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First off, I love fishing with my Son. I find nothing better than heading out with him, and seeing him do well. Today is his first Monday off after school ended, so we went to a local spot near where I live. We had been there the past couple days, and the bite has been tough. He managed to catch something yesterday, while I was skunked, and then the bite shut off completely. This morning we went out, and threw everything we had at them. Nothing. Not a bite or nibble. He had managed to snag his line twice under rocks, and once in a tree, losing 3 hooks, plastics etc. Not wanting to tie anything else on and do a little fishing myself, I put a pink fluke on his line. Thinking..."yea, throw this....It shouldn't get hung up in anything" I quickly showed him how i'd fish it, and let him have at it. I really didn't expect much, and figured I could get a few more casts in before we had to go. Less than a minute later he says "I've got something!" Sure enough, there's a really nice bass heading towards the surface. He reels him in, yup! He landed a really nice 4lber. (Bigger than anything i've caught to date in the year we've been fishing). I suppose that's Karma showing me anything can happen, even on a lure I had zero confidence in. haha.

There's a lot to be said for the sound of silence.

Spent the last week down in Riviera Maya and had a change to get offshore a couple days. The billfishing was a little slower than we had hoped but we still managed to land 1 each. And of course we had the by catches of Dorado( Mahi-Mahi) and Barracuda as well. I caught my first ever White Marlin, first fish of the first day. So now I have caught 3 of the 4 in the Marlin family, just looking for that black! Our numbers ended up like this for the 2 days: (1) White Marlin, (1) Sailfish, (13) Dorado and (7) Barracuda. Here are the pics and videos, including a triple on Dorado and a hookup and snapoff on a Barracuda all at the same time! Jeff \

You went wrong by pulling on it first. That tightens the knots and loops. Once fluoro is kinked like that it's junk. Bite the bullet and cut it off. When you re-spool, pull off 1 1/2 casts worth of line and run a strip of electrical tape around the spool. That will keep any inevitable backlashes from getting too deep.

Update: I dedicated the entire weekend to fishing the drop shot. Taking the tips from this post I was able to catch a bunch of bass. In brief here is what I did which made the difference for me ... 1 - Leader length. My lengths were too short. I lengthened to about a foot. 2 - Weight - I was using too light a weight. I up'd it to 1/4 oz - 3/8oz based on depth. This ensured that #1 - I can clearly feel the weight, #2 - allowed me to lose slack in the line when I reeled it tight. 3 - Presentation - Having lost the slack I can tell that I am working the worm and not the weight. Dragging the weight when i am ready to move the lure. 4 - hook set - There is "none". When I went out on friday each time I thought I got a bite I would go to "set the hook". I lost more than I caught. I watched a video on the drop shot and remembered the reel and put pressure method. The next 2 days I missed just one. The bite was really tough. I would feel pressure and not a "tick" on the line most of the time. Thanks to ALL who posted. Oh and by the way ... I used the small Power Worm dipped in chartreuse dye. Caught ALL my fish on that.

Shoot, If I were catching one fish for everyy 20 or 30 casts, I'd think I was in heaven and if so, I'd be listening to the angeles singing.

I personally don't, but I know why someone would. For me it's about doing a complete 180 from everything else in my life. I can listen to music while I work, and having 3 kids, it's ALWAYS noisy. I like to unplug and just appreciate the outdoors. Also, I want to know if someone is walking up behind me.

I will agree with your comment about Gene helping by suggesting that the OP watch his video (we all know how great and informative his video's are). However with the OP's response of "but Im not looking to watch a video, i joined to actually get some help and opinons.", it seems increasingly more difficult to help someone that won't help themselves. Just an observation.

don't know if anyone caught it, but russ lane was boating a giant in the ttbc on tv and his reel was sporting a hawg tech handle. not 100% sure if it was a hawg tech but i believe it was.

I fish primarily from shore and almost exclusively by myself. I also love music. I am reluctant to listen to music through headphones while fishing simply because I use all my senses including listening to make decisions while fishing. On the other hand, I think music would help ease the boredom of cast after cast. Not that I think fishing is boring, but you know how it is when you're fishing for hours by yourself and catching a fish once every 20 or 30 casts. Thoughts?

