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Watching MLF competition sets the tone for today's pro's with anywhere from 10 to 15 or more rof combos out on the front deck while fishing. It amazes me how bass anglers copy what they see on TV. A few days ago I took an old friend who can't get up early due to his health issue fishing. We arrived at the lake around 9A bright sunny day and the spawn is on so you don't need a lot of different rods and reels. We both got out 2 rods for worms and jigs put them out on the deck and launched. While I was parking another bright yellow 21' bass boat launched and I got back to the dock the other guy arrived looked at our 2 rods each, I look over at thier 20+ rods out on the deck and said " are you fishing MLF"? He answered can't catch em if you don't have the right stuff. Got in my boat and idled out about 20 yds while the other guys were trying to figure out what to start with and metered a rock pile with bass on it, turned off the engine and put down the trolling motor, turned around and the guys yells to me "your secret spot and starts laughing. Fred and I both made a cast to the rock pile, we both caught bass on the first cast while the guys watched. Before the others got their rods sorted out we caught 7 bass between 3 to 4 lbs off that rock pile. Silence, no more laughing from the peanut gallery. Tom

Water temp was down to 38 degrees today, my friends and I went out to try for some sauger and walleye. Fishing 4" keitech swing impacts on 1/4oz heads on a slow lift/drop retrieve in 15-20FOW. My buddy hooked a musky within 15 minutes of us getting to our spot, and the hook came out while I was trying to get the fish grips on the fish's jaw. 5 minutes later and I hook a brute of a musky, luckily it was just as a boat arrived that was targeting musky, and they netted the fish for me. They were stunned that I caught it on "that little jig". 10 minutes after releasing the first one I feel a "tick" and lean back into something that is also clearly not a walleye! The guys in the boat were happy to come net the fish for me, and we got more pictures. 15 minutes later and I am dumbfounded when I hook yet another musky. I told the guys in the boat to just keep fishing but they helped me out again and scooped the fish up once it was tired. Somehow I managed to land all three on a 10lb test mono leader. So today the spinning rod with a keitech outfished 3 guys throwing big musky lures from a boat, they never had a bite! Must be the cold water. Might I add that I can see the buildings where I take classes from where I am catching these fish! This fish very easily could have been my PB (43") but we didn't measure it, things were chaotic enough to begin with!

Nice work Tom. Bet that felt OK. I'll admit to being guilty of having what sometimes ends up to be a decent pile of rods on deck, but that's just because I'm a Hack. And I smell what you're cooking Tom. The "TV" bass angler has played a decent role in more than a few different ways IMO. And for the anglers who have grown up watching them and their success, that's just the way it's done. I'd include the following on the list; No Net use, Boat Flip only. Never even try to play a fish, just Speed reel it all the way to the boat. (water ski that bass) What's an anchor ? Trolling motor on ALL DAY - especially before the advent of shallow water anchoring systems ( btw I love mine). Screaming like a limp has been lost after a fish catch - Thanks Ike. Then there's the names of everything - Power Fishing, Dock Fishing & Junk Fishing (first time I heard that one I got a little nauseous) Finesse Fishing & Structure Fishing. Before this I think it was all just fishing - didn't really matter where I was casting or if I had any power or junk. And let's not forget all "the Rigs" - Where Texas & Carolina may have started it all - Ned, Do-Nothing, Chicken, Neko, Split Shot, Jako, Rage, Wacky, Doodle Dong, (alright I made that one up - or did I ?) and the A or Umbrella Rigs. And I have no problem with most all of it, (well, except for the post catch screaming like a sea bird one, not a fan), just as long as I get to do it, doesn't matter what it's called. A-Jay

These same anglers are also the ones who will use "cover" and "structure" interchangeably. Short answer; you are right, they are wrong -T9

I know what flippin' is, but I have never done it to any degree of success. I personally don't see it being necessary, I tend to stay further away from the fish than most (they can feel your boat in the water!), and I can "pitch" as accurately as I'll ever need to. I call it flippin' but technically what I am doing is 100% pitchin'

Most times I read that, my left eye starts to twitch uncontrollably like Inspector Dreyfuss A-Jay

It's kinda like the term "finesse" has come to mean small lures, lines, & rod-n-reels. Finesse: skillful handling of a situation or resourcefulness in handling situations.

