billmac

Most of the creeks / rivers that I have fished for smallmouth don't have much space between the bottom and the surface, so it doesn't really matter. If there is a deep spot, I'll use something that gets to the bottom. If they are suspending, they'll go for it on the way down if they are feeding.

Definitely get in the river. Anything that breaks the current is what you should be looking for. Big rocks, downed trees, anything the fish can get behind to get out of the current and ambush prey when it goes by.

Is there any open water? Is there a weedline? I'd use a variety of baits along the weedliine if you can find it. Try to find something different in the pond. If it is all just a homogeneous mess of weeds and lily pads, it's just going to be trial and error.

A little off topic, but I've noticed that one of the advantages of fluorocarbon for dropshotting, is that the line is invisible. One of the disadvantages is that it is invisible. Perhaps the fish can't see it, but it's hard for me to see it too.

Probably will have to replace the whole hatch. It's like 12 bucks.

Yes, I did think of that, but it's really too small to be useful other than to peek in, and I can get to the pump from the main hatch.

I want to gain confidence with other baits and techniques, but dang it, as long as they keep biting on my beloved jig and spinner combo, it's hard for me to put it down.

The only time I have run the bilge pump was last month when I forgot to put the drain plug in. Worked fine. I tried it yesterday and I think it isn't working. Not sure why so I'll have to dig into that.

I hear ya. Got my first boat and have dabbled a little offshore, but I haven't been able to resist heading to the bank and casting at visible structure.

I ran a bead of vaseline around the seal and I had way less water in the bilge today. I never open the thing, so I may just silicone it.

My first instinct would be to say jig, even though I'm not a terrific jig fisherman, but honestly, you can't say that it is a single technique. Flipping, pitching, punching, swimming, snapping, deadsticking are all different techniques and those are just off the top of my head. If you had asked for a single lure, I would go with jig, but for a single technique I would go with jig and spinner / spinnerbait.

I haven't found myself willing to pay more for dropshot weights so for now I'm sticking with dipsy sinkers and rubbercore sinkers.

There are two drains in the splashwell on either side of the motor, but the rubber seal on the access hatch has rotted away so I think It's getting in when I come off plane and the water rushes in.

Yeah, that looks like it.

Still figuring out my bassboat. I think I'm getting a good bit of water in my bilge because the hole with the screw cap on it (right in front of the motor) doesn't seal well. I'm sure I can fix it, but I don't know what it is called. About six inches across? Thanks.

Curly tail grub

I found an old, 6'6" medium heavy casting rod (don't know what the tip is). Right now I carry 3 rigs, 2 casting and 1 spinning. 1 casting is m/h with 30 lb braid and I'm using mainly with jigs / jig n spinner. The other casting rod is medium with 10 mono I'm using with crankbaits. My spinning setup has 10lb braid and fluoro leaders for dropshot / finesse. I'm thinking topwater (as I mentioned in another thread) for the old rod, but I'm open to other suggestions. I'm up north, so I'm fishing lots of weeds but not a lot of timber or brushpiles or super heavy cover. Any ideas?

I want to add another rod/reel setup for topwaters. Anyone got a recommendation for a weedless buzz bait? I like the looks of the various buzz frogs but I refuse to spend 10 bucks for a lure.

There it is, the factor I didn't think of. I couldn't imagine what the extra weight would influence because it's on the end of the line rather than in front of the bait. I wasn't considering the weight the bass feels when it grabs the bait. Thanks. I seldom fish anyplace that is dead calm so I'll probably stay with 1/2oz for deeper water and 1/4oz for shallow.

So, I've got very little experience drop shotting. I hooked my first bass on one yesterday. What are the advantages of heavier vs lighter weights? It seems to me I'd want something robust, like at least half an ounce, to keep in contact with the bottom and to keep slack out of the line in wind or current.

Haven't I read that the zebra mussels in the St. Lawrence render mono a bad choice?

The beauty of forceps is you can clamp them right onto your clothing so they are accessible anytime.

I've seen folks using just about every conceivable type of soft plastic on a drop shot rig. I'm just curious if any of you think there is a type of soft plastic that really doesn't work on a drop shot.

A little off topic, but when I got back into fishing last year, and learned about the popularity of the drop shot rig, I was amazed to see a technique I've used for decades with live bait.

I've always thought it was unlikely that bass would spook at line but big honking hooks don't bother them. In direct contrast to what I just said above, I've never liked to tie on more hardware than necessary, just in case it spooked them. I've been known to cut the swivels off and just use a straight snap. Chumming. It probably isn't a good idea, even if you can do it legally. Nothing wrong with using live bait, but just put a hook on it.