TriStateBassin106

We don't have Academy up here..

Does anyone know where I can find these things? Both my bass pros are out of stock and I can't order any online...after calling 4 bass pros near me I couldn't find anyone who had them or knew when they would be in stock.....

The more disturbing thing is the fact that you have a confirmed otter. Those things should not be in ponds and will eventually cause the fish population to decline, get help on that issue immediately.

I pair a 6th sense swim jig with a vertical rage menace on it and the Alabama shake gets all my hooks up lol I don't think I ever caught a fish doing a straight retrieve on a swimjig.

I really want to get better at fishing lipless cranks. So far the only retrieve that seems to get the job done for me is the classic yo-yo retrieve. What are some of your favorite retrieves with lipless cranks?

Time will tell man, just gotta keep going at it until they bite. I usually don't catch one until April.

It's not even a huge binge I want, I just want to consistently catch bass again like I did in the fall, up here the bite always dies off mid november but usually picks back up in April! I don't understand the march hype train with bass to be honest. It must be a southern thing where it warms up quicker. 59 degree water temps but no fish. Water still feels very cold and it's probably even worse at some of the lakes I fish.

Went fishing today here in NJ, the pond was pretty lively with tons of bluegill and smaller mimnows swimming around the warmest side, water temps on the shallowest shoreline peaked 59.2 degrees but it's still cold in the 3 feet or deeper section (53.5 degrees) when I took the temps in the deepest part I could (Max depth here is 7 feet) Tried throwing around a chrome blue back lipless crank but after 45 minutes I had no takers, threw a PB&J jig around some riprap and fan casted the bank. I did have a bite on the intial fall after awhile but what ever it was very small. Also threw a ned rig to no avail. Before I left I did throw around my panfish setup and caught some shiners bluegil and a very tiny bass, definitely no bigger than six inches. Hopefully the bass really start to bite soon. I have no idea why the bluegill are up shallow and the bass aren't, it's probably still early up here but I'm glad I'm starting to see more baitfish activity the bass are probably right behind them getting ready to binge feed. Should I keep fishing the shallower side or try to find the fish that are still in winter mode on the deeper side?

KVD 1.5 shallow is the only squarebill crank I use for my ponds which are no deeper than 7 feet. Many people don't want to admit it but squarebills are at heart a boat technique. Lipless cranks work well in ponds though, maybe even better than squarebills.

None of the colors I use are in stock...dang.

I only use EWGs for senkos and thicker baits. I personally prefer offset round bends... One of my favorite baits to throw a offset round bend is a baby brush hog by zoom.

I use spike it chartreuse for dipping and to cover scents bang formula but I'm on the verge of switching over to megastrike because I don't like spray cans.

No but I have walked ankle deep into riprap to retrieve a snagged jackhammer before.

2 to 3 feet water clarity? It sounds like your dealing with slighty stained water. Black n blue jigs will work best on overcast days but try green pumpkin or some kind of light colored craw pattern. PB&J also works well in that.

Do you have any pics of the water clarity while looking at the shoreline? I had a similar question about water clarity and I posted my pond clarity (pic below) based on my initial thought I have to agree with some of the other members any kind of green pumpkin or black n blue will do you just fine. If you do manage to send a similar pic like mine I will be able to help you out further.

I second this Any sort of live minnow or a small spinner like a beetlespin or a rooster tail will catch anything. I use panther martins for trout up here when they're stocked in the rivers and lakes. Also never go wrong with a white 2 inch grub. Catfish WILL eat your lures from time to time.

C H A T T E R B A I T

What's everyone's favorite texas rig weight size for bank fishing? For me I usually use 3/16oz or 1/4oz if it's windy or I want to keep it on the bottom. I personally love fishing a pitboss or rage craw on the 3/16oz size in the summertime, something about that slow fall and the flapping action drives the bass nuts.

Yeah a little bit. I've lost plenty of small texas rigs and jigs to riprap. Would the swim n shake retrieve work well in the pre spawn? It sounds like a good warmer water technique. I'm still fairly new to ned rig fishing and I fish it like I do jigs and texas rigs 90% of the bites come on the initial fall.. Always glad to learn new retrieval styles though, definitely gonna try them out!

So with that technique you don't pause it at all? I always thought with the ned rig the pause is the most important part.

Explain the never stop moving part? How would that work from the bank then? Hoping it over rocks? I understand the concept from fishing on a boat though lol.

is it possible to fish the TRD around riprap? I have a lake near my place that has some on a dam.

That's pretty much my answer to a certain point, I love the amount of variety of this sport. The only thing I really keep "simple" is my bait colors and the amount of gear I own. 5 setups total but most of the time I only use 3. In reality I could probably use only 2. One spinning and a casting. This!! You'll never gain confidence if you keep switching things out! I always tell new anglers this.

What would you recommend then for ponds/smaller lakes? The finesse shroomz?

Really? I tried the finesse shroomz and it seems kinda small for the profile of the trd. Maybe I'm wrong lol. Hook in the pic is a 1/10oz pro shroomz hook. Would the finesse shroomz work better?