I could give y'all dozens of examples of catching bass within sight of the launch. My grandson's first Hawg was caught fron under the dock we were standing on at the ramp with 3 boats waiting to launch. This 11 lb 3 oz was caught 30 yes from that same ramp off the bank with boats running by or launching.

The power of advertisement and the need/want to replicate. It's truly a fascinating study. There was a time that I had set ups that had whatever bait I was told would guarantee a boatload of bass within easy reach. I not only had the baits but the "look" that screamed "look at me I not only know but I look the part." I stayed this way during my mid 20's through my mid 30's "thinking" I was just a few more baits/fancy gadgets away from figuring it all out. A solitary trip with my son changed my fishing for life. I will always believe when you have little folks and or beginners on board you should keep it simple and make durn sure they catch fish. He didn't care about the latest and greatest and comfort was far more Important than style. The simplicity of a cricket and bobber and the smile/exuberance of my son that day in particular, brought back memories of a time when fishing was simple, fun, and what drew me to the water in the first place to chase those majestic green fish. Through many more years of transformation/experimentation I found what works for me. Yes, there are days I have six set ups at my feet but more times than not I worry little about having what I think I "might" need and just fish. I pretty much go through a progression of what I know works for me and let the rest sort itself out regardless of time. On average I have four set ups at the ready and as the day goes on i usually put one away. Lastly, It's a decision that's entirely up to the Individual as to what to do but for me I base much of what i do with one simple tenant at the forefront; I want to catch fish and have FUN. If you fish long enough you tend to realize that most every decision you make comes from a lifetime of experience. Great thread Tom, thanks for starting it!

When we allow words to lose their definition, we also lose our ability to communicate. Roger

~ X2 This ^^^^^ and the 2-Tap may be better choice for yo-yo action deeper. Additionally although they both cast like a bullet, the 2-Tap was my choice last fall when I needed to launch casts through a 'stiff breeze'. All things being equal, the 2-tap seems to travel a bit further with the same or perhaps even a little less effort. A factor that pays dividends for this Old Hack come about hour 10 or 11 on the water. As for the 2-Tap getting more or less bites than the standard RES - I can't say on way or the other. They both produce well for me. A-Jay

I remember this jig. Mid to late. 80's - forget the manufacturer. Included with the bait as a smallish split ring. The correct rigging was to run your line through the bait ( start at the nose to the exit on the bottom of the head as shown. Now, tie the line to the split ring and run the split ring over the hook and then everything was snug. Worked great. It was a good vegetation, brush jig. Seems to me that it was called the "Weed Sneek" or something like that. I still have a few of them but I haven't fished them in over a decade

About 9 months ago, I found a Jackal Gantrel Jr. Swimbait (Spawn Gill color) floating in our lake. I was able to clean it up and have used it a few times, smiling at my $31 find every time I tie it on. Today, I found a second Gantrel Jr, this time in Ghost Gill color and in perfect shape hanging off the corner of a dock. This one still has the factory feathered hooks, so I guess it is even sightly more valuable than the first one. Since most likely both of these lures were used by someone sneaking on to the lake illegally (possibly at night) and not willing to expose themselves in order to retrieve their hung up lures, I want to publicly thank whoever this individual is who is building my Swimbait collection. I would like to request the next one they leave behind be in Scale bass, I think that would be a nice addition.

One can flip cover when pitching would be more effective and vice versa, so neither is ever "necessary". Flippin' is the more effective technique if you can get closer to the fish & you need a no splash lure entry. Done properly, you can get more flips than pitches in the same amount of time, useful for tournament anglers. That doesn't mean you should flip if you prefer to pitch, just showing that it has merits over other techniques in certain situations.

