JCrzy4Bass

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Well I guess it comes down to hook sharpness more than anything. I will be investing in a hook sharpener tommorrow morning when I hit Walmart if I can find one before I make my way over to Burke Lake again. If not I'll find a filer or something to sharpen it. Anyway as far as: "One question no one has asked is, what reel are you using?" SONORA FA Model Line Retrieve Per Crank (in.) Line Capacity (# Test/Yards) Max Drag (lbs.) Ball Bearings Roller Bearings Gear Ratio Weight (oz.) SON1500FA 24 4/170, 6/130, 8/90 9.0 2 1 5.2:1 9.6 SON2500FA 26 6/200, 8/140, 10/120 11.0 2 1 5.2:1 9.8 SON4000FA 28 8/240, 10/200, 12/160 17.0 2 1 5.1:1 12.7 I'm using the 4000 model. Gear ratio is 5:1:1 What is the best type of gear ratio to have for using spinnerbaits on spinning gear?

Thanks Sam and Bt I appreciate all the help, confidence builders, and information. You guys rock. I'm going to look up those trailer baits and give it a shot (can't hurt). Also I am more than likely going to buy a baitcaster reel for my new rod (two reels, one spinning and one baitcasting) and switch that and the new spinning reel I buy back and forth as I need to based off jigging and spinnerbait needs. I know this will improve my casting distance (baitcaster reel) once I get the hang of it, and allow me to pitch and flip easier for my jigs. Can't wait til' I have the money lol. Later guys. Yea Bt it is one of those unsolved, unexplained mysteries.

I can't say how I feel about him on here or I'd probably be banned. As a pet owner and a dog lover I feel it is cruel, inhumane and even outright wrong to be involved with any sort of doings in this so called "sport". It is a way for guys who have money to get there rocks off. I'd like to see one of them get in a ring with some of these trained pitbulls with nothing but their hands and defense tactics, no weapons and see how they do. I think Vick should never play the game again and feel just like BassChaser. Sports figures are suppossed to set examples but rarely do we see many guys who do. When a football player can get away with murder, weapon charges, animal cruelty, etc thats bs. Vick will get his in prison.

I didn't see the show, but guessing as bass typically eat a lot of bait fish and especially here on the potomac (shad), I would go with the shad answer? Someone will probably come on here and school me though. I honestly have no clue. It's just a guess. But I thought that it really differs as to location, climate, available forage, etc... that Bill Dance, he's a smart dude.

I haven't started using trailer hooks yet because I've never needed them before, but have gotten more and more interested in them since I've been losing this many fish, but to be honest and stupid... I don't know how to set up the trailer hook. I haven't sharpened the hooks, what are some good common tools for this? Or do I have to buy something from a fishing department to do so? I mainly use Berkley Trilene Xtra Strength 12lb test on this rod, but sometimes I use Spiderwire 10lb Mono, just the two favorite I've come across since I started fishing and tried numerous brands (keep in mind this is my one bass pole right now and I primarily use it for plastics and spinnerbaits, and topwater crankbaits). I'm buying a jig pole MH, and braided line for it sometime in October as using heavy jigs with this pole is pretty hard since it is ML and heavier lure weight is not desirable for it. I know the mono has more stretch so the hookset can be harder but as of now I'm using the trilene, and normally only throw spinners if I have this line on it. If not I'm working plastics more so. My pole is 6'6" and I actually don't like anything larger because I'm relatively short and it becomes uncomfortable working a rod that is any larger than that. I am setting the hook pretty darn hard (almost threw the pole behind me today) and keeping the tip up quite a bit because I have to stand in front of a rail to cast into this pond unless I want to get TONS of poison ivy from the infested shoreline, or bit by snakes and spiders in the high grass. It's just a thing at this pond. I swear that the bass are on steroids or just taunt the bejesus out of you!

So check it out. I have this neighborhood pond I fish almost once a week, sometimes more. I have caught numerous lmb in it all pretty small, no more than 1/4-1/2 a lb. I have caught all of them on ribbon tail worms and senkos. However, if you toss a spinner on in a chat color and work it around the pads and around the algae beds you can ALWAYS get one to hit HARD. I normally get one or two. One day I went out lost two big ones, another day I lost one, today finally set me off, I reeled in slack and hooked this guy as hard as I could. He ran all over the pond for about 20-25 seconds, pulling him through an algae bed up front (very sparse cover) and he throws the hook. 4th Time this has happend to me here at this pond. In all other bodies of water I've only lost two on spinners and normally can reel em' in easily no prob. It's just this pond, on this one bait. I have such bad luck. I go out there with confidence and throw that bait, get the hits and good hooksets but can't land the fish. It just gets frustrating when you know you are doing everything you can and get jipped every time. Blah. Sorry just venting and seeing if anyone could share what they did if this ever happend with them.

