joe bag o donuts

So I finally bought a cheapo jig from Wal-Mart because to be honest I thought they were pretty stupid. I stuck on the back end of a Brush Hog that didn't even match and called it done. I threw it into this creek by my house and a small gar or pickerel grabbed it. It almost looked like a pike, but with me being in Florida I doubt it. He sucked it right into it's throat. I released him and am now trying to catch a bass. I did throw it a couple times in a pond just so I could see the action and was impressed. Can't wait to fish it some more. Thanks to LBH for the video and to the forum for the kick in the butt to try one. It was one of those baits like a spinnerbait. I was skeptical till I tried it. Thanks for reading!

Well here's some pictures of the progress we're making on our 14' Sea Nymph. That's the real name on the side not something we named it. Anyway, every piece of wood that was in before had rot in it somewhere. Some pieces were so rotted they had to be swept out rather than ripped out. All the new wood was treated with preservative. Plus the deck is completely removeable so if it is rained on or whatever it can be dried completely before being put back in. Feel free to ask questions on how we did certain areas and I'll try to asnwer them. It was a fairly simple job, but it took alot of 'eyeballing' to get everything to fit the way we wanted to. The frot deck was by far the hardest part, but after alot of agony it now fits as snug as a bug in a rug. Now onto the pictures. Sorry for the quality. The finished pictures will be much better. I'll post those as soon as the carpet is done. Enjoy the pictures of the old Chrysler outboard. You don't see many of those around. For good reason too. This one doesn't run and never will. We're currently looking for another outboard. First step, see what we have to work with. Answer: Rot, everywhere. Here's a shot showing it stripped to the metal. Front deck was done first. A seat will be mounted soon as well. Here's a mock-up of the layout we decided to go with. We shortened the hatches to make them lighter and widened the sides so it's harder to crush a pole. A seat will be back here also. Stay tuned for updates!!!

No clue. I didn't take the picture. I'll try to dig up the page I got it from. Sorry for the hijack Aaron... Edit: Here's a link T-rig http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/reservoirs/guntersville/angler/

Raul, that pic looks like the fish in my avatar. If it is I think they were discoverd on Lake Guntersville in Alabama. You wonder what was going through each basses head right when it happened. ;D

I've got some on a spinning reel and I love it. No tangles and it's very strong and easy to cast/retrieve.

Good advice fireandice! (hey that ryhmes!) ;D I'm in NW Florida close to the FL/Ala state line. Air temp was high 80s. Water temp I couldn't tell you as the only electronics we have on our boat is our trolling motor and our camera! Experience level is very low. The lake has large fish in it. We witnessed a guy catch about a 4-5# and I saw one about the same size dart by the boat. Don't worry I was definetely enjoying myself. It wasn't that, in fact I'd go back out even if I knew I'd have the same luck. It's just I'd like to catch a few 'keepers'. Thanks!

Cool! Very helpful! Thanks

I posted this over in reports, but I guess it was the wrong spot, because I couldn't get any replies. :-[ Here's a description of the lake and what we tried. All we got between two trips were 4 bass under 12". The lake is relatively shallow with the deepest spot being around 25'. Water is fairly clear with alot of vegetation on the lake floor. There's no lily pads. Bear in mind we don't have a depthfinder so we couldn't really look for structure. There was alot of exposed tree stumps and logs which we fished. We got there late around 7:00 and used mainly greenish or brownish colored soft plastics. Baby Brush Hogs, Trick worms, Finesse worms, curly tails, Tiki sticks... I also tried a shiner colored Rattle-Trap. So there's the info. Any suggestions for some relatively new bass anglers on a new lake? Whatever advice you guys could give would be greatly appreciated. It's bad when the fishing's so bad you're glad when you catch an 8" bass. ;D Thanks all!

Like every one said it really depends on alot of things. I have two ponds that I fish regularly. My best luck has been on Trick worms, Baby brush hogs, and a Heddon Tiny Torpedo. More important than all that is that you realize a pond is a small, closed body of water. You'll be fishing for the same fish day after day. If you were catching them on one thing it doesn't mean you'll catch them on the same thing the next time. They get 'used' to a certain bait fairly quick. Learn to change you style and you'll catch fish. Sometimes it can be as simple as retrieving your lure in a wierd way that they're not used to. Other times you'll have to throw something they have never ever seen. Also some times just give them a break. I've come back from a two-week trip and caught a bunch just because they hadn't had any fishing pressure for a while.

