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On a day where the bite was tough, this was the ONLY fish landed. It came on a cast where my brother rainbowed his line over a branch and this little guy jumped out of the water to grab his senko as we were trying to undo the mess. Unconventional, but kept the skunk away nonetheless!

I agree fishing facts is by far the most informative magazines out there. I have 48 of them. Have read them all. Would be willing to sell them if anyone’s interested

Here's a couple of suggestions for your paper, -infinite number of Quantum mechanics and they still can't get this POS reel to work right. -string theory applications for copolymers. -non repeating, non ending number of lure purchases and their effect on space time. (The space in your garage, and the time your wife said "more tackle?!")

You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! Bass don't care what color the line is... oe

Good Thread Tom ~ I’ll offer that ‘bass fishing rod sensitivity’ is something that probably can be looked at from at least a couple of different perpectives. Both have been already been mentioned. Sensitivity as it relates to the design, materials used & balance of the a rod and then the angler’s abitlity & experience in deciphering what his or her bait is doing at any given moment. Bassheads who have not had the oppurtunity to fish with a glass rod, (and not a cranking not), may not fully understand how the avent of graphite rods revolutionized bass fishing. The improvement in ‘sensitivity’ of graphite over the old fiberglass stick was night & day. For those more recently getting into the game, it was easily as dramatic an improvement as braided line has made. The first thing one would notice when handling & comparing the two blanks, was the striking difference in weight. Even the very first versions of the graphite rods were markedly LIGHTER than the fiberglss blanks. This for me, this really improved the blanks sensitivity, as the lighter rod in my hand offered the ability to feel even lighter sensations through the line to the rod, than ever before. The trend in ‘lighter more sensitive’ rods still continues today. So I’m quite willing to say that the overall blank weight (or lack there of) simply must be included as part of the conversation when discussing bass rod sensitivity. Then there’s the ‘ability & experience’ factor in all of this. I believe this can’t be over stated or omitted here. Just like there are those who have better vision or hearing than others, there are some humans who have a heighten sense of ‘feel’. But the vast majoity of us, myself included, we may not be in the top teir of that group, but fall somewhere along the line below that highest level of God given ability. Rod manufactuers would like us to believe that purchasing their particular ‘highly sensitive rod’ will overcome this fact of life and make us all ‘hyper-sensetive’ strike detecting Ninja’s the first time out with their newest stick. I’ll submit that this is not exactly the way it actually works, at least for me. While higher end rods can often be quite light when compared to sticks offered at a lower price point, it ends right there. The sensitivity aspect of a blank is extremely subjective to the user and can not be measured or predicted; it simply must be experienced. So like so many things in life, when you combine some abiltiy and experience with a quality tool, the end users capacity for success is often improved. And so it is the same here. Experience in determining what my bait is doing at any given moment is what I call sensitivity. And while the equipment clearly plays a role, at this point in my fishing, I’m fairly confident that most any quality gear can get the job done. The caveat is that like any efficient ‘system’, it helps to be ‘balanced’ to perform at it’s best. This includes but is not limited to the reel, type & size of line used and the lure / presentation. So when it's all said & done, when it come to time to purchase a graphite rod, I prefer a quality stick, made my a reputable manufacture, that feels light, balanced & comfortable in my hand, is designed to present the baits I'm looking to throw effectively and in the conditions I plan on fishing it in. The rest will take care of itself. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. A-Jay

Sensitivity in my opinion starts with the hands & extends up to the brain! Some people's hands simply cannot feel what others can & no amount of experience will change that. For these people buying high-end rods is waste of money. As for the brain interprets that can enhanced through experience. I've been chastise by many because I advocate teaching kids or inexperienced angler how to fish Texas Rigs or Jig-n-Craw first. My reasoning is once you can interpret when a Texas Rig or Jig is being bitten every other technique is simple! The quickest way to increase you sense of feel is through night fishing. Not just once or twice a year but do it from post spawn to pre-spawn. I can cast a 1/4 oz bullet weight into 20' of water & tell you when it hits bottom!

