Crestliner2008

Really. Well, after drop shotting 4# test fluorocarbon for 6 years now - this being my 7th. - I've never had a problem using the palomar knot. I'm fishing for SM in a deep, very clear reservoir and have caught many hundreds of fish over the years, 2 1/2 - 4 3/4 lbs., with no problems. So, maybe someone needs to tell your "pro" how to tie a palomar knot!

Use X-Raps anytime during the open water season (a little tough fishing it through the ice!). However, as a general guideline, consider long pauses in between each jerk during the cold/cool water periods; decreasing the time between pauses, as the water warms and vice versa during the cool down in the fall. Curious RW, what are "better" jerkbaits? I don't think there's any differentiation between "slash" baits and "jerk" baits. I believe that's Rapala's marketing attempt at separating itself from the pack is all. I could be wong? I've tried Rogues, Husky Jerks, Bombers and a lot others. Not quite sure what you are referring to, unless you're talking about "soft" jerkbiatss - a whole other animal entirely.

Great job out there on topwaters! I've got one of those "Mouse" you talk about. With the treble hook on the rear. Cast like a bullet and hook-up ratio is very high. Wish they still made them!

What I should have said was, you won't have those worms lying around long enough for age to matter. You'll be buying more soon enough. Yes, they work that well. X1000! - No one could have said it better!

I posted this prviously, but I could not find it, so I'll post it again; it may be value-added to some: There are probably a 100 ways of hooking a Senko wacky style. Here's one I've adopted from a long time fishing friend (a pen-pal of mine, Hiromi), who is living and fishing in Japan. It's a bit hard to explain to someone by typing instructions or verbally communicating this technique over the phone. So, I took some pictures and maybe this will help someone getting started. Maybe you'll even consider changing your current technique and give this one whirl (you may be pleasantly surprised!)? First, you will have to buy a package of "Goodys" at Wal Marts: Next, you will need a pair of long nose pliers and put the tip thru one of these rubber bands: Then you will DOUBLE the band on the tip and open the pliers a bit to retain a loop: Believe me, this is a lot easier and simpler to do than it is to show! Finally, you insert your Senko: All you have to do now is slip the "Goody" off one tip of the plier and then the other. Presto: You now have a wacky rigged Senko which will keep your worm intact for quite a few fish. Another advantage to this rubber band deal is that it acts as a spring when you lift or twitch the Senko, giving it quite a different action from a solid connection, such as a straw or heat shrink tubing. A very cost effect approach which you will note, is much cheaper than "O" rings. It fits the 5" size Senko best, but I've used it on the 4" as well. A bit too snug on the 6" or 7" however. I've used this very techique for 4 seasons now myself and am very satisfied. FYI, I only use Gamakatsu's OCT INLINE CIRCLE hooks; cat. no. 221311, size 1/0 (the smallest size in this particular hook style). You might also notice that the barb is pinched down as well. This facilitates CPR tremendously. I've NEVER lost a fish using this hook barbless. Hope this helps!

Just a question here; aren't you using a flurocarbon because it's light refractive index is close to that of the water itself? Which in turn, gives you less line visibility? (Let's not muddy the water with stretch characteristics.) If you add color - any color - doesn't that defeat the purpose? I'm just aking!

Twice in 40 years. Most recently about 15 years ago! The "nanny" state I live in spreads law enforcement to it's extremes. Their solution is to put the law abiding citizens in jail and free the criminals. Then, tax us to the hilt. I'm looking at moving to Texas myself!

Oh yeah! Try a wacky rigged Senko.

We've had one front after another roll on through here in MA. The only thing all this cool, rainy weather has done, is to keep the water temps in the low to mid 60's, instead of in the high 70's where they belong! Makes for finding fish a bit harder, but it can be done. Finesse fishing comes into it's own during these conditions, but you still have to find the fish! Tough call sometimes!

I learned to fish a texas-rigged worm by reading Doug Hannon many years ago. It was his theory that most bites went either undetected or missed because of rod position. His method was this. Make the cast, let the worm fall vertically on slack line. Take up the slack and wait to see if a bass takes it on the initial fall or not. He'd wait a good 30 seconds! The most important step is the actual retrieve. Raise your rod to 12:00 o'clock and hold it there....forcing the worm to lift off the bottom and travel in a shallow, more horizontal arch, to it's next position. Hannon claims there is no need to jiggle, bounce or slide a texas rigged worm. This simple movement being the most effective at soliciting a strike. At that noon-ish position, hold it there for about 10 seconds or so, before reeling down from there to 9:00 o'clock. You just keep repeating it this same movement until you need to re-cast. At this noon holding position, your feel is dramatically increased. You will feel a tap much quicker and more intensely. Your reaction then, would be to reel down to the fish and use a side sweeping hook set. Hannon caught a LOT of bass using this technique. And it's worked well for me! Hope this is of some help.

I fish 4# test fluoro for my drop shot leader, on a medium light action rod and reel combo. In deep, clear water lakes, you almost have to go this light if you want to get bit. And I enjoy doing so! I've been using this set-up for 6 seasons now....this being my 7th.. Have taken a lot of bass this way. Biggest bass (SM) I've taken so far, on this rig, has been a 4 lb., 14 oz. female from 27' of water. Working on a 5+! I believe the statement by fourbizz is a gut reaction to going after large LMs in heavier cover. However, if you are good enough to pull it off, more power to you. His statement is a bit too blunt for my taste, but what do I know.

X2 - These are great buzzbaits. Have been using them myself for over 1/2 doz. years.

