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Seriously?? I find baits in my boat that I don't even remember buying, let alone remember how many I have that have or haven't caught fish.

"Single Best Day On The Water" Everytime I think I've had it - Seems I have another one. A-Jay

I definetly agree. One of my favorite rods this year is an rx7 781sj rod. I bought the blank on close out for $27. With about $9 in cork and $25 in guides, alconites no less. It has seen probably the most use this year. Pairs with a pfluger supreme I bought for $40 on clearance. The whole combo came in at about $100. I don't think many people can say they put together a combo with a magnesium reel and a high quality blank with alconite guides for much less than that!!! The deals are out there people!! Nice build by the way

Yup...every year I have a couple of days that are "once in lifetime" type of days. Strangely enough, almost everyone of those days is doing something different than the last time I had "one of those days".

The day my daughter caught her first three fish-2 white perch and a crappie Numbers-More than 50 bass in 2 hours from my buddy's on a Torpedo Size-Recently caught 3 bass in a local reservoir, including a PB, over 5# in 2 hours. 2 on topwater. These are the times when you take someone back the next day and all you can say is "You shoulda been here yesterday."

A whole lot of the articles I read in various bass fishing books and magazines define finesse fishing as more a presentation style than a weight issue. I mean, War Eagle has 1/2 oz. finesse jigs. That's hardly a light weight. Hootie

I usually have 6-12 rods on the deck at a time so this certainly does not apply to me.

Are you talking about flathead or channel cat? I think you'll be fine. I've caught my fair share of cats with my gear. I had one heck of a battle with a 25lb flat head once on a medium power rod pflueger president spinning reel. I also boated a 3 1/2' hammer head shark last month on a 7' medium gander mt rod and 40 size pflueger arbor reel. It took me 20 minutes and was the funnest fight I've ever had.

One morning, 83 fish, most over 4lbs, including 2 over 10. Got to the point where you would raise your rod over your head and try to make the fish jump. If it wasn't over 7lbs, you gave it slack to try and get free. Never again have I had anything close to this, but man do I hope it happens again. All on crankbaits! the stats- 2 over 10, 1 over 9, 1 over 8, 4 over 7, 10 over 6 and 10 over 5. 2 biggest were 10lbs 9 oz and 10lbs 2 oz. Jeff

I love bass fishing!

Try a 4-6 inch worm (straight or currytail) on a dropshot about 10 inches up from the weight. Happpened to stay at a buddies house in Louisiana when I first started working down there and he had a small body of water behind his house that had a "couple" fish in it. Well I caught more then a couple. They wouldn't touch a texas rigged worm, but throw a dropshot and they smashed it. Just a suggestion.

Looks like you're in Alabama. Summer is a tough time in the South. I've been fishing most of my life and I got shut out this weekend. Just keep at it and you will find success.

Old school, but Hula Poppers and Rebel Pop'Rs are all I throw. I wouldn't mind trying a popmax in white phython tho haha. A little rich for my blood.

I've had better days since, but the one that really stands out for me was 8 years ago. I'd never had a 20+ pound bag of smallies in my life, and my best friend and I decided to head out for a few hours one afternoon. It was last minute and I was actually heading home from a tournament on a different lake when he called. He wanted to take his brother's "new" boat for a test run. We werent expecting much as we were in a different area than we normally fished and only had a few hours. After a biteless hour, I got bit slow rolling a spinnerbait over deep water and it was a 5+ lbs fish. When we got it boatside, there were 10 or more fish swarming with it. All giant. We spent the next two hours landing 20 or more fish in the 3.5 - 6 pound range. It was by far the best day I'd ever had and will always stand out when people ask this question. We didnt have a camera so I called my girlfriend at the time (now wife) to meet us at the ramp for a picture before we released them.

