Bankc

The triple shot has a very long transducer and usually won't install easily in things like scupper holes or premade transducer ports in a kayak. They typically have to be hung over the edge of the kayak by an extension arm. The advantage is that they add side scan. Side scan is only useful when you're moving, so if you're just standing still, it won't show you much. But it's useful for checking out areas to the sides of you when scouting locations. But the split shot transducer is much smaller and easier to install. Other than the side scan, they're pretty much the same. I too have a Lowrance Hook2 5" with the triple shot. It's a pretty nice unit for the money. Unless your eyesight is bad, I wouldn't go above a 5" screen. The screen won't be far away from you, and the larger the screen, the more likely it is to get in your way. So a 4-5" screen is about the perfect size. One thing to consider is GPS mapping. Some units come with maps preloaded. If you're planning on using maps, then it's usually much cheaper to buy a unit with built in maps, rather than paying for it separately. Though, there are phone apps that will do this for you, if need be, so it's not absolutely necessary to have it in your fish finder. Though I do think it's a worthwhile convenience, if the cost isn't too high.

I fish other lakes and stuff on the weekends. In fact, I don't really like this pond. It's just close to work, and I recently came to the conclusion that I could waste money and get fatter on fast food, or pack a cheaper, healthier lunch and go fishing. Usually when fishing a different lake, if they're not biting a T-rig, I'll move onto a completely different type of lure. So I tend to make larger changes, rather than messing with the subtle differences like I do at this pond. I'm more of a crankbait/spinnerbait type of guy anyway. It's just that due to all of the reeds and grass, there's not much I can fish from the bank and not get hung up. So I decided to simplify and go with T-rigs and one rod (in case someone breaks into my car at work). I don't know. It's hard to take one small sample and extrapolate a grand idea from it. That's why I'm asking what others have noticed. It's not like I'm running a scientific experiment here. Just noticing some things I hadn't really noticed before because I never really limited myself to just a T-rig.

I think that the thicker the line, the stiffer it is has always been the case. Though for braided line, I don't think the stiffness ramps up as quickly as with the other types of line. And for braided line, the stiffness, at least in my experience, is more related to it's age. As it gets used more, it tends to soften up. I've got some new 10# braid that feels stiffer than some 2 year old 30# braid.

Oh, I don't have $500 in soft plastics. That was just hyperbole. At least I hope it was. I honestly don't know how much I've spent on that stuff, and really don't want to know. But I keep some in my tackle bag, which I'm always trying to find room to squeeze a few more in, and the rest in their original bags (or Ziploc bags if the original bag won't seal) in a 5 gallon bucket in the garage. Then, at the end of the day, I'll often replace what I used from the bag with what's in the bucket. Since I fish from a kayak or the bank, I have to limit what I can bring, which means a lot of stuff gets left behind. Another thing I've noticed is I've often caught fish on a craw that had it's claws ripped off (I call it the goose turd), half a curly tail worm with no curly tail, the bottom half of a speed worm, or whatever. It just seems to me that the action I impart onto the bait is what gets bit, not the action of the bait itself. That's my running theory anyway. It could be that I'm just a terrible angler, and the only time I get bit is when they're so hungry and aggressive that they'll eat anything I throw at them. That can't be ruled out!

I'm liking the ProMix braid now. It doesn't handle as well as Sufix 832, but it does seem to hold it's color better. It also floats better, because it doesn't have the Gore fiber, if that's important. I got the 20# in moss green on a spinning reel, and so far it casts well, knots hold up, and the color hasn't faded in the least. It feels a bit rougher and perhaps stiffer than 832, but I don't have a 20# 832 of similar age to compare it to, so that could just be because it's newer. For the price, I think it's a good option. It would be a great option if it came in hi-viz colors!

I feel like I've wasted a lot of money on soft plastics. I've been fishing a pond recently on my lunch break. I just take one rod and a Ziploc bag of assorted plastics and terminal. When I get hung up or a plastic gets cut up too badly, I just tie on another one, usually a different one, because I tend to carry one of everything. What I've noticed is, when the fish or biting soft plastics, it doesn't seem to matter what I have tied on. They'll bite it. And when they're not biting, the same goes. Speed worm, Senko, curly tail, rage tail craw, fatty craw, or even a lifelike craw... they all seem to produce the same for me. Color doesn't seem to matter either. What does seem to matter is how I retrieve it. How fast, how big of hops, how long of pauses, etc. That seems to matter. The weight also seems to matter, as I can't hardly get bit with a pegged weight, even a 1/16 oz. pegged weight. It needs to be free. So now I'm questioning if I really need all of these different plastic baits. I understand that if you're a tournament angler, then using the right worm might mean the difference between 9 bass and 10 bass in the boat, which could be the difference in getting paid or not. So I get it then. But for us average hobbyists, who fish for fun and don't make any money off it, is it really worth it to have $500 worth of soft plastics lying around just in case, when you could probably get almost identical results with just a few? Or is what I'm experiencing just a weird anomaly of this particular pond? What's your thoughts on this? Do any of you notice the same thing, or are there times when some baits won't work and others really produce for you?

