Skinnyh2ofishin

I use the "backing method" with most of my reels now. I started doing it with braid years ago, mainly due to the cost of a school of braid compared to mono. Then, I had the same thought that you did, and started doing it with all my reels regardless of being spooled with braid or mono. Now, I leave the same backing line on all year and only change the top portion of the line until either I start casting far enough to see the mono backing, or when the braid starts to look like it needs reversing. If I've swapped the top line many times, then I'll go ahead and strip all the line off and start over. I only do that because I do quite a bit of inshore saltwater fishing as well and there is the real possibility of having enough line pulled out to get into the backing, and then I want that backing to be as reliable as any other line I'd have on my reel.

I've never used those on a chatterbait myself, but like Raul, I've used those by themselves in the past with great success. I still have a few, but only a handful here and there, but as I remember, they are a little softer than a slug-go of the same size so they should have great action on a chatterbait. You'll likely have to cut them down to make them most effective on the chatterbait, but I've used swim-senkos with 1" to 1 1/2" cut off the head with great success so those should work similarly. Just make sure you rig is so the tail is pretty flat and straight and it shouldn't cause the bait to roll.

I picked some up a while ago to use as drop-shot weights. I like them for that application because they still tend to come through weeds fairly well (when casting DS rigs) and I don't care about them damaging my line since it's below the hook. I haven't had a problem with them staying on the line, but since I'm DS'ing them I don't really hold back on the pressure when crimping them on.

ooh, ooh, oh boy, rage-tail action with elaztech durability....d**n you baitmonkey, stay back...back I say!

I agree. I fish from a kayak as well, and have seen similar problems with treble hooked lures because of keeping pressure on the fish close to the boat. Just as said, don't be afraid to keep the fish away from you and play them back and forth until tired. Letting them stay deep has really helped me. I'll actually try and keep them down under the kayak until they're ready to come up and then hand line them in one there is just more than a rod length of line out. It's usually when the rod is high in the air trying to pull the fish in close enough to the kayak to lip them, when I would lose them. Just experiment and you'll find what works best for you. As also said before me, a net does help from our low position, but it's another thing to carry in the kayak unless you get a good folding one that flips out quickly.

That is what I do, but here are some other options: Bullet-shaped split-shot. They work just like regular split-shot but will come through vegetation a little cleaner. I haven't had any problem with them coming off the line on hard casts thus far, but they will come off like a standard DS weight if you get snagged in rocks or brush. They also allow you to keep changing the length of the drop leader by just moving it up or down the line and re-crimping, and since it's below your hook the damage to your line is not important. Also, The above bullet weight method can be used with a Carolina Keeper instead of a split-ring, which will allow you to move the weight up or down the line like the split-shot, but still have the extra weedlessness of a standard (or tungsten) bullet weight, and you can still use a bead to add sound too. The Carolina Keeper can slide off the end of the line on hard casts if it's been used many times and become weaker, but I tie a couple overhand knots in the very end of the leader to give enough resistance to keep it all from coming off the end.

I agree completely. The only reason a fish on the first cast could be bad is, as others have posted, if it changes YOUR confidence and decision making for the rest of the day. The fish have no idea it was your first cast of the day. As for me, a fish on the first cast means the rest of the day I can't get skunked... and that my friend is never a bad thing. 8-)

In reply mainly to what's fishable and what to use... As an Orlando area, and Florida in general, fisherman I can tell you, IT'S ALL FISHABLE! When I was younger I had friends that would swear I'd fish in a puddle in the road if it stayed there long enough. Being it's FL, you practically can't escape hydrilla or the many other forms of aquatic vegetation we have (and you don't want to either!). Weedless is your best friend if you're just learning new areas and trying to fish as thoroughly as possible. There's already been tons of advice on t-rigs and weedless plastics and reading the articles here so I won't go on much more. Just don't forget about C-rigs if you're shorebound. You may lose a few rigs and spend lots of time pulling mats of weeds back on every cast, but you can learn so much more about the water you're fishing that way. You'd be surprised how deep some of the drainage canals and ponds can be and the weedlines that exist just out of reach of most light weedless rigs. A C-rig will get way out there and you can learn where those weeds end in different areas of the lakes you're fishing. As for time to fish, early and late first and then any time you can get out. Just get out there and start learning the water you're fishing. Good luck.

Like others have said, some days it can differ... But on most days, if I get a single tick, or even think I got a single tick, I set the hook. It doesn't take many swing-and-misses to know how the bite is going to be that day. I've had the great fortune of growing up with a canal behind my house and have caught more bass by sight than I can count and this is what I've come to... Often when we get bit and feel it (as opposed to not feeling it and seeing the line move) with plastics, it's either a single tick or a double tick. A single tick usually means the fish has the whole bait in it's mouth when you feel the bite because it only took one flare of the gills to suck the worm in. A double tick usually means the fish sucked in half (give or take) the worm at first and then sucked the rest in. Either way the fish has the entire bait in it's mouth by the time you know they were even there. SOME EXCEPTIONS: That single tick could also be a small fish picking at the bait to check it out. The double tick could be the fish inhaling the bait and then spitting it right back out. Sometimes there are more ticks when a fish really can't make up it's darn mind about eating your bait and picks at it repeatedly in succession. There is no way to tell if the fish that hit is a giant or a dink!! Ultimately what I've gained from this is that I'm not willing to let a double digit bass (or any nice bass in general) decide it doesn't want my worm because I wanted to wait to set the hook. At the beginning of every trip I set the instant I feel anything different. If I find I'm missing the fish then I slowly allow a little more time to my hookset, but only in the area where I'm missing fish. If I move to a different type of area or change to a different color/type of worm (often a good idea in the first place if the fish aren't inhaling it) I start all over again. Just with EVERY other facet of fishing, you can take in all the advice in the world but experimentation is where learning really starts to mean something. Good luck!

