Bazoo

Thanks, I'm figuring that out.

The earliest I remember is Spiderwire, but I was whippersnapper in the 90s and 2000s.

Thanks, now that I think about it, I do notice that green is slicker than clear.

I can usually remember the details. I keep things simple though. If I get bit, it gets filed away in the memory banks. While I remember the details, I realize that hook size and brand is rarely a factor. Rather, presentation, depth, and to a lesser extent color are what I want to rememer. I tend to have specific ways I rig each thing, with can be a hindrance. For example, I rig a baby brush hog with a 2/0 offset worm hook and a 1/8 oz bullet weight. I will go up or down with the weight depending, but that's my basic rig. I rig a split shot with a size 3 split shot and a 2/0 hook normally. Lizards I rig weightless, or on a split shot or carolina rig. I almost never use them on a texas rig with a weight. I rig a fluke weightless with a 3/0 offset worm hook and use a Kreh loop knot. So I have my standards, but I do vary them. Sometimes I change them, like adding the loop knot the fluke. I never throw a fluke with a regular knot now. This is where the hindrance comes in... I tend to think of a rig as only a certain way, and not as dynamic. This helps me to figure out if it will work in a given situation, but it also might cause me to not use it with a change when it would be absolutely fire.

I notice Big Game is available in brown. What appliction would brown be best suitable for? Mud? I normally use dark green for everything.

Howdy and welcome. I remember only 1 time my dad took my fishing when I was a kid, I was about 4 or 5. We went to a pond that was across the road from my aunt's farm. He caught a bluegill and threw it back. Upon leaving, he began cutting donuts in the field, and my door to his old chevy van flew open during the cutting. I tried to hold it closed with my little arms, but to no avail. I did have my seatbelt on, but it was both scary and exhilarating! He looked over and saw me, and I hollered "Hold on Bazoo!" I still remember him laughing as we cut a few more. When I got home, I told Mom, and Mom was not happy, and they had an argument. Daddy was probably half lit, which was normal for him. But, it's the only happy memory I have of him. He passed away when I was still 5. Fast forward a few years, and an uncle took me fishing once. I remember sitting on some riprap and getting skunked. Then... When I was about 12, my mom had a boyfriend, a nice guy named John that lived up the road. We ended up moving in with him, and we lived there for 2 years, happy, until he too passed away. During those 2 years I really got my love of fishing because of 2 factors. First, there was a pond on the property, and second, John was a sportsman. I remember only once that he took me fishing, we fished for bluegill, and I used a small hook, and gut hooked one. He ripped the hook out of it and threw it back. It flopped and turned until it floated. But I used to go down to the pond after school and fish with bass lures. I caught a few on crankbaits that I recall. One, I hooked in the eye, and I was scared and started to cry. I went to the house to get mom, and she got a pair of dykes and cut the hook. She admonished me not to be fishing any more, but of course I did. I got an allowance occasionally and I bought lures. Somehow, I ended up getting a tackle box and a handful of things, one being a Bill Dance Fat Free Shad. It was my pride and joy. After John died, we moved across the county to a farm when I was 13/14. There were cows on the farm, and the guy that was running them had another farm up the road about a mile and a half. I was granted permission to fish it. It had 2 ponds. Occasionally, mom would take me and wait, but most often, she'd be willing to only make 1 trip, leaving me to walk either going or coming. By that time, I had a pretty good interest in fishing and a decent amount of tackle. I watched fishing shows on Saturday mornings, and I subscribed to B.A.S.S.. I fished those farm ponds pretty often, once a week or more. I caught bass and catfish. Cats I targeted with worms or liver, but bass became my passion. I loved the lures, I loved the challenge. When I began working at 16, one of the guys there was into bass fishing and would take me occasionally. I found a spot up the road from work and would hit it several times a week during lunch with a co-worker. Then it seems all at once, I had some life changes that got me out of bass fishing. At 24, I got married, I lost all my fishing spots, and I got deeper into guns, and my buddies sort of drifted off. I ended up taking a break of about 15 years. I got back into when I had a son. He's 6 now, but when he was 3, I decided it was time, and I got us poles and got back into fishing. I want him to grow up fishing and hunting, and having some of the experiences I didn't get to when I was a kid. He's a pretty decent little fisherman. My problem now is making sure I don't burn him out on it. I don't ever make him go, and he doesn't go all the time I do. I fish nearly daily, but normally only a couple hours each day. He's got a passion for it too already. Sometimes he says, "Dad, let's go to the river!" He loves to play on the river, or in the woods. Yesterday he coaxed me to roll a boulder in lol. It was about 1'x1'x2', just at the limit of boulder moving for old dad.