I treat poppers like lipless cranks, you need a few different styles. For more aggressive fish I like a Rattling Chug Bug, that popper walks and makes a racket. If they aren't chasing and the water is clear I like the Super Pop R because of the translucent colors and they still make a loud sound. If it is tough, the Don Iovino Splash it as well as the Zell Pop are killers, the Rico and Yellow magic fall into the "subtle" category, these poppers don't make the typical "plop" sound, they spit and it can be the deadliest way to get them. Recently I've been fishing the Yo-Zuri 3DB poppers and these are the first that have a combination of things going for it. The first is the translucency of the colors, very natural yet they stand out, and then the way they are weighted makes a big differences as they sit level on the water and it allows you to walk the bait with ease. The mouth has a traditional cup but it has a small circular depression at the top of the mouth, a double cup if you will, that cup along with how the bait sits in the water allows me to walk the bait with a spitting action, or I can sit it still and give it a loud "ploop" if that needs to be done. Right now the 3DB is my favorite and it is because I can do so many things with it and it is catching them. I don't think 1 type of popper is all you should use, there are times that one type of popper wasn't working only to switch to another type and catch the fire out of them and I would never have known it if I didn't have a few other styles.

I have a lot of old fishing tackle that I use. Dont have space for a lot of new stuff. My best popper that cast a mile and catches fish is an old Rebel that looks like a standard Pop R but twice the size .

Silver when it's sunny Gold when it's cloudy Willowleaf in warm water/clear water Colorado in cold water/muddy water Indiana anytime

As SirSnook implied above... it is more about where the angler places the bait and how he works it than about which bait is being used. oe

I'd rate the top name brands a tie. When I pop and pause, most of my bass are caught on the pause or at rest with little water being pushed. I happen to like Storm chug abug. In salt I move my top water at a constant retrieve, a 20 mph fish with teeth or strong jaws(bluefish) I like a poppadog, very durable lure with excellent hooks. A poppa dog, can be popped, steady retrieve, or walked.

There's a huge difference between a 6lb. Channel and a 60lb. Flathead. Brian.

About 10 years ago I was fishing one of my local honey holes on a misty Saturday morning. The previous night was a full moon. I drop in at the ramp and proceeded to throw a 3-5' balsa crankbait. After two hours and 45 largies I put down the rod. Every fish was caught within 50 yards of the ramp. 15 of them were 4lbs or more.

Last fall my father in law and I had a 27lb 5 fish limit in MN, which is almost unheard of. This spring we had a similar day with a 26lb limit including my personal best 6.76lb largemouth. Hoping this fall brings similar results.

I buy closeout blanks for the rods I donate. I have to build one for an event next month and I'm out. They may be getting a 4'6" St Croix SCIII UL, cause everything else in inventory is either SCV or 7' or longer 1 piece.

It's gonna depend on the body of water, what works for me, on my home lakes under those conditions, may.............or may not work for you. But, here is what I do: #1 Fish ANY WHERE there is a light breeze (providing it's a fish holding area), slick calm water in those conditions is adding an extra thing that works against you. #2 Heavy cover and shade.............that means thick grass and/or boat docks. They tend to be tight to cover, if not downright buried in it in on these types of days. Just "fishing around" this stuff won't get many bites from quality fish, you have to drop it on their nose. #3 Downsize the bait, but not the weight......for example, if the grass flipping bite has been hot on "normal" sized bait (like a large profile heavy jig, or creature bait) I'll trim and thin my jig skirts, and use a smaller trailer (or smaller flipping bait if I am using plastic) BUT increase the rate of fall. Make them bite it by plopping it in their laps fast. #4 If #2, and 3 are not productive, I head to deeper water,/off shore structure and cover with drop shotting, shaky head, or finesse football jig gear. #5 If you can not buy a bite around cover.........fish for the dreaded suspending fish. I have fished for hours following my own #1,2,3, and 4 points of advice, only to haul water, and had to go after fish suspending outside of cover with a slow falling vertical bait like a wacky rigged stick bait, or letting a fluke sink painfully slow. Sometime burning a crankbait through these suspending fish will get reaction bites, but in my exp....you have to keep the bait slightly above them, or at the same depth they are holding,these fish seem very very unwilling to go down for anything below them.

As someone who has had masses removed I agree. Unless I am swimming I wear long sleeves and pants. I would rather sweat all day then get more masses cut out of me.

