Bazoo

I generally use a trilene knot.

Dunno how you get your knot snug with 1/4" to pull on. I generally have about 2" left after snugging up.

I was watching some youtube videos with Roland Martin and I noticed he cut the line and then spit that little piece of tag out on the ground. Now, I'm not admonishing Mr Martin, or others for this, as I've done it myself. But I do try now not to leave those tag ends when I'm out, even if they are small. I've found that if I carry a small plastic bag (that bobbers for my boy came in) in my pocket, it takes minuscule time to put that piece in the open top of the bag, thus not leaving that little bit there. What does everyone else do with their tag pieces? Start at 5:40 to see the tag end example. He does pocket a longer piece at around 6:20 btw, which I'm glad to see.

Not really, but I have an aversion to rust on guns and knives. I don't particularly have to have clean guns, but I keep them oiled. Knives have to be oiled and sharp.

I ain't ever caught a huge bass, like 8 pounds or more. I've caught a couple solid 4-5 pounders. I have eyes for some DD bass, as well as the state record largemouth. That said, I always am excited even for a 1 pounder. I just enjoy fishing, particularly for bass. I also ain't ever caught a bass with a lure in it's mouth, which is something I think would be awesome. Especially if the lure was something I would use, and then do well with.

You must of ain't tried enough... from the looks of the trees around where I frequent, there are plenty of attempts. I surpmise the bass roost at night, and it's the early birds that leave their evidence behind.

Here we are with one such bass caught by the boy.

Thanks @A-Jay for the chatterbait tips. I too, have never been successful with one, though I just started with them this year. I have never been very successful with Carolina rigs, though I've tried them off and on for years. I have caught at least one bass on one that I recall. I've never caught anything on a whopper plopper, though I do fish one semi regularly since finding a handful of them. Topwater for me has aways worked pretty good with frogs, poppers, jitterbugs, spit'n images. I never had any luck with a Devils Horse, but it's on my radar to get another and give it a go some more.

I weightless texas rig them sometimes. I do it often for my boy, who is 4, and he has caught bass on them. All of the sudden we hear this splashing and commotion right at the bank.. yep he's got an angry bass on the line. He holds on tight and I help him land it. I don't know exactly how he does it, flogging the bushes and brush and water, but then gets a fish to bite. Relentless determination, all while I can't buy a bite with a senko.

Is it possible that you stripped the threads? If so, if it's a good quality reel, you may be able to get replacement parts. If it's cheap, assemble it with some epoxy on the threads and don't worry about it.

Cool idea. I hope it works to perfection for you. I bet it'll be super stable with those outriggers.

Thanks bass302. The pic clearly shows 3 anal fin spins. So it would appear to be a bluegill. I've been researching it some and I find pictures that support it being a bluegill as well. I'm still uncertain, but I am leaning bluegill now.

Wow that's a nice haul. I don't use a lot of rooster tail type lures, but a mepps would draw my attention pretty quick. That whole lot is right up my alley. I especially like the black popper. I've never seen one with a chartreuse dressed hook. I once caught back to back 6+ pound catfish on a jointed minnow, not in firetiger however. I was fishing a pond for bass, using a 5.5" jointed minnow in silver. I caught a heck of a channel cat, and had a deliar with me and weighed him it was 6-6.5 pounds. I threw him back and then fished a few minutes and got another just like him. I always wondered if it was the same fish, but I didn't think so as it weighed just a touch different. The last one however mangled my lure beyond repair. It ripped the rear wire clear out of the body halfway up that section, mangled the line attachment in a similar fashion but less badly, and chewed it extensively. I mean that lure was scratched to the wood in some spots from that cats lips. I took the hooks out of the lure and kept it for a trophy for years until I lost it when my house burnt.

I'm not the best and IDing them yet. I know crappie when its fresh. Bluegill and the other bream are a bit harder for me to distinguish. I haven't been around them that much.

Thanks for the idea. That will help me learn some new areas too. Yeah, I'm a bank fisherman most of the time.

After looking at pictures of bluegill a while, I can see it, so I'm not so sure now. What throws me off though I guess is the eye. Looks like a crappie eye to me.

No dispresect meant to anyone. I picked it up and looked at it on both sides, and the color on the other side was the same. I don't see how the color would disappear if it was a bluegill. I know there are bluegill and other breams in this lake, green and redear sunfish. Not sure about pumpkinseeds. And of course crappie. After looking at pictures of both crappie and bluegill, It sure resembles a crappie more to me than a bluegill. There are also various shad, including golden carp, which is what I first thought it was when I saw it.

I still haven't found anything new, but I have some leads. A friend says he knows of pond on a WMA that is pretty good, but I haven't had a chance to get out there yet.

I've had to break off a few times recently and used the trick to wrap the line around something to pull, and it works great. I use the thick paracord fob on my keychain. It doesn't damage the line where I wrap it. I hate losing a lure, and I've been known to wade out there and manually retrieve a stuck lure.

A lady that works at the lake this came from confirmed it was a crappie. I was thinking so, but I was also thinking perhaps a baitfish of some sort. I was sure it wasn't a bluegill or sunfish.

Talk about chatterbaits being more snaggy. I lost mine the other day on a laydown that I fish my favorite spinnerbait on regularly. I hate to think of the thought of losing my Terminator Titanium spinnerbait.

Nothing going on round these parts in the lure finding department, so I decided to go the other way, losing my only Chatterbait and a Beetlespin the last two couple times I went fishing. I bet that'll clean up just fine. Spray nine and let it set about half an hour, then hot water, dawn and a toothbrush would be just the ticket. I'm kinda surprised that the hooks rusted off in such a short time. Cool find though.

Thanks for the help Tom. Yes the knots I'm experiencing I guess are just line twist, but it bunches up like a wind knot. I have checked, cleaned, and oiled the bail roller and it spins easily. I always close the bail by hand.

Glad to hear the good news. I read the thread a while back, then lost it. May God show you and your family mercy.

Howdy from Kentucky. Glad to have ya here, I look forward to checking out your posts.