When did it start becoming popular in the US with pros?

Interesting to see Denny Bauer back in the day. I was only 3 when that video came out, but as I became interested in bass fishing he was always a there. I notice he says "there's one" when he has a fish, and I do too. I wonder if I got that from him when I was a kid.

Some great tips in this thread. Thanks @Dwight Hottle for your contributions.

Great information in this thread. Thanks all for sharing. So I'm not the only one that has Red Eye Shads that run to the side when retreived fast. There was mention made of tuning the hook holder instead of the line tie, thanks for that. I'll have to try it.

Thanks for sharing that. I'm about 10 minutes in, great stuff.

I think it's safe to say that most pros are "efficient", at least the ones that end up above the cut line. They have to be in order to get as many casts throughout the day as possible. Sure, it might be more efficient to not switch hands during casting, but not doing so doesn't negate their skill level or knowledge in other areas. And, if you'd notice, they make a huge number of casts in a short time. What they lose in efficiency by switching hands, they more than make up for by being efficient with their other movements, boat positioning, and preparedness.

Thank you all for sharing. I am just getting into really using a trap, though I've caught a handful of fish on them. I really never new how to use them.

I contacted Lews and asked if this rod would handle braid and they said "Yes it will handle braid!"

I like mono for bass fishing. I've never done any salt fishing. I have used Suffix mono and I liked it a lot. I don't remember if it was Advance or something else.

The other day I had been in need of more 1/4oz jigheads, and the Big Bite Baits jig heads were out of stock at the local Academy. They had some Eagle Claw unpainted jigheads that looked okay so I picked up a pack. They have 1 size larger hook, but the hooks bend out easier. I've caught a few fish on them, nothing large.

I had been wondering myself. Glad you're on the mend.

I don't hardly ever sharpen worm hooks. I throw them away and get another. I might sharpen them if I had a diamond stone with a hook groove. The Gamakasu hooks I have from walmart are made in Thailand.

I want to make some beetle spins by using jig heads and spinner arms. I know Hildebrant makes jig spinners. Are they the best? Are there other options? Which size matches the 1/4oz beetle spin? What options are there for similar beetle bodies? I know I could go curlytail grub, but I don't always want that.

Be interesting to get up to heaven and ask the Lord how many bass I caught. Maybe he'll put me at the big boy table with @Swamp Girl.

I don't do the fingernail test. I haven't been able to find a hook that digs into my fingernail. I do however test them by touching them. I've been into knives and sharpening since I was a kid so I can feel relative sharpness pretty good. Gamakatsu is my standard. I use others, depending on the application, size, availability, and cost vs potential of snags. I like the Mustad hooks I've tried. I also like Ozark Trails offset worm hooks. They are a good hook for cheap. I do not care for Eagle Claw bronze hooks. They are pretty bendy. So far I ain't had any complaints about their pro hooks, but I ain't used them extensively.

Howdy, I'm new since you last were around. Nice to meet ya Steve.

Prob not, and I ain't real particular.

My buddy caught a bass on a trap the other day. I've caught a few here and there but I never really ever fish a trap or any other lipless. So I decided to focus on them for a bit. I fished the private pond wednesday with one, caught a bass, then lost the lure, in this case it was a Super Spot. Today I fished the pond with a 1/4oz super spot and had 3 hits, but they all came unbottoned. I guess I need to set the hook a bit harder. I mostly just reeled into them, though one I thought was grass. I sort of always thought of traps as cold water baits, but I decided to give them a go in the dog days and they seem to be working. Any tips are appreciated.

I do several things. 1, I take a picture of each fish when I have the phone handy. When I don't, I try to count. I lose count after about a dozen though. Sometimes, I just decide to go fishing and not count. Last year I went a huge portion of the year without counting or taking pictures. I don't remember the catches nearly as clearly. I combat bass thumb by body gripping some of the smaller ones.