Haha that was good. I can tell you that a sub 6oz reel will balance out a perfect pitch dang near 'perfect' Some folks are behind the times and don't like change. A 7.8oz 'top' reel and a 5.5oz 'bottom' reel on the same 4.8oz rod. Which is a 7'2 mh diablo spec R. Balance point is nearly the same. Dont mind the mess. Slowly working on refinishing the basement.

Not only did Fishn.jim make them for me...I now have met him (super nice guy)

Went to the local tackle shop in my area. Picked up a Pad crasher, Livertarget sunfish, a couple SK Naked Rage Blades, some Roboworms, and some Brush Hogs. Also picked up a new longsleeve.

I picked up a few of the Jawbone Sunfish today...bluegill, pumpkinseed, and bream. They are nice looking baits and aside from the better hook on the Koppers, I will take these for $2 any day!

Please learn me if I am wrong here but I always thought flipping was done with the rod in one hand and a pre-determined length of line out and that line was held in the other. The reel was never touched and the spool is engaged. Meant for quick, short, precise bait placement and the length of line never changes or is reeled in until bait is bit. Pitching was done with rod in one hand and the bait is held in the other. Spool is disengaged while the bait is sort of sling-shotted out; meant for further "casts". Why I ask is I see and hear people all the time say they are "flippin" but they are doing what I described above as pitching. Am I wrong? Have the terms changed or do people just like saying "flippin" better?

When I tell fishing stories I only tell people about the small ones. I usually under-exaggerate them.

Call the Tackle Trap if you want to get into hot rodding reels they have all the goodies and can steer you in the right direction.

3 years without a boat ended last night. Can't wait to get out and fish again.

Good points. Adding to that is, no mapping company collects data for every square foot of terrain regardless of who does it. Data is collected in intervals and then fake lines (interpolated) are filled in between those intervals to create the contours. If you do your own with some contour mapping software, you won't do that either as you will see more data created than is actually measured. You may think you are creating an accurate map, but you are not. You will have just as much false data as the mapping companies produce. I think I have posted this on this site before, but this track is what I did to correct an interpolation error from previous sonar logs. ONLY the exact depth and location below the green line is actual accurate data. Every dark area within the green line that gets contour lines is fake (interpolated). This is a big area that I surveyed just to get some data to start. The ONLY accurate data is below those lines. The map created has contours everywhere in between. Basically I got (something) but not any accuracy for 95%> of the area covered. You can view the results of that and may think it looks great, BUT you and I know from the collected data track where the accuracy really is. Mapping companies do the same thing the same way as I did, maybe even less. BUT I can fill in those areas whenever I take the time to do so. I doubt if any mapping company will resurvey a particular body of water to improve the accuracy of their maps within 10 years of the last one. Just too many locations and not enough time.

Good choice. Tatulas are great reels and super popular. For the rod, a 7ft medium heavy would be a good to handle all the techniques you listed.

I have a President in the 30 size, and really like it. It's smaller and lighter than the 35, and because I throw braid on it I don't have to worry about memory with mono or fluoro. I think the 35 has a faster IPT than the 30 if retrieve speed is a concern, it may also hold a little more line although I've never used near enough line for it to be an issue with the 30 size. I mostly use mine for weightless/lightly weighted plastics, so retrieve speed isn't important to me. I have other set ups(baitcasters) for my speed baits.

For the longest time, I thought I was just imagining that the 2 tap cast further and ran different. I even started a thread here asking about it. It wasn't until I saw the video where KVD said he weighed them and they were heavier than a regular RES that I knew I wasn't crazy LOL!

Generally speaking, whichever version the fish will bite on a given day :). Another thing to consider is that the 1/2 oz. 2 tap weighs more than the regular 1/2 oz. version of red eye shad (according to KVD) which will make the fall rate different and run lower in the water column with the same retrieve vs. a regular RES.

