The Rooster

Well, by no means have I fished all of the two lakes I fish the most on, but as far as I know there is no slop on them. But I do regularly see fish way down deep in 20 feet of water or more. And I can't get down to them except by the T-rig or a jig. I use the T-rig a lot with some success but not that deep usually. And I've never jig fished at all but want to get into it. Actually I'm wanting to try a lot of different stuff and this year I've tackled some of it. I'm learning to crank now, and fish worms, and now jigs.

40 miles by boat one way?? I can't even imagine. I'm used to about 2 or 3 miles and that's a long way for me. I can imagine how the dog felt, I had a bad experience yesterday on the water, was pretty scary. Got caught in a lightning storm. Great fish pictures. Maybe someday I'll get there to catch fish like that, even to be able to.

I'll have to say thank goodness I had a good trolling motor. Minnkota Powerdrive 55PD. It showed I used 25% battery life to cross that river and then to go up the Little Sandy against the wind after we made it acrossed. With the wind it felt like I was running it on 1/2 it's capable speed even though it was maxxed out on 10. A lesser motor might not have made it in that length of time and I needed to get off the water in a hurry!!

Yesterday, after the rain, it looked like it was going to clear up. I checked the radar on the internet to be sure and it looked fairly clear, didn't see anything that would be a threat. So we left and took the boat to the Ohio river to launch at the Little Sandy river ramp. Was about to put it in and Barb (my wife) cuts the wheel on the SUV to back it down the ramp and her cell phone that I'd laid up on the boat dash goes flying off the boat and smacks the concrete and comes apart in 3 pieces. The case is cracked up too. Well, we put the trailer and boat down into the water beside another guy also launching his boat. It starts to sprinkle rain. I said maybe we better leave but he says he's staying and it might not last long. Barb said that too, so we went. We idled out passed a couple of bridges and hid under one for a minute until the rain quit. Then I took off across the river to the other side, guessing about 300 yards away. I didn't have much gas but knew I wouldn't need anymore cause that's as far as I was going to go and would use the trolling motor to fish with only. Well before I had made 4 casts it starts to rain again, and this time it looked like it might be bad. The sky was beginning to cloud up pretty dark. Heard thunder and saw lightning also. So I said it was time to head in. But the motor wouldn't start. Apparently having a little over 1 gallon of gas in the tank isn't enough to let it have suction to maintain fuel pressure in the line. So I had to use the trolling motor on high speed to cross the open water of the Ohio river at least 300 yards before getting to the inlet of the Little Sandy again. Just as I was making it across, 15 minutes later or more, it starts to rain pretty good and we hid under a bridge again, but this time the wind was blowing really strongly so the rain was coming in sideways. We were getting wet and I was unable to hold onto the bridge piling with that much wind, so I had to use the trolling motor to pull us out and head for the ramp still 100 yards away or more. But unfortunately I had never been to this spot and didn't know how deep the water was. My depthfinder showed 16 feet where I was but it quickly went to 6 feet, then 3, then 2 and finally 0. This was in a matter of seconds. There must just be a narrow channel that's deep and the rest is super shallow. The water is so muddy you cannot tell no matter where you are. We were beached solid out in the middle of that bay, it was raining hard, we were soaked to the skin, wind blowing still, there was loud thunder and bolt lightning flashing all around. I was having to yell for Barb to hear what I was saying just 2 feet away. We raised the rear outboard motor and got unstuck and I raised the trolling motor to where it was just barely in the water. I managed to troll across a section that read 2 feet deep on average and get to the ramp and jump out knee deep in water to hold the boat while Barb got the SUV and backed the trailer in. We put the boat on and headed for home. My tackle, fishing rods, boat carpet, everything including us, got completely soaked and rode home in the pouring driving rain getting further soaked the whole way home. All this happened in the space of about a hour and 15 minutes. I was never so mad in my life. Got home and online to check the radar again and now it shows there's a massive wall of rain stretching from Tennessee to Ohio, completely across Kentucky, and almost all of it is severe. It was nowhere to be seen when we left. That storm system must have just developed out of nowhere. I'm clueless to how that happened. Could I have missed seeing that when I looked before leaving?? I don't really think so. And as bad as this all is, it only ranks second on the list of the most disasterous outdoors trips I've ever been on.

