helms83

I'll be gone for the next month training in Death Valley, blah! I would much rather be home fishing or on here talking to you guys. But the good news is I'll ve home at the start of September and hopefully this heat wave will end. I'm excited to fish this fall, it'll be my first. I think when I come back I'm going to buy the portable hummingbird depth finder for my lake (I rent a jon boat from my lake and throw a trolling motor on the back). Maybe it'll help. I've only caught 1 bass in the last 7 outings: it's been rough. But I'll talk to you fellas at the end of the month!

Wow, great post. I'm fairly new to bass fishing. I have been using the Rage Tail Baby Craw, and I now know I have been using my bait totally wrong as I have been popping it, rod tip has been up, even swimming it to fast. I'm about to hit the water and will remember this post while I'm out there. I hope you write more!

I watched the weigh in live on the website for Day 2. Wait until you guys see what Lane had to go through. Mentors looked very bummed after he lost. It was tough to see.

Yeah, I don't really have a choice to wait, it is what it is. But once I come back, I'm buying a boat, so I'm very excited about that. I bought weighted hooks; I think 3/O, offset, 1/8oz. I put the craw on there, but I didn't get a hit the entire evening. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing or if it's the small lake I'm on.

Wish I had that choice, but I won't be able to fish again until the beginning of September. Then it will only been until November, after that will be spring of 2012.

I have two with rattles, with no results three times out. I want to get the same two but silent and see if they trigger a hit.

I would think depth is very important too. I was watching Bill Dance, and he stated the three key words for bass fishing are: Location, Depth, and Presentation. This is what led me to my question. I'm definitely going to do what you suggested. Those were some very good ideas. I don't have an area to throw and watch the bait swim up, but I'll figure something out. I don't have electronics or a topo map for my small lake, but I can make my own rough sketch by using your method.

How do you know if you're running a spinnerbait, swimbait or any other lure at the correct depth for suspended fish?

Is this technique best use in conjunction with a depth finder? I've never used it before, but I would guess you need to have some idea what depth the fish are holding at to properly use the drop-shot. Is this the correct assumption; or am I missing something?

Where in Rockford did you catch her at? I'm orginally from Byron, but stationed in KY. I go home often and have been looking for somewhere to bass fish at with my dad.

I was thinking about getting this: Humminbird® 110 Fishin' Buddy® Ultimate Portable Fishfinder http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=97460&cmCat=WISHLIST I figured it would get the job down.

What about speed for topwater or other applications? My two current reels are 6.2:1 and 6.4:1.

Is there a better reel in between the $100-150 range for crankbaits?

I tried multiple jig colors and sizes with the craw with no luck. But yesterday was the first day I've ever fished with the craw, and it did produce, so I was happy.

Same here, that's what led to me ask this question. I went out yesterday evening for the first time on my local lake. There was alot more action around the lake. The timber section that I'm so certain should be awesome in the morning hours has produced nothing. Last night there were alot of bass feeding. I seen several jump that had to be between 3-4lbs (which is big for this lake). However, once I got into position in the timber and started figuring things out, I only had 15 minutes to fish the area (the lake closes at sunset). Seven minutes were spent fighting a dink that I had to work out of the timber and get the hook out that she swallowed, but she ended my five trip skunk streak.

Just to clarify, by wind-blown banks, you mean the banks that the water/wind are pushing/blowing towards? This would be because the fish are staging and waiting for whatever is in the water to drift their way?

These are the reels I'm looking to buy, which would you choose: Browning® Fishing Citori® Baitcast Reels 5.4:1 12 LB/120 YDS DRAG POWER 17.6 LB CI10SLD LEFT-HAND RETRIEVE $99.99 Bass Pro Shops® Pro Qualifier® Baitcast Reels 5.2:1 12 LB/120 YDS DRAG POWER 10 LB PQX10SLD LEFT-HAND RETRIEVE $99.99 Bass Pro Shops® Extreme® Baitcast Reels 5.4:1 12 LB/120 YDS DRAG POWER 10 LB ETX10SLE LEFT-HAND RETRIEVE $79.99 I need some help with the rod selection, any advice?

Ok, so no wind is bad, but too much wind is bad. The show I was watching didn't specify how hard the wind was blowing, just said the wind was bad, and I got confused. I guess it makes better sense.

Where can I pick up this JJ's Magic? I checked the site, and it says the list of dealers is coming soon.

Is the point in a c-rig for the trailer to float or sit on the bottom? I could see it being both, but I've been testing my plastics on the shoreline, and it appears that my plastics all sit on the bottom. What are some good plastics that will help float on a c-rig?

Can someone explain this to me: I've heard calm/windless days are bad, because it creates a 'glass top'. Yet I've also heard windy days are bad (yet i don't know why). What's the deal?

What are your favorite fishing shows? I like Bill Dance and Basspros. I've learned alot from these shows. I also like City limits and Reel in the outdoors. For competition, I like the Bassmasters on ESPN, Ultimate Matching Fishing (some of those guys are hailairious!), and when FLW has a tournament on. I think ESPN has a profile special of the guys in the Classic today around 1100EST.

Looks like I'm going to buy those weighted hooks, lol. Like I remind everyone, I'm still new at this. I was working back in the cove with standing timber. Bluegill and bass were coming up all around us. One bass came up in an inaccessable area of timber; she had to be at least 3lbs (that would be huge for me). But I'm not getting any attention. Than I think about it; I've had my current Rage Tail Baby Craw on my hook for hours, the scent/flavor had to be gone. So I switch out, put on a fresh Rage Tail, and within the first few casts my skunk streak has ended (this streak was a 5 trip catching nothing at all skunk streak!). She didn't hit. I cast next to timber, let the craw sink, and then slowly started yo-yoing it back. Then I was within 3 ft of a laydown log and let the craw sink again. Popped it a little, and the line got tight. So I reeled down and set the hook. I still had to get over some laydown log piles and the standing log that she wrapped around. Doing all this while using a hand trolling motor in a 14ft john boat to keep me from drifting away from her. It took me about 5 minutes to reel in a little dink bass, lol. But this one dink bass taught me a lot in a 7 minute time period!

Mod, you're killing me, lol. I've been waiting to hear about your first trip out on her!

I finally ended the skunk streak, THANKS TO THE RAGE TAIL BABY CRAW! I rigged it weightless, pitched it around timber, slowly popped it up and down. it was small, probably 12", but heck, anything is better than nothing at this point! I took me a couple minutes to reel him in, he got wrapped around a stump and I had to work him back around, it was a good learning experience.