bigbill

O gosh I said something wrong. I felt a while back I could use any fishing rod. But after reading here I got into trying different power rods for certain baits. I'm learning. I have a few new LEWS SPEED STICK rods that feel good.

Ct I'm in the rural area with water shed land and horse farms. A few years back we had a 400lb Bruin in my back yard. Now the sow and cub is running around. Seen a large bobcat twice so far. We have no open season on the predators. One woman had a bear in the house through the door and it left through the window they think she opened the door and let it in. Older lady. I have three tamed feral cats that are well aware of there surroundings outside. When there ears are going 360 degrees with there heads and walking low to the ground ready to spring that's the sign a bear is near. I don't trim there claws so they can climb trees faster. I listen to my dogs tones of bark. It's different between a person walking by or a predator is near. He sits in the house and sniffs the air near the window. Knowing your pets body English could save your life. Just have to be aware there out there. The first sign I seen was I tilled the corn patch. The next day I had bear tracks in the soft ground and scat in the field at the same time.

Fishing from shore is only backwards fishing from a boat. (Casting direction) I fish ponds and small lakes. I look for run off streams from bigger lakes that were once used for water power over 100+ years ago. Most of these places have man-made dams with road beds. Since these places get the constant flowing of freshwater there good healthy eco systems. During the winter run off or heavy rains the fish get washed down stream from the larger body of water, get trapped and grow. Most of these places are still unfished. Fisherman just drive by them. The man made dams are droppoffs. Using a cast out hummingbird fish finder it will tell you the layout of the place so we know how to fish it. All of my larger lakes here have dams too. Fishing from shore isn't hard at the larger bodies of water too. There is a current with flowing water still there from when it was a river before it was dammed. If you locate the current. It will be a distance from shore. You will have a distance out of quiet water from the shoreline to the current. This is similar to fishing a river with a backwash only it's bigger. The fish gather on that quiet edge waiting for the current to bring the bait by. Or if the quiet water is large enough the baits are there too. I also look for coves, inlets and dog legs to fish too. You can actually see the current moving in front of the quiet water. These can also be droppoffs in certain areas too. My point is if you fish from shore there are areas to look for. These man-made dams are what to look for even the small bodies of water can be great bass fishing. For you youngsters what ever you learn fishing the pond in your neighborhood that knowledge will still apply at any body of water you fish in the future. It's skill that catches fish not luck. Bill

The misses was returning home tonight when a bear cub ran in front of the car. This little guy was following the sow. His daddy is the 400lb bear that we seen around.

Tom, I don't use scents on salted or prescented baits on the first cast.

I use eagle claw weedless hooks on everything when I can even my wacky rigged senko. On lizzards and creature baits. I fish from shore along side weedlines. I'm using a 1/8oz Carolina rig with a 24" leader. Picking the correct hook size is my problem. Now I figured out to pick what I think is the correct hook size and go one size larger. Make sure we use a big enough hook for old bucket mouth.

That's a good thing. I wish every state allowed a handgun when bow hunting. Since bow season over laps bear season we pair up so one has a gun. I got hung up in the very thick pines once it was crashing and thrashing going away. I didn't like a 5 to 8' shot with the 30-06. I carried the 444 in brush country ever since. No feeling like being in the dark with a bear and cat at5am. There just curious.

Raul maybe with the more expensive rods the rod blanks are a much better quality. The power is more equal. To me some rods feel a different power as we go up the rod. It's not a smooth taper/power wise. It's like I have a medium rod from the handle halfway up the rod then it's a lite power to the tip. Very flexible. Let me correct this cheaper affordable rods.

Who's making sandwiches?? Make mine pepperoni and provolone toasted with peppers, tomato, olives, oil. Now I'm hungry. Lol

Scents do get old. Keep your scents fresh Don buy too much ahead. I wish baitmate made all the flavors again to match the baits. Baitmate original bass Baitmate garlic Baitmate crawfish Baitmate worm crawler. Baitmate live I was matching the right flavor of scent to the bait. I use senkos with no scent on a weedless hook wacky rigged if I get a hit n miss the weedless spring comes up open. One shot of scent is a definite hook up on the next cast.

The drainage pond at a mini mall had dinks. The wife was feeding them while at the gym. Four years later they were 2 and 3lbers. I havent been there in many years but I'll bet there bigger now. There is a healthy supply of panfish.

I have a variety of different setups from the trigger casting rods, with Shakespeare reels to some newer setups. The same with spinning setups. I change constantly. Right now it's LEWS rods, no8 tackle rods. Us reels, fin-nor, OKUMA reels. This is probably my last go around with fishing equipment.

I need to be able to pull them out of the pads and weeds.

Using a scent that attracts bass really works I don't leave home without it. A bass scent covers all foul oders from your tackle box, hands. Plus they attract fish. Prior to going fishing. I wash my hands with big orange. I do not touch gasoline or oil. I go fishing with my hands free of foul oders. My first long cast with my to p water popper is loaded with scent. My next lures get one small shot of scent. I know the fish are there it's figuring out what the bait of the hour is. The fish are there it's up to us what bait will they strike. I throw a variety of different baits till I get action. Change colors, bass don't see all the colors all the time like we do. Hint, on a tough bite firetiger is your friend. I've seen the water conditions change as we go deeper. When the bite is off it can be a color problem. Example, red senkos worked yesterday today they dont. I put on electric blue and the bite is on.

The ratings say medium yet each rod will feel different. There is no uniform standards for rating.

The reel is rated for 16lb test. The rod is rated for 20lb test. I'd like to try 14lb test, topwater, I lost four big bass possibly state record breakers. I know what's there. I know how to poke them getting them landed and reaching them is a problem. I even have them swim by me at the drop off at one place. My bucket list is to raise the bar high on the new state record. Since everyone thinks we don't have big bass up north I need to break the record twice. These bigger bass are smart.

I use baitmate bass, baitmate garlic, yum shad, yum craw. There's new yum too. Snake bite craw. I switched from baitmate bass on no bites to a garlic scent and the bite took off.

Fishing from shore? Boat? Just starting out? Casting or spinning?

First Fish Chris the trophy Hunter in CA. Uses a ULTRA LITE rod for big bass. I talked with him years ago on his sight and here too. I use a 5'6" med spinning rod with 6lb test for smaller lighter baits. I even throw a smaller 1/8oz spinnerbait on it too. I enjoy switching to the 5'6" rods. I started out bass fishing with a 5' med, 5'6" med and a 6' med spinning rods. I been upgrading to 6'6", 7', 7'2" rods recently. My different setups are like my children I like them all. It's fun playing a 3lb bass on a 5' setup.

I just purchased a made in China med spinning bass rod. The rod rating isn't correct as most of the other rods. This Chinese spinning rod feels good.

Are any of there marked made in China?

My thinking is between 8lb test to 12lb test on a standard spinning spool the casts shorten up. But on the larger diameter using 14lb test with heavier baits cast farther? Does the long spool cast farther? I'm in the hunt for bigger bass if I can put the bait where no bait has ever been. It's never been fished in this area.

Watch "over stocked bait & tackle" they just had a sale on Mann's spinnerbaits.

For trout, trout magnet Panther Martin Wordens silver blade white body, white dresses(killer here)

Make the green bracket for the line drop down in front of the spool to cast with one finger. The return trip to reel again.