Sounds good. Wish I could get in on something like that but it's rained the whole weekend here.

I voted Pflueger since I use more spinning reels that I do casting reels and I LOOOOOVVEE the Pflueger spinners I have. But casting reels, since I've never used a Pflueger then I'd have to say either Quantum or one that's not on the list.........B.P.S. Extreme (don't hit me). Daiwa I have yet to see one I like the feel of in my hand so it never gets a chance on the water cause I don't buy it. Shimano, they are nice in the store but seem overpriced for what they are and I don't like the large frame they have. Seems bulky and heavy. Abu Garcia, I used to use the Ambassadeur round reels and they were good but both of the ones I had went bad in the gearing even though I was religious about oiling and greasing and cleaning them. Had 2 spinners do that too. Seems a toss up whether I get a good one of them or not so now I don't trust them anymore. And the only other brand of reel I've ever had consistantly fail me more often than Abu Garcia has been SHAKESPEARE. Never again will I go there. Especially now that I've found this site and read up on what's good and what's not.

I use regular mono, Stren to be exact, and I change mine anywhere from once a year to maybe twice, once at the beginning of the season in early spring and once at mid to end summer. Gets me through to the end of autumn that way and then I'm pretty much done fishing until spring again.

Thaaank you. That will help me to make a decision of which line to use for what bait now. Weightless plastics that I want to slowly sink that is. Sometimes I use a larger hook to get 'em down faster, but usually I use 8 pound test so they sink pretty well anyway. Was thinking of going to 10 pound though cause my buddy thinks 8 is pretty thin and weak. Until recently it's never failed me but the last trip out I set the hook on a bass and snapped the line at the knot.

So pretty much the "skirted" lures. That'll help me remember what it fishes when I'm out there until I get used to which one does what best. I have my eye on a Team Daiwa-V rod that I've seen at Wal-Mart that I was thinking might be what I need for this. That's not usually where I go to look for rods anymore but this one is nice actually. 6'6" or 7' are available, I think all in medium heavy power range though they seem extra stiff to me. Fast tips on them all. Sell for about $50. I'll have to see which I think is better, the 6'6" or 7'. Then I still need a reel but I think a BPS Extreme will do for that. Or the tackle shop here nearby has some Quantum Accurists left over that sell for $90. AC500CX I think they are. 5 bearings. Got a choice of either blue or gold and they have a flippin' switch (which I probably won't use). Seem like good reels to me.

I fish for white bass and wipers here in Kentucky along the Ohio river using inline spinners. Worden's Roostertails in 1/6 oz. or heavier sizes. Also use Blue Fox Foxtail inline spinners, the ones with the hair skirts in white and red colors. They especially like anything white or shiny silver or chrome. Any version of it will do, and another good one is firetiger also. So simple to do here where I'm at, just cast out from the shore and retrieve back and they nail it down below the dam on the river. I think that particular spot is where they've figured out to wait for injured prey to come through the dam. I cast out into the current, let it roll and sink with it for a few seconds, then start my retrieve and WHAM!!! They about pull the rod out of my hands. Man do they fight. Especially in that current, it feels like they're twice the size they are. I'd have to say I like fishing for them better than I do for largemouth when the whitebass bite is on. Just a lot of fun.

I just keep right on fishing for bass using any lure I have. Weightless worm, weightless Zoom Fluke, texas rig, carolina rig, crankbait, spinnerbait, buzzbait, and also Worden's Roostertails which are one of my primary bass lures and I catch a lot of 1 lb. fish with them. Around 12 to 14 inches in length. I carry over 100 of just those, not counting the Blue Fox spinners I also have. But mainly if bass don't bite on one thing, I'll switch to a different color or size of the same lure, or a different type of lure and go through 2 or 3 colors and sizes of it before switching again. I almost always can catch at least 5 or 6 bass no matter what's going on, many times more than that, so I think the key is if they aren't biting.......just keep on fishing for them using something else until they do.

