............RageTail Structure Bug

I'll echo what was said earlier; there is no set time for feeding. Bass are opportunist. I've run into aggressive 'feeding' bass at just about every hour of the day. I've marked suspended fish that only became active after I caught one of the school. Those feeding windows tend to be short lived, but you can and will catch them when they're not in a 'feeding' or active mode. Get out whenever you can and figure out where they are, what and how they want it. Those are the keys to success.

I'm not a big fan of using leaders with braid. I understand some anglers concern when fishing clear water and I would venture to say that for slower presentations in water 10ft. or less that about 18in.-24in. would suffice. Much longer and you have to deal with winding the knot past the rod tip.

I want to delete my attachments to free up space as I've reached my limit, but there doesn't seem to be an option for that. Is there another way to post a pic without using a url?

I had this debate with a fellow club member . He claimed that, given the same components, Spinning rods are more sensitive than casting because the line is in contact with all the guides all the time. I disagreed saying that the tip is where a bite is 'transmitted' to the rod.He asked me why I hold the line in front of my casting reel when I worm and jig fish and I told him because there are times when the bite isn't transmitted by the rod, but I can sometimes feel it through the line. He says that doesn't happen with a spinning rod. Your thoughts, or opinions.

My rod is a casting rod built on a Forecast spinning blank. 7ft. Med./Fast paired with a Lews Speed Spool 7:1. It also doubles as a Fluke combo and I use it for both bass and walleye.

Just about anytime you'd throw a Pop-R, but not throwing to targets.There is just no way to set these down softly and that splash usually spooks 'em. If you can throw past a target and work this bait up to it, you'll be surprised and the violent blow ups you'll get. It's a good alternative for a prop bait in turbulent water, too and you don't see many guys throwing them here in the mid-west.

If you intend to continue using treble hooked baits, there are a couple of things you can try to help reduce hang ups. First, don’t cast upstream, quarter cast. Its much easier to control your presentation. Second, go to a spinner with a bigger blade and keep it moving and your ros tip at 11:00. I recommend that rod position for all presentations in current. Lastly, remove the rear hook on you cranks. You can replace it with a small willow blade/swivel. The baits lip protects the belly hook, but that rear hook is swinging back and forth with nothing in front of it.

I actually prefer to fish alone. It’s not that im unsocial, ill actually talk your ear off if you’re in the boat with me, i just fish differently than most of my bank beater friends. When i take someone along I’ll try to put them on fish. It doesn’ always work.

The Anaconds and Ol Monster have plenty of action, but I’d recommend trying the Culprit Fat Max to start with. Fish tend to ball up long worms in their mouth and often times you’ll set the hook into the plastic, not the fish, if you’re not quick on the hook set.

Welcome to BR The only reels I spool with straight fluoro are my cranking reels. You can ‘tame’ some fluoro lines by stretching them. Unlike monos, it doesn’t rubber band back to its original length. Catching a hawg with your drag tightened down is one way to do it. I’m not a believer in using a leader with braid, though many are., C-rigs being the exception. I’d suggest trying it as a leader to start out. You can always switch to straight fluoro if you’re not happy with the results. You’ll want to back off your reel’s drag, or soften up your hook set on single hook applications as one of the knocks of fluoro is knot strength.

I'll add a Colorado bladed spinnerbait in place of a willow leaf. Other than that I don't change baits. I'll start out with the faster moving hard baits and switch to jigs and worms if things get tough. The only bait I throw during the day that I don't at night, is a tube jig.

I don’t use a popper very often and the main reason is their size/weight. Either they’re small and light, or they’re big and heavy. The bigger and heavier ones I’m comfortable throwing, but the smaller ones, like a PopR, are a challenge to cast accurately. While browsing the topwater isle, I happened upon the Lunkerhunt. It’s only 2.5in. And weighs 7/16oz. This one casts, walks and spits with very little effort. It’s priced right for us frugal types and it catches fish. ? What’s your favorite, small popper?

Line diameter has more to do with the material used. As an example, Trilene Cat Max is thicker than XL in the same lb. test. They're both mono, just made with different materials. My guess is the STS has less strength because of its composition, but you may be correct about companies listing a lower lb. test.

I prefer an in-line, mainly because they're easier to cast, but catch just as many on a regular one. If you're missing fish with your current buzzer, try altering your retrieve (slower or faster), or bulk up the business end to draw their attention to it. I'll switch to a WP if I get a couple of blow ups and no hook ups.

Not long after low profile baitcasters appeared, you could find some good quality round reels at garage sales. I found a AbuGarcia C4000 for $10 in mint condition. I asked the guy why he was getting rid of it and he said he just bought a new, low profile one. My wife has now idea what my gear is worth There are going to be a lot of happy local anglers when my time comes and she starts selling my stuff off.

I'll add something that may help. Keep some tension on your line, even if it's only the tension of your jig falling as you follow it down with your rod tip. You can't feel a hit, pick-up, or a fish engulfing your presentation from behind if there is slack in your line. When you can't keep tension on the line, watch where it enters the water, (it's always a good idea to do so, slack line or not) any movement, extra slack, or twitch that you don't impart with your rod has been initiated on the other end. Often times with a jig, your first indication is what's happening with your line, not something you've felt.

I don't know if I'd call it progression, but what I did (and still do) notice is that at some point things become almost automatic. Similar to driving a car. You see something and automatically respond to it, not react, if you follow. Without thinking about it, you change your retrieve slightly because of something. You don't actually count down your jig on every cast because you know when it should hit bottom and when it doesn't, you set the hook without thinking about it. Almost instinctively, you cast to the shady side of a lay down. You can't pin-point exactly when those responses began, well, because you weren't thinking about it at the time. I think that is true with every piece of knowledge you acquire and every presentation you learn. Sooner or later you grow past learning it and just 'swing the hammer' like a carpenter.

Nicely done. Cold front conditions aren’t always a negative thing. You made the adjustment which is the biggest obstacle to overcome.

There was a time when i kept a log of every fish i caught, the bait, conditions, etc. niw i just keep a tab on bass 18in. or bigger. I’ve been averaging around six a week since May 1st. If i can keep up that pace i won’t break 100 for the season, but you wont hear me complaining. ?

You catch your first fish on your latest build. Although it wasn't my latest, it was the first I'd caught on the only acid wrap I've ever attempted. A 4lb.+ beauty which was also the first fish I caught on a hair jig that I'd tied. I don't know what I was more excited about; the fish, or that rod loosing its cherry to her.

I’ve been known to throw a spook mid-day under bluebird skies, but I deny that I’m addicted.

Thought I had a new PB today. Turned out it was an 8lb channel cat Personally, I really don't mind a good fish getting off as long as it gave me a good fight. Heck, I let 'em all go anyway although a photo is always nice to have.