basscaster88

Any recommendations on a new baitcaster? anything under 100?(for the rod/reel combo) anything 70 and under for just the reel?

Today i fished a local pond...quite large...and there was some moss by a well in the water so first i accidently casted my kenami plastic in there and a bass jumped for it. so i thought to myself i wasn't getting anything on the bottom so i'll try somemore...Well sure enough the very next cast...i placed where the moss met the water and just hopped it across like a frog...BANG a 4 pounder nails it and after much fight and heavy moss i finally get it in....astounded at a topwater bite while it's about to rain and in 55 degree weather with a good wind blowing...also the water is still 40 degrees... I kept fishing like that for about hour and a half to two hours and i ended up getting about 6 or 7 good sized bass...i'd say nothing under 3lbs. Why are they hitting so fast and often at topwater baits at this time of year? In late afternoon!? I'm thinking i just found something they like/haven't seen before...but why?

I've been playing competitive paintball for over 5 years and well if your trying to make a fishing type jersey on there i'd say forget it and take your bizz somewhere local and have them make a shirt/jersey for ya. Animalpaintball.com is very confusing i know...i just say forget it and try local.

Thanks for all the info guys. It's everything and more i was expecting to hear! I've got competitive nature pulsating through me...wether its from 3 on 3 basketball to golf and paintball tourneys(paintball gets INTENSE btw.) I'm going to do everything in my power to not only win but have fun and get the maximum experience out of it. I want to start slow since i have very little experience on a boat but my friend has good experience on a boat so it sort of balances out. As for fishing all day...well i'd prefer it! If i'm not getting bites i won't just pack up and go home...i'm getting my fish...and so far this year that mentality hasn't failed. I've been goin out nearly every day till nightfall...(starting from 3 when school gets out anyways.) I've already fished in freezing rain and also in blowing snow that acumulated to 3 inches this year... that snow day was preety successful in case your wondering ;D Making the transition from fishing as a...well...idk what you want to call it.. um leasure activity? to the competitive scene shouldn't be a problem since i've done it with so many other sports already...i know it won't be the same for fishing...i've read some articles about big tournaments...sounds like madness and thats EXACTLY what i like. You never know what is gonna happen. Thanks for all the support and well needed constructive critisim.. Anything you feel you need to add, i'd love to read it!

Me and a friend of mine have really been hitting the bass hard these past weeks and we think it's time to test our skills against others and get out there. The past few days we've caught combined weight totals that would put us towards the top of any tournament. Can anyone throw out some information on tournaments in Illinois? Why do you think youth tournaments are good or bad for anglers.(confidence is not a problem and losing wont want to make us quit...just an fyi ) What was your first tournament experience like and how did it impact the rest of your fishing career? Just a few questions that popped in my head. -Thanks, Tanner

I'd like to find this out too cuz me and my buddy went out to a lake today and we dont usually get much but there are big bass. I caught two 7 pounders, a 5, a 4, and a 2.5. They hit as hard as ever so i'm wondering if they're are spawning cuz they're so aggressive.

Ha well it just slingshoted me into the season but this weekend has been a DOWNER....all last week temps were 60 and above....today....25 with blowing snow... still caught 8 LMB...(yes i went haha). And Illinois has more than 6lbs in it trust me.. A classmate of mine holds the record out at a lake for the largest largemouth to ever be caught there. I'm preety sure its 13lbs 1oz. not sure on the ounces but i know it was 13 pounds. The record for a fish to be RECORDED anyways... March Madness has brought mad weather and sort of ruined the fishing trip today...come onnnn aprillll

Well i'm no where close to your age but just being out there doing what you love to do is something i can relate to. It's like that in all sports. I'm a preety avid golfer as well as a basketball player. Both of those sports have developed from a hobby or just something to do on the weekends to a love and a passion. I get caught up in the scenery during golf ALL THE TIME as well as fishing. Basketball, i just get caught in that good ol' high school atmosphere(nothing like it). When i fish i just love the scenery especially on nice 70 degree day with a slight cool breeze. Some days the fish are just a bonus most days... not so much haha just cuz i'm young and competitive. Hope that helps I know i won't experience EXACTLY what your feeling but thats just what it relates to in my life.

well i've already accomplished one of these goals and last week was my first week out so off to a great start! 1. catch a 6, 8 and 10 pound largemouth.(already got the 6) 2. catch something using a crankbait and jig. 3. HAVE FUN!

jig kenami(idk how to spell it...bait by Gary Yamamoto) plastics(T-rigged) spinnerbait-slow rolled

Spinnerbaits used to be all i used for quite a long time but i started getting involved in the glorious world of texas rigging and soft plastics and whatnot... I use spinnerbaits in cold water conditions. let it sink to the bottom and slow roll it up. thats what has gotten me the most success when fish are lazy. When its warmer i just cast and retrieve threw the weeds..nothin to it. Both baits are great and just remember to keep changing up your presentation untill you find the right presentation.