Hey Ice, funny you should ask. The "jig bite" is on in Virginia. Please consider the following: The water is cold. So what are the bass doing? They are getting ready to fatten up for the spawn. They are staging in one place, waiting for a nice, juicy and BIG meal to float by their face. They are seeking for some warm water. They do not want to move that much in any direction. If they are happy where they are then they will stay in that concise area and not move around. Where are the bass holding? Under piers, docks and boats. Where the water is a little warmer. Next to rocks and wood that absorb the sun's heat. In brush piles. Sunning themselves along the shoreline. They are just hovering in one place, waiting for your jig. What do they like to eat? Anything and everything they can inhale. A nice big crawfish moving s-l-o-w-l-y along the bottom is a good target. Something that looks like a jig with a crawfish pig attached. So how do you fish your jig? Who knows? (OK, the Shadow knows) Sometimes they want the jig worked s-l-o-w with long pauses between moves. Other times the want the jig to move fast. You cast your jig; let it fall; if no takers let it sit on the bottom for an eternity, like 15-seconds; and then start your retrieve back picturing in your mind how the jig is looking on the bottom to mimic a crawfish or a big bream. And here comes the "magic word".....experiment. Yes, trail and error. Try fast, slow and in-between movements; big hops; small movements; in the underwater structure like a Senko or finesse worm. The bass will tell you what jig movements they want. Do I need to experiment with a variety of sizes and colors? Of course. A half-ounce blue/black jig with a Zoom blue/black super chunk (037-072) may work. Or a brown and orange skirt with a Zoom "root beer pepper green" super chunk (037-097) may be exactly what they want. Experiment with a variety of jig sizes and pig trailers until you determine the pattern they want. Will nail them right an left with my jig? Nope. Jig fishing is slow with lots of pitching, flipping and casting. But when you get a hit it will be a bit momma. And then the real fun starts when you realize you have your "new personal best" on the line, barley hooked and she is swimming like the police are after her. Time for your blood pressure to double. Just remember to experiment. Their are different styles of jig heads to fish different techniques and structure. Learn what each on does, including the swimming jig, and go out whit your arsenal of jigs and throw them all day long. As you realize that jig fishing can be s-l-o-w but very productive you will have more confidence in a jig and pig and have a better idea of when to use them. Good luck and have some fun out there in Colorado.

you might be on to something. I fish the Shanandoah and caught two large Muskies on a 1/2 oz jig and trailer the week before Christmas.

Casting weight ratings are intended to be total weight cast. Like all ratings they are subjective. The sweet spot usually lies near the midrange but only casting will tell you for sure.

5 on deck is normal for me I have 2 identical rod-n-reels; 1 is for Texas Rigs from weightless to 1/4 oz & the other is a Jig rod from 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz. I have these 2 on deck 24/7/365 The next 3 depend on body of water The next setup is for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, swimjigs, cranks, or Traps. Next is for heavy Pitching & Punching The final setup will be a topwater of some type It about what suits your style of fishing!

Bass Fishing Archives is the best historical web on bass fishing.

You sure it's not chuckin' and windin'?

Nothing too bad. Here's a few: I saw my buddy catch a water moccasin on a junebug senko. Caught a 3.5 foot alligator on a topwater frog. I set the hook on a machine gun bite and lost my worm, I figured it was a bream. About 5 minutes later (Same buddy as above) caught a bass with my worm still in its mouth. Fishing in a small 100 acre lake in south ga in about 17 foot of water in the summer, I kept seeing something come up to the surface and making a hissing or sucking noise. I thought it was a turtle but then I saw what looked like a lamprey or something similiar come up grab some air and go back down. ( I still have no idea what it was) I used to fish the Suwannee River with my grandparents as a kid for panfish (They were very serious panfisherman), and I'm honestly certain my grandparents both caught state record red breast sunfish or "Redbellies" as we called them. This was before I knew about records. I watched them pull many of those little basketballs from that river, I miss that. I was fishing another lake that I had fished with my father as a kid. I hadn't been in close to a decade. So I decided to go one Monday morning. I arrive at daylight and I have the place to myself. Apparently the lake was taken over by hydrilla unbeknownst to me. So as it's cracking day I'm puddling along, dredging through hydrilla that is lodging up my trolling motor ( I'm in a 14ft jon boat) I'm sticking my hands in the water pulling it out, and splashing about. As the sun starts peering up about 50 yards in front of me staring at me is about a 10ft alligator. Alligators do not bother me at all, but this one made me nervous. If he wanted to get me out of the boat he could have.