It seems to me every fishing magazine and TV show are selling something. That includes the tour magazines. They just sell you on the pros that in turn perform their basic function. And that is to sell you stuff. l agree for real fishing info Fishing Facts and the old In-Fisherman were as good as it got. But in some ways I miss the big three of yesteryear even more. Field & Steam, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield. Real writers like Gene Hill, Ted Trueblood, Jason Lucas, EdZern, Lefty Kreh, etc. Not really educational as much as entertaining. Their true love of the outdoors always shone through, and they made that love contagious. Outdoor writing is a dead art.

Baby D Bomb on 12lb fluoro somehow landed this 41"er that took me through a root wad and was jumping on the other side!

It's October so use orange trailer. Tom

@PAbasser927 I didn't know bass could fly, Today i learned something. I've been rainbow trout fishing for the past day and not so lucky catching them so i went back to bass for a bit. I got to try out some new lures and had a blast caught a huge bass on a lip less crank bait on something i have never caught anything on. But he got off my lure maybe the hooks were to small/powerful fish/etc. But we did catch a few nice fish on a lipless and square crank bait with my sister. I caught something before heading home, I believe it was a pickerel and i lost my red lipless and all i could think of in that moment was taps, I think i need to invest in steel leaders.

Dang! After three years back in the sport, I just purchased my first three bags of 5” Yamasenko worms to try as the waters here in Massachusetts cool down. Not even sure if they’ll be a good fall fishing bait. Didn’t realize I’d need an engineering degree to use ‘em. I was just gonna start with a T-rig and mebbe a 1/0 wacky rig and see what happens. Now I gotta buy a scientific calculator? Sheesh! (Seriously - I think one of the best things about these forums is the wealth of info shared by you guys ... but at my skill level I’m afraid I’m gonna just heave ‘em out there and see what happens.)

Yesterday I went to a small, secluded pond in the woods you have to drag the kayak into. It's a lot of work getting in and out of this place but it holds big fish. I go there in the spring and fall looking for better fish. The forecast showed clouds and rain so I was expecting a good topwater bite; and this place did not disappoint. I was throwing a bone 130 Plopper and a Poppin Pad Crasher and I got on them right away with my NEW PB!! A 6-8; which I know isn't huge for some you you slayers out there but for Maine, it's not a bad fish. And I usually fish for numbers so getting on a good one now and then is an accomplishment for me. Soon after I had another 5, a couple of 4's and some smaller fish. I went looking for more and changed up baits to a 3.8 Keitech and could have caught all the 1.5 lbers I wanted but that's not why I go to this place. So I abandoned that pattern, went back to where I knew I should be, with the bait I knew I should be throwing and continued to catch good fish. Ended up with the 6-8, 3 5's, 3-4 4's, a few 3's and a bunch of dinks. Probably the best big fish day of my life tbh. The 6-8 A couple of the 5's

At one of the few regular ponds I fish, I haven been catching ~1-2 pounders all summer on Senkos, various plastic worms, and topwaters. I never pulled out anything bigger at this particular pond all summer. Now for fall, I've been throwing lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits almost all the time. This morning a Rat-L-Trap caught me a 4 and a 6 pounder back to back. I never would have known these fish were here. I'm kind of in awe that they would not take Senkos or big worms all summer, or hell even craws. But throw burner baits and the fatties move. I have filmed at this pond before for a small, closed group, and have often said, "There's no big fish in here, but I love this place because of the vast numbers."

She's getting pumped for the cooler weather. So so am I! Shes great off leash but it gets a little tough tracking her down when the leaves really start falling. The deer and fox know her well.

Academy online has Tatula CT Type Rs for $99.98. 7.3:1 and 6.3:1.

Changing spinnerbait weights has more to do with running depth and speed than it does with actual size of the bait (if that makes sense). If you want to fish deeper or faster, upping the size is the way to go. If you just want a bigger profile, a small swimbait (see @A-Jay) or twister tail grub is the way to go.

