schplurg

That lightning bolt on Thursday might make me nervous

I'm still pretty new to bass fishing and this year was a complete skunk until July, at least within 30 miles of home. I caught ZERO from Feb through June. And I hit the banks frequently. It's very tough here, but zero fish was really starting to fill me with doubt. "Did I actually catch fish last year, maybe it was a dream cause I stink now" I didn't think of quitting but I doubted myself and everything I thought I knew. I explored the local creek a bit more and discovered some new areas and bingo, I'm hammerin' em. I tried a "senko"(Dinger) for pretty much the first time, T and Wacky rigs, and success was mine! Wow this thing really works! So now my confidence is pretty high. You just have to keep fishing. In the back of my mind I knew that it would click again one day, but doubt was definitely strong. There's really no other choice but to keep fishing. Throw anything, some fish will eventually come along that is dumb or crazy enough to bite any bait you throw

I'm not sure I've ever caught a fish with my last cast(s). I don't think I do more than 1-4 casts. And I think if I did catch one I'd keep fishing for a bit, so that would no longer be my last cast anyways. Or would it... I'm confused now.

I'm having the opposite problem - I'm finally catching fish! Took me months in my home town to catch a bass this year. Months! My home town is very tough though. I throw at the edge of cover and the fish come out to play. However, the bugs are an annoyance sometimes. I rarely get bit but these little buggers just fly in front of my face and buzz my ears and tick me off. I fished with a friend a few weeks ago in a tiny aluminum boat and the mosquitos kicked his butt but I didn't get one bite. He had red spots all over, says he's alergic.

I just started using and being successful with stick worms. I think I just get used to the area I'm fishing. One area has a lot of dinks that will try and get my worm. I can see them strike it. I just don't set the hook unless I know something is holding on. It seems like good practice. I mean people here sometimes say that they sometimes hookset as soon as they feel something and they have a hard time waiting for the right moment. I had a tiny dink grab a 5 inch YUM Dinger a few days ago - it was hilariously too big for the fish. It looked like a dog that picks up a log or tree branch that is way too big for it, yet tries to carry it anyways. It was so cute. I pulled slack and he dropped it when he felt that.

It may depend on where you live and fish. A crowded fishery, for me, is not a million times better for any reason mentioned here. California does not do enough to make that worth while, especially for bass anglers (at least not anyplace I've ever been). They'll just spend the money elsewhere and raise ramp and inspection fees on top of it.

I do the exact opposite when I cast (top hand pushed forward, bottom hand back). It's necessary when casting from the bank with a lot of nearby trees. No backswing required. I don't let go of the reel handle when I hookset. Maybe I should, but I also haven't caught many big fish yet - I don't often need a big hookset. I think. I also may be doing it wrong

This is the best bass fishing forum, period. I've looked around and nothing comes close. The amount of posts and the amount of good people. I feel like I know people here. The other forums are just text on a web page to me. Major props to Glenn for the content, and I also agree that he has set a certain vibe for us all, not just from moderating the forum, but also - well I just love watching his videos and listening to him. I love this place. Thank you, Glenn! And thanks Jedi for the thread.

Howdy neighbor! Welcome to the forum! The best place for me from the bank is Coyote Creek in San Jose and Morgan Hill. If you're interested in driving down this way send me a private message and I'll PM you some exact spots where I've been catching bass almost every trip lately. Or I'll take you right to them one day if you want. Evidence: If you don't want exact spots then search a map for Coyote Creek and you can figure out the access points between Morgan Hill and SJ. It took some scouting to find good spots and I'm willing to share, just not on the main forum. I'm afraid the litterbugs will see it here. There are also big carp here - I see them all day just cruising by ignoring my baits 3 - 5 pounders I'd guess.

After fishing in a 10 foot aluminum boat a few weeks ago I will also be selling my yak - to help pay for a small boat. 14 feet or so. I like the extra space and freedom of movement. And screw paddles!

As for the Marshall: ---------------- The force threw his marshall, 2014 Forrest Wood Cup co-angler Champion Brian New—who had just suffered a broken collarbone weeks ago while becoming pinned underneath a car while changing its oil—into Cox, sending both individuals into the 52-degree water. -------------- This does not happen to people who practice Safety First. There's virtually no way a car can pin you while changing the oil if you lift and support it correctly, mainly ramps and not bricks and 2x4s. So ya, I too question their maintenance practices, though the PFDs may have been brand new for all I know, so not judging. But I am not 100% confident in an auto-inflate either and I do not own one because of that. And I don't want to be required to maintain a life vest either. I want to own one but like I said, I don't trust it with my life. I wear a life vest.

Only advice I have is to get out there and fish. Use an anchor so you don't have to grab the paddle every 90 seconds to correct your position. The most aggravating thing about kayak fishing for me is controlling the yak. I made a mini-paddle out of wood so I can correct the boat one-handed. Why did this get moved to the Fishing Tackle forum?

