Finessegenics

Rest In Peace Aaron ??

I've only been a few times and I don't have my own gear. I just wait it out for the open water season. Ice fishing is popular here too but I would still say most anglers here are like me.

Fair point, not all rods act the same! I actually have two 7’0 MH/F in my arsenal that do two completely different things for me because of how different they act. One is a jig/plastics rod and the other I use for squarebills, top waters, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits (I like a softer tip for moving baits, even if they are single hook baits). When I want to pack light, I bring the one with a softer tip and throw a jig on it anyways. A 7’0 MH/MF is probably more versatile than a 7’0 MH/F but that’s nitpicking

6’6-7’0 MH/F fast can do a lot of things well. Jigs, t-rigs, squarebills, swim jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, weightless senkos and even a frog if the bass don’t have super thick weeds to run into.

Glad you’re okay! We always think it’ll never happen to us but we can never be too safe.

This is good advice considering how willing bass are to hit any kind of lure. You can catch them a hundred different ways and everyone’s opinion will be so different, but still true to their experience. OP, Im of the belief that big blades/baits DO NOT equal bigger fish. In terms of lure size, I like to match the hatch. I throw smaller blades most of the time because a lot of the baitfish in my fishery are small and slender. To me a spinnerbait imitates a baitball. If the bait balls in my area are full of 2”-3” baitfish then I’ll throw a spinnerbait with smaller blades. A huge spinnerbait with monster blades will look unnatural, but doesn’t mean it won’t work. I also usually trim the skirts of my spinnerbaits “bulk wise” but not length wise, if that makes any sense. Still, the argument of “matching the hatch” is not bulletproof and someone else’s experience will conflict with mine. It’s just the way it is.

I find that rising waters generally make fish easier to catch but I've never dealt with a 6 foot increase overnight. That would probably make things a little more complicated, especially at this time of year. There are a lot of things to consider. I can give you my advice but Im not sure if my experience will apply to your body of water. What's your usual water visibility? Are there any incoming streams on this lake? Is it shaped like a bowl, no sharp changes in depth? All those would change how I would approach it. For high and muddy water I usually fish shallow, even if it's with "finesse" baits. Bass will follow the rising water as that's usually where the forage goes and there's also access to more cover for both the forage and bass. Sunfish and minnows will get right up in the brush, feeding on insects and larvae that have now been washed into the system. Bass are right behind them. I've caught countless bass on little jigs and plastics right at the base of newly flooded trees, bushes and boulders. I say if you know the usual position and hiding spots of the resident shallow fish in this lake, just follow them to the newest piece of available cover on the shoreline.

Their stuff looks real interesting...and they ship to Canada so I might be tempted.

Haven’t heard of either but I’m sure the fishing is great! Shield lakes are awesome

Could not agree more. I hope I don't make myself sound like an idiot so here it goes. Doesn't that killer bite when the dam turns on have to do more with rising water levels + the increased current, rather than just increased current alone because of a good wind? That's what I'm thinking is going on in my river. Bite gets good when the current is increased because of rising water but I have not found that the bite gets any better when there's an increased current because of wind. Or are you talking about when water is being drained, also creating current but lowering water levels? Just trying to wrap my head around everything because I deal with a lot of fluctuation in water levels. This year was crazy in that regards for me.

You're making me hungry!

What lakes do you fish? I know there’s a ton but maybe there’s a chance I've heard of them

15# fluoro does it for me but I don’t fish any crazy cover or through grass a lot. It’s usually a hard bottom with scattered boulders.

So the spoon already has a barrel swivel attached? In that case then the snaps are fine. I have tried using snaps in the past but I didn’t care for them. I’m pretty quick at tying up a knot anyways. The ones I did find handy were the Mustad Fastach clips. It takes some getting used to but no more jamming your fingers like when you’re trying to open a more traditional snap.

Why not use a spinnerbait instead of a buzz bait? ? I barely throw buzzbaits, but from what I’ve seen myself, the spinnerbait can be retrieved at a higher speed without blowing out. Maybe I’m wrong though. Can anyone else confirm?