I've seen this discussion before and it still amazes me. If you believe a split grip has any advantage on a fishing rod....well, my friend, "I've got a hell of a bridge for sale"!

That snake was the original Doug Hannon snake that first developed in Florida. The head is styrofoam and floated the long plastic body which you texas rigged.

If you didn't catch this past week's show, Stricker went after smallies, using crawfish imitating jigs. What was most interesting about this segment was his underwater footage on how the bass "selects" a crawfish as it's next meal. The bass actually "tests" the hardness of the craw (by closing it's mouth on it), instantly rejecting some, before selecting the one it wants to eat. Amazing! Explained later in the show, by a fisheries biologist, the smallmouth will select only the "softest" of the softshells. These are more easily ingested in the mouth and throat, without the problems of the harder shelled neighbors. What this means for us is, a soft plastic crawfish imitator could actually be more effective than the real thing! I know here abouts, a lot of folks go out of their way to find, buy and use live crawfish for smallmouth bass fishing. Maybe it's not as effective a presentation as they think it is!

It's been really bad up here in MA too. I mainly fish the Quabbin Reservoir and the water temps are a good 10 - 15 degrees cooler than last year at this time. It hasn't even set up a thermocline yet! What this means for the bass fishing is that the big females, which normally set up on the deeper, cooler structures at this time of the year; are now, instead, staying shallow, are scattered and roaming. It's almost like an extended spawn period instead of a post spawn. They may not be on beds, but they are certainly roaming the shallow shelfs and reef instead of setting up on their summer time haunts. Makes finding them a lot more difficult, requiring a "power-fishing" approach with a lot of boat movement.

I use both, including long sleeves and generally light clothing. Here's what we look like when we venture forth:

Launched around 6:10 am. Water temps are still in the mid 60's! Here it is, almost July, and no theremocline. Amazing. What this has done is simply kept the big females a lot shallower than in "normal" years. And they scattered in those shallows, making location difficult. In any case, I decided to probe the deeper structures with my drop shot and some Senkos & tubes, to see if I could locate some of the bigger females. Only got 2 smaller bass off-shore. Since I was running solo, I didn't take many pictures, but here's what the bait looked like in one area: And here's what the bass looked like in this area: Probed some shallower structures, still off-shore, and here's what I found: Plenty of bait there too, along with some fish. But they would have nothing I was offering. So, I finally decided to head on in and hit some shallow humps. (I try to stay away from the shorelines, as this approach involves a lot of casting and constant moving. My arms just cannot handle that anymore!) Here's a sample of what I caught & released: I ended up with 7 decent smallmouths, along with several small bucks thrown in for good measure. I much prefer it when the larger females set up housekeeping off-shore, but you take what you can get! Until Mother Nature decides to warm things up, this is the way it will be I guess! Oh, and btw, not only did I get the smallies, but got this rocky in 23' on the drop shot! Amazing: Saw a couple of eagles, a hawk, several turkey vulcures and, as always, the loons stopped by, on occaision, to see what I was up to! Nice day out there. The only decent one predicted, weather-wise, this week. Lots more rain coming in over the next several daysl Hope it warms up soon and we break out of this nasty weather pattern!

Know this....nothing in nature goes to waste. That fish will make fodder for an eagle, hawk or even a turtle or two. Not counting the smaller fish that will feed on it. Try this in the future. Pinch down the barbs on your hooks. It's amazing how efficient hooks are, even without the barbs. The only hook I have barbs on now are my drop shot hooks. Bass get hooked 99% of the time in the upper lip when drop shotting, resulting is 75% of lost fish on the first jump if you crimp down the barbs! (I learned that the hard way!) One more thing you may want to try. If the area you fish isn't too weedy, get some Gamakatsu In-Line Circle hooks. This type of hook will keep the hook out of the fishes' vitals most times. I even crimp the barb on these; that way, if the fish brings your bait down deep and the circle doesn't do it's job (highly unlikely), it's easy to remove it without physical damage. You can nose hook plastics or wacky rig them effectively with circles. Just do not get the "off-set" circle type hooks. This is where the point is not in line with the hook shank. The off-set pointed circle will have a tendency to hook fish deeper than the in-line variety. Good Luck!

Wacky rigging is VERY effective. Do a search on this site and you will find loads of techniques and specific equipment you can use.

Great point!

Hogwash! If that were true, no one would ever catch another bass on the texas rigged worm.

Without a doubt, if you want to quickly find out if there are any decent bass in a pond, in a very limited amount of time, throw a Senko.

I think what this comes down to is a matter of evolving our fishing preferences and techniques, to suit our style of fishing and the waters we frequent most often. For the past 1/2 doz. years now, I've been focusing on catching larger smallmouth bass on off-shore structures, with drop shotting, tubes, Senkos and topwaters as my main arsenal. I have tons of spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs and what-all, that I've bought over the years. But I only use 4 rods and a small percentage of the tackle I own. I still enjoy trying new lures and techiques; but I sure do love catching a 4 lb. smallies on a drop shot!

I agree with your first statement and partially disagree with the rest. I've owned over a 1/2 doz. Abu/Garcia Ambassadeurs, in over 40 years of fishing. If they aren't a quality product, I'll eat my shirt! I've still got my first one and it still works just fine. And these reels are a far cry (cost wise) to what is purported - by popular opinion - to be the best of the baitcasting reels. I do agree that when you spend more money, you may think you are getting a better product. But when all is said & done, the Abu's will still be around a lot longer and they will cost a heck of a lot less to maintain - both in parts and labor. Best value for the buck on the market - hands down.