So the last couple Fridays we tried a 107 acre lake hoping to find some nice bass fishing. What we found instead were dinks. Three the first time and 1 yesterday. We had about that many strikes, but they were small fish as well. The lake is relatively shallow with the deepest spot being around 25'. Water is fairly clear with alot of vegetation on the lake floor. There's no lily pads. Bear in mind we don't have a depthfinder so we couldn't really look for structure. There was alot of exposed tree stumps and logs which we fished. We got there late around 7:00 and used mainly greenish or brownish colored soft plastics. Baby Brush Hogs, Trick worms, Finesse worms, curly tails, Tiki sticks... Yesterday I also tried a shiner colored Rattle-Trap. So there's the info. Any suggestions for some relatively new bass anglers on a new lake? Whatever advice you guys could give would be greatly appreciated. It's bad when the fishing's so bad you're glad when you catch an 8" bass. ;D Thanks all!

I second that! Also try throwing on the pads and once it drops off the edge keep it coming and don't slow down. It just depends on if they're aggressive or not. Also try smaller baits during the least busiest times.

I'd try maybe a spinnerbait worked high in the water column. Then I'd try some weightless plastics. Especially a Zoom Finesse or Trick worm. These have a slow sink rate and you can actually work them pretty close to the surface. Also weightless plastics seem to not grab vegetation as easily a weighted. Hope this helps.

Sweeet! I love to get my fly rod out every once in a while, tie on a home-made fly, and hit the pond early in the morning. You get a lot more satisfaction out of each fish you catch. One recommendation is maybe try a smaller leader. I use about a 4# leader, but I'm not throwing heavy poppers. Try a streamer type fly also. Keep it up!

Thanks all! Keep the suggestions and advice coming.

Wow! You're not going to use it are you? I'd set it in frame and hang it on my wall. Looks awsome.

Alright so I fish a couple ponds and the fish seem to be spooked by my line dragging across the top of the water when I'm working a lure. I normally fish unweighted plastics so there's nothing to really pull the line down so it stays up on the surface. The question is what kind of line sinks the best? I've thought of trying braid, but I'm not sure. Right now I'm using Stren Original. Thanks

So, I was browsing around Barlow's site and the more I did the more I felt the bait monkey telling me how cool it would be to make my own soft plastics. I definitely use enough of them. So, now I have a few questions. First, can I make my own molds to pour the plastic into, and if so how's the best way to get a good seal between the two halves of the mold. Second, what's a rough estimate on how many regular sized worms a gallon of the plastic mix could make? Also, is it a good idea to get the softener or is the consistency already pretty good? Thanks for any and all responses.

Try this... http://www.barlowstackle.com/plastic-worm-molds.html

You're kidding right? That's the first case of a baitcaster switching to spinning I've heard of. I thought about switching to casting, but the more I think about it the more I'm leaning to sticking with spinning. I'v gotten accurate enough with a spinning rod that I see no advantage in switching now.

First off, WELCOME!!! Second, I'm not sure how ultralight you want to go. 4lb. test is the lowest I've gone and I don't think I'd go much lower unless I was fishing a pond with absolutely no cover. With 4-6lb. you have a little forgiveness and also don't have to worry about your lure snapping the line every time you cast. There are alot of choices for this class, but it isn't that complicated. Pick a rod and reel that feels comfortable to you and fits your budget. Don't let a book or someone else tell you what's supposed to fit you best. I use a Shakespeare Agility combo that I got for 50$. Spooled with 4 lb. test it's perfect for weedless worms, small spinnerbaits and anything else that doesn't weigh much. Sensitivity is great and the reel seems decent for the price. I also have an UL UglyStik with a cheapo spinning real and it's good, but the tip is a little soft for plastic worm fishing. It's probably great for live bait though. So, I guess what I was saying is, until you see if you want to stick with UL tackle don't spend alot of money. Find a decent rod and reel and spend the rest on bait and lures. Personally, I think ultralight fishing is the funnest fishing out there. Also, you'll be suprised at how much light tackle can take. I've never lost a bass due to tackle malfunction and only a couple to line breakage. Wow! My longest post ever. Hope it helps and good luck!

Thanks BIG M, that's good to know. When you say twist your own hangers and line ties do you mean thread some wire and screw it into the bait? Or did I not understand you. I have some screw in eyes I cannabalized off some Mirrolures, but they are pretty heavy and bulky. Thanks a bunch...

Awsome! How's the retrieve? It seems most small cranks never run 'true'. Is it possible to take another picture to show the size? Thanks and great job!

Not sure what kind of weeds, but I've had good success with a Zoom baby brush hog rigged with a very light bullet weight and fished with a slooowww steady retrieve right along the bottom through the weeds. Not the most orthodox way of fishing a plastic, but it works...

So I went to a local river and tried a couple things, but couldn't get anything to bite. Of course I was fishing from shore and was sort of limited. It's a river that feeds into a huge bay. It's banks are lined by high grasses mostly with some trees. There are several still areas that are seperated from the main river. In these spots there are lily pads etc. So should I get my jon boat and hit the still waters or will the bass be in the moving water? Also any tips or rigs I should use?

Thanks islandbass!