Leaderboard

Remember when you didn't have a scale? Fish were bigger then.

Remember when you only owned one combo and you referred to as your rod n reel.

Remember when ~ Blue Stren was Very Good Line. ~ You Never Ever sharpened a hook and forget about upgrading stock trebles. ~ Picking night crawlers off the lawn at night was almost as much fun as fishing. ~ putting fish on a stringer was the coolest thing ever . . . . A-Jay

So I've been fishing as a co-angler for a few years now and thought I'd share a few tips for those who fish as co-anglers or may be thinking of doing so. I've seen some discouraging things posted about getting into BFL's as a co-angler in the past. Things such as if you don't have a boater to link with your chances of getting in are low. I do not link with a boater and I get into every one I register for. So here is my advice on that register early don't wait til the last minute. I register for every one online and usually do it like 4 weeks or so before the tournament I always start on the waiting list but I'm always confirmed a couple of weeks before the tournament. No worries this way. If you insist on registering the Friday before the tournament get there early. Registration typically runs from 4-6 followed by pairings and a meeting at 6:30. Don't show up at 6 and expect to get a boater. I see people do this at almost every tournament. The early bird gets the worm. When you meet with your boater, here is what I suggest first give him money for fuel. It is costly to tow a boat and to run the boat, do your part to help him. Also I always offer to bring ice and ask if there is anything else he needs. You're going to be on the water with this guy in his boat for 8 plus hours make sure you do your part so he's not upset with you for not doing so. Find out what his game plan is for the tournament and prepare your rods and takcle accordingly. I do have my own boat and I do prefish however if you do this understand you are more or less just getting a feel for what's going on in the lake and the layout of the lake if you haven't been there before. You will be fishing his spots. I always let my boater know I have prefished and what I found. I have yet had a boater want to go to my spots which is what I expect but I always offer the info. An example of this is a few months back my boater and I both prefished but found fish at the opposite end of the lake. I found them cranking rocks and he found them flipping reeds. We flipped reeds all day. If you are meeting your boater at the lake be there before him to help him launch the boat and hopefully you know how to back a trailor. You have to be versatile as a co-angler. We all have our own styles and our own strengths but be prepared his may not be what yours are. Do not fish with the exact same thing he is. I suggest the same type of bait but a different presentation. If he's good he's gonna pick off the easy fish. Also pay attention to how he's fish and adjust accordingly. An example of this in the last tournament I fished my boater pitched a brush hog 90% of the day. I fished behind him with a jig and a senko. Just my 2 cents hope it helps someone.

Well i left home around 5pm to go to a small pond. I had a 10in big bite bait worm that was dark colored because of the dark water. I had it t-rigged. I casted along the bank that has a lot of rocks along it and on my 3rd cast i felt a nice big thump and so i pulled in about a 15incher. That is how the whole evening went. From 5-9 i caught 17 13-15 inchers on this rig and 3 others on another rig. I havent had such a good evening in a long time!

Yes. A Mitchell 408 of course...but paired with a matching Conolon rod instead of a Silaflex. This combo is still being fished every once and a while nearly 50 years after I saved enough money to buy it. The below photo from last year... Yes. These were fished mostly in the mid-1980s but a couple were fished off and on until just a few years ago. Two of the below reels have since been eBay'd (one 35 and one 40 size) but I've still got the other seven. AND, I'm getting ready to put one back in service... Were Sigmas good reels? About 9 pounds good - this back in February 2011. Thanks for the memories !

I fish at night all summer from a canoe. Here's my advice. Wear your Life Jacket (PFD) all night. Tell someone where you're going, when you'll be back and who to call if you don't show up. Have at least 1 back up light - a red lens on the light/head lamp will help with your night vision. It really helps to know the water you plan on fishing at night very well. - the better you know it - the safer and more successful you'll be. A good way to get your feet wet on night ops is to get to a lake you're familiar with a couple of hours before sunset. Fish the spots you plan on visiting at night. Stay as night falls and then go fish the same spots again in the dark. You might find out that most everything looks different in the dark. Your depth perception is challenged. You'll need to know exactly where you are, what your looking at, which way your boat is facing and how far the target you're casting to is. Otherwise, you'll be launching casts into places you'd never think of doing during the day; Over docks, into trees, 50 ft up the bank - you get the idea. As for moon lit nights; for me dark nights are better fishing. Moonlight nights with cloud cover are good too. Full Bright moon is like the sun - so fish it that way. Look for shadow lines . Fishing docks can be good too. It's a different world but the fishing can be rewarding. One last thing, being a successful night time bass angler definitely made be better during the day. Good Luck A-Jay

I caught a 7.3 largemouth that hit a 2lb largemouth that hit a LC pointer. So technically I caught it on live bait. But it still counts to me!

I'd say Senkos (or knockoffs) in 3", 4", 5" sizes.

Send it to Grantman. I hear he likes short rods.

You wouldn't last 2 seconds down here with mono on a frog.