No better than a Screamin Eagle to burn for me. 3/4 oz will be generally fine and is actually my preferred size when burning a spinnerbait, unless I’m fishing SUPER shallow, < 2 feet. Also note that a spinnerbaits ability to “burn” is not only dependent on the weight. A double willow configuration with a “cone” shaped head is more important to the fact that a spinnerbait tracks well at high speed compared to the weight. I’ve tried burning other configurations but they just don’t work as well. They blow out at a certain point.

I used to be the same as you about the braid. But you can learn some surprisingly easy knots that do not break off when you get snagged. Alberto knot is my choice. But anyways if it had to be between mono and fluoro I’d definitely go mono. Handles much better on a spinning reel compared to fluoro. I do use InvizX mainline on some of my baitcasters but I think fluoro is overrated. Go with 6# or 8# Trilene XT and you’ll be golden.

No idea where exactly, but since they are Wels catfish and he is speaking french, I'm assuming he fishes somewhere in France. There are videos of wels catfish going after pigeons that hang out on the waters edge. Crazy stuff

I like two silver double willows in ANY conditions or time of year. I have experimented with gold as well. I haven’t noticed a difference in my catch rates when it comes to blade color. I just seem to do way better on double willows. I do own spinnerbaits with other blade configurations, but all the new spinnerbaits I purchase are double willows. I’ve been converted.

Way too much work for me. And no I don’t use the FG knot either

Good luck out there! I've been pleasantly surprised a lot of times I thought the fishing wouldn't be great. I caught a 4# last week right after a cold snap and some rainy days. Let us know how you do.

I'd say a frog, punch rig and a light swim jig are probably your only options. I'm not experienced enough in bodies of water completely choked in grass to come up with any other solutions. If you do have 6"-12" of space above the grass then a 1/4 oz swim jig can be magic if you can keep it from getting fouled up. Edit: Forgot to mention to swim the jig above the grass.

It's a combination of the two. A lot of people use no brakes and rely solely on the thumbs. For someone who is new to baitcasters, I'd say it's unwise to use no brakes. So, experienced- not intelligent, thumbs will prevent backlashes. You might understand how to use a baitcaster but until you get your reps in, backlashes are going to come your way. Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it eventually. I'd also take a look at Glenn's video on how to cast a baitcaster. I used it years ago when learning how to use a baitcaster, and it helped me immensely. I had already been using one for a few weeks but I decided to watch the video anyways, it was a game changer for me. There were so many things I was doing wrong without realizing it.

What would you throw on that third setup that you currently own? I don't necessarily see the need for you to get a new setup unless you are looking for something that will be technique specific. Either way, we all get new tackle without the need for it. You won't be disappointed with the mojo bass ?. I love all of mine, spinning and casting. As for the DC reel, it's nice to have but not a necessity. Imo, it's not worth the money, especially at full price. I do have a Curado DC which I was able to buy used. It was practically new when I bought it and it was a good price. I use it frequently to bomb heavier lures which you would want to get the longest possible cast with; crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and just cover water. It's on my moving baits rod. This is where it excels. As I've become more mature of an angler, I realized that for pitching or small casts at specific, close range targets, the DC feature is pretty much useless. The spool can overrun depending on how the settings of the reel are adjusted, how you cast, etc... and the DC will not have time to "catch up" to that overrun, because the cast was not long enough. This results in these annoying minor backlashes. Obviously, all that can be avoided by using your thumb the right way throughout the whole short cast or pitch. But then, you're defeating the whole purpose of the DC reel in the first place. I still have to use my thumb to control the speed of the spool when bombing my heavier lures, but if I have the tension control knob just right, I only need to use my thumb right before the bait hits the water. I used to really promote the heck out of the curado dc, but like all things in fishing it's a tool meant for a certain job. It doesn't excel everywhere. So, if you're primary focus is on launching any kind of bait out there (doesn't have to be moving baits like in my example), then sure go for the DC. If that doesn't fit the description of what you're looking to do with your third setup, then I'd maybe look elsewhere. Hope this helps and good luck searching!!!