DitchPanda

So the past several months I have been throwing my Ned rigs on a light fast spinning rod as opposed to my normal medium light or medium power rod. Overall I've found the rod to still be plenty powerful enough to drive the hook and I've also enjoyed the lighter power both for enjoyment during the fight and casting distance. I also haven't had issue with it handling fish as ive caught several bass up to about 3.5lbs and a few drum up to 5-6lbs along with dozens of smaller bass. The rod I was using was a cheap Shakespeare micro series 7ft light fast..I wanted to start super cheap since this was after all an experiment. Because of the success I experienced I will be upgrading to a 7ft Light fast Daiwa Procyon. This whole deal stemmed from a thread a started months ago asking if there was a use for light power rods in bass fishing. The question resulted in mixed responses but for me the answer is a definite yes!

Last year I put swim jig #1 with honorable mentions of jig, spinner bait and senko. I'm a basics type of guy so almost every year I could put spinnerbait, jig, buzzbait or plastic worm up there. That said this year was strange for me..mainly I believe because of the extremely low water. My runner up this year and honestly probably in the lead for fish caught is the ned rigged TRD. My MVP for 2021... The popper. Really surprised the crap out of me but I caught alot of very nice fish on poppers this year.

I think you are on the right track..being in tune with your gear and lures and how they feel in different surroundings i.e open water, weeds, rock or wood is extremely important in how it pertains to bite detection. Bite detection may be the hardest thing to teach and learn. Anybody can tell a bite when they hammer it..I mean a solid thump is hard to miss. But so many times the bait just feels different...with moving baits alot of the time you feel the bait wobbling or thumping and you just kinda lose track of it so to speak.

I guess I wouldn't worry about the connecting knot being weak as long as you tie it properly. I've been using light braid to leader...10lb to 6 lb...all season and I've broke the connecting knot once on a snag. Probably lost 8 or 10 rigs all but that one have been a break at the lure knot. I think its important to use some form of lubrication when pulling knots tight with any line besides braid.

Well that's what happens when both guys are super competitive

Hey man it happens. This summer I spent alot of time teaching a buddy how to bass fish. A few weeks ago he outfished me 3 to 2...he's got 3 months I've got 20 years. Of course the two times either side of that I outfished him 8-0 and 13-3.

I use a Ned rig trd from the day the ice is off until the day it ices up...that count as a worm? I would think something like the small size roboworms would work all year.

Here's my opinion on this whole deal- I think you can be successful either way. Guys like Palaniuk and Wheeler are great anglers and also great youtubers. Know who doesn't have a big social media presence? John Cox. He does very little yet I bet he isn't hurting financially. He just lets his fishing do the talking. Lets me say this about Randy...I like him..he has interesting tips and tricks. But his whole whoa is me I can't catch a break because people are trying to make my family starve and all technology is the work of the devil shtick is getting old. Also he's posting in a YouTube video...that he makes money on btw..that fishing youtubers are ruining things. Seems slightly hipocritical. There are a lot of guys that like fishing and wanna make money doing it...so just because they aren't pros they shouldn't be allowed to do that?

I live in northwest Iowa had the weather you described those days. Caught 11 Monday...Tuesday I caught 4 and a nice walleye. All of my fish came shallow as I'm a bank angler.

And the sweet by catch hits keep coming....got another walleye today this one was a nice plump girl around 20in. Beautiful fish. Hit a Ned rig green pumpkin TRD.

I'm only 38 and I don't do my own maintenance. I've got ramps, oil filter wrenches all the stuff but I have a buddy whose a mechanic that will do everything for a reasonable price. A while back he did about $600 bucks worth of brake work for me for like $300. Because of that I take him both vehicles for everything...figure if he's gonna be good to me ill take him all my business even if I could do it myself and save a little money.

I used to night fish for catfish alot in my late teens and early twenties. Often times heard strange noises...but then again there was usually a large amount of Miller high life involved so that may explain it.

Tonight I'm enjoying a glass of Connemara peated Irish whiskey

I use a Dr slick hook file and it works well for me.

Well I'm not saying that don't exist...I just never see them around here. But I still catch em on purple worms!

I think people put way to much emphasis on color...I'm guilty of it sometimes myself. I'm in the camp of shape and profile over color. I'm even more in the camp of right spot over "right" bait. They always say just do the best to try and match the forage in the body of water you fish. Well my local ponds has 3 or 4 color of craws...shad...gills...crappies. So to that point I need a bait that has red, brown, white, silver,black,2 shades of blue,orange,green and chartreuse. Another thing I'd like to point out is if bass were that picky they would never hit a purple worm...I've never seen a purple forage of any kind in any water body I've fished. Yet purple is still one of the best worm colors ever made. Just sayin.

I'm not a Luke Bryan fan in the least..but I gained a little respect for him with this. Bill Dance is my spirit animal.

Looking for some suggestions!

I've got several ponds near me...one us tough one is so so and one is usually consistent. The consistent one however had a big winter kill several years back then this summer has an algae bloom that basically wiped out the bass so its off the table for now. The so so pond is about 15 minutes from me...quality bass are hard to come by but its not uncommon to catch 10-20 bass in a few hours. My local pond is tough especially if you aren't intimately familiar with it. I have fished it for 20 years so I know it as well or better than anybody and even that said I still get skunked. The biggest reasons I keep going there are simple: its very close to my house, it doesn't get alot of pressure and although stingy I've caught alot of bass...I'm talking dozens...between 5-8lbs out of it in the past ten years. My first big one last year came from there in April and my final big fish came from there late October or early November.

So around here its extremely common to catch lots of accidental species while bassin...bluegills,crappies,rainbow trout,White bass, catfish and pike are all welcome and common. Stinky drum are also very common and not as welcome! One that's not as common the past few years are walleye but I've got 2 in the past 2 trips...big ones even. Got a 27 1\4in 7.6lb beast yesterday then this morning I got one close to 24in that went just under 5lbs. Talk about pleasant surprises.

Been there done that. I use a couple telescoping Shakespeare Durango rods for gill fishing sometimes and I've run into some large fish doing that. You think a 2lb bass fights in that scenario? Try a 5-6lb carp. Hook always straightens out or line breaks but that 30 or so seconds is like trying to hold onto a train.

Yum. I caught a huge walleye from my local gravel pit this morning...well huge for around here anyway. 27 1\4in...7.6lbs. Got her on a Texas rigged roboworm of all things. Thought about fish sandwiches but she was to big and pretty for that so a quick weight and measure then back she went.

So I have several ponds near me that I've fished for 20 years. I've always been a power fisherman which equated to many memorable catches over the years but also my fair share of skunkings as well. So the last 2 years I've made it a point to get better at finesse fishing.....namely the Ned rig a light Texas rigs...and man what a difference it has made. Not only has it turned many 3-5 fish outings into 8-10 fish days but it has saved me from the dreaded fart squirrel dozens of times. On top of that I never thought I would enjoy the light tackle as much as power fishing but fighting a 2-4lb bass on light gear is crazy fun and challenging.

Exactly.

My issue with live bait is keeping it alive and like others have said being pestered by everything that swims. Also I appreciate the challenge that lures bring. That said there is no doubt that live bait takes a skill set, is extremely effective and I wouldn't look down on somebody for using it.