Thanks alot for the tips basspro. Hopefully with your tips and knowledge on the subject and with my new gear next spring I can try and add a new technique to my arsenal and start to pull up bigger fish. I really appreciate you taking the time to throw in your two cents on the things I need and should know to get started fishing this way. Later bud. Hope to see more great catches of yours like that in the future.

Man I got a pond that looks just like that 5 mins down the road and it gets NO PRESSURE. I haven't bought a jig rod yet but there are TONS of pads on the left side of the lake where I see BIG fish come up for for baitfish and such. I never can get in the thick of it cause I'm mainly a plastics guy with little experience (started early this summer). However, I'm buying my first rod and braided line primarily for jig fishing sometime in November. Might get a half a month or a full month depending on the weather and if it stays as hot as it did last year in December. How do you fish those pads? So you can just pitch weedless plastics weightless into those pads too? I just figured I'd get caught up like crazy if I tried that. Guess you gotta have a lot of casting accuracy to hit spots dead on like that with those. Ps: GYCB are MONEY! I have tungsten weights and PLENTY of jigs but I mainly fish sparse cover with them. Do you just put it in a hole, hop it right there in one spot wait for a hit then reel in and try another? I know you can catch some big fish with jigs in pads because I was watching the FLW Tour on the Potomac and one guy was getting in the thick of it with a jig and punishing it. Any pointers would be appreciated. My biggest bass is only 2.5lbs so if I caught one of those I'd probably faint. Those are some NICE fish guys. Good job out there. Way to find a hole and really kill it.

I wasn't being sarcastic at all if it came out that way, my mistake. Yea my friend Troy caught a three lber off one of our local lakes on a dragonfly he got from bass pro. It looked so fun, makes me want to learn. Today I was panfishing in a creek and caught a 1/2 lb bass on a trout worm (orange). So yea, if you want to put in the time and investment by all means it makes for GREAT fishing.

lol. As my friend Troy would say... take up fly fishing , but honestly as a beginner/newbie first year out type guy only answer I could say is running a crankbait (match the hatch) as fast as you can through the action and see what happens. I suck using crankbaits but I've heard nothin' other than good things from other people who use this technique.

All of my bites have come while I was swimming it. Slow retrieves work very well allowing it to sink while you reel (I use weightless most of the time). By slow I mean so slow the second hand on a clock ticks 3-4 times per rotation of the reel handle. I've caught a few with a split shot pegged about 6-8" away from the hook (large split shot). I find that this is enough weight for me as I normally fish it around fallen trees close to shoreline or inside of grass and weed cover. I agree with it being more durable than the regular senko. I only find myself replacing the bait once per 2-3 fish depending on how hard the bite is and what happens with the worm after the bite. My favorite colors are Pumpkinseed, Dark Green with Yellow Specs, and White with Blue Specks. Another great plastic production brought to you by none other than GARY!!!

Ahhhh... the old Bill Buckner joke. I am a die hard sox fan, and while we have always had a rough go of things I will always stick by em'. While the modo goes "they'll break your heart", they always give us hope. That Yankees series will never be forgotten and is in the history books now. Anyone in the Baltimore area (va, md, dc), knows when you go to a Orioles game, the bleachers and seats are a field of red jersey's and not a Oriole fan is in site. It's pretty awesome that I was able to move down here and still be part of my home team crowd! Pretty sad for the O's I must say though lol. Ps: I WANNA SMALLMOUTH FISH ON LAKE WINI!!!!

My dad bought his first bass boat back about 2 months ago. It is an aluminum Lowe's boat with a 25hp Evinrude gas powered motor. We have a Bill Dance trolling motor and are working to get the new battery addapted to it as we speak. Hope to try it out in the Potomac on Sunday and have it work great. We named her: "Reely Hooked". You can see a picture of it in one of the Occoquan Threads in the South East Region Forum. It should be on the first page.