She ate the Rage Blade and Eeliminator trailer SLOWLY swimming it over 16 ft brush and rocks near the drop... Blade was 1/2oz Sexy Shad color and Blue Glimmer Eeliminator, 25lb fluoro.

Go to walmart and buy yourself a bulk spool of Berkley Big Game mono. Cheap to learn on and it's actually decent line.

IMHO I think braided line is best for learning to use a baitcaster because it has little memory and is more forgiving when you backlash, as in it won't kink up and turn to junk like DVT mentioned

You guys sure do assume the worst. I can't think of any kid I know who wouldn't feel horrible about the situation after a stern talking to from a stranger. Most likely the kids felt bad, and won't do it again. I think you did the right thing by talking to them, but I don't like how everybody here assumes it went in one ear and out the other. When I was their age (which was only a few years ago!) you can bet that one stern talking to would have assured I never kept a fish out of the water longer than necessary. Good job talking to them! Brian

Troll the line behind the boat for a few minutes (without anything on it....not even a clip). That will take out any twist that was on it. Then apply KVD Line Conditioner to the spool as you reel it back in. I usually spray the reel two or three times as I retrieve it that way. Tie on your favorite lure and go fishing. That should solve your problem.

On the contrary, much of what I write is for the benefit of novice anglers. It's the novice who's most vulnerable to misinformation, false notions and misnomers. The best service a BR member can offer is to deliver the facts, tell it like it is, and allow the reader form his own opinion. I think I speak for most anglers when I say that we welcome the facts, but are intimidated by misinformation. (BTW: I have lots of dacron braid in my line drawer, but back on track: I also have nylon braid - nylon mono - fluoro mono & copoly cofilament) Roger

find the fish bite better when I am rolling some Jawga Boys Bottleneck Mikel Knight or Earl Dibbles Jr.

Always someone ready to show how smart they are. Quite obvious what "mono" means in the bass fishing industry.. really do not need this confusing the newbies. Dacron vs braid? Seriously? When is the last time you heard of someone using dacron in bass fishing? 1962?

My biggest of the day, thanks for holding my phone upside down shane

Nothing like a good ole' top water strike!

Pics of the girlfriend jumping in or it didn't happen....Sounds like an eventful first outing man and you landed 2 Lmbs. Goodjob and Goodluck on your future fishing adventures!

Try this: Clear Water - Watermelon Stained Water - Green Pumpkin with Black Flake Dirty Water - Blue or Black Keep it simple.

Them boys needed a little old school belt-to-butt communication

When you get right down to it life is never fair. Never will be.

