SwimbaitDave

They could also be Pumpkinseeds or Bluegill as they will frequently sit right under the pads looking for any little bug morsel to fall in. Thus they are always looking up and can see the shadow over the water. You should try sneaking up on them before they spook so you can get a good look. Places like this are great to keep you on your toes, and once you get consistent, its the best feeling in the world.

I Fish a place that is exactly like you described. There a 2 presentations I like to use to catch these spooky Fish. Next time after you cast and the fish spook, instead of reeling it back in, leave it there. Wait for about 5 minutes then slooooooly start to retrieve. Its quite painful sometimes, but I have found that for the most part the fish are there for a reason and will come back. Or you can try the splash and dash, short casts, fast reeling to get a spooked fish to do a 180 and hit the bait. Sometimes this works great, and the strikes are insane. Dave

I was cleaning out my shed the other day and found a bottle of Baitmate panfish attractant from the mid 90's in my first tackle box. It does not look too bad and still smells, so I wonder. Perhaps I will try it next trip down to the Crappie hole.

I have been heading down to the local pond for some shore fishing during lunch. A few weeks ago when the water was cold I was cathing fish. Now the water has warmed up and the Bass are going into pre spawn. They seem to be sitting just off the bank and watching the shore. Also I have seen them crusing around the Bluegill. Now even when I sneak up on them and cast, they get spooked by the lure or just nudge it. Right now I am throwing 4" power worms, Senkos and small slug-gos and finesse fishes. Anybody know some different techniques to try to get them to strike? A little about the lake. Its a public park that gets alot of traffic during the day with people always walking around and going down to the water to watch and feed the ducks. Also it gets a pretty good amount of pressure from anglers. Thanks

My favorite reel is the Shimano Calcutta 250 with the 5:1 gear ratio. Its a strong reel to begin with, and with the bushing to bearing upgrade, it makes it even more solid. I have 2 and use them for heavy cover flipping/ pitching and frog fishing. Dave

Those were my first Bass rods I got, great rods except the tips kept breaking on me. Once the ring came out of the tip top guide and on a different rod the tip fell off. Still for the bucks, they were worth it. Good luck in your quest to find more. Every once in a while I see them on ebay, and they don't go for much. Dave

I prefer power over speed, and round over low profile. As far as reels go, I happen to really like a Shimano Calcuttta 250. It has a real low 5:1 ratio and has no problems winching big fish out of cover. As far as rods, I have the Kistler Magnesium flipping stick. Its really light and has enough backbone for a hard hookset in the wood. This is my preference for a set-up.

I hear ya, and I was in the same boat. When I first started BPS Spiral Graphite, Shimano Stimula and Diawa Heartland rods were my staple. I too had plans to upgrade my gear, but then college happened, and buying new gear was not even on the radar. When I finally graduated and got a job, then I started to invest in some really sweet gear since my old gear was really worn out. Over the past few years I have put together a nice arsenal of higher end technique specific rods. Now with a mortgage and kid, I am having to get gift cards on my birthday to buy fishing gear since my priorities and spending have changed. You have a good attitude, and I have a friend that uses lightning rods and loves them.

1/16 or 1/32 oz. Jig. fished really slow, making it look like its crawling.

Thanks for all the responses. I am definitely going to pull the trigger and get a short butt rod for jerkbaits. Especially since fall is right around the corner and the fish by me go crazy for a red husky jerk or suspending rogue. Thanks: Dave

I am currently in the market for a new jerkbait rod, and have one question. I have always thrown jerkbaits on a spinning rod since its easier for me to twitch them then with a baitcaster. After reading a few articles, short butt baitcasting rods are always mentioned for their ease of twitching use, ex. Loomis SMR753. Also though, its mentioned that with the short butt you sacrifice accuracy and casting distance since its nearly impossible to two handed cast and the short butt makes it awkward. Does anyone have any experience using this type of rod? Thanks: Dave

I am with everyone else, you need a heavier rod. Frog hooks are big and thick, so you need some extra power to really drive them home. Also keep in mind that sometimes its just the day and how active the fish are biting. I was fishing this weekend, and the fish would hit the Frog light, like a Bluegill, to see if it would twitch. Then once it did, BAM. While the previous day they were inhaling it as soon as it hit the water. Go figure.