I agree with Matt. I haven't tried Mend-it on the elaztech plastics either, but then, I've never had a need to with the elaztechs. As durable as they are already I just don't bother trying to extend their life any extra. Like Matt said, try looking on their website, or e-mailing their customer service. I will say it has worked on every other plastic I've tried it on. The heavier the salt content (senko type baits) the harder it is to get it to hold as well, but it still works well enough to fish the bait again.

Like others who've had any luck with the bbz shad it took a few outings to start catching anything with it. Most of my luck with mine has been waking it over hydrilla on overcast days, but on those same days I have similar luck burning a spinnerbait and often throw that more because the bbz is so much harder to cast (wind resistance). I'll throw the shad as an alternative if I've already caught a few fish out of a spot on a spinnerbait. I've also had luck using the slow sink sight casting to bass in shallow water. This is when I'll use very small twitches (barely tightening the line) and pauses to get the bass to strike. This only works as well when I can see the bass though, and I haven't had similar results blind casting with the same retrieves. In the end, like every bait, it has it's place but I'd definitely put it in the novelty category of baits. Some days the bass will crush 'em, but there seems to be many days in between when I'd rather be throwing something else. Since you already plunked down the money on it and are just starting to use it, just keep at it. You'll figure out when and how it will work for you.

I do all my bass fishing from a kayak so I'll give what input I can. I can't answer everything, but here's my two cents. 1) Absolutely 2) That's tough. The Central Florida area, is pretty "central" and popular for bass fishing, but with the number of local and major tournaments on many lakes here I'm not sure the added congestion would be a plus, so I can't say for sure. Much like "motored" tournaments, it might be a benefit to have regional tournaments. 3) There are plenty of concerns. Since many saltwater kayak tournaments are based on length totals and bass tournaments are based on weight totals there are some hurdles. Bass could not be kept for a weigh-in from kayaks so an honor system for catch-and-release (or photo and release) tournaments based on the best limit of bass would be best for mortality. The complicated part would be assuring proper calibration of scales used by every participant. Still do-able (and has been done), just requires more work for organizers. 4) Bass is certainly leading in popularity for tournaments, but kayak (and other paddle craft) fishing has grown fairly limitless in popularity. I'm sure catfish, crappie, and multi-species tournaments would also draw interest. 5) Can't answer personally. It might depend on the particular organization (some people would be more apt to spend more on an orphanage than a wildlife refuge and vice versa). Smaller or more obscure charities might benefit from lower entry fees in order to draw more participants. Somewhat open-ended answers, but hope it helps.

I think that a lot of times it is effective simply because you're showing the fish something different. I agree with Bird dog, the fact that the presentation is different is what makes it more effective at times than other, more commonly used, presentations. I've been having great success casting DS rigs from my kayak. Even though most of the areas I fish are very weedy (hydrilla, milfoil, coontail, etc.) I find the DS very effective because of the ability to raise and drop a lure without moving it very far or at all. I'll use a DS rig in almost all the same ways I would fish a T-rig or C-rig. You can even bulk up the gear for a "power shotting" presentation, as they call it, and use the DS rig in heavy cover. It's an excellent alternative to pitching jigs and worms around tree stumps, again because of the ability to give the bait plenty of action without it leaving the area. With a little experimentation the DS rig has added itself to many of my softplastic presentations. I even use it for inshore saltwater fishing with the same results, and that's in water mostly three feet deep or less.

I agree with Sam, most of us have had those days when we can't get past fishing the bait we want to fish rather than what the fish want. I've often found myself searching for places or conditions that fit my presentation rather than fitting my presentation to the current area/conditions simply because I wanted to fish a certain way. I still usually manage to catch fish which feeds that instinct (read: stupidity) but know I could catch more if I just did what I know I should be doing. Just like you, I've proved it to myself numerous times by forcing myself to change my presentation and having the fish prove I was being an idiot. At least you actually learned something about your decisions and managed not to get skunked at the same time, and that's always a plus. 8-)

At least you have a place close to home to go catch some fish and try new lures out. I still enjoy hitting the small ponds and canals within walking distance, even when the average catch is smaller than the bigger lakes. I've pulled some big bass out of those canals even though there were a thousand 1lber's in between. Like many of the smaller drainage-oriented ponds around CF, you probably have a forage issue, as already mentioned. There may be tons of bass but an undersized average. That said, the bigger, smarter, more successful bass will feed on whatever they can get their mouths around, even if that means the mainstay of their diet is smaller bass. As long as you enjoy fishing out there you always have the opportunity of fooling those bigger bass. You may have to work harder to fool the bigger fish (fish more thoroughly, bulkier baits, etc.) but it's Florida, there are big bass everywhere.