I am no pro fisher, but the fluke is one of my go to's on the lake, especially on sunny days. I prefer a short 6 to 6'6" medium light rod with a fast tip loaded with no more than 10lb Ande spooled on a medium sized spinning reel. If you are going to be in deep cover, shift to light braid like STK mentioned. I rig it with EWG 3/0 to 5/0 (usually unweighted) hooks "texposed" on the 4" or 5" super flukes. I LOVE black over silver (Smokey Shad I think) and Pearl. But I keep a variety of other colors to match up with the fish want. If you can use a white of any type and get bites, that is my first suggestion. It makes things SO much easier when you can see the lure IMO (especially if you are just learning how to make them dance). Note that different colors DO have different body stiffnesses sometimes. There is a white with a chartruese tail that looks great, but is stiff as a board. I really look for a few places to fish the fluke (we have little grass, no lilly pads, etc on my home lake). I love the fluke during the summer right up on the bank, UNDER overhanging brush with laydowns in the water. Ideally, I want to put the fluke where you would never even try to put a crank or most other lures in general. 99% of the time I am using an underhand whip cast, skipping the lure back into the bank / into a log / into a rock - whatever happens to be there I want to hit it or stop just next to it. I try to always target structure in the shade this time of year with the fluke. Once in the water I like to give a few seconds of dead sticking then give a small twitch just as soon as i have regained all the slack. Often this is when you will get hit. Note - I mean a small twitch. Not a drag like you are working a carolina rig worm, or a hop like a jig. Just a tiny twitch. Think all wrist, no elbow movement - I usually end up just rotating my wrist snapping the tip from strait ahead of me towards 7/8 oclock. This is part of the reason why i like a fast tip. If you do the twitch right, the fluke should give a quick dart looking just like a dazed baitfish. Practice getting this perfect in open clear water, as to me this IS the key to working a fluke with success. If this first twitch has no luck, give it a few seconds to sit and then twitch a couple more times. Generally if I haven't been hit by now, I start looking to slowly work the lure back off the bank. I like to keep the fluke high in the column, and moving slowly with stop an go twitches and I add in a dart. By dart think more like an extended twitch where you make the fluke swim forward a foot or two by giving a smooth but rapid pull on the rod from center to 7/8 oclock again (or 3/4 depending on which direction you are moving obviously). Remember you are trying to make the fluke look like an injured baitfish, watch how it looks and work on your technique until you can literally feel how the lure is reacting under the surface. That becomes key with dark colors or fishing deep. If you are in shallow water and can see structure, obviously target it during your retrieve. Coming over a horizontal log with a dart then a twitch can be deadly! This is why I like fishing with whites when I can. It is much easier to see what the lure is doing, where its at, and when its been inhailed by a bass in the shadows if you have white on. Be careful, you can easily set the hook too quick if you see a fish hit; do your normal topwater wait to increase your number of hook ups. I also use these guys under docs or any solid structure. Again I get as far back as I can and apply all the basic strategies to fishing in terms of positions. Docks, boats, log jams, anything that looks "bassy" and has shade - I'm skipping a fluke into and waiting for action. Having the tip of the hook buried or flat on the surface gives you so much more access to nasty little spots where you would never think of putting something with a tacklebox full of exposed hooks hanging out. You just about can't hang these guys up, unless you wrap around a limb or get caught in a V etc. Having said all the above, if things are not getting hit - start exploring deeper in the water column by using a mix of A: slower action / longer dead sticking B: weighted hooks. My old fishing partner and I both caught tons of fish off flukes; he fished them deep and slow (and now loves senko's and honestly fished the flukes the same way he does senko's now) while I liked to keep it shallow and more active. Interestingly I was usually fishing the front of the boat and he the rear, and it worked well as I was getting the active feeders and he was often getting more tentative bass. Flukes are like that --- depending on what you need they can do it all. *Sometimes he would use the paddle tail version where as I almost always used the split tail. However, if I am fishing deep and slow, I do find better luck with the paddle tail. I could go on and on about these guys - but I think if you can take something from the above post you may find better success! Good luck and tight lines!

Wouldn't numbers mean you're really doing something right. If I caught 15 smaller ones wouldn't that mean that my bait, presentation, and lure selection is spot on?

Buzz chatter spinner baits I throw 12-14# NYLON monofilament lol

Theres only one way to find out. If youve already made the purchase, why not throw one? Theres no "constant" in fishing. That coulda been his day. Right place, at the right time, at the right window of opportunity. Now if that bait matches what the fish are feeding on in said water, theres a chance you may hook into one. Find the fish, and throw a few things at em. You never know what the day could hold for you.

This afternoon we headed out to Lake Winterset in the Winter Haven chain. There was thunder and lightning in the southern sky, so we knew we were leading with our chins, but for a change we didn't get drenched. While motoring through the canal between the islands I counted 10 boats heading back to the barn, they looked like a long string of big ugly pearls. I can just imagine the bottleneck they created at the Summit boat ramp. Today is only the 2nd day of summer, but I was surprised to learn that the bass are already heavily schooled. We witnessed a few whitewater blitzkriegs, on & off throughout the evening. Frankly, we lost more bass than we boated, but had a ball in the melee. On a high note, the bass we boated ran mostly between 2 and 4 lbs, which is unusual for schoolies. Most bass were taken on a bubblegum super fluke, but the biggest fell for a Deps Deathadder Grub (4lb 12oz). P.S. Compared to most lakes in central Florida, Lake Winterset is very clear and deep. Today at least, the key to location was pondweed patches mixed with open water for good chase visibility. By the way, pondweed is called 'cabbage' in Canada, and 'peppergrass' in Florida (same stuff). Water depth seemed to be secondary, but most bass today were taken in 6 to10-feet of water. Roger

I have a U.S. made Ardent 1000 I dearly love - it's caught a bunch of bass- I paid $249 for it - if they are no longer made here and are only $99 I figure you'll get something less than my old one.

