DitchPanda

From the ages of 5-7 when I really started fishing alot we lived outside of Corpus Christi Texas and we caught mostly speckled trout, redfish and flounder. Then we moved and stopped fishing for a few years...when I was 10 we moved to Illinois and fished mostly for white bass and catfish. Then we moved back to Texas this time outside of Houston and we fished inshore saltwater again for trout,reds and flounder but also started targeting sheepshead, croaker, whiting and Spanish mackerel. Moved to Iowa when I was 18 and that's when I started bass fishing...but back then I spent more time targeting bluegill,crappie,walleye and catfish. The past 5 or so years I've spent more and more time targeting bass and less time targeting everything else. The exception is ice fishing...I still target bluegills and crappies all winter along with perch.

Depends on several things...what lures are you throwing? What type of cover are you fishing around? Also some guys think line color matters depending on water clarity...so in super clear water I'd go leader instead of straight braid

Well I'm of the belief you should avoid surgery if possible so if your doc is confident it will fully heal without it I'd go that route. Anytime they don't have to cut into is a plus...no matter how careful they are there is always a risk of accidents or infection. I'm also in the mindset of I would not push it because that could cause way more pain and set you back even more. In a few months as your feeling better talk to your doctor about for its ok to do any fishing and make sure you follow his guidelines. Case in point my dad had an elbow injury several years ago and he pushed to hard. Ended up having to have Tommy John surgery and it took him 8-12 months to recover from it.

Depending on ice out I'd say April or May...my second choice would be October. Caught 4 over 6lbs this year...3 of them in about a 6 week time period From early April til the 3rd week in May...that included this years PB of 7lbs. Then I went all the way until October until I got another 6 on a spinner bait...a few days after that I had one well over 5 break my spinner bait. If I had to guess...and it would be a guess because I haven't always kept track...I'd say of my 15 biggest bass ever at least 7 or 8 have come in April or May including my PB. I've got several in October...a random one here or there in summer...also one close to 8 on a jig in November. But year in year out under normal winter to spring transition/ice out conditions if I could only fish 2 months a year it would be April 1st thru May 31st. Also as a side note we all have big fish baits we lean on...big worms,jigs,swimbaits etc...my 4 big ones this year came on a spinner bait, chatter bait, jig and lipless. Which brings up a point to me...yes some baits like a jig produce better size average fish...but I think all baits are big fish baits when presented right under ideal big fish conditions.

Never thrown one but plan to pick a few up and need some info. I will be targeting mostly largemouth in 2-6ft of water...what size and weight would you recommend for that water depth? What are a few must have colors? Lastly what kind of rod,reel and line setup would you suggest? Thanks in advance for the feedback

He wouldn't call it the Ned rig anyway...he would call it the me rig

Indeed sir..A-jay is equal parts helpful and entertaining.

I'm A combination of stages 3-5..I wanna catch big bass on a bait I want to use and when I figure it out I wanna help others get in on the pattern and catch a big one. I've got a good friend whose a pretty good angler and its been my goal the past several years to try and figure out a way for him to break his PB locally which is around 6lbs. That's A really solid fish around here and alot of guys never get one that big but I've put in thousands of hours over the years learning my local ponds...studying fish movements...studying local forage species...figuring out bite windows during weird weather when other people won't be out. So this year he had alot going on and because of that plus covid we never fished together during optimum big fish times...which is a bummer because I caught 4 bass in the 6+ range so I think he had a legit shot. Maybe next year!

Ok I'm convinced ill give it a shot

What does this color represent? To me a bluegill seems to be green,blue,orange...this looks more like a shad type color. Anyhow I'm thinking of getting some menace grubs in the bluegill color to throw on a bluegill swimjig...is this a good color combo?

I'm 6'3 so I can manage!

I actually tie my swim jig skirts with old braid pulled off my frog rod...works good.

Looking for some feedback on these. I'm looking for a new jerk bait/popper rod and I see they have a 6ft10 medium moderate fast that would be good I'd think. How are these rods? Anybody use this specific model?

They aren't talking about the boat being cheap..they are talking about breaking the law. That's the advice that shouldn't be followed. If you can afford a boat you afford to register it.

Actually he may be right! Think spinner bait, lipless and bladed jig...I think one of those would produce. One thing I will say about high water..if you can find run ins as in a place where water is dumping into the body of water your fishing is definitely try there. I've caught bass in 2 feet of water in spring and fall with water temps in the low 40s when I had water pouring into a pond/lake. I do think that colors like red and gold do produce well in off color water..but pure mud A-Jay is right. Honestly the best color for muddy water may be white...it stands out since it's so contrasting.

I've always used gold in muddy water or overcast days. Silver in cleaner water especially on sunny days.

One other rod I've been considering is the Abu Garcia ike delay 6ft4in...its got a shorter handle than the vendetta so its a little longer in front if the reel seat which I like. My only concern is it is a moderate and I'm not sure how well that works with jerkbaits.

Went out today with a buddy and hit a pit he has access to. The ice was nice and solid so we didn't feel sketched out like earlier this week. Fished about 2 hours and man we wacked em...bet I caught 40 or 50 bluegills/crappies. Kept 8 nice gills for a fish fry tomorrow.

Fair enough..guess I will go somewhere and see if I can get my hands on it. The vendetta I currently use is a little short for my liking and the guides are way over sized so its not great to fish with. I also have an older All star I've used but its an extremely fast so the tip has almost no bend to it...its actually a good rod for light Texas rigs.

This is actually an option I'm considering pretty seriously. I have a 7ft1 medhvy fast I use for jigs and I love it. Does the medium have a soft tip?

Cash from parents and grandfather +$100 gift card from brother in law, $50 gift catd from mother in law and $50 gift card from work plan to buy a new jerk bait/ popper rod and some more braid. My girlfriend got me an electric toothbrush maybe that's a hint? A mini waffle maker, pint glasses, A sweet water bottle and a pair of Costa green mirror montauks.

The power doesn't really bother me but the handle is too long for a jerk bait rod for me. Weight rating and action looked perfect but the handle is a deal breaker.

At least with an ice shanty you guys shouldn't freeze once you get set up

I'm currently using an Abu Garcia vendetta 6ft3 medium fast and its ok for what I paid but I'm looking to upgrade. Willing to go up to 6ft 10in and my budget is $150? Not looking for a true cranking rod but a little softer parabolic tip is fine with me.

Oh it definitely isn't bad my biggest hurdle is getting the motivation to get out and get started. Its hard when its 7 degrees at 630 your sitting in a 67 degree house with a 50 inch flat screen with plenty of food and all the fishing you could ever watch. Once I'm out there breathing some fresh air taking in the scenery I'm glad I went.