I wouldn't tolerate that. I've invited a guy or two to fish with me that approached my spot in hope that nobody else was there. He started walking away and I invited him to join. Wasn't catching anything anyways. There was barely enough room for both of us between the trees. We had a good talk and I used his rod for a minute - first time using braid. I'm very friendly to people usually. If someone just walked up and started breaking out the gear right next to me I'd have something to say about it, and I have. Actually, I had a guy start casting IN FRONT of me once. And I mean directly in front of me as I was adjusting my bait. I'm like what the...? 20 yards of shoreline too. He had kids with him and I had just weighed his son's first bass for him so I didn't make a scene. I really wanted to though, and I would have if his kids weren't there, and it would not have been nice at all. Should have shoved him in the water I just left, end of the day anyways. I couldn't believe he did that. Probably one of the litter bugs. Even now I still wish I'd have said something though. Bugs me.

Happens to me almost every time I fish! I've had tree branches hammer my bait! I usually set the hook but not as hard as I would a worm hook. Kind of a half-arsed hookset. I see it in most of my vids. Sometimes I don't.

I feel bad too, I really do, but at the same time I think maybe I'm a bit of a hypocrite. I'm using a sharp hook to stab and catch a fish I don't even intend to eat, over and over all day long. Sometimes it's in their eye, or close. Sometimes their gut, or all the way through their face. Then I may photograph it, weigh it, accidentally drop it on the ground... I mean what the heck do we expect will happen? "Aww gee didn't expect I could actually kill one!" Bull. We terrorize the fish, period. I think we're fooling ourselves a little when we cry over a fish dying, but I also tend to think too much I love fishing but I can look at it for what it is too. It doesn't bother me nearly enough to stop. I wonder if people would sport fish if bass could cry in pain like a dog. On that note, I'd be perfectly okay fishing for cats. Now that would be something to see!

Cool! Good to see there are bass up there so I can visit my sister in Salem!

I don't get a lot of opportunity to bang squarebills off of anything because in many places I fish there's nothing to hit. I've caught most of my crankbait fish in more "open" waters.

I use whatever is cheapest and/or whatever I can find at the time.

Oh really? After a long day typing code (which I don't do much anymore) I sometimes wish I had a simpler job, like sweeping the parking lot or working construction again. It can be very strenuous on the brain and nerves, stressful, and it took a whole lot of time and experience to learn how to do. Oh and tendinitis which affects my fishing. Walk a mile in my shoes. You like your phone, fish finder, Playstation, coffee maker? Bunch of geeks made that possible. I buy much of my gear at Walmart. I was much happier when I had more money than I do now. It indeed can buy some, or even a lot of happiness. If one is a miserable ***** then maybe not. I'm gonna say health too. Good medical care/coverage is worth a lot. Trust me, mine sucks. It can be the difference between life and death. But at the same time, I hear ya man

I'm loving the wacky rig right now, and I'd never really used a worm much at all until a few weeks ago. Until now, I hadn't caught a single bass this season in my area, now I nail 'em almost every time. Started with a T-rigged YUM Dinger, and then the wacky. I'm bank fishing a clear-ish shallow creek so I'm hitting the edge of any cover I can find. It's cool watching the fish come out to hit it. This is a new spot on the creek for me and it's clear and a lot of fun. I've never actually been able to see the fish before the strike until now. Now I'm catching them visually as well as by feel - some are small so I need to wait until they get the hook. It's cool when you can see them stalk and hit the bait - I'm learning a LOT from that. Anyways I went from never using worms to using them almost exclusively in a matter of days. BPS Stiko Worms worked too. I really don't see much action on the fall with a Dinger, or any worm I've tried. I mean it's not like they squirm around. Using a VMC Neko 2/0. I think. Sometimes I'll reel it to the surface so it splashes a little, then let it sink again. Caught a few this way.

I have no experience with one. Would the splash from casting the unit spook fish? Most waters I fish seem too shallow from the bank to use a fish finder. Maybe you can tow it behind a quiet remote control boat and not cast it at all, and explore the area better as well?

Pretty sure that was a "stripper" joke since you initially spelled "Striped Bass" that way. I used to work with strippers and he is right - for $15 you aren't getting much

I replied to a similar thread yesterday - backpack thread maybe? This is my backpack kit: Box 1 is marked "Plugs". Maybe 4 squarebills, a few jerks, a few poppers, 2 lipless, some other random thing maybe I dunno. Box 2 is marked "Jigs/Spinners" and contains a few jigs, a few spinners/inlines, a few Beetle Spins, some tiny hair jigs, a chatterbait or two, and one buzz bait. And I see one extra skirt is in there too for whatever reason. I carry terminal in a small double-sided box. And a have a one small bag of plastics with 20 different baits stuffed in it (craws, worms, lizards, flukes). If I can't catch anything with that...well I often can't but I think it's my location more than anything

Cool thanks. I was wondering about this a few days ago for some reason

Does anyone know how a bass gets air into the bladder, assuming it does at some point after it has been fizzed and returned to depth? Maybe it's gasses from the fish's innards?