Had a great day on Northwood Lake Saturday, the top water bite was wild first couple of hours, then the wacky rig worked. In all a good day took 2nd place with a 6.31lb bag. Just couldn't find a lunker, oh well off to Silver Lake in a couple weeks blind up there no Lake map on the GPS unfortunately.

First: GO USA!!! (watching match) I like Gamakatsu brand best. But I haven't tried them all so cannot comment on all. Brands I like: Gammy, BPS XPS, Daiichi, others... Things I like, for instance, with Gammy hooks is the eye is 99.9% of the time free of sharp or "non-smooth" parts which rub against a snell knot's pass through. I've tied snells and when tightening it down the line simply snaps. I recently bought some Daiichi and some of the hooks have bad eyes. Fine for a clinch or palomar, but not a snell. This may mean nothing to you, but it's just what I've found to be the case. BPS XPS hooks are good, but I find they can go dull and need to be sharpened. Can't beat them for the price in the 25 packs, though.

I expect to catch some over 5 lbs every time I go out. (Doesn't always happen.) I'm happiest when I figure out the 8 pounders and above. I catch enough 6-7s that although they are great fish, they don't do it for me. Big fish definitely are different. You need a mind set to be happy with just one bite/ fish in a day or two days or even a week of fishing. Then a magic day comes along that blows all others away, like one day we sat on a deep rock pile all day and caught close to 40 bass from 7-10 pounds.

Had a great time with Jitter yesterday, checking out a lake new to me. We were on fish immediately, doubling up with nice, healthy, chunky smallies on our very first casts of the day. The action didn't stay that hot all day, but we did have them figured out, boating many fiesty smallies all day. We managed (for the most part), to stay outta where we were only catching little guys, and went for the bigger bites. We didn't get into any hawgs yesterday, but sure had fun trying! Thanks again, pal, let's do it again! Obviously, our friend Jitter's fishing skills are better than his photography skills, but here's one from the day. (just kidding, buddy! Those sun shots can get ya!)

I went to the pub last night and saw a fat chick dancing on a table. I said, "Nice legs." The girl giggled and said, "Do you really think so." I said, "Definitely! Most tables would have collapsed by now."

I have read several of the reviews that TT has done. I must say that I take what they say with a grain of salt. I purchased a PQ about 4 years ago. I use it 4 or 5 days a week. I fish for 3 or 4 hours each outing. I like using reaction type baits so I am continually casting and winding. I fish from the bank and like traveling light so I only use one outfit. Since I'm fishing off the bank my outfit takes a bit of abuse. I have had to replace the pawl and worm gear on the reel because of this abuse. I put a few drops of oil in this reel every month or so. I break it down and clean it maybe once a year or less. Is this reel the best thing since sliced bread? No! But it is a tool. It works well enough and I see no reason to upgrade to anything more expensive.

I remember seeing a video on Tackle Warehouse's YouTube of Ish Monroe setting the hook so hard while punching, the fish would come flying out of the cover and Jared Lintener flinching lol.

Well she is Home, and taking a nap on a full stomach right now, I think I might just get lucky later,,,,aw I know what your all think'n and your right,,,,,,,,,,I'm already lucky!!! Anyway My deed for the week is done, and I am sure regardless how liucky I get later, she is happy, I surprised here when she walked in with this waiting on the stove,, Pulled Pork, Finishing Sauce, Gourmet Buns, Cole Slaw, and Pit Beans ready and wait'n!! The Sam Adams was for all my hard work,,,, she's a Light Lady!! Yep no matter what after this I got a couple weeks of fish'n and free time doin what I want when I want with her blessing!!!! For all you young guy's out there this is how it's done, anyone can be happily married for the duration, you just need to make a few power plays now and then,,,and this day has been one of those days, the play has been made!!

I would bet you are confused by now! Good luck young man.Tom

Isolated offshore structure/cover. You must get away from the bank.

Outdoorsmen should ALWAYS carry a knife and fishermen should ALWAYS carry pliers.

Since I'm fairly new to bass fishing I just look to catch numbers. Catching some big ones are awesome. But I have days when I catch none. I have thrown huge baits in order to land some of my biggest bass. But to me, catching any on a giving outing is a success.