Strictly talking monofilament line, does heavier line sink faster or tend to float more than light line?? Say I'm using 8 pound line on one rod and 12 or 14 on another. Which will sink faster with the same lure on them??

The main things I'm seeing here are medium heavy or heavier rods, in 6'6" or longer. Mostly around 7' lengths it looks like. 7' is longer than I'm used to using but I've never fished jigs before. Why do you use a rod so long?? Does it help to set the hook better?? Also, can a jig rod serve to fish other baits such as the texas rig (I tend to think of this as sort of a jig)?? What about buzzbaits?? I'm thinking that a jig won't require any specific reel gear ratio by the way I've seen them fished so I could get a reel that's fast retrieve, 6.3 or more, and use it for something like a buzzbait also. I'm trying to get the most out of each rod I get cause I don't really want to take more than 5 with me on my boat due to limited space for other people on board with me and all their rods. Having rods that serve for 2 or more lure types will help me there.

I'm wanting to know what kind of rod is recommended for jigs?? Medium, or medium heavy, 6' or 6'6", or even 7' long, and most likely it's gonna be baitcasting, right?? Some heavy line too?? What do I need??

How many different colors of soft plastic worms do you carry with you?? Maybe 2 or 3 different ones, or more than 10?? I've recently been buying some and want to know how many are enough. I'm up to 7 different ones I think. Trying not to buy them just cause they look good in the store, I'm trying to make myself think about what kind of water clarity I'd fish them in. Some I've had for years but never fished much with them. I went to the lake recently and had a blast with them so now I'm fired up to get into some worm fishing. Here's the colors I have so far. Most of them are Zoom U-tales, but the black ones are Berkley Powerbait. Motoroil Junebug Red Shad Watermelonseed Pumpkin/chartreuse Natural blue Black I was thinking I need some kind of purple, such as tequila sunrise, or the candybug that Zoom makes. And maybe a chartreuse?? Any others I might want?? White maybe?? I was even thinking of getting some white ones and mixing them with chartreuse to make a white/chartreuse, and maybe use some white ones to make a solid chartreuse instead of the clear chartreuse that Zoom makes. Done that before with white in chartreuse, comes out bright solid chartreuse when done.

When I cast I put my pinky finger behind the reel foot and hold the rod with it there, and my ring, middle, and index fingers are in front of the foot, and in that position my rods are a little tip heavy which helps me to cast with them. Then after I make the cast I put my pinky finger back in front of the reel foot again so that all 4 fingers are gripping the front grip of the rod. That's most comfortable for me to fish my lure I just casted, and in that position the rod is now balanced and depending on how far forward I hold it, it can be just a bit butt heavy, depends on the lure I'm using how I hold it. For this way of using them to work the front grip must be as long as the width of my hand, which is about 3 inches, so that lets out a lot of rods for me to be able to use that have smaller foregrips such as the Shimano Clarus, Convergence, and others. They're not large enough. So overall, I'd have to say balanced with a little tip heavy in them. That's the way I pair my rods and reels when I buy them. If they don't fit that to a T then I don't buy them. Overall weight doesn't really concern me much unless it's noticably uncomfortable as I hold it. But I do always match reel size to rod length and bottom line guide size also. That stripper guide has to be large enough for my thumb to fit through it or I don't buy it either. Helps with cast distance I believe. Larger size allows for line to pay off the reel faster and not have so much slap inside that line guide while spinning through it.

I remember reading a post on here somewhere, can't find it now, about servicing reels and Shimano reels were covered in it. I read to use oil, not grease, on the gears. Though that goes against my way of thinking, this is what I read. Can't find that post at all now though. Sorry.

