Hewhospeaksmuchbull

Looking for some tips on how to fish canals/waters that have no cover or structure. There are some small rocks littering the bottom but not anything that they are holding on. There are defiantly bass both LMB, smallies and some stripers. I can see them and watch them ignore my baits. Water is clear with visibility to about 6 maybe 8 feet. I am normally throwing stick baits weightless, the dinks love'em but the larger fish are taking a pass. I have tried crank baits at all depths, lipless, jigs, jigs and craw, Jig+paddletail, spinnerbaits, T-rig creatures/T-rig worms, Kastmaster, topwaters are also not getting them. I have not tried finesse type fishing as the current is usually pretty strong. I haven't been able to see what they are feeding on, I did see a small school of what may have been shad once, I tried pulling a chrome lipless though this school but didn't get bit. I'm kinda out of ideas, HELP!

Quick bait change! I'm finding that having a couple of rods that are similar is a good thing for me, Stick bait on one and a jig on the other, ect. Simpler for me, I don't have to think about it, brakes are set for the bait on the rod. Even having both set up with the same bait is something I would do after missing an opportunity the other day. Had some bass feeding on a small school of shad, I was broken off on a fish and by the time I tied on a new bait they were gone.

I think I need a new reel for my swim bait rod, I tried my KK Rover 50 and it sounds like its going to explode when casting. What reel would you guys pick between the two listed? I looked at Abu and l don't the button spool release. I'll be limiting my bait weights to 6oz if that matters Trying to stay under 150.00.

So glad I asked! Thanks guy's, for telling me what I needed to know. But didn't ask. Thanks again. Probably grab an Okuma Guide select 7'11" XH 2-10oz Okuma had a much more in depth description of their build a composite blank, if I'm not mistaken(carbon fiber/graphite)?

Thanks for the heads up. I'm fishing mainly from the bank, so my swim bait fishing will be limited. So far the heaviest I have is 3oz. I don't really know how heavy I may want to go? Are the Okuma Guide Select "A" Swimbait Rods, a decent option? I have some credits from amazon and unfortunately Irod are not available. Anyway Okuma rods have three options, I'm thinking the middle of the pack which has a lure weight range from 2-10oz. Still curious as to what makes these rods able to handle casting this much weight, are these composite rods?

Starting my swimbait collection and am considering the FR795SB, I am curious what about this rod allows for the 1-5oz range for baits? Is the blank a composite? I couldn't find this info on their website

Grenades, lots and lots of grenades. How about one of those telescoping pack rods, I wonder if bass like zombie? Dern, what if the bass get zombiefied!!!

Thanks, I was just Monkey bit!

Great news! Nice to know that there is at least rod manufacturer that stands by their product, without a bunch of B.S. fees and hassles.

I felt your pain until I didn't, for me I just had to keep at it. Things changed for me when I stopped trying to feel the bite and instead began watching my line. I fish these baits almost always weightless and from the bank. I now have to opposite problem, cant get bit on anything but a worm.

Seriously? I would hope that purchasing a Higher end stick would give a little more in the durability dept. I just bought my first Dobyns, a Fr 765 flip in the hope that tip inserts, rod snaps, ect would be some what mitigated. I could care less about weight/sensitivity when the rod is in half or an insert breaks. Man this is tough, I come from a salt water back ground and that was sometime ago(like twenty years) and I never have had a problem with rods snapping. If this Dobyns snaps like my KK did (casting a hollow bodied frog), I guess it'll be an Ugly stick for me.

I have read that Abu is very good on warranty, but have zero real experience. Sorry I cant help more. I do have a vengeance rod that replaced a two month old KK rod that snapped on it third outing, so I'd like to hear about the outcome of your claim if you wouldn't mind. I really hope you have a better experience with Abu than I did with KK.

Great timing for me, just starting out with spooks and other top waters. Thank you. I don't want to take away from your video here, but do you have any videos on the basics for spooks?

Do any manufacturers have a purely fiberglass line of rods, appropriate for all techniques? I understand that glass is less sensitive and is something I'm willing to give up.

Does the bend in the wire hang the weeds? I haven't used mine yet, wondering if there inst a better way than introducing a snag point. Like maybe pegging like with the T-rig?

Welp, I consider myself a worm fisherman now. Ran out to AZ and the bass here love my sorry presentations with the stick type worms. Been throwing Yum dingers and SK shim e stick, in green and green pumpkin rigged wacky and weightless. Kinda prefer the dingers, action seems better. Happy I stuck with it, in fact I havent fished anything else since my first comment in this thread, really like being able to put the wood to em as I see my line take off in improbable directions. Now to feel the bite on a tighter presentation

Wow, nice words of encouragement. Unfortunately, this morning I spent 2hrs with nothing but weightless senko's, I could see the bass sniff the bait and leave. I'm done they may work for others, I'd rather fish a bait I feel has a chance. Just an inefficient way to fish, wasting two hours on a bait I have zero belief in. It's me I'm sure, or maybe someone snuck into my tackle bag and coated the baits with anti-fish goo. May be when I get to my new home water I'll find they work there.

In my local water I threw everything I could think of, but a crankbait. Banged a XD off the rocks directly in front of me and bam. I tried everything for weeks, worms, creatures, topwater , but that Xd slays them. Been much of the same since, even midday in 103 degree heat. One of the best things I hear on this forum is let the fish tell you what they want, in my case mimic a bait fish, bounced off rock at a depth of about ten to fifteen feet. If I was better at reading and understanding the conditions I was being presented with I most likely woild have caught many more fish, so experience and some fishy education. You have tried a lot. Anything missing? Baits not used? Presentations? I haven't caught anything with the " good ol' senko " yet I keep at it. In fact I haven't hung one yet on any worm, I just can't figure it, that many fishermen can't be wrong!

My only suggestion would be to use pressure treated lumber and ply. Could be painted and Non-Skid Grip Additive added. Looks like after looking at a picture of your boat that if you used 3/4 ply that may be all that you need, cut to size and fit across the two forward benches. If you left a cut out on the edges, it looks like you could just clamp it to the benches. This doesn't allow for a trolling motor though, thinking. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26953 Best yet, https://narrowboatsforsalemidlands.blogspot.com/2018/12/12ft-jon-boat-deck-plans.html And,

Some henshaw CA bass, crankbaits.

Latest trip to Mittry, AZ

Gotta go with breaks in the current as bowhunter63 said, I just got back from AZ, was fishing a canal that ran along the lake I was fishing. I came to a bridge with long concrete piers for support. I started by casting into the space between piers and nothing, put my spinnerbait right on the wall of these piers and BAM! So I kept at it, cast into the concrete and let it fall straight down, didn't even have time for a retrieve on most bites.

Thank you Paul, fantastic video by the way.

Thank you Tom. I've been reading about this years seemingly late spawn, what I'm trying to determine is if the Bass at Henshaw/Wolford are in that recovery stage after spawn. Bites have dropped off significantly. Just trying to be a better fisherman by learning a little more about my prey. Really looking forward to the video, Thanks agin. This must be what your talking about,

LOL, guess I could have been more specific, the fry I'm seeing are bass.