Luke Barnes

In my evolution of bass fishing I think I am going to try 10" worms next. I havent bought any new fishing stuff in a while and its getting to me! I thought, I have no big worms and I really want to try them, so ive been looking at them online. Berkley and Zoom were my first thoughts but the BPS worms look really nice. The only BPS soft plastic ive ever gotten was a pack of open pour roboworm knock offs and havent used them yet. What does everyone like and what knowledge should I have before buying then fishing big monster worms? I'm trying to eliminate dinks and go for bigger bites, which I know will cut down the number of bites and catches, but that's why I'll take other setups along too.

Meat Dog has worked great for me, Bubble Gut has worked on, Hot Snakes has been good. I just got a pack of Gobyashi that I'm itching to try out!

I thought my wife was posting on here and this was about me. Glad to know its not just me thinking this!!!

Same here, but I rarely throw a jig. I like swim jigs and LOVE chatterbaits, but true hopping and flipping jigs I rarely touch. I have been thinking I need to try out these two new finesse jigs I have and colored the skirts a little with spike it markers to match the trailer. They look amazing, why I dont throw them, dunno?

Thanks for the link, I will definitely check it out. I have my Disabled Veterans lifetime hunting/fishing combo license so no worries about game wardens. They are actually really good conversation and a wealth of knowledge so I dont mind running into them.

When everyone uses these, do you take them off the hook at the end of the day and put them back in the pack? Other MaxScent baits seem like once fished for a while all the scent comes off and you are left with a regular soft plastic with a weird texture and no scent.

I love Yamamoto Electric Shad in the Zako. To me its the best looking soft swimbait out there. @A-Jay i love spike it markers for times like that. I turned hollow body yellow perch swim baits into bluegill with them!

With endless color options now days, what is everyones preferred shad pattern and or color for any types of lures. Ive always loved sexy shad even though it doesn't really look like a shad that ive seen. But I also really like the black back and silver sides because it is more accurate. But then bone and just all white get alot of recognition for representing shad color wise. I prefer the top over bottom color and pattern wise, but what does everyones experience suggest?

I might throw some Ol Monsters today and have a 3/0 standard wire EWG tied on already and was going to upsize, but now I'm questioning that. As if I didn't question what to throw and when and where isnt hard enough, now I'm going question if my hook is long enough!!!!!

I was going to say, bass with destroy small crappie. Good thing they are prolific breaders! That's when white and light grey lures come into play. In my experience it doesnt have to be a super realistic paint job for a bass to bite it.

I use the VMC Spin shot drop shot hooks and like them alot. They have a swivel so they dont twist near as bad and they stay pointed up. VMC also makes a Neko style hook on the spin shot and if I'm not mistaken an EWG version for rigging weedless. Can use longer worms on these too. As far as gear I use a 13 Fishing Fate Chrome, I think that's what it is, 6'6 M rod with matching reel and like all my spinning finesse setups I use 15lb braid to a 12lb fluoro leader. The only two actual worms I have for drop shot is the Berkley Bottom Hopper and BPS roboworm knock off thats a hand pour style. They both look great in the water but I tend to use Zman Trick Shotz the most. Being bouyant it helps keep the hook up off the bottom and out of the cabbage.

Thanks for the info. Ive fished Bixhoma once and struck out. But worth a try again. My problem with carp is if I'm unsure if they are in a pond i wont fish for them. I need to dedicate some days of just carp fishing.

What if there is very limited cover on the banks and more bass than cover? I figure if there are little tiny bluegill somewhere that a bass isnt very near by because it would eat them so they dont hang with bigger bass. Could be wrong of course

Most of my single hooks are all Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp. Ive even got the ned head ones and like them better than zman. Ive never lost a fish due to hook failure and cant say anything bad about Lazer Sharp what so ever. My latest purchase was the weedless wacky hooks. Im still on the first hook and still sharp and strong many fish later.

One pond in particular I'm pretty sure is fairly deep in the middle. Maybe 15 feet or so. Ive ways had the best luck around the weed edges but always wondered if there were big bass lunking out in the middle but didnt know how to effectively target them.

Mods move in wrong spot I have been thinking alot lately that just targeting the banks and shallows in ponds im missing out on fish that live in the deep spots and in the middle. What would be best to target those fish? Ive used chatterbaits and t rigs mainly when throwing to the middle. But never really had any success doing that.

With the Rage Blade being weighted in the blade at the bottom I know it runs different and seems like it does well slow rolled on the bottom. With that what does everyone like for a trailer? Ive always used paddletails but I wonder how a Zako style or a craw would work?

That may be it. I have Bang craw/shad and now that I think about it they do smell similar.

I bought an A Rig this winter and about 5 different swimbaits to use on it and never caught a fish with it. So I'm no help cold or warm!!

I dont know why but gambler scented different lures with different scents. The Gambler Ace smells like straight up garlic and works. The Gambler Flappin Shad I think its called smells totally different. No garlic smell at all, I cant describe the smell but I like it. MaxScent didn't smell anything like I thought it would. Thought it would be a more potent Powerbait smell but was different.

Good article. I realized I have never fished Hudson and its probably the closest. Hmm. Now if i only had time for a long fishing trip. Then from all the info ive learned here, decide where to try and target big bass from the bank. Thanks I'll check it out.

I'm wanting to find more local anglers who are vocal like on here. One reason is I'm bank bound but want to catch a 5lb + bass this year and another is i want to catch a carp for the first time. I'm around tulsa and dont know where to go for carp and as far as big bass from the bank during summer i have no clue where I should try. I'm around the Tulsa area.

Glad this got bumped. Ive really enjoyed reading it. I'm trying to relate all the info to ponds. Not as many places to go or hide so big bass may move around alot. No idea. Ive only caught two bass over 4lbs and both were in ponds that ive fished hard and never caught one within a pound or more. So maybe it was the only one over 4lbs in the pond or the only one ive managed to catch and maybe there is a 6lb bass in there. No idea. But I know I want to break my pb and break 5lbs. Small by most standards but would be the biggest for me.

Personally I would be throwing a frog over that stuff. Ive never punched before so no help there. I'm a frog fanatic so thats probably why!

Ive had a pair of Oakley Mainlink with the deep water polarized lenses for years and love them to pieces. But they are so scratched it interferes with my vision so I picked up a cheap pair of polarized Pugs glasses at a gas station and they were light and worked good. I actually liked them but I thought I lost them so yesterday I picked up a pair of Renegade Ike edition polarized glasses from Wal-Mart. Granted I'm an Ike fanboy so thats the only reason I got them, but I havent fished in them yet but they are comfortable. So that's where im at. I want new Oakley lenses but they cost more than alot of frames and lenses together.