Wow. Probably 80% or more never caught, and 50% or more never in the water. Oddly, that never seems to stop me from buying more.

Are you talkin just whats in my boat or my overstock in the basement?

Yes. And if that doesn't work, try this.

I had planned on doing some night fishing the evening before heading north on my yearly trip in July. A severe storm blew it and I canceled the idea, but headed out early the next morning to get in an hour or two before leaving with the family. I caught 23 bass in less than two hours, 21 of them on topwater. I headed home, packed up the family and headed out on the six hour drive. Fifteen minutes after we arrived I was on the water. Seven smallies, four largemouth all over 3lb. and four pike later, I thought the Lord was preparing me for my demise. I almost had a heart attack when I hooked into my biggest muskie to date. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't stop thinking about getting out there again in the morning.

Watching my grandson Aiden flip his jig under the dock, seeing the realization on his face when the bass sucked it in, & then a quick hookset! He said he watched the strike! And yes y'all gonna see the pic a lot!

15 lb braid may be too small diameter for your reel and is digging into itself causing line damage. Go up to 30 lb, not for the strength for the increased diameter. Standard Palomar isn't the best knot for braid, slips. Power Pro recommends double line knots, use them. Tom

If you need 6" of line to tie the knot, the that's what will be left over. I don't know of any line that doesn't take a well tied Uni as well, so that is what I use when I need to tie on a bigger lure. It's that or tie a Palomar to a duo lock snap.

Not that they can't be, I have built some really expensive ones. You can spend $200 on a blank, $75 on a handle and $75 on guides before you even start on labor, but you don't have to. I have a client who he and his wife both work average jobs, have 2 kids in school, and have normal financial challenges. They are both passionate about fishing and always wanted custom rods but could not justify spending the money on a hobby. Can they afford custom rods? Absolutely, and here is how. Just like JC Pennys spring white sale, rod and component manufacturers, from time to time, sell really good stuff for cheap. When they do this I buy lots of it and stockpile it for future builds. Here is the example Castaway Intermediate Mod FS 782 blank 6'-6" MH fast in gloss white Forecast size 16 exposed trigger seat EVA rear grip and fighting butt ATC Duralite guides and tip I would put the performance and balance of this rod up against most at BPS. Add the paint and thread work and you have a truly one of a kind custom that fits in any budget. The handle with the trigger set at 8.5 inches. He fishes out of a Yak most of the time so he wanted short handles. He is also a Gator fan so it will be decked out in Tangerine and Wild Blueberry.

Use a search engine and search for "flex coat rod building videos" and you will find enough to keep you occupied until next year.

Maybe work two different presentations from 15-20 minutes each before moving.

First n fishing my smaller places over and over the fish learn our baits and scents. Now comes the challenge. What will catch them all over again. Fool them again. Alright how long do I stay in one spot. I stay till I'm on a pattern. I have every bait and color, size with me. I found on a tough day when things are exhausted I've thrown every bait more than twice think firetiger when all else fails. Then I move. I refuse to leave a beaten man. I've learned in the water column we can have different water conditions.

Has anyone used the Daiwa Tatula cranking rod?

In a kayak, it's much, much easier to fish shoreline cover. Not that fishing deep can't be done, but you would need Navionics or a depth finder unless you know the lake extremely well, or there are tell tale signs. I skips docks 85% of the time with my friend, and we each put 3 or 4 skips into a dock, and drift down to the next.

You just have to play it by ear. Theres this one flat that I always fish deep . I dont spend a lot of time out there because I catch few fish but when I do catch one it is usually big. I could spend all day there and get skunked or maybe a dink. So I give it one go around and If I catch something I stay longer .

I run and gun. I work a section for about 10 minutes and move on. If I am bank fishing I just keep moving down the bank until I find signs of life and develop a pattern. When I am on my boat, I go where the wind takes me. Literally. Since I have a small tin boat, I learned not to fight the wind. It can be frustrating. If I am pitching or flipping however, I place the boat in the vegetation to anchor itself and then pick the cover apart and move on to the next spot.