Jig for me. They are more versatile in the water that I fish. Plus IMO they are more fun to fish.

I love Fishing after a good thunderstorm. The fish feel the atmosperic change and begin to put the feed bag on. I actually have a few lakes that are post thunderstorm lakes because they are more fun to fish (shallow <5ft, clear water, heavily weeded) in those conditions. This past weekend I had a similar stiuation as you described. Friday we had a big storm blow through. Before it, the fish were going crazy. As it came through, I hid in the truck. Thunder and graphite dont mix. Then post thunder the rain became steady and the fish were still biting as good. The strikes on a grass frog were some of the best I had all year. The day after the pressure started to build, we had bluebird skies and low humidity. A perfect day to be out on the water. Still the fish decided to go tight to cover and their strike zone was about the size of a coffie cup lid. They still bit, but were much tougher. Dave

Yes, let me put it to you this way. If you release a non native fish into a lake, i.e. Fish Tank stocking, just because that Fish is not what they are used to seeing, does not mean it will not be eaten. Another example are the bait stores around me. The stores don't sell native fish to use as bait, but the bucket brigade still catches fish on them. I actually caught a Bass on a Trout Swimbait a few days ago in a Lake with no Trout or history of stocking. Dave

I have 2 Daiwa Capricorn spinning reels and they seem to be pretty solid. I have used them for 1/2 a season and have not had any problems so far. Plus I picked them up for 45 bucks a piece on clearance, which is not too shabby. Hopefully they will hold up this coming season. Dave

Wrong, I mean, Long Island here. More specifically, Suffolk County

I like to use Craw cranks is clear water where bass can see the shape and coloring of the offering. The Rebel Craw is especially good, and if you use suspend dots to weight it for a neutral buoyancy, it will mimic Crayfish behavior better. Most times Crayfish don't float.... unless there dead. Color can be taken a step further by finding what native or non-native Crawdads are around your area. By where I fish there are alot of Rusty Browns, so I use a like color and have success. Dave

The series I like to use are the Bomber Flat A's. They have been around for a long time, and have never steered me wrong. The best part is that they can be found for under 5 bucks a piece. Cant go wrong with that. 8-) Dave

I was going to make a trip to the Foxborough store, but now it seems Harrisburg may be a better choice since the reviews of the store are not good. Its a real shame since foxboro is closer to me. :'( Dave

Another thing to look for in the Spring are local Lakes the DNR stocks with Trout. Alot of states have some type of stocking program. Once you find which lakes, contact the local DNR and ask what kind of Trout was put in and Fish like Swimbaits. In New York alot of lakes are stocked with 1yr and 2yr. old Rainbows and Browns, so I have Swimbaits that go up to 12 inches for both. This fall I actually followed the Hatchery Truck and saw where they dumped the fish. About 1/2 hour later you started to see the Bass crash on the helpless Trout ;D. Dave

I just emailed Loomis and asked if all of their rods are made in the USA, and they emailed back "Yes all of our rods are made in Woodland, WA USA". So that makes me feel better about laying out the money for a new CBR906.

In my recent Crankbait rod search, I have found alot of rods being made in China, and not the U.S. With the economy the way it is I feel more strongly about buying a domestically made rod and avoiding the foreign ones. Still, it seems the "Made in USA" tag is getting harder to find, and when found, only on most manufactures high end lines. Does where a rod is made affect your decision on purchasing it, or does functionality come over place of manufacturing?

Burley, thanks for the diagram, that makes my decision a little easier. I will look at the rods over 7ft. It looks like a road trip to Cabelas or BPS to get a feel for them is in order. I have a good list and now gotta check them out. That REVO add on diagram is funny. I have an old Abu Garcia RE3, and I was thinking of purchasing a REVO, but from some research, it seems that may not be the best choice in that price range. But that will come after the rod and the bank account gets a chance to recover. 8-)

Thanks for the advise so far, and I will definitely add those 2 rods on the list. Unfortunately the list is growing, but that gives me more of a choice. I have heard alot about the Loomis CBR 845 and 906, and thoughts on those rods for my application? Thanks