Oh yeah, sounds awesome, mix some nice warm sun in there and the water will warm up in no time.

Yeah it meant alot to get that fish going tuesday and wensday without even a nibble...8 hours of fishing with no luck whatsoever..It was tough to get through those two days.. goin back tomarrow cuz it's supposed to be a great day so hopefully i'll have the same bites

yeah it just caught be by surprise and got me thinkin. Thanks guys.

So i went out to a local pond today. When i went earlier in the week i got a nice 3 pounder and a big 5 or 6 pound spat my plastic out on a jump heartbreaker. That was monday. I went to other places tuesday and wensday and today i went back to that pond. It was goin slow and steady but a great day for fishing! It was about 65 or 70 degrees with the sun out and a little wind. For the entire day i was getting a lot of bites from small fish and a few from large bass... Saw a few monster grass carp skimming the top traveling in 8's or so.(each about 20-30 pounds in case anyone is wondering). ANYWAYS! on to the point. the day was winding down and i wasn't completely disappointed since i was getting lots of bites in cold water. Towards the end i was "sight fishing" if you will. And the bass i could see weren't goin for my gary yamamoto kinami plastic.(black and redish pink) so i had enough of that game so i took a long cast in some deep water and sure enough WAM!! a 6.5 pounder nailed that kinami with such force the kinami was way above the line by the time i got that thing in. Tried to keep it low so it wouldn't toss the hook like the other one did earlier in the week. but boy was it pulling that line out when i was trying to reel in. I texas rigged the kinami with a light bullet weight. and used fairly long pauses in between small tugs. Oh boy did my confidence for the week rise there! Sorry for the length of the post. I just can't wait to get back out there for the big bite again!

So i found some old fishing magezines i bought back in like 04 and i flipped open a page that said "Carolina Jig Rig." The concept they were trying to get across was two hooks on one line. Insted of the drop weight with obviously no hooks they slapped a jig on there using the head as the weight and a plastic worm on the end of the line. Has anyone tried this? What time of year does it work, if it even does work? -Just curious

This just reminded me that they don't sell senko's at walmart or gamemasters anymore i think we have a dick's here so im gonna check it out. -Thanks for the reminder!

I went out today and gave a jig with a trailor a try and had a few small hits. couldn't make out if they were bass or just bluegill hitting the tail on the trailor. after a while i just assumed it was the bluegill...but im going to a better lake hopefully tomarrow and saturday i'm goin on a little road trip with some friends to fish at they're cabin. should be fun! that is if the weather holds..

all great advice. thanks for the link sorry i didn't search hard enough for that as for the post above me. how should i fish the jig? just drag it slowly across the bottom or give it a few jerks, or both?

Thanks for the input. I've never fished jigs before and haven't fished crankbaits very much either. I've done some research on jigs and for the most part im sold. I'll have to try them next time.

I just couldn't decide what to use today. Water was cold but calm.(around 40 degrees). First i started with the plastics. casted a few with a green pumpkin color. Then i tried watermelon pearl...still not even a nibble.(texas rigged by the way) Then after a while i went to a terminator chartusue and white spinnerbait and yet again not even a bite. So whats good for this time of year? How should i fish that lure?

HA, i love how everyone cept roadwarrior used sarcasm is they're posts. and no advice except roadwarrior's post..so THANK YOU ROADWARRIOR!

can you fish them in 5ft of water or is that too shallow? also for the T-rig'd plastics should i add any beads or just a drop shot weight?

yeah, thanks all you guys for the posts. You've been extremly helpfull. I've been out of the fishing game for a little bit and now im wanting to get back to it. I used to be a HUGE spinnerbait kind of guy, fishing on private farms, catching 5-6 pounders EVERY CAST!!! but that was the past so i guess i'll have to be more patient ;D Thanks a ton guys.

anyone ever use texas rigs? i have a big kit with all different types of plastics and such and i'm considering trying them. have they worked for you guys at all this year?