Shad_Master

Okay, but now I'm confused - I thought the object when fishing with jerk baits was to sloooow dowwwn as much as possible - it seems like a really low speed reel would help with that.

My goal for this year is to actually "catch" (not just snag) a fish on a jerk bait. I was talking with a guy this weekend that does a lot of JB fishing and he said that he uses an old reel that is a 3.1or2 gear ratio reel for this. I had never heard of a reel that was geared that low. The one he is using is so old that the name has worn off and he couldn't remember who made it. Does anyone know of a reel on the market right now that is geared this low? Just wondering.

the BASS website has been running a 39 day countdown to the Bass Master Classic - it has some real interesting history and oddities for each day using that days coutdown number - check it out.

This is a hijack - I just picked up some Norman Speed Clips last night at BPS and was surprised to read on the package that they recommend snapping directly onto the eye and removing the split ring all together - is this how you do it? I have never used these things before but plan to give 'em a try when the water turns soft around here.

So all these guys that work so hard to "match the hatch" are just wasting their time?

When these things first came out, they were "HOT" around here both for fishermen and fish. But after that first year, the production level started to decline. It is my primary go-to bait in stained or muddy water, but I hardly ever throw 'em if the water is pretty clear. Don't really know that I can explain it, but I have heard and experienced that they seem to work best on braided line - might be something to put in your "hummm??" file.

Over the weekend, I either watched a fishing show on TV or read an article (I have been doing a lot of both lately - "dreaming of soft water") and recall the tip to tie crank baits with a loop knot to get more depth. Have you heard of this? Can someone explain?

Yesterday I received my Feb. issue of Bass Master magazine - on the outside was a reminder that my membership was about to expire and a renewal card offering me the opportunity to renew my membership for $25 for one year - "Save 54%". Inside were two subscription cards offering me the opportunity to join at a rate of $15 for one year. I called BASS and the lady was very interested in what my zip code was and then told me that my "renewal" rate would be $25 but the offer to "new members" would be $15. She kept emphasizing my zip code. This got me to wondering - do they charge different rates depending on where you live? What do you pay for your membership in BASS? Just curious.

I have an old "Devil Horse" buried somewhere in my tackle bag, but haven't thrown it in several years - just wondering what prop baits are out on the market now that have made an impression on you. Thinking about getting back into these this next season. Thanks for your suggestions.

WOW - stream fishermen may definitely have an advantage here 'cause it's really getting deep and waders may be required from this point on - all living creatures "react" whether this is a voluntary or involuntary response depends on a lot of things. The original question was basically do bass "react" differently in clear water vs. muddy water - I think they have to because some of their processes for detecting what is being presented has declined. If the process was the same, why to almost all Pro's recommend using a more natural colored lure in clear water as opposed to using a brighter (unnatural) color in muddy or stained water. Part of this has to do with sight, of course and the tendency to "react" to something that is "not natural" is greater under those circumstances. Now for the aggravation reaction - as in all living things - the process for detection begins to shut down and the consequences of the reaction is less "thought out" (no, this does not mean that I think bass are capable of reasoned, rational thought - its just that the input of stimuli is more reactionary). I think the aggravation reaction may be stronger in clear water, because there is more stiumuli being presented over and over (I have heard Pro's talk about making 15 casts to the same spot before getting "a reaction"). In muddy or less clear water it may be more of a startle response (reaction) because all of the senory data isn't there.

Another thing that maybe is being misunderstood in this discussion is just what a "reaction" is. I just finished watching a couple of bass fishing shows (one with Edwin Evers and another with Kevin Van Dam) both of them had segments that talked about making multiple casts to an area in order to provoke a reaction (aggravation). The original question in this debate had to do with clarity of the water. It just seems to me that a "reaction" bite is cause by a sudden charge toward a bait or lure that occurs when the fish can't take notice of it from a distance. To me, this has nothing to do with feeding or even territorialism. It is just that - a reaction. And in the case of muddy or stained water, any bait/lure that kicks up a fuss will draw a reaction.

I don't entirely agree with the above posts - in muddy water, it seems like the fish get more skiddish and are more likely to strike at something they can't see as well. I have had good luck with chatter-type baits under these conditions.

I have used both the weights and the clips with a regular bullet weight - they are certainly an alternative to pegging, but the main advantage is that it keeps your plastic from sliding down the hook shank (either clips or weigts).

I use a regular white silicone skirt - some times I will swap out the skirt on another jig to white if I don't have a white jig head at the time - brown or green pumpkin jig heads with white skirts. I use a YUM or ZOOM trailer in white as well.

In our Sept. tourney - both my partner and I were throwing white spinner baits as a way of trying to imitate shad. At one point he made