I'll give it a shot Brian In my opinion, 'chart analysis' should begin by scanning the lake's perimeter for areas with the most widely-spaced contour lines, which form the structures we call Flats, Points, Shoals & Shelves. Vegetation and forage are most prolific on these broad shallow flats, which are appropriately dubbed 'food shelves'. Not surprisingly, food shelves with wind-protection provide the bedding flats and nursery grounds necessary for reproduction. The location where a fish hatches from the egg is imprinted in its brain. While bass choose their nest sites, the bedding flat is a product of natural retracement. Therefore, by isolating the broadest shelves we're dealing with lake sections with the most promising population dynamics...a good start. In short, the food shelf extends from the 0-ft depth line to an arbitrary depth that hinges on several variables. Once this arbitrary depth is exceeded, the terrain's value as a food shelf declines, and its value as a drop-off increases. 'Drop-offs' are quickly and easily isolated by their tightly stacked depth lines, which are also called compression points and convergence points. They form the structures we call Breaklines, Drop-offs & Slopes. The steeper and deeper the slope (gradient & differential) the more valuable the drop-off. Big bass in particular, eagerly lay claim to lairs that are adjacent to a drop-off, even if they never physically enter the abyss. Even without entering the deep water, game fish benefit from a drop-off in two ways: 1) Abrupt depth change limits the exploratory movement of residential fish like largemouth bass, which tend to aggregate along breaklines. 2) When forage is migrating from deep to shallower water, the drop-off acts like a wedge that funnels prey from all depths onto the shelf, augmenting the smorgasbord. Now for the Big Question: At what depth do we switch our search from wide-spaced contour lines (shelves) to crowded contour lines (drop-offs)? I refer to this as the 'pivot depth' and can't think of anything more critical to the success of chart analysis. Unfortunately, determining the correct pivot depth is not easy, requires field study and cover inspection. Moreover, it differs according to Species, Waterbody & Season. For example, all other things equal, the pivot depth of walleyes is significantly deeper than the pivot depth of muskellunge. With respect to different waterbodies, the pivot depth of largemouth bass in natural lakes typically hinges on the depth of the outer weedline, which is variable. In manmade reservoirs however, the pivot point could hinge on stump-field depth (cutover ledge) or a transition in bottom substrate which typically follows a constant stratum around the lake. 'Season' is another variable that affects the pivot point between the end of the food-shelf and the beginning of the drop-off, especially in natural lakes. There's a whole lot more of course, but hopefully this provides at least a framework for chart analysis. Roger

Upgrade the drag to Carbontex. I may have a kit in stock if you want to email me the model details. AS for the spring I think that's for the Bait clicker. You'll have to fiddle with it. I can put it in but couldn't begin to explain it here. If you don't have one, get online and find a Schematic for any reel before opening it.

group 29 deep cycle marine. walmart has a everstart or everlast for $99. i got all of mine from a interstate battery shop. $60 for blems.

Or go to Wal-Mart and get the size you need with the understanding that if there is a problem Wal-Mart will replace the battery. Retain your receipt in a safe place where you know it is so you can use it if you have to return the battery.

OK, I just looked up Surf to Summit and looked at their site. Interesting! So someone could buy a cheap plastic kayak that comes with a cheap seat and then pitch the seat and buy a nice one.

1) With the hook in the gullet, note which side of the fish's mouth the hook shank is toward. Note: For illustration sake, the line is eliminated here in steps 2 through 5. In reality, the line stays connected as this technique is performed. (2) With a finger or two, reach in through the last gill arch on that side of the fish and push and pull down on the hookeye so the hook turns and . . . (3) rolls out below the gill toward the side of the fish. At that point, amazingly, the hook, barb and all, almost always pops free from its hold in the fish's gullet. (4) Reach into the fish's mouth and grip the bend in the hook (which is now up) and . . . (5) lift it free. If the fish's mouth is too small to reach in with your hand, use a needle-nose pliers to grip the hook bend. What needs to be emphasized is how resilient a fish's gills actually are -- far from being the fragile organs often suggest by some sources. And the occasional bleeding fish? Does it have to be kept? Just get the fish back into the water as soon as possible and, more often than not, the bleeding stops. The technique also works superbly on walleyes, smallmouths, and other fish, usually taken on smaller hooks, often salmon-style hooks.