Welcome to the boards Michelle. I was born and raised til' I was 9 or so in Lowell, Massachussetts. Spent a lot of time in Tyngsboro, Dracut, Chelmsford, Westford area, etc. Whereabouts in Mass? Nice bass in the avatar, looks like you didn't come here as a newb like I did. Got some experience lol. Anyway, wish I was back up there to fish some of that clear New England water. I miss it. Even though I didn't fish til last year, I bet I missed out on a lot not doing it as a kid up there. Good to have ya around. Lots of info is definately correct. These guys are practically raising me as a fisherman. Tight lines.

Awesome job Tpayne! What did your partner catch the hog on? Wish the Occoquan was that nice to me. It's the most consistent place I fish but I never manage the big ones. Biggest has only been 2lbs there skipping a weightless worm under a dock. I plan on working a bit harder on my structure fishing there, and going for deeper water at least for the rest of these hot months here. Hopefully I can put together some patterns up there like you guys did. Job well done guys, keep it coming!

Nothin' like you and your bud shootin' the breeze on the water with a beautiful lake view like that. Helps to catch fish like those too. Way to find a pattern and stick with it fellas! Nice fish!

Looks like a beautiful lake, where is it? The only lake I know of that beautiful that I've been to is New Hampshires Lake Winnepesaukee. Nice fish too. Never tried Lucky Craft lures but heard good things about em', after seeing so many pics of fish caught on here with their cranks I'm tempted to try one or two of em' out. Maybe next season since I really haven't focused on cranks that much this year. Keep catchin boys!

Thanks for the info RoadWarrior. I appreciate it, I'll look into grabing a couple more huskies before I head out in case I get hung up and I'll try and see if I can't find those colors.

What I meant was "or do you fish it into current and pull back against it"?

Hey guys, I've only fished for smallies one time and I plan on going back to the Rappahanock River in Fredericksburg Va one day next month with a few friends. I used senkos (that were too large) last time out, and jigs. I threw mostly into small holes and the only fish I caught was a rock bass. Anyway, I was just curious, I have some nice Rapala Jerk Baits that I never use because I can never catch largemouth with them (my primary fish). But I heard they can work very well for smallmouth. How would you apply techniques with this bait in strong water current? Slow water? and in other situations you find yourselves in. I know with tubes (which I've yet to try), most people claim you are suppossed to be throwing them upstream and have them float back to you as you reel in slack. Is it the same concept with jerk baits or do you throw against current to get that more aggressive action when you twitch and jerk it? Also the water I will be fishing is normally COMPLETELY clear with rocky bottom, and me and my friend normally stand out in the middle of the stream casting. Any specific colors yous guys fish on jerk baits? I know there are minnows and rock bass, and perch in this water as we've seen all of them. While I'm at it, what size jigs do you guys normally use when fishing for smallies? I'm assuming in rocky bottoms and light brush you'd use a football head jig (which I have), but what size will the smallies take? Thanks for the help guys. Anyone who has any additional advice for fishing the tributaries of the rap and the small streams for smallies, I'd appreciate any help whatsoever as I'm new to this game and will only be doing it once a month or so, maybe twice depending on my work schedule and stuff at home.

Money PB on MONEY Strike King lures. Never fails. I'm an advocate of their Mini spinners with colorado and willow blades. My favorite is white/red skirt. I love the action of these spinners and the variety of retrieves you can do with them. I also think Kevin Van Dam's Signature model is a great spinner as well. Plan on using them this Sunday out at Lake Anna. GREAT fish man. I wish I could get one that big. My PB is MUCH smaller lol (2.5lbs). Makes me wanna try a chatterbait now. Too bad none of the stores by me sell that poison chatter except for Dicks and thats about a 25 minute ride. Maybe I'll drive up there next weekend now that I saw that toad. What kind of water did you catch it on? Rez, river, lake, or pond?

Pumpkinseed, Watermelon, Green senkos, Purple, earthworm

Thanks buddy. Yea I don't adjust mine except before I cast need be. I'll check out that Yo-Zuri line if we have any up in the stores I purchase from around here. I usually use trilene (xtra tough or regular) or spiderwire mono 10-12lb test. Thanks for all the help and info. I'll be looking into buying it with my next check Sept 1. Let you know what I think after I get a few trips in next month.

Also what is the difference between front/rear drag? I've never bought a reel with that. So the rod is probably ok as far as maybe getting the same one?