BrianMDTX

I caught a huge softshell on a #6 hook and a worm while panfishing. Oh boy, that was a pain in the patoot. At least a bass can’t pull its head in a shell. I eventually got the hook out but whatta nightmare!

I don’t find it boring in the least. When the bite is on, I think it’s a ton of fun skipping a WR under overhanging brush or casting to open spots around sunken logs and watching the line take off. Then again, I find dragging a TR fun!

@Jmurphy87 I’ve caught bass on craws before. Rage and X Zone craws in particular. But I never had so many bite on them in a morning like today. I made the BM happy. I stopped at Academy and bought more Rage Craws and also decided to try some Rage Bugs.

Not a bad morning. I boated 13 bass and missed out on 4. Started with a Whopper Plopper and got one swirl. I was in a shallow area so I passed on the chatterbait and started tossing a 4” Rage Tail Craw in Summer Craw on a 5/0 EWG with a 1/8 oz. tungsten bullet weight. Oh man, that was a wise/lucky choice. The next nine bass were caught on that bait. The bass were hitting it hard! Also caught one on a 5” Senko, two on a Zoom Trick and one on a Zoom Mag 2. But I lost all the bass on the Mag 2. As one came back tailless, they may have been hitting the tails. All I know is I need more Rage Tail Craws! Today I was “that guy”. There were at least four anglers beating the bank. The first two were together. They got their gear ready and as they started walking, I caught my first bass. One of them yelled (humorously) “show off!” After that, all I could hear was “blah-blah-mumble-mumble-that guy-fish” as I kept reeling them in and no one else caught a thing. Gotta say, I liked being “that guy” today! ?

I have 6th Sense and Megabass, but by far the best jerkbait I have is a Googan Scout in Pro Blue. It just flat out catches bass.

The Lefty Kreh loop knot is the epitome of loop knots. BTW, his leader knot is darned good, too!

@ol'crickety I’m glad you had a great day fishing. But I’m real glad that you are safe. No matter what, that was probably a scary experience. And I’ve snagged a few rods trying to extricate a few rods meself! ?

On the bottom, mainly weightless Texas rigs and wacky rigs. A Texas rig with a 1/8 oz.bullet weight can work also. Anything heavier or less streamlined than that is an algae magnet. Weedless is not algaeless.

I have a Kistler Helium 7’ MHF. It’s one helluva rod. Especially on sale.

I’ve caught a grand total of one bass on a Ned. Gross weight about 1 lb. I've reeled in enough algae to fill the cargo hold of a laker hauling ore to Sault Sainte Marie. Neds and ponds mix like pit bulls and kittens.

Zoom Tricks and Yamamoto Senkos (as well as Fat IKA’s and Neko Machos) are my go-to’s, but the X Zone Adrenaline Craw is becoming a must-have.

What a difference a day (or two) makes. Caught two bass. Both on the same weightless TR with a Zoom Trick I used on Monday. Both hit the bait hard. Both hooked in the lip. I feel like I’m being played! ?

They DO have scales like iron! You need a few of the big ones with a humped back to make a good perch fry. Yellow perch and bluegills are my favorite freshwater eating fish.

You know, the first thing that crossed my mind was, “are they moving at me?” And as pretty much every bass was caught about 1’ from the bank (and that is no typo-they were tight on the bank under overhanging limbs or under weeds), unless they moved to the side ( which I should have seen) moving towards me makes a ton of sense. @TOXIC I have no 4/0’s on hand, but I do have 5/0. I’ll switch to that and see if it makes a difference.

I use a circle octopus hook. It made no difference. Normally, it does. Yesterday it did not.

Hey, I fished a new place. It’s all good. But yeah, frogs only at this point. Which means, of course, I left my frog rod home lol.

Yellow perch are a pain in the butt due to small bones, but they are excellent table fare!

@gimruis I would have said the same about either the 1/0 circle octopus hook (WR) or the 3/0 EWG hook (TR) I've been using.

I fish Senkos (both TR and WR) a lot. And I’ve gut hooked a few here and there, but I would have said “that’s on me”. Either too much slack or not watching the line as close as I should. Today was different. It’s like they were inhaling and swallowing them in a heartbeat. I reeled the line in tight, never felt anything, stopped a second, started reeling again and the fish was on. Normally that’s a good hookset in the lip or upper jaw. Not today! ?

First off, no bass died. I was able to get the hooks out quickly with little to no bleeding. Other than the one bass on a jig that smashed it immediately, 6 of the 9 bass I caught were gut hooked. On either a wacky or Texas rig. This was not a “I fished the bait dead-sticked” or “I wasn't watching the line” issue. I was working both baits back to the boat and never saw or felt a thing until the line got tight and I had a fish on. Even with a semi-slack line I normally see the line start running or you can see/feel the bait get hit. I’ve never had so many bass simply take a bait without some indication. All I know is that I’m darned glad I went through the gills and got all the hooks out cleanly.

Where at on the Susky? Never fished it in PA, only Conowingo and the Flats in MD.

Hands’s down it’s a 5” Senko Texas rig. It’s not even close. Although a chatterbait is starting to take umbrage at that statement and is trying mightily to even the score.

Well, although I woke up stiff and sore, I made up my mind that I would end up this 4-day weekend fishing. Decided to just fish my local pond as it is close and I have to clean the house before my wife returns from over a week in Europe. Caught 10 bass in a little over three hours. All on soft plastics except one on a jig. Most were kipper snacks but a couple were nice and one was the biggest I’ve caught here in quite a while. About 3.25 lbs.

I have two Fuegos, so I must like them.

I saw that and immediately figured out you must have left it due to that overly descriptive yet “factual” statement! You know it’s bad when the Zoom Trick is longer than they are!