papajoe222

Don't concern yourself about missing fish. Like other hollow bodies, they normally try to kill it, so they take it in their mouth good if you let them.like other hollow bodies, if I'm missing a big percentage, or hooking near there lips, it's time to either change retrieves, or lures.

With the weeds at their summer peak of growth, I've been exploring different lures for catching the bass holding in and below them. A friend that lives up in God's country swears by these and after fishing them for th last couple of days, I gotta say they are tailor made for working over the weeds. They are easy to make long casts with as well as walking the dog and like my favorite topwater, a Spook, they produce some violent strikes. So for those of you looking for another option this summer, check them out. The cost isn't going to put a major hole in your wallet either.

Stupid spell check got me again. What I meant was it (the odor from using a Sharpie) doesn't appear to have any negative effect.

Can I ask why a one piece? An observation.....for another $10 you will be getting a much more sensitive rod with the MicroLite. I, personally, would hold off pulling the trigger on another rod until I had the extra cash, or they went on sale for $39.99

If you decide to swap out the gears, before you do try polishing the existing drive gear with a Dremel. That will remove any burs or sharp edges. Just don't overdo it. Worse case scenario, it still buzzes. Best case, you've quieted it down.

This is more of a comment than an answer, but I've only use original Stren when ising a black light, but I haven't used one in years. Fishing without the light has forced me to rely on feeling the bite. It didn't take long for me to start feeling when a fish started moving off with my worm. I use a worm with a lot of action (G-Tail), which helps because I can feel the loss of the tail action similar to fishing spinnerbaits. My recommendation for line would be any bright or white colored braid. Even under the light of the moon, it's fairly easy to see.

Unless the fish I've been catching lost their sense of smell, I don't think isn't lingering odor makes a difference.

I use a red Sharpie. No added weight. Considering how often I use them, it lasts almost as long as purchased red hooks I've used.

I was involved in a catch, tag and release program on one of the lakes I fish. I caught 28 fish that week-end. Three of those fish I've caught (and released) twice since and five more a second time. They were initially caught during the pre-spawn and only one was re caught during the same time period. Different times, different lures, same fish and same angler. Talk about a testimonial for catch and release!

It sounds like either you'd rather fish shallow cover, or you don't like fishing deep. My question to you is: Are you catching them deep? If you're finding and catching them deep, what advice are you looking for? If not , look for structure above the thermocline. If you are looking to fish shallow, find the depth the baitfish are using. Next, find shallow structure that tops out at that depth. Lastly, look for and fish any irregularities along that structure. As for baits, fish your strong suit.

50 fish days, 9lb. dinks? I need a Rx for stronger antidepressants! A good day for me is averaging one keeper (18in.) along with a few dinks over four hours. My best outing this year produced four keepers in less than an hour and a total of 14 fish. I think I need to find some new water.

Just wondering if any of you still use them? Other than the occasional Johnson Silver Minnow, mine have just been taking up space in my top-water box. Ultra vibe Speed Worms and the occasional frog get the call the majority of the time now. Maybe it's time to dust them off and show the big gals something they haven't seen in a while.

Sounds like a 'blow out' to me. Cranks are designed to run at a speed that will maintain their optimal depth. Some will kick off to the side or actually flip over if retrieved too quickly. It has to do with the increased water pressure across the lip. Once the bait reaches its optimal depth, there is no need to reel quickly. The other thing that may be happening would be similar, but caused by an out of tune bait. Check the line tie and the split ring. If you're using a snap, loose the split ring and never attach with a swivel snap.

All glasses will reflect light off of the inside of the lens. The majority of that light comes from above. I'd bet that if you wear a cap or visor, you won't notice it because you'd be blocking that overhead light.

Like every subject, there is a learning curve. You can't expect to pass Structure Fishing 101 without doing a little studying. The good news is there are a bunch of knowledgeable tutors on this site along with tons of useful information in the form of articles, videos, and previous posts that will get you a passing grade while the cool kids are just sitting on deep water wondering what to do next.