Not me...

I'll take the road less traveled and say that there is nothing subjective about "fishing rod sensitivity" except for everyone's opinion on the matter in reference to defining "what it is" or entails, none of which changes the specific physical characteristics of any rod ever made.

I don't think line "visibility" is terribly important. J Francho catches smallies on wire, and Team9nine, I know, has caught plenty on straight fluorescent braid sans leader. But even a thin FC leader can, under high vis condtions, freak fish out due to the movement. Ever wonder why "drag" is such a "no-no" when dry fly fishing? It's the tippet dummy! That supposedly tiny little insect is suddenly 2 feet long! I may camo a line (done it for years in fly-fishing) due to line flash in the air under certain conditions -a definite fish spooker. Otherwise fish don't know what line is, unless it's something perceived large and moving nearby -and that long string, thin as it is, can move a lot of water. Dont worry too much about line "visibility". There are bigger fish to fry, like line diameter against conditions. I've always said if there was one BIG breakthrough that could be made in fishing, it would be eliminating that line tied to our lures. Any ideas? I'm all ears. Oh, and yes, black lures can be very visible underwater, esp against light backgrounds. And conversely, light lures can be very visible, esp against dark backgrounds. Then there are "colors". Not going there.

Umbrella rig is a moving bait, same with spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Add to that, there's five bodies with shimmering color, and moving tails, and it's easy to see why a bass would disregard the wires. When using stationary or finesse type baits, the fish can definitely see the line. I'm not sure that throws the fish off or not, but I'm not running bright pink or yellow braid on my drop shot rig. For jigs and T-rigs, I'll color the last foot black, sometimes. I also don't fish too many black baits, unless it's a topwater and I don't feel color matters that much for topwaters. One thing, I catch quite a few smallmouth when pike fishing with bucktail jigs tied to a wire leader. The water is pretty clear, but who knows. There's a big difference in dark line and a dark bait. If you fished yellow line and a chartreuse bait, do you think the fish would go after the line or the bait? I mean it's not as cut and dry as that, but that's another way to word the original question. Basically, when you ask the question, you are lumping two pieces of advice, about two separate parts of the system into one assumption. Can't do that and be successful. You gotta figure out each part that works best for you, one at a time.

Not buying the line color deal. Look at all of the garbage on the Alabama rig. If fish can be caught on that contraption, I'm not the least bit concerned about line color.

It's like blowing on your hands to warm them, or blowing on your coffee to cool it. Really, makes no sense at all.

That's for sure. Very well put.

It's a Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow ~ Also works well hanging off the back of a vibrating jig / chatterbait style bait. A-Jay

And don't forget Homer Circle. He was my favorite. Had some funny lines. (no pun intended)

You catch a MONSTER smallie on the 2nd spinnerbait in the pic and you say "I've done OK" lol that's an understatement!

Oh the places we will go..... 1st order from siebert outdoors! ?

The 2nd pic looks really good. That point with steep drops looks like it should hold fish. I usually look for a steep part of a ledge or a point jetting off of a ledge or hump that has a creek swing touch the tip of it. 18-23 seems to be the best depth for me.

Lol, you missed the whole point. It happens to everyone once in a while, and the member who started the post, should NOT worry about it. End of story!!!!!!!

