Sherlock 60

I went to the local park yesterday afternoon for an hour or so and caught a 3# largemouth on a chrome/blue back Rattletrap. I struck out with crankbaits and a Red Eye Shad.

About 3 or 4 years ago I started using MH spinning gear with 20/6 Power Pro braid for Senkos and all soft plastics (Gary Yamamoto suggested this in an article on Senko fishing). I use a Shimano Symetre reel, but am considering the Abu Soron STX for next year.

I guess I have just always been a lake fishing guy. I will make sure to get over there soon. What works best for fishin' the mighty White? I live in Anderson, by the way.

I agree about the Barbee Chain of Lakes in Kosciusko County. We have a place up there and I have caught many bass over the years. Seven lakes to choose from and lots of bass (and muskie, too, if you are interested in bagging one of the big boys). I live about 200 yards from the White River but have never fished it...go figure.

Bass Pro Shops Crankin' Stick is on sale for $49. Great rod for the money. Too bad you didn't have time to get one online, but it sounds like you did well. I am a Gander Mountain fan myself.

Senko rigged weightless.

After catching 3 bass the fluro leader broke about 1/8" below the Uni to Uni knot. I have always heard flurocarbon line is brittle and I guess this proves it. I didn't have any line for a new leader with me so I just tied the braid directly on to the hook and caught several more fish with no problem. Maybe I'll just forget about using a leader.

I just picked up some 12# Triple Fish florucarbon line and will use it primarily as a leader with 20/6 Power Pro on MH spinning gear for soft plastics. I plan to use a double uni to join the lines, and have always used a palomar for the hook with mono leaders. Is the palomar ok for fluro or should I use another knot?

Four years ago I lost the battle with my wife and daughter about what kind of boat to buy. They wanted a pontoon and I didn't. We wound up with an 18' pontoon that is set up for fishing and I absolutely love it! It is a great fishing platform and there is room for both the wife and the dog (and a couple of others when they drop by).

I usually take everything I own, 4/5 of which has never been wet. I always wind up using Senkos and my favorite crankbait.

I use the Palomar knot for braid. I have tried the double loop throught the hookeye, but usually just do it once. Have never had a problem.

In my experience the advantage of braid is in the quality of the hookset.

20/6 Power Pro with a mono leader on MH spinning gear.

I have only tried the original Sweet Beaver and have good success fishing them weightless like I would a Senko.

I have two C4s (a 5600 and a 6600) and a D6 5600. I recommend the C4 5600 for your swimbaits, and agree that the 6600 would be a bit of overkill, except on the 8"+ size baits. The C3 5600 would be fine, though, since you want the lower gear ratio. I really like my D6 5600 for crankbaits. However, it has more plastic inside than the C3 or C4 and I don't think it would hold up well using heavy baits.

Try BassPro Shops Bionic Blades or Extreme rods.

I am in Indiana and have asked the same question. There should be a Great Lakes region.

I generally use PowerPro, but I have Spiderwire Stealth on two reels and have had no problems.

The Crankin' Sticks are great rods for the money (I have two). They should be on sale again soon, and are on sale often enough that it would be silly to pay full price.

Bomber Square A in either Oxbow Bream or Citruce.

Jim here. I live in Anderson in Madison County, but we have a place in the Barbee Chain of Lakes in Kosciusko County up north, so that is where I do my fishing. Go up north to fish sometime. With the Barbee Chain, Webster, Tippecanoe and Wawasee Lakes you can find just about any kind of fishing you want, all on natural glacial lakes that are pretty clear. I target bass most of the time, but from bluegill to muskie you can have a great time fishing these lakes. I am a boater, but lost the battle to my wife and daughter and have an 18' pontoon. However, I did manage to get one that is set up for fishing...and it gives us plenty of room for my wife to read and sun herself while my grandson and I fish. Since it is only 18' it is a dandy size...not too small and not too big to get into the backwaters.

Based on an article by Gary Yamamoto that I read two years ago I switched from medium baitcasting and mono to spinning gear with braided line for Senko fishing. My dedicated Senko rig is a 6'6" MH spinning rod with a Shimano Symetre 4000 reel; the line is 20# Power Pro braid (6# diameter) with a swivel and a mono or fluro leader about 18" long and a 3/0 Gammy EWG hook. The hooksets are great and I can't remember the last time I lost a fish. I hardly ever use any size other than 5" Senkos, and my favorite colors, in order, are watermelon with black and red flake, watermelon with black flake (watermelon pepper), smoke pearl blue, junebug (purple with emerald flake) and black. I fish in clear natural lakes in northern Indiana.

Have fun bass fishing. The longer you do it the better you get. You've had a great start, though...keep it up.

What part of Indiana? I am in Central Indiana and do most of my fishing in the Barbee Chain of Lakes in Northern Indiana.

As I understand it spots are limited to the south. I know they are not in my part of Indiana. Speaking of being offended (I'm not really), it seems to me that "Northeast Bass Fishing" is way too broad...there should be a Midwest section or Great Lakes Region that contains IN, IL, OH, MI, WI and MN.