Team9nine

Nanofil - love/hate -lol 832 is good line, but you won't get the casting distance on light stuff like Nanofil. You're stuck in a world of trade-offs. Going 6# Tatsu or InvizX might be the best all around option...but Tatsu will cost you. Only other good option would be something like 5 or 6# braid with a leader to help offset the abrasion issue. Depends a lot on where you'll be fishing, and what attributes are most important to you.

Agreed, it hits most of the listed requirements. InvizX wouldn't be far behind either, along with a couple Toray specialty lines that are getting increasingly hard to find on this side of the pond. Out of curiosity, what brand and pound test braid have you been throwing (or tried)? I use it a lot for all my light bait fishing (1/8 oz and less) without casting distance issues. Not sure a fluoro line could beat it in that regard, honestly because of the diameter advantage.

That line doesn't exist to my knowledge....at least not yet!

Couple thoughts... First, you're looking for cover ("breaks") in most cases, and breaklines. You've already found the "structure." Don't necessarily look for fish/bass. Yes, on some of the big TVA reservoirs you read about all the pros graphing and looking for schools, but that isn't always feasible, especially when fish are located shallow or in older reservoirs with smaller overall bass populations. Definitely look along the main channel. No such thing as being next to water that is too deep. The bass will adjust and be happy at whatever depth along that drop that the conditions (water clarity, baitfish, vegetation, current, etc.) allow. Spend more time fishing and a little less time looking. The only way to ultimately know if bass are living there and will bite is to actually catch them. That requires a lure in the water. If you're not opposed to it, spend a lot of time trolling until you hit a fish, then slow down and pick that area apart trying to figure out why he was there. You'll start putting the puzzle pieces together pretty quick. Finally, try and hook up with someone who is comfortable fishing ledges and can show you the basics, even if that means getting a guide for just half a day. It will be a huge shortcut to getting you on the right path quickly.

Sounds like Matt finally found his original Banjo Minnow rigging instructions - lol. It works with trick worms, too, until it doesn't. Most days they bite near the head and rigging that way works fine, but I've had days where I had to move the hook more central down the body to get consistent hookups. You'll know within the first half dozen bites which way you need to go. Several variables involved.

I think it really depends on the specific waterbody. Why they finally decided to pull up on this one lake, I have no idea. I'm sure spawn has been on for a couple weeks at least on other waters from reports I've seen. They don't all spawn at once. Bluegills were beginning to leave the beds on one pond I fish, while today, they had pulled up big time overnight on another nearby. Just know there is a little of everything going on at the moment, so keep your options (and your eyes) open

Finally figured out why I hadn't seen any spawners yet - they hadn't actually started. Bluegill beat them to the bank which was a surprise. Saw quite a few today though. Picked up 30 or so, and I'd guess half were sight fish (bedders/cruisers). A lot of fun, and much better than I expected given the weather conditions.

Back to bank beating some bass now that I got my fill of bluegill bedders. This was the best of nearly 3 dozen yesterday. Finesse Worm

One of the best ways to understand what's going on in your waters (with the bass) is to fish the bluegill spawn. Spent a couple hours doing that last night and managed about 4 dozen nice gills. Planning on pulling out the fly rod and hitting it again this weekend.

That will work fine. I usually go 12# BG myself in those situations.

Two different spools in two different pound tests for me. Yep, crap ? I won't try it again...

Just finished installing my new HDS32 in the boat. Decided to go up front with it since it blocked my view when located back by the console and I almost ran aground a couple times - very distracting. Just have to be careful dropping the troll motor, but otherwise, think I'm going to be really happy with it. Running off 4 deep cycle lithiums right now to keep it powered without killing my starting battery within the first few minutes of operation. Learned that the hard way

Klein's knot looks like a version of double line Pitzen to me...

Zman Finesse WormZ

Been running with this in my pocket for the last 3 weeks

One of the 51 brought to hand today from small water walking the bank. Bass appeared to be postspawn, as I never saw an actual bed, but they were cruising and chasing shallow. Did find some bluegill bedding. Zman plastics on a small jighead was the ticket (wacky).

I've heard it said it's not so much the length of the boat, but the beam that makes for a better ride ? Of course, you could always try and make up for boat length with bigger electronics...at least 10" (screens, that is) and preferably 12" ?

It's an interesting question/observation. I've done similar in that I remember once having left my line cutters at home and having to cut a lure off straight braid. I thought, no problem, I'll just use this piece of limestone riprap to cut right through it...wrong. Took much more abuse and pressure to eventually cut through, way more than a bait would likely ever put on the line. And the scissors point is not too dissimilar to the fact that they use Spectra and Dyneema to make cut resistant gloves. The most likely scenario is that it is a matter of diameter. If you watch the Salt Strong video comparing the two, 20# braid to 20# mono, mono wipes it out. But 20# braid is the diameter of 6# or less mono. Another online video I saw took this into account by testing 25# or 30# mono to the equivalent diameter braid, which was something like 130 or 150# test. The braid won each time. So the simplest answer might lie with the fact that braid seems to be less abrasion resistant because rarely is line diameter taken into consideration. Would be great to see some detailed testing that either proved or disproved this theory.

Most days I simply go fishing, usually with a minimum amount of tackle (relatively speaking). I try and catch them how I want to catch them. If that appeoach doesn't work, I either adapt or go home.

I'll do you one better and just give you the link to the entire paper ? Seeing Red: Color Vision In the Largemouth Bass

Since we were discussing the old Charlie Brewer slider in another thread earlier today, I decided to tie one on tonight and get an hour or two of "Do Nothing" in after dinner. Thirty fish later, the old slider worm still works as well as ever. This one sure didn't hurt my feelings any ?

Much like a lot of people use a "Ned Rig" but are not practitioners of Midwest Finesse, so too people use a slider head but don't practice the art of "Do-nothing" fishing espoused by Charlie. Also, like Midwest Finesse, slider fishing is a simplified process requiring just basic tackle (rods, reels, baits). It's more a study in depth and speed control than anything else. Light tackle, light line, along with a handful of baits and hooks and you're good to go. I like the old school spider Classic slider heads best, but also carry Snagless and Super heads, too. Use whatever straight tail worms you like. I have a bunch of Brewers, but also like Zoom finesse and Zman WormZ...and don't forget your snips ?

Hard to tell for certain, but the hooks look like short shank EWGs already. They would be better than round bend for coming through cover, but might also be worse for popping free of cover once snagged. You could go smaller, but you risk missing some fish if you go too small. Crankbaits coming through cover has a lot to do with design of the bait, and it might simply be a poor design for heavy brush. Might have to use a different bait in specific cover instances. Also, the bait only runs 5' deep. How do you lose half a dozen baits in this case? Are you simply throwing it into areas where you can't get a boat to it to retrieve when hung?

Other than stop catching so many fish...Lol. Maybe fish non Zman baits in the stingier waters where bites are fewer. Some plastics are a little tougher than others, but otherwise, not sure there is much you can do. Sad, but half a dozen fish or more per bait is a good day with non Zman baits ? Seems any effort to reinforce the head of a bait only makes it tear easier further down the body near the hook.

A decision everyone has to make for themselves. For me, it's a no-brainer...I always go smaller, though I could see a specific instance or two where the opposite might be better (perhaps frogging, punching).