The words secret, fishing, hunting, and girl-friend should never be used in the same sentence or you're just fooling yourself.

http://www.riverbassin.com/what-the-heck-kinda-bass-is-that/ Only someone who has never caught a spot would think that's a spot.

If your going as light as 1/8 use a spinning set up. For me buying rods and reels is more of an addiction. I have more than enough gear, but I just love researching and buying new stuff almost as much as fishing.

Hi LakeNormanFishing, Shore fishers usually only take one or two rods. It is the boat fishers that carry a lot of rods. I usually carry about 8 rods that are on deck for fishing. I have 3 spinning rods and 4 bait casting rods. Why so many? Because it saves time and helps to catch more fish. For instants, If I am fishing a worm or other plastic and all of a sudden Bass break the surface chasing shad. I can quickly pick up a shallow running crank, jerk, or spinner bait and cast into the action. Most times I will hook up. Other times I might be fishing a worm and can pick up another rod with a Senko with out having to take the time to retie a new bait. For someone like you I would suggest two rods. One for plastics and one for everything else. I would rig the second rod with a snap so it is quick to change lures. I would also buy spinner baits with a twisted tie. They work better with a snap. Frank

Good to see that there are quite a few people on here that really do like their Quantums. And as far as reviews on products, if you haven't fished it, don't review it. And picking one up in a tacklestore and playing with it doesn't qualify. I don't give reviews until I take it out, use it a few times, and get a good feeling for it. And fyi, off topic, have a couple Shimano Torium saltwater reels, everyone bashed my Newells for years, well the 2 Toriums are in a box because they couldn't hold up, my Newells that are almost 20yrs old, still going strong. But love fishing Quantum reels, have no problem with their braking systems, and all handle what I expect and require them to do without fail.

I think the Curado I is a great quality baitcaster. It is easy to use and will perform well. There's few, if any, better reels for the price.

If you're fishing heavy cover with 8lb line, it's not the line. It has better abrasion resistance, in relation to diameter, than mono or braid.

3/8 Cavitron, I prefer black but will occasionally use black also

I remember when my friend's were jealous because I got a brand new Zebco 33 for my birthday. I also remember when a Beetle Spin could catch anything. Didn't need realistic crankbaits and "wacky" rigs, just a jighead and spinner with some kind of small plastic.

HAHAHAHAHA !

All on a 3/8oz black on black Cavitron the very first one I ever owned, the very first time I took it out of the package

X3 If you can find a way to catch a bass on a Senko there's either no bass there or you need to take up golf.

So true, a $30 dollar baitcaster is going to be crap no matter what country its made it.. China, Japan, Germany, the U.S. or Mars..

Or a 12 string bass.

No. Spinnerbaits can be fished at various speeds and you can adjust your cranking rate to achieve the desired speed.

I try to always be helpful and I post all of my "secrets" right here at BassResource.com If you are interested in ledge fishing, especially on the Tennessee River, I have a new post in "Fishing Reports" detailing this weekend's adventure. We tore 'em up! -Kent

IMO Chronarch and Stradic level performance is all you need from the Shimano line. Beyond that all you really get is exclusiveness in ownership, slight differences here and there, tighter tolerances and tooling (but not equivalent to the price difference), and better looks. Look at the decks of a lot of the Shimano pro staffers during tournaments ... lots of Stradics being used especially on the drop shot lakes. Same can be said for the Core/Metanium vs Chronarch. It would be nice to have a deck full of Metaniums, Conquests, Antares, and Cores. However their mid level offerings are hard to beat when price, performance, longevity, and quality are all factored in.

Twice as much as your plane ticket costs. You say 320 for the ticket then save 650 an you'll be "safe".

Just read this. I was on Van Sciver on Saturday. I was fishing off shore with a shakey head and dropshot set ups and did well. Look for spots that where the depth comes up to 10 feet. There are tons of them. White perch breaking all over the place. The bass are down deep. If fishing the bank we do well on t-rigged creature baits running down the deep side of the weeds. If they hit it will be near the bottom. 5 inch senkos also if the wind is calm. Let it go all the way to the bottom. Good luck!

For a 4 " Senko, a 3/0 offset round bend is hard to beat !

Thanks bud, I'm wanting to save up and get a Smoke but that'll be a while. I may just wait until next year so I can get it for $100.

some great ones mentioned.. Neil Young should be mentioned. if you've ever seen him live...you would know where i am coming from.

