wickyman

Haha Yeah, but very interesting...

You can get berkeley hats from their site, I think... My father in law has a nice red berkeley visor... I want it! lol Try company sites, some might have a hat for free, if you pay shipping... I ran across some that had a limited supply like that...

What do you want to know?

They eat snakes all the time... I found one that had several snakes in it's belly! lol Not very big, but big enough that it made me twinge a little...

From the looks of it, it looks like a storm wiggle wart. Are the eyes somewhat recessed in the yellow portion of the eyes? With the black dots raised? If so, this is your lure. Color 392. http://www.stormlures.com/products/luresdetail.cfm?modelName=wiggle_wart&freshorsalt=Fresh&type=hard_lures

Cranks and top water, most people will say rapala... Crank baits I usually buy Cotton Cordell. I buy Cordell because I have seen them work, they work well, and the Cordell is cheaper, and works just as well. Plus, the Cordell has a rattle inside, that is pretty enticing to the fish... I usually buy Pop-Rs by rebel. These are good baits, they work, or they wouldn't still be producing them! They are one of the original top water lures. For jigs, one of the best ones that I have found, are the Luck-E Strike, with the Gamakatsu hooks. They are relatively cheap, and have some of the best hooks on the market. You can't go wrong with anything, that has Gama hooks! I don't know a whole lot about jerk baits, but I would assume that some of the better are made by rapala... I don't know that for sure though... And soft plastics. People whom shop at Wal-mart, typically like the Wave tiki sticks, FLW, and powerbait 7" worms. All good choices, all very cheap, and work just as well as the much more expensive senko worms. Tiki sticks are like senkos, but a little harder, they tear less, but at a price of losing the, "wiggle" movements. Soft baits are pretty much up to the user to try. Just because Joe Cocker on the East Coast can catch something on his tiki sticks, doesn't mean that you will in your area. Fish are finicky, and will bite what they feel like. If it's spawning season, just look for a deep area adjacent to the spawning grounds. Many pre-spawn fish, willing to hit anything!

Yeah, a larger swim bait, such as the rainbow trout, are also catching ginormous bass on our lake... We have a natural trout population, and the bass have to be pretty large, in order to even eat most of them... That is, if they even come across one! I have yet to catch a trout on this lake, but then again, they have probably been becoming more intelligent, as hundreds of thousands of people catch, and or release them...

Is there a benefit for having such a large lip? Seems like it would be an easy way to get a lure stuck, somewhere tight? I kind of like the smaller square bill myself, then again, the deepest spot in our large lake, is like 15 feet deep? It's a really shallow, natural lake. I just don't have a need to fish that deep... lol

Very nice Big! You always produce the nicest lures! No matter what they are, they always look nice! You are a true craftsman! Do you make your own bills? The look a little thinner than the store bought bills! Very nice! Do they flex at all?

Haha Yeah, I am still afraid to swim in our lake... Too many stories of a really old, large catfish out there... Like, Indian tales and stuff... I don't know if I should believe it or not... lol I don't trust it though... That, and the mercury content of the lake is so dang high... lol

Yeah. You really can't guess exactly what a fish wants, but you should have something in your arsenal that the fish is going to take... It's like going to a restraunt and them only having one or two things on the menu... You would rather eat somewhere else... You know? I make sure that I have a few things in there, whether or not it's a waste of money... You might not have a lot now, or money at least, but in the future you will have a lot more tackle, as you build up... You can never have too much stuff... It's not possible... You have to consider that you might want to try it as an alternative, because you lost all the producing baits, and find that the one bait you never tried, has produced all along...

I have seen a bass eat a baby squirrel once... Rather nauseating, to say the least... lol I bet that fish was looking for an antacid after that meal!

You can go to a local fishing outlet, or Wal-mart, and pick up a generic spinner, and customize it to what you need... A lot of people say that it works just as well as spending the extra cash, and buying what is more expensive... JMHO...

Jigs are a good beginning for stumps and sticks... Pretty much any worm, or other soft baits. Mid to shallow cranks work well!

I am going to have to look the shelves over again. I went last night, and only left the store with a couple hard baits, and a new tackle bag... lol I couldn't find the FLW anywhere in there... I might have just over looked it...

Which is a good reason to talk to the lake locals. Most of the older guys whom fish every day, or more than most, will know what works, or works best. If you figure out what is working, when it works, and your best chances in certain areas, then you will have more to base off that lure... I know some people whom fish that lake all the time, they let me in on the secrets of what lures work best. Then I make a list, and see if I can't find it for less than normal prices. Not only does it make a difference in the lure, but you need to learn how to work it, in different areas.

I bet it did... Just imagine, if that bass was big enough to eat that alligator, how big was it really? I am going to say that the gator was in the 1ft. range! Just guesstimating. That is awesome!

Considering that you could buy the whole lure for $2-3 bucks at some places! lol I bet, that if you had one with an aluminum bib, like the older ones, you could mold yourself some plexi, or something bibs. Or even cut the material from an aluminum can, and make it the shape you want... It wouldn't be too hard, and wouldn't cost all that much!

I agree, it seems so pointless to spend that much money, on something that is going to be used for the same sport! I am going to get me the abu garcia ambassadeur, orange colored reel at my local walmart! I like the price, just over 69 dollars, and it feels lighter than the shimano reel, of the same price, at a local shop! I am not all that worried about the price of a reel, but I am worried about materials, and walmart carries some of the nicer reels out there, people just don't like to buy them! I buy my stuff from walmart because of their customer support, if an item isn't working right, they take it back, no questions asked! I love it, and it's good that they back their sales up like that! Not many local shops will! They just want to send it in, and have it refurbished, and charge you to do it... At least in my experiences! I have 2 out of 3 rods that are Shakespeare! I have an older spinning rod that my dad bought back in 97 or 98. It works great for bass! And I have a Shakespeare intrepid IM7 bait casting/flipping rod! Great rods for the price, and well worth, every penny! I also have a Shakespeare reel, for my ultra light cherry wood pole. Works perfect for crappie! Caught my PB on it too! 4lbs 6oz, on a reel not meant for anything bigger than a 2-3lb fish! Not bad!