Sweet video! It has been a terrible year for the big baits for me unfortunately. You probably caught more fish in that video than I've caught on swimmers all year

Check out Mudhole.com Besides plenty of How To info - they have ALL the supplies . . . A-Jay http://www.mudhole.com/

One thing I haven't seen anyone say above, wetting your knot before you pull it tight. My partner in a tournament a few weeks ago wasn't used to fishing braid. Had his line break several times at the knot. If it is dry at all where you pull it tight you will damage that part of the line causing weak spots which then lead to well failed spots in the line followed by a few 4 letter words.

Yeah. I remember when I first got my boat I had a bad habit of trying to duplicate previous success. I got my boat in the Spring while everything was on shallow rock so think about how much time I wasted on shallow rock once the spawn was over.... Hours and Hours. My advice to you is to focus on learning how to cover water. I would gain confidence in fishing swimjigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater. These baits catch both smallmouth and largemouth all over the country so don't start thinking your lake is special if you don't fall into immediate success with these lures. Keep moving. You are going to throw the wrong bait at times but the only way to learn you are throwing the wrong bait is to keep throwing it! These tactics will not only help you learn to eliminate water but also help you over time with understand how fish relate to different types conditions and geography. There are also seasonal aspect to consider and sometimes the best way to learn these is to keep a log the first couple of years on where and when you find good fish. If you fish an area for three hours and don't have success you are doing something wrong without a doubt. Guys at all levels go through this.

i went out last night and fished one of my hot spots for about 1/2 hour before i gave on the spot, it was just no good last night, makes me wonder if someone was there before me and fished it out..... so i moved on.

Welcome to bass fishing from a boat where 90% of the anglers stay within a casting distance from the shoreline. Small natural lakes and ponds a high % of the bass population lives near shore if that is where the prey/ food source is located. Larger man made impoundments that have pelagic baitfish and islands, underwater structure like creek channels and humps etc, the bass population is dispersed away from the shore line. A boat provides the ability to fish wherever the bass are located, it's up to you to located active feeding bass and that requires finding the prey the bass are feeding on. How long you stay in a area to determine if bass are there and what they are doing depends on you. Knowing when to hold'em or fold'em seperates success from failure, no set time limit. If I don't see signs of baitfish or know that prey isn't there or the bass are inactive, it's time to move on. Tom

Unless targeting a specific laydown, I am going to spend at least 15 minutes at a particular spot. If its a flat, maybe a bit longer depending on the size. I am sure this could be a formula of sort, taking in these general ideas. 1.) Physical size of the area you are covering and how well you can cover it. Example: If you backlash every other cast or feel the need to switch lures out a lot, and get hung up, all of these take time away from you covering water. 2.) Your confidence level that fish are holding in this area. 3.) The number of different presentations you plan to run through the area. Right now for me on the river, it is a squarebill/Mid-depth diver, chatterbait, then if I need to slow down, move to some sort of speed craw or brush hog depending on the situation. ** Disclaimer: I just started bass fishing, but this approach has been working for me. I am steadily catching fish in 100+ degree weather

When I move from one spot to the next depends on how I'm fishing at the time. If I'm on water I'm familiar with and in a spot I have a lot of faith in, I may fish for a bit, sit for a bit, fish a bit and sit for a bit. I'm usually fishing low & slow (deep & with a jig) and waiting for the fish to turn on or come to me. May take all morning or even all night. But when I'm looking for fish or on new water I'll move around a bit. The time at each depends on how effectively I feel I'm able to cover the water, how active I think the fish are & the presentation I'm using. Could be 5 minutes could be 50 minutes. Finally, I fish from a canoe so my version of Running & Gunning is different from anglers with more HP, but probably similar to yours. Good Luck A-Jay

If you are not able to fish at night the above advice is as good as it gets IMO. Deep structure has long been a favorite, but shallow grass can be amazing even in the hottest weather. I learned this lesson fishing on a day when the temperature was well above 100 and we could not find them deep. I was ready to call it a day when my partner, who grew up fishing on the river suggested going up into the creek. I thought he was crazy, and told him so. We had one of my best days ever on that lake. Stay cool!

north of Millington