It's an excellent question without any logical explanation because black is the absence of light, very visible contrast to every color. My belief is anglers can't see the line when it's colored black and that gives them confidence. The same angler is convinced bass can see black lures and that gives them confidence. Why that same angler believes in 2 opposite thoughts is beyond my compression. Tom

Unfortunately I never buy 1 color of any lure, usually 2 colors; white/silvery Shad color and darker brown/red or black crawdad colors. Underwater lures are more color specific then top water lures, in any water clarity. Buy both light and dark colors and use both light and dark colors and let the bass decide which for you. Tom

The first time I heard the word sensitivity applied to a fishing rod was in the early 70's when Dick Guamer a rep working for Fenwick at the '73 Fred Hall show was demonstrating their new graphite bass rods, I was hooked and bought a rod. Before this time bass rod were light weight tubular glass rods like Eagle Claw featherweight rods. Graphite definitely allowed the angler to feel the lure and bottom better then glass. The problem with early graphite rods is they broke un expectantly and I broke my first Fenwick rod. At the same Fred Hall show in 1977 I met Sam Posey who was promoting a new rod company Lamiglas with their graphite rods. I told Sam about my experience with Fenwick and he gave me a rod to try out. I fished Lamiglas rods for over 35 years, Gary Loomis was the rod designer before starting his own company. I say this to give some background into rod sensitivity. Higher modulus graphite does allow the line to transmit vibrations to your hand/fingers better than lower modulus fiberglass. The rod blank weight, taper, wall thickness, flexibility and giude train all combine to state of the art bass rods. It's the line that transmits movement to the rod, the rod to your fingers or hand and all this is interpreted by your brain. Sensitivity is ultimately something only you can determine. What surprises me is how much mis information is promoted and how much money anglers will spend to improve their rod sensitivity. Tom

Mike, you’re gonna have to change your name to Mr. Aquarium....

Personally I've never seen a reason to colour my line. When I flip I use fluorocarbon. When I fishing walking topwaters and hollow body frogs I use straight braid, originally in timber brown but now in green. I haven't noticed a difference in the number of strikes I get and I've had smallmouth in water with 20ft of visibility come up and hit walking baits tied directly to braid. Your braid should be fine.

We're using the wrong bait? How about a bacon flavored scent? lol I think uncle josh did it first with white pork strips. One night I put a pork strip on a plan hook as a kid and at dusk I could see the white strip being pulled every which way. Enjoy this video.

When your best depth finder is a crankbait.

When your buddy catches 3 fish while your peeing off the back of the boat ?

Tied my black and blue chatter bait back on today and used a 4" watermelon red flake Yum Dinger as a trailer. Went to the smaller pond over by the trees in the back. Made a few casts and nothing happened. Went to make another cast and as my luck would have it draped it 20' up over a branch in that tree. My bait still landed in the water near where I was trying for. So I slowly reeled it back in hopes of being able to get it back without snagging it on the branch. As I continued to slowly reel it in it barely broke the surface of the water on it's way up the tree when this almost 1lber jumped on it and hooked himself through the roof of his mouth. Of course not knowing he was hooked that way til I got him in, I set the hook in a downward motion since my line was still draped over the branch. Anyways I reeled him up the tree and kinda popped him over the branch and he did a high dive into the water. I quickly reeled him on in, unhooked him and took a couple pics. Fortunately he didn't get hurt during all that, I released him and he darted back out to the deeper water of the pond. I can honestly say I've never treed a fish before today's episode...lol. ?

I’d try a Carolina rig with a 3/4 oz weight and the bait of your choice. You can back off the spot so as not to alert the bass and still cover water with it.

Got ahold of a good one today on the Chattahoochee. 6lber, green and red seiberts jig

Warm spell moving through this last week and again next. Highs near 90 will temporarily halt our fall fishing progress. No rush, as the crappie have begun grouping up a bit as they move in from their main lake summer homes. A couple pics from this weekend.