Texas rigged refers to the way that a hook is set on the worm. With a slide sinker, it is known as a Carolina rig. Just to clear that up. From there, you might want to start with any cheaper worm, Wal-mart has a great selection of worms, that will produce the same fish, as the more expensive senko worms. I have experience with all sorts of worms, and my favorite senko style is the tiki sticks by wave. GL.

That is a very good point. I usually go for a lure that has some kind of realism to it. If you think like the bass, then you will be ahead of the rest! You basically want to stick to colors that are more natural to the fish, and other critters, that they might get a hold of! When you throw pink, blue, and other colors like that, chances are, they aren't going to match anything in the area you fish, and the bass might have a little curiosity, but remember, curiosity killed the cat! Just because a lure looks like it might be really good, or even worth a shot, it usually isn't! Get a list of creatures in the area, such as small birds, bugs, fish, and smaller animals. I know, it sounds weird, but I have first handedly seen a bass take a baby squirrel that fell out of its nest... Fish are your most likely bet, as far as a bass' dinner, or whatever. We have many species of fish that the bass tend to eat on Clear Lake, in California. We have trout, hitch, blue gill, crappie, catfish, and carp. Of those, I know that the bass eat the blue gill, crappie, hitch, and trout. So I look for a lure that is going to look as close to the markings of those fish, or at least in the same general shape. Sometimes, you might want something to aggravate the fish into taking that type of lure though. I like to use something that is bright green, or yellow first, then I throw out something more fit for the surroundings! It's all dependant on where the fish are suspended in the water also. Are they top, mid, or deep? If they are top, something that will make some kind of splashing, or spitting, will entice the bass to bite, but not always! You might have to try a couple different top waters to get the desired effects. I just recently got into diving lures, and purchased a mid diver, in a black, gray, white, with a red chin. I have heard, that they produce many bigger fish on our particular lake! The fish in the deeper parts will probably, or possibly want something brighter colored, to cause the effects that would catch their eyes. But this isn't always true either. Bass have a black, or faintly black line across their sides, that detects sound and vibration, much like the ear drum in our ears. They use it to find food deeper down in the water, where light may, or may not be able to penetrate, due to folliage, or sheltering overhangs. My personal tactics have helped me land some fair sized bass, and I am happy with my results, from the research I have done over the course of the last couple months! If all else fails, get yourself some shiners, and see what happens! Even sometimes, a bobber and crawler!

That is definitely isn't something you hear about often! I have heard of them trying to take the blade, as you slowly troll, but I haven't seen this myself!

That is a fantastic price! I like the price before a sale, but it's a whole lot better during a sale! Wave worms are great, and you can't go wrong with the tiki sticks! I think that they are great, cheap, and durable worms! They don't move like the senko worms, but fish don't really notice a whole lot! They are worth every penny!

I didn't see you mention anything about tackle bags on there. So I am adding my two cents. I went yesterday, to just look at everything they had in the fishing section of our local wal-mart, thinking that I was only there to browse. When all of the sudden, I look down to the bottom shelf of the tackle bag isle, and I see this bright red Okeechobee Fats bag. I pick it up, and see the price on the shelf. My Jaw dropped, at an amazingly low $9.95! I grabbed one, and a couple more medium boxes to go into the top compartment, which already housed two O-Fats medium plastic boxes. I think it was $2.86 for the 2 boxes, and I have enough room for a lot of lures, gear, etc.! I am very please with my purchase! Of course there are other bags, or if you prefer, boxes, at varying prices! I am on a really low budget, and I thought that it was time, at that price, to grab myself a bag! Also, even though you stated the renegades lures, They have other lures that are less than a dollar more, from many name brands, usually in small flats, or in bins. I picked up a rebel Pop-R, in frog spotted, with a white and hologram fuzzy tail for 2 bucks and some change. I also grabbed a Heddon mini torpedo in frog spotted, Cotton Cordell Big-O in grey shad. All very good looking lures! Don't get me wrong though, I also own a couple small renegade rattlers! I have one in a golden shiner, and one in fire tiger. I also want to address the jigs. I buy a lot of jigs every year, and I really like the Luck-e strike jigs, with the Gamakatsu hooks! They are fantastic, but the paint wears off after a short while. I also like the Renegade Blood-line jigs, they work excellent, when fishing a white, or green thumpin' tail grub, or even just a worm! I have been using several manufactures of worms, from YUM, robo worm, and senko, but I really prefer the cheaper worms, as they are really close, and produce the same results as the senko! I do find similarities in colors, and size, but the weight, and feel of the rubber is different. You will notice a huge different in movement between the cheaper worms, as apposed to the senko worms. I catch just as many fish, with either worm! This is an awesome thread, maybe it will help some people whom are just starting, and maybe get them off on the right foot, as far as "bargain" or "low-budget" fishing goes! Have a great day, hit that lake, pond, river, and happy fishing!

Fishing pole/reel- $80.00 Fishing lures from your box that you thought you thought would never be productive- $5.00 Gas to get to the pond-$25.00 Fishing with your son at the pond, priceless! For everything else, there's Bassmaster's card! haha I hope I have a son, one day. And I hope he enjoys fishing as much as I do. Very cool! Almost enough to bring a tear to your eye!