What is your favorite plastic? (who makes it, price, where you bought, color?) Reaction Innovations Beaver, 5-6$, tons of vendors, Magic Craw Under what circumstances will you throw any type of plastic? Ice out to Ice up on a Jig, shakey head, pitched into cover, open water, deep structure, everywhere How do you determine what color and type of plastic you will throw? Also, what determines if it gets some sort of weighting? Water clarity and/or weather/sky conditions. Cover and how much it takes to get in and out of it. Open water I generally throw it on a shakey head or a 5/16oz tungsten weight. The smallie beaver is a bait I use on a shakey head and in open water more than in cover and it gets more bites depending on the time of year. The large ones I usually always use in grass, wood, laydowns, brush, etc. What hook do you recommend for certain plastics?(who makes it, size) This could go on and on forever as there are thousands of variables like rod, line, cover, etc. For example, I won't use the same hook on a 3 power rod for a smallie beaver as I will on a 5 power rod. Pertaining to the bait described in this post, I use the following hooks: Secret Lures Widegap shakey head 4/0 Gama heavy cover flipping hook 3/0 VMC flipping hook 3/0 EWG and bend the hook point out 1-2 degrees Are there any plastics that you've tried that you do NOT suggest? Havoc Jerk Shad. Awful action. Has the durability of dry sand. Don't bite the tip off to get it on a swim jig. The taste is the foul. Are there any lure specific plastics that get a certain rod? I have a ton of different rods for different plastics based on how and where I'm throwing them. What techniques do you use for your selected plastic? Any tips here would be great for readers! I answered this in the hook portion If there is anything else you wish to add to further the "knowledge" of your favorite plastic, do so here! Most, if not all, soft plastics will catch fish better than others at some point.

My favorite spinning combo that I bought when I first got into bass fishing was a St. Croix Triumph rod and Shimano Sedona.. Nothing special, but expensive for me back then. I dropped it into the lake after the most amazing day of smallmouth spawn fishing on my way back to the launch..not even fishing. I marked the spot on my electronics, and came back in the spring. Dove down again and again, and after about 10 minutes came back with my rod. I felt like a complete hero. That lake has extremely clear water, so I felt good about going in. I also had a friend that lost a rod on the same lake due to a fish grabbing a lure that was hanging out of the jon boat, and pulled the rod into the water. I found the rod at the other end of the lake in about 7 FOW one day while out fishing. I snagged it with a jig and brought it home to him. He thought I was joking when I called him.

If you're that worried about it, just give us a list of the lakes that you don't want us to fish!

The Saros (one step below the Stradic is where the worm gear oscillation comes into play which is a good step up.

I am not saying he isn't or shouldn't make the hall of fame just merely pointing out that him being in a big market helped out a lot and his numbers aren't that much better than others out there. Longevity definitely helps.

So you wasted $30. The problem is not where it was made but with what and how it was made.

You are definitely NOT crazy and I believe it is natural for us to gravitate to what we are comfortable with. The most important thing is to produce with what you use. This made me reflect on my collection of rods/reels. When I first began fishing I was fortunate enough to go on a charter with an FLW pro (John Cox) and I asked him what rod/reel combo would be best to begin with. It was a 6'6" MH spinning. Because he was using all Abu Garcia that is what I invested in. To date I still use that rod/reel as my go-to. I have expanded my collection since then but they all have to provide the same "feel" as that rod/reel does when presenting my lures.

I fish nothing but braid and spinning with any lure of my choosing for anything that has fins. Finesse and power are cockandbull terms, put a lure on and work it the way it should be worked, nothing more to it.

Now you're stealing my material as well as my spots.

A warranty is only as good as the name on the box. I can get a good look at T-bone steak by sticking my head up a bulls butt but I'd rather take the butchers word for it. Edit: Credit it to Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Fishing Rod warranties are like being on a wild Roller coaster ride . . . . . When you get off you realize all your money flew out of your pockets . . . . . A-Jay

Be patient OP. Fall is coming. Your buzzbait will make you happy soon.

I keep all of my receipts. If my wife ever finds them, I'm gonna die.

Yeah I thought the first was a largemouth but thinking smallie after looking at the jaw more... But I could count the smallies I've caught on one hand haha

First might be a large mouth kinda hard to tell but the second is without a doubt smallmouth

You two maybe practicing serial killers.........just sayin'. lol

Do you guys realize that you have to be smarter than a boater if you bank fish? When in a boat you can maneuver around; run from spot to spot; have ten or more setups ready to throw; take along 500 pounds of tackle; and hit every spot from ten different angles to try to get a strike. When on the bank you are limited in your movements; limited in hitting different spots; can take four setups ready to throw; have to be knowledgeable and take only 1 pound of tackle; and hit every spot from two or three angles at the most. Bank fishermen have to understand how the weather impacts their fishing; what to wear; how to retrieve snagged lures; watch out for animals on land and at your feet; and use a limited number of techniques depending on the bank and foliage around you. When a bank fisherman gets to fish from a bass boat for the first time it is like being released from a jail cell. All the space in the world and so many places to fish it can drive you nuts. The most important factor for bank fisherman to understand is that bass are bass and their instincts are the same be in a river, lake or pond. You may not be able to throw five different baits from ten different angles at a submerged tree from the bank, so bank fishermen have to be savvy as to what should produce a strike and from what angle. So to throw my two cents into the discussion, what ever you learn from the guys and gals on the Forum will work from a boat or the bank. it is your responsibility to determine the pattern for the day and take advantage of it as best you can.