Yes I noticed it too. I think it's just another way to sell you something. My dad looks in the bass pro catalog with me every so often and sees a lure advertised as "new" and says he used to fish with stuff just like it when he was a kid. Then this year they actually have a Strike King tri-winged buzzbait advertised as new but I've fished with them for 12 years now. Might be new to them selling it but I highly doubt it. All in all, it's whatever they can do to get your money, pure and simple. Put out a spinning reel design and let it run long enough that it's flaws are well known, then change the design and bill it as new and improved and everyone will go to it. Run it for so long that everyone forgets about the old ways and also all of it's flaws are well known about too. Then change back to the original design and suck in a few new people who never fished with the first one. ::)That's my take on the whole situation. I say pick what you like, fish with it, and forget all the "new and improved" or "casts better" stuff.

Everybody here for the most part has said something to the effect of "leave dad alone and let him do his thing" it seems. So I won't say that, and I won't tell you how to talk him out of it either. All I really want to say here is this thread makes me think about my dad and how I'm so glad I do still have the opportunity to fish with him even though we don't get to go as much as I'd personally like to. I realize now while he's still alive that one day he will be gone and I need to make the most of this time. When I'm out there fishing with him I see him do things in fishing that I don't do and think it would be better if he didn't also. And no, one of them is not keeping fish cause he doesn't do that. But my point here can be applied to your situation too if you think about it.........I'd never say a word to him cause I feel that will take away from his enjoyment of the day and when he's gone, hopefully a LONG time from now, I never want to look back and have any memories of doing that. Enjoy the time you have with him and make lasting memories that you will want to keep. Those are the REAL keepers of any fishing trip anyway.

Did you drain the pond especially to find out what the reason behind this was, or was there some other reason?? I never heard of draining a pond only to refill it and restock it again. Is that a common thing to do??

We normally use a regular fluke with a 3/0 EWG hook, and the bait is just nosehooked from one side to the other so that the entire body is free to flex and wiggle in the water as we swim it weightless over stumps or rocks. Bass come up from underneath and grab it and then swim off with it. Sometimes if that doesn't work then we'll wacky rig it and that gives it a whole new action. I'll have to try the super fluke, it sounds like it will have a different action and with the weighted hooks (gotta get some of those now), I can now fish it deeper. I've always wanted to fish a fluke deeper but it takes an incredible amount of time to get down there, and with a weight on it, it's action is too different so I've always just fished it shallow. Now I'll have a new weapon. After I bust a few bass on it, and he asks what I'm using, I'll say "fluke" and when he puts his on like always and maybe doesn't catch anything after I get a few more, then I'll say "oh, I meant to say SUPER fluke. Sorry". HAHA!!!! That'll show him they can work. Otherwise he might not even care to try one. I shouldn't be so hard on him, he's a good friend. But the way you all describe how this thing works, I don't want to not have it cause of stubbornness to try something different.

Man I was thinking the same thing, your pictures always look great. Your avatars always look like they should be magazine ads for the reels in them. Do you really use all those reels you have?? I've seen 1/2 a dozen pictures of different ones you had up.

Most any spincast reel I've ever seen the face just unscrews or unlocks by twisting to the left. If it unlocks, then it will only rotate less than 1/4 turn before being free. And a lot of them are so tight that it would make you think it does not work this way, but they usually do. If you need one by tomorrow, then it might be better to just get a Zebco 202 or something for him to use to get by on and fix it later. I'm assuming he's a very young child though. Good luck fishing!!! I know I did well this weekend.

All of the Cardinals look good to me, even the 100 series. But I'm afraid to try one again cause I've had 4 Garcia reels in the past that all had weak gears, 2 casters and 2 spinners. Then the guy at the tackle shop here tells me they're known for having weak gearing. So I went with Pflueger when I needed new reels this last time. The Pflueger Trion for $40 is an absolute steal, feels like it should be twice that much when I fish with it. You can get the whole combo for $60 through Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. Nice reels alone though to put on a rod you already own. I bought 2 Pfluegers and I love them, they're solid as a rock!

Yes it sure sounds like it will. I had a good day yesterday too, but not as good as yours. I'm just proud that I looked at the water conditions, made a call to do something that I have not tried before based on logical thinking, and it worked for me. I got about 8 bass on it in an hour's time, after having went most of the day unable to catch one.