papajoe222

? How do you know if they aren't?

Just curious whether you change speed, or cadence when fishing topwater. A lot of anglers I see, only fish them fast and steady and, IMO, miss out on catching when the fish don't want it fast.

This one escapes my knowledge of acronyms. Can you enlighten me? To the OP, I use Paca Craws when I want to add scent to a presentation. That tube like body is perfect for that. They are also a bit tougher (the claws) than a RageTail and there are times when that is beneficial. I've never used the chunks, so I can't chime in on that.

The two things I enjoy the most about bass fishing are blow-ups on topwater baits and fish jumping with my lure in their mouth. Both are the reasons why I love smallmouth. I've found that if a fish is hooked good, the chances of it coming unbuttoned are slim. If it is hooked only through the soft area of the front of its mouth, chances are 50/50 on loosing that fish. Keeping tension on the line (the best way to minimize loss) can be difficult when there's a lot of line out and that's one of the reasons I use longer rods with a mod, or mod/fast action for cranking and other treble hooked baits.

Are you considering a casting, or spinning combo and what size/weight/type of baits will you be using? Check out the Fishing Rods, Reels, Line, and Knots forum You may even try moving this thread there for better responses.

14 baitcasters and 5 spinning. 11 of the baitcasters are Daiwas and 3 of the spinning are Pflugers. Add 31rods to the mix and you figure out the possible combinations because my head hurts just pairing them up at the start of the season.

I loosen the drag AND spool tension knob when I'm done fishing for the day. I believe it's only beneficial when the reel sits for an extended period as it could bind on initial start up, but I do it anyway. I also re-set both the drag and spool tension when first tying on a lure for the day.

Bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, are primarily sight feeders and their vision, in their environment, is better than ours. Sound and vibration will get their attention and in certain circumstances get them to bite without being able to distinguish what they're biting. If you've ever seen video of a bass eyeballing a bait, or a crawfish, or had a fish charge your bait from 20-30ft. away, you'd rethink that statement.

If, on the other days, you fish after 3:00PM, I suggest you fish earlier as you already have the latter part of the day covered. There could be a major feeding period earlier in the day that you miss out on the other days.

You now have a fishing companion for life. If there is anything I enjoy doing more than fishing, it's getting a youngster hooked on fishing. BTW, did you tie on another Ned for him and one for yourself?

That worm gear still turns with the reel off of the rod. On some reels you can remove the PAWL (the part that rides in the groves) without taking the reel apart. Sometimes it with pick up a bit of dirt, or sand and just hang on to it running it up and down the gear.

I like the standard VMC flippin' hook for moderate cover and I'll pair it with a slimmer profile soft plastic.

I will normally hold off using ribbon tailed worms until after the spawn, mainly because I tend to work worms extremely slow prior to then. The exception is when I C-Rig. Then it's a ribbon tail, or a lizard. I keep it simple with colors. Dark colors in stained water (grape or black), lighter colors in clear water (pumpkin, watermelon, smoke).

I have to ask if you're using tube jigs? Because the lead on them extends farther down the hook, turning them inside the tube without tearing it, is difficult in narrow tubes. I use a ball head jig and a drop of anise oil bases attractant. As for the hook extending past the body, place the jig alongside the tube (see the top illustration in MIchigander's post). You want to match it has plastic behind the bend. Go longer tube, or shorter jig.

This time of year, in our area, a hot sunny day is prime. The water is still warming and sunny areas will draw fish. I can't count how many times I've seen bass sit motionless in shallow water on a sunny day. Later in the day, those fish will be active and in close proximity to the area they were getting a tan.

I haven't tried one, so this is only conjecture on my part. The action is very similar to a Crazy Crawler, so I assume similar retrieves would be productive. The only thing I might do differently is pause it longer. As for actual retrieve speed, I'd start slow with frequent pauses and increase rather than fast to slow. A bird struggling in the water doesn't move very fast and that's what The Smuggler is designed to imitate.

I echo a fast retrieve reel for pitching. A Fuego 8.1 is a great choice as I see no need for the T-Wing for pitching. I'm not familiar with Shimanos, but I'm sure they offer something in a high gear ratio.

The only double bladed ones I've used are musky sized. For bass I rely on Mepps and Blue Fox. Never had problems with getting the blades to spin. I think the short wire makes them more resistant to bending. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/blue-fox-classic-vibrax-spinner

How are you hooking the shiner? I found that I could get away with a smaller size when nose, or tail hooking vs. through the back.

I only flip when water clarity is limited, or when I'm fishing really thick cover. Anytime I'm concerned the fish can see me, or feel my presence, I back off and pitch, or cast to targets.

A jig can imitate many types of forage and under a lot of conditions it works best as a vertical presentation. This makes it an excellent bait for the conditions the OP described as it can be presented close to the target cover. I'll normally go to a tungsten jig and adjust the trailer for a slower fall rate, or go to a lighter jig with a small trailer then. If fishing structure, The tungsten jig and a small trailer with a more subtle action will often get me a few bites.

I like a single Colorado SB with a short arm, in fact, I've shortened the arms and removed the tandem blade of over half my SBs. I run them over the top of vegetation and then let them fall into pockets, or at the weed edge. They helicopter down much better than baits with a longer arm. I'd venture to say half the fish I catch on them are on the drop.

I use as light a weight as I can for Texas rigs. As long as I can maintain contact and control of the worm, I'm good to go. Are there situations when I go heavier than that? Sure, sometimes I want a faster fall rate, or more feel for the bottom and then there are specific presentations that are optimal with a heavier weight.

IMO, there are two ways to choosing jig/trailer colors. Go natural using a color that closely matches the bottom composition and add a splash of contrast, or black and blue.

It could very well be your hook setting technique and line choice. Those two go hand in hand. a good technique paired with light or stretchy line results in poor hook penetration (past the barb). The opposite is also true. Poor technique with the right line won't get it done either.