Doesnt matter how many rods someone fishes with if they don't know how to bass fish well,plain and simple.Have had plenty of successful days fishing with 1 rod from land,and the most rods I fish with on a boat is 5(2 rods are usually enough).

I just wish my deck was big enough for 20 rods... it has nothing to do with TV, being organized is a lot of time and effort. If my deck held all my rods, I'd probably leave them out as well. ...lol As it stands, I try not to keep more than 2-3 out at once.

If this pond keeps putting them out I'll take them. Threw a crank and spinner with no takers. Tied on a chatterbait and caught two from the same area. One 2lber and the other was just shy of 5.

Tom, when reading your story I couldn't help but think of Jason Lucas. Among the many tidbits he shared, Jason suggested to always stop close to the launch ramp, and work the real estate that every other angler races past on his way to Eden. That was long before tournament fishing was initialized by Ray Scott in 1967. Today, we have yet another reason to stop close to the launch ramp. Today you can tap into bass released after every tournament, which tend to loiter close to the release site Roger

Over the past couple three dozen years or so, there's been countless times I've had 10 to 15 or more combos out on the front deck while fishing; while some days only 1 or 2. Not trying to copy anyone. That's just how I roll. Good story though!

Tatula CT type R Also picked up a bunch of crankbaits because academy has all their h20 branded hardbiats on sale for $2-3.

Flipping seems to be the term used by most anglers for short range cover fishing....Doesn't mean it's technically or historically accurate, but that's just what people say. I use it that way. It's really just semantics either way, if someone uses either term I'll know what they're referring to and I don't care enough to correct them. If you really want to get technical, a 'flip' and a 'pitch' could be seen as different types of casts and the actual technique is short range cover fishing....Which could be generically called 'flipping'.

Seldom mentioned but the best buy going is Yamaha Blue Marine grease at boat supply stores. It's perfect for reels, under 10 bucks, and will last you forever. Another site which deals primarily with saltwater recommends it. I use it.

Had a slow day Thursday, which I expected the day after a massivery 5 day cold front left the area. On the plus side, most every one I caught was a nice one. Had 4 keepers for 14.56 pounds, all on jerkbaits.

I like using Abu Silicote and also Daiwa blue grease. I've been using that Abu grease for many years. In fact, I just relubed my brother Daiwa Tatula yesterday using both greases.

simms

i think you are thinking '' swim jig'' when you say retrieved like a crank bait , to me a swing jig or jointed shakey head rig as i think of them are fished the same way as a shakey head . some get a little more action as the joint let's the bait articulate more . i fish GrandeBass AirTail Wiggler in 6 1/2'' ( the tail is hollow and the tail stands up always ! ) , best shakey head worm i've tried , done searching !!

I Am Done Buying New Lures!

Here's my ride. Nothing fancy, but gets the job done and rain just gives it a good washing.

Let's not forget, a bass has a brain the size of a pea. They are a 99% instinctual creature. We tend to give them more credit than they deserve. I tend to put more weight on the things that trigger instinctive behavior. Bass slurp a lure for 3 reasons 1. They are hungry. 2. They are annoyed (protecting a bed or fry, etc.). 3. They have a reaction strike. I try to define what bite they are on and match my presentation to that.