I see you have a good understanding of the difference between structure and cover. Often times the structure on what appears to be featureless bodies of water is in the form of changes in bottom content rather than drops or humps. Those transition areas where a soft bottom changes to a hard or sandy one are often the key areas. If, on your depth finder, you are unable to pin point those areas, the change in cover like different weeds can tip you off to their location. Lack of structure makes other edges a priority to bass. Weed edges, fence rows, or tree lines, despite the lack of defined structure, become the 'roads' that they use in their movements.

Isn't that like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire? Just asking. Either that or your wife doesn't have a closet full of shoes, half of which she's never worn. Personally, I'd rather have a tackle box full of lures I've never used.

Just a word of caution when fishing docks and it has everything to do with those folks that use the dock. Never break off a lure that gets hung anywhere on the dock, especially under the surface. The last thing you want is for someone to get a hook in them while sitting on the dock's edge or swimming around it. I voiced that concern to a dock owner when he 'caught' me lying on his deck with my arm in the water up to my neck. He was still pretty irate, but the situation didn't escalate.

One bait that gets overlooked frequently for targeting submerged weeds is a minnow style crank or jerk-bait. It can be twitched, stopped, worked like a crankbait, or ripped free of weeds like a lipless crank. They saved me more than once when following behind other anglers. Most guys only think of them in early spring, or late fall.

Hands down, plastic. Ten years ago I would have said there was a time and place for pork. It's ability to stay supple in cold water along with the 'natural' flavor is what kept pork in many tackle boxes. Now, with all the different formulas for plastics, including scents, salt infused, and Elaztech there is no need, IMO, for it. Another plus to plastics is that they are much easier to remove from your jig not to mention the possibility, with pork of fueling the formation of rust on the hook.

PItching or flipping is going to require you to get fairly close to the docks and in clear water that can spell doom. If you're unable to skip some form of soft plastic, you will only be able to hit the outside edges of the docks. Try this; Rig up two rods with identical crakbaits. Tune one bait to run (track) to the left and the other to the right. Back off just far enough to reach the back of the dock and cast the one that runs left to the right side of the dock and the other one to the left. The baits will run under the dock and bump the pillars as they make their way out to you. The downside to doing this is the toll it takes on your line. Re-tie frequently. If you insist on flipping, run your trolling motor on a constant, low setting and avoid pushing water under the dock. Switching it on and off is a sure way to spook 'em.

The only reply that I disagree with, generally speaking, is that they come through grass better. If reel ess is actually referring to grass vegetation, I'd concur. If the reference is to weeds in general, I've found a lead weight actually aids in working your bait as it is wider and pushes the weeds out away from the front of your bait. That is the only time I see them as a negative.

Shore bound anglers are at a big disadvantage during the summer and winter seasons, mainly because the majority of fish aren't within casting distance. Those that you can reach with a decent cast are spooked easily, have seen most of the lures you mentioned on numerous occasions and likely are only active for short periods. Add to those the lack of cover and I doubt that many fish actually see your offerings. My advice is to find some form of cover within casting distance. Small patches of weeds, an isolated deadfall, or anything the fish can use as an ambush point can hold fish. Then it's just a matter of provoking a strike. Multiple casts to the same target may be needed, but if the forage uses the area, the bass will be there. If there is absolutely no cover available, structural changes are what you need to look for and without the aid of a depthfinder to locate them, you'll need to rely on your gear to find them. A crank that dives deeper than the water you're fishing will relay the bottom content and any sharp drops in depth. Although the structure itself may not hold fish, they will use it when they move around and so will the baitfish.

I like the little rubber bands used for braces, but they don't work well on small diameter blanks. I've heard of guys using everything from twist ties to guide foot glue, but the best idea I've heard of is small pieces of heat shrink tubing. It holds well enough to do a static test and there's no glue residue left behind or chance of scratching the blank with a twist tie.

Are you talking C-Rig? If so, any size bigger than the hole in the bead or weight will work.