BrianMDTX

Agreed. Hook point should be up so the line pulls the hook into the fish.

Yes. It looks like the rip is in the same spot. Maybe. My eyes aren’t what they used to be!

After never catching a bass on a jerkbait, lately I’ve been doing well with a 4.3” Googan Scout in Pro Blue. It’s a rattling, suspending jerkbait for 4’-6’ depths. I have some floating Rapalas but they don’t seem to do the trick (they float to the top fast). I’d like to try some others. Looking for some good recommendations.

LMAO. No, you’re correct. These two pics were taken today. As soon as I landed it, I thought “Wow, this fish looks real familiar!” I looked at pics from Friday and the rip in the anal fin is in the same spot. The weight was 0.02 different (which could just be the scale) and it was caught in the same exact location. If it’s not the same bass, it’s a close relation!

I’m not sure. It has a rip in the anal fin in the same spot. Caught it in the same exact location as well. But the pics aren’t exactly the same as I’m no photographer. Sure looked like the same bass to me.

Started out with a jerkbait, then a Neko Macho, a XZone Adrenaline Craw, a Fat IKA and a Senko TR. Nuthin’. Decided to chuck the Googan Scout jerkbait again. Second cast and it got taken. Same bass I caught on Friday! It was 2.34 lbs four days ago lol. The mouth is real small!

I’d target the areas where the trees overhang the water with a Senko wacky rig, a weightless Zoom Trick TR or a Neko Macho weightless TR. If fishing from the bank, sidearm cast and skip those baits right under the branches.

Sometimes you just can’t avoid it lol. So mitigate it as best as you can. Some areas in the pond I fish are worse than others. In the bad spots, I will only fish baits that either stay off the bottom, or are as weedless as possible. I catch decent bass there, so not sure whether they like it or not!

TnRiver46, that is some beautiful country! Looks like a great time!

There's grass...and there's slime/muck. Bottom baits in ponds with slime/muck are a mofo to keep clean unless your bait is rigged totally weedless and most of the time, weightless as well. I can fish Zoom Tricks, Senkos, craws and other creature baits, Fat IKA's, etc. as weightless Texas rigs and keep them pretty clean. Add a 1/8 oz bullet weight and yuck. As the water is not more than 7' or 8' deep, that's not a big issue. If it's just grass, you should be good with a standard TR or similar rig.

If you want to "soak the line", you're better off placing the spool of fresh line in hot water, not the reel spool. With a bulk spool, it's not really necessary. With a filler spool (which is much larger in diameter), it can help to reduce the memory of that huge spool to the one on the reel. Regardless, no need for braid!

I was referring to the diameter of the mouth, not the body of the bass. The mouth was noticeably smaller than any similar-sized LMB that I’ve ever caught.

I did at the time. The jaw did not extend past the eye. Not even close. Much smaller in diameter than normal for a LMB as well.

At least she didn’t buy a hearse! ?

That’s a Neko rig. You can Neko rig a lot of soft plastics, such as the Daiwa/GYBC Neko Macho or XZone True Center Stick.

I mean no disrespect to anyone, but it strikes me as odd that people debate the differences between $300 and $500 rods and reels and gladly pay $800-$1000 for a new rig, but squawk over pennies for something like o-rings. It boggles the mind.

I have a Daiwa Fuego CT 8:1-1 and that’s what it’s for. Mostly fast retrieves for reeling in slack line quickly for hooksets on soft plastics. Helps prevent a bass taking the hook deep.

Welcome to BR. Where in DE? I lived in Newark for 3-1/2 years back in the 90’s. Lots of decent ponds in DE!

A wacky rig I put the hook dead center. Having said that lol, just today I tried an XZone True Center Stick (looks like a Yum Dinger without the slot) with a nail weight in the head and the hook about 1/3 the way from the front- a Neko rig. First cast it got lightly hit. The second it got slammed. Caught a 2.5 lb bass (I think it was a spotted bass). Third cast it got snagged! ?

I’ll add my $0.02, as I fish what I would call pressured ponds. No offense to fellow anglers, especially as compared to many on BR, I am still a novice. But from what I see, I’m head and shoulders above 90% of the other anglers. Most head for the most wide-open bank (meaning little structure or cover) with one rig and cast the hell out of the same bait for 5 to 60 minutes, catch nothing and leave. Does that pressure the fish? Certainly. Any activity above the norm equals pressure. But it’s not “educating” the bass as far as avoiding strikes on good presentations. I see mostly spinnerbaits cast to the middle of the pond, or frogs, or creature baits. I rarely see anyone fishing a lipless crank, a popper, jerkbaits or weightless Texas rigs/wacky rigs. Why, I can’t say. So my advice is seek out the spots that provide shade, cover and structure. It may be hard to cast there, but it’s also sees much less pressure. See if finesse gets you bites. Most of my soft plastics are weightless. Senkos (TR and WR), Zoom Tricks, creature baits, etc. I fish on spinning rigs. Ned rigs are tough as the exposed hooks get fouled easily, but if your pond is not overly mucky, that may be a good option. Neko Machos, Fat IKA’s, large craws and other heavier plastics I fish on baitcasters. I try to bring 2, 3, 4 or 5 rigs (always a minimum of two) so I can switch up fast without rerigging constantly. Be be patient and stick with it. The bass will come!

Looking at pics, I’d say no. But looking at pics, I can’t say it’s a spotted bass, either. All I know for sure is that the jaw does not extend past the eye like a smallie.

Caught this “whatever” on a XZone True Center Stick in Carolina Pumpkin Black Flake set up as a Neko rig. I think it may be a spotted bass, but not sure. I switched over to my new Falcon Lowrider All Round Fast MHF rod and a Daiwa Fuego CT reel spooled with 10 lb. YZH and a Daiwa/GYBC Neko Macho rigged as a weightless TR on a Gamakatsu 3/0 EWG. First cast nothing. Second cast it sank maybe 6” and got hammered. I set the hook and I knew I had a good ‘un. It went on three long runs and went 180° from my right to my left. It started to head for shoreline brush and I horsed it out and finally landed it. What a beautiful bass!

Looks good enough to shoot!

Daiwa Aird-X. Great rod for right around $50.00.

I'm still working on all this lol. But for now, I use a M/F 6'6" baitcaster for smaller baits requiring rod action, and a MH/F baitcaster for larger topwater baits like a Spook. Truth is, I use the M/F about 95% of the time for a topwater with trebles.