I personally love Bassmaster, but i have one thing about it that really irks me, and that is the "Lunker Club" I love the idea, but i wish the fished were weighed and certified. It makes me so ill to see a picture of a 7lbs Smallie that is really no more than 3lbs. Anybody else notice this??

doesn't sound crazy at all Gene. it can match without being the same color. a nice contrast can be the ticket. an old fart on the boards recommended this one to me and they're bad ***. Salt Craw the claws stand up well when it comes to a rest, which is key

Working on it....but may have to start the yr on a generator. ..........but can easily pull the boat if needs be. That's a big reason for going 36 v TM

Al, I went one step further than AJ, and pretty much for the same reasons. I have 3 29 series batteries for my 36 volt Ulterra and the cranking battery hooked to a 4 bank Minn Kota charger. I don't think the brand is important other than not going cheap. Three seasons ago, I wound up with a dead cranking battery about 8 miles from camp up on Lake of the Woods. We made it back to camp on the trolling motor...but it was a long, tense ride back. Turned out a short in the cable for charging my Terrova remote was the culprit. When I got home, I put in a 5th battery and a single bank charger to create a completely separate system for my electronics. That battery provides a back-up for the cranking battery should something stupid like a short in a wire causing a problem again. It's a little over the top but, 1) I have room for it, and 2) it feels like reasonably priced insurance for remote lakes and Canada. An unintended side benefit is that I've never had cleaner images on my electronics as there is zero contact with any of the other systems in the boat. Would I advocate this set-up for everyone? Nope...but it works for me. I like A-Jay's jumper battery and I almost went that route. That's plenty for most people. PS: Congrats on deciding to go with a 36 volt trolling motor on your boat. It's a little more expensive, but I'll bet you a dollar you won't be sorry.

That is actually an excellent question to pose. And as r83 noted, I agree it is very subjective. In addition, with regard to sensitivity, it might even be categorized. Sensitivity with regard to: 1) Bottom Contact - I believe that it is through experience that we gain the knowledge of being able to paint a picture in our minds of what our lure is telling us through contact with the bottom. For example, a jig head dragged over rocks feels different that it would through a muddy/clay bottom, or through grass. Soon we develop the skills to give us a decent image. 2) The Strike or Taking of the lure - Sometimes it's nibbling which might mean a wary bass or a blue gill or a bass no bigger than my thumb acting like a hawg trying to grab my senko. Sometimes it's so positive and violent you know you have a fish on. Sometimes it's subtle. Something gets mushy or goes "dead". I call this basically, a change in the "system". 3) Line choice - Some lines transmit feedback to us better than others. With that said, however, I have learned that there has to be a certain amount of tension in order to receive the transmitted information. I don't care how sensitive your rod or line is, if there is too much slack, you are NOT going to feel a bite. I've tested this myself. With those two listed above, I think there are other factors that others will chime in on. Then we have our hands. The sensors in our hands are better than the most sensitive rods out there, thanks to the Man upstairs. If you've ever fished with a hand line (a blast in its own right), you know what I am talking. However, the drawbacks are there - limited line control, no extra leverage that a rod provides, etc. so I am not giving up my rods any time soon. With regard to rods, I think our hands play a role too in our perception of sensitivity a rod has. Even an ugly stik feels sensitive in my hands, lol. I'm not kidding. I do have one rod in my arsenal, which was the worst rod I have. I cannot feel much with this rod, even with braid. Even more disappointing that it was a rod from Rapala. When an ugly stik beats a rod in the sensitivity department, I have a problem. I still use it for certain applications like float fishing and squid fishing. Both of these do not require sensitivity. It also serves as a guest rod if I don't like somebody, lol. Just kidding about that.

The only lures I tie with a snap swivel are in-line spiners and I use good quality snap swivels, not the kind of junk you usually find. You can tie a good quality snap and you won't need to learn how to tie loop knots ( which if not tied and tightened properly can be worse than those cheap snap swivels you've been using ).

Ive tried mono, braid and floro. Settled on 20 or 25lb trilene Xt and big game for flipping and pitching in laydowns, weed edges, docks, undercut banks, and lilly pads. Mono is more manageable for me. No digging in issue. No coiling issue. Strong enough to hoist em out of the cover.

You aren't fishing the Niagara, so current isn't an issue. Sounds more like a pond. If it's windy, keep your tip down and at a 90* angle to the line. If it some still is that windy that it is holding the bait up, add a BB size split shot a few inches above the hook.

It will sink until it hits bottom, like any sinking bait.