The Veritas PLX rods aren't really micro-guides. They're a little bigger than that, though they're not full sized guides either. I haven't had any issues using 40# braid with a 12# fluoro leader on mine, though I use an FG knot. It's a good rod overall. They're a bit stiffer than their rating (Not a full step though, like a medium feels closer to a medium-heavy than a true medium, but still feels a hair soft for a medium-heavy) and the white handles will stain pretty easily. But I've got three and like them a lot. Lots of backbone for setting the hook and the tips are soft enough to still cast well. Sensitivity is good as well. I also like the Johnny Morris Carbonlite 2.0 and BPS Pro Qualifier 2 rods in that price range. I'd probably go for the Veritas or Carbonlite if you don't need a 2 piece though. I got the PQ2 back when I needed a 2 piece, and love it, but it's probably worth the extra $20 for the Carbonlite or dealing with the quirks of the Veritas (which doesn't bother me, though it may some people) as their blanks are a hair nicer.

My rod collection has exploded in the last two years. I now own 10. Seven are for bass fishing. One is for crappie. One is a spincast for taking along someone who doesn't know how to use my spinning and BC reels. One is a broken rod and reel that I replaced and then repaired and haven't used since. I'm going to give it away to a friend who goes fishing with me about twice a year. I can only fit six rods in my kayak, so that's usually what I bring. The next time I buy a new rod, it'll be to replace something I already own, not to increase my collection. Part of it is money, but mostly it's just space. In the past, I had a habit of getting into a hobby and buying one of everything. I decided not to do that this time.

Popper or Spook if the water is still. Buzzbait or Whopper Plopper if it's not. I always check the topwater bite first, except during the colder months. Next I'm looking at shallow crankbaits and spinnerbaits. I progressively go deeper as the day goes on.

To be fair, you also live up north where there's a lot less UV radiation and in a area that averages a lot of cloud cover. The UV index average in Rochester ranges from around 0-5 depending on the month. For comparison, where I live in OKC, the UV index average ranges from 2-9 depending on the month. And those numbers don't factor in the cloud cover.

I really like a good 5'6" pistol grip rod for poppers and spooks. I also like them for skipping, but usually when I'm skipping a lure, I'm not ONLY skipping the lure, so I rarely use them for that. Short rods like that should only come in pistol grip, and pistol grip rods should only be short, in my opinion. So I'll often keep one on me, especially if I'm getting up early enough to chase the topwater bite. But generally speaking, the disadvantages far out weight the advantages of a longer, split grip rod. So one is enough. It is funny you don't see more people using them, however. Especially with the fad being pushed towards technique specific rods. There are a few techniques where these rods really shine.

Round bills for rocks. Square bill for wood. Also, you have to be careful with the retrieve of crankbaits and it helps to use a stretchy line. The idea being that once you hit a rock, you let off for split second, allowing the lure to float up, and then retrieve it over the rock. The stretchy line buys you a bit of reaction time. But you have to have quick reflexes and a rod that's sensitive enough to give you the feedback you need to tell you when you've hit a rock. I particularly like balsa round bills, as they float really well and will get up over rocks quickly. If you're digging in too hard, try a shallower crankbait, or retrieve it at a slower speed. If you just try to burn then through, you're gonna get wedged.

I wrap with the leader. I've used 6# fluoro on everything from 6#-40# braid, and used #12 fluoro on everything from 10#-40# braid. I've never had an FG knot fail. Between the fact that it has never failed me, and how it goes through micro guides and those Daiwa T-wings with ease, it's pretty much the only leader knot I use. On rare occasions, I'll use a double uni if I'm out on the water and in a hurry. I don't find the FG hard to tie, but it does take a while and isn't a lot of fun to mess with in a kayak on rough water.

What was your homemade one? I've been using the 3" black Gorilla tape and haven't had any issues with it. I put on a couple of layers, so when the bottom layer gets worn out, I can just replace that one layer.

That'll happen. I often fish on my lunch break at a nearby pond. A few weeks ago, I caught one decent bass every day for a week and a half. That's with only about 15-25 minutes to fish. Not too bad for bank fishing a lake with very little bank access. It's been almost 3 weeks since I've had a bite now. I understand that it's hard to catch a fish when your time and where you can fish is so limited. Still, it's frustrating getting skunked every day for 3 weeks in a row. There's nothing wrong with trying live bait. I know a lot of bass anglers will poo-poo it, but it certainly ain't cheating (unless you're in a tournament). Though I've often found it to be less effective than using lures, once you've gotten good at using artificial lures. Live bait has it's own set of skills.

I tried the fluoro game. I tried most every major brand that people recommend. I eventually gave it up, but still use the leftovers as a leader. I just couldn't get past the memory issues. It's really windy here, and fluoro is terrible when you're constantly casting into 20-30mph winds. I'm mostly all braid, all the time now. Though I do still use the Yo-Zuri Hybrid and some mono on a couple of reels. Sometimes I miss the slack line sensitivity. But since I kayak, I don't have room for a bunch of lure specific rods. If I did, I would keep fluoro on my jig and maybe T-rigged rods.

Most of the fish I catch just have a hint of pale green. Not like that deep, yellow-green that I see so often on TV or the internet. And they're all variations of spotted, northern, and Florida strain largemouth. Since most of the waters I fish are pretty heavily stained onto muddy, this correlates with my experience.

I tend to avoid other anglers when it's politely possible. It seems like there are four, equally populated, groups of anglers near me. Group one is the angry guy/gal. They either don't want to talk, or if they do, it's to yell at you for something they have no right to be angry about. They hate their life, and now you're a part of it. Group two is the family guy/gal. It's their first time out fishing in ten years, and they just wanted to show their kids what fishing was all about. They're breaking rules, both written and unwritten, but the kids are cute and the parents mean well, so nobody minds outside of group one. Group three is the tall tale guy/gal. They seem helpful and want to give you all kinds of pointers. But if you know a little bit about fishing, you'll quickly realize that they're making everything up. And they'll lock you into a two hour "conversation", which is basically them talking non-stop and you making polite excuses to get away that they refuse to pick up on. Group four is the actually helpful guy/gal. They've been fishing a long time, and these conversations always progress slowly, as if to gain a feel for the other person. You have to pass their test and offer up something if you want something in return. It doesn't have to be of equal value, but if you outright ask them where or what to fish, the conversation is over.

All the time. Though I can usually clean it out in a few seconds. With experience, you can tell a bad backlash is happening and stop it before it gets worse. I do have an old Abu 5000D that backlashes like crazy. That's the only reel where I've had to cut out a backlash on in the last 10, maybe 20 years, and I've had to do that a few times. If your thumb game isn't on point with that thing, you're gonna have a bad day.

I have my kayak hanging from the ceiling on a hoist. It's cheap and effective. Plus my wife is a lot shorter than me, so it never bothers her. I will, however, hit my head on it from time to time. How neat and tidy my garage is depends on when you ask me. Right now, it's not too bad. I cleaned it out and reorganized it last March when I got a new car. Prior to that it was pretty bad, bordering on dangerous. I wind up reorganizing it about once every five years or so. In that time, I take everything out, throw anything away that I don't absolutely need, and carefully plan where everything else is gonna go before moving anything back in. It takes a full weekend to do. I'll even take measurements and draw up blue prints. Then, over the years, it gets progressively less organized until I get to the point where I can't stand it anymore. Then I have to start over from square one. I do the same with the attic. Fortunately, the attic and the garage are both on five-ish year cycles that seem to stagger each other, so I never have to do both in the same year. And while I need, I'm afraid to get a storage shed.

I don't think I've ever seen a lake patrol boat in Oklahoma in my entire life. Every time I've been asked for my fishing license or boater registration, it's always been at the dock. I'm sure they exist. But I can't recall ever having seen one. Anyway, most of the things people do on the water would annoy me if I let them. It seems like the more someone spends on a boat, the more entitled they feel to do whatever they want with it. But fishing isn't about getting angry over things you can't control. Fishing is all about focusing on the things you can control and reacting proportionally to the things you can't.

I match the hatch with size. I match the conditions with color and patterns. I've caught a lot of bass on perch and trout colored lures in waters that have never seen a perch or trout.

My big complaint with Eagle Claw is they rust easily. I used to use them, and they worked fine. But then some rusted on me and took everything else in the tray with them. Mostly I stick to Gammy, Mustad, Berkley, and sometimes Fusion 19 hooks these days and switch to EWG hooks and tie them with a Snell knot through the rear of the eye when I'm worried about getting hung up on stuff. That and lighter weights that are pegged seem to help a lot.

I am of the opinion that drop shots should be avoided in lakes and ponds within the city limits of big cities. The reason being that these city lakes tend to see a lot of heavy fishing pressure from people who don't usually do a lot of fishing. And they tend to fish with live minnows and worms. So in my experience, bass in these waters tend to shy away from food that just sits there and wiggles slowly. I'm not saying that a drop shot won't ever work, or even that it won't ever land a limit on a given day. I'm just saying that techniques like that are pretty far down my list of things to try on city waters. Now, if you get away from the city where most people fishing will be throwing artificial baits from a boat, then those slow finesse style presentations are much higher up on my list.

I've heard Bixhoma has some big bass. I've never been there myself, So I have no idea how good it is for bank fishing. As for carp, I would think most lakes and ponds would work. Most every lake I've been to around here has plenty of carp in it to help control the grass. I know Tulsa is a bit different from OKC (where I live), but pretty much every lake and pond I've been to have carp, catfish, crappie, bluegill, white and black bass, almost as if it were a law. It's the stripers, trout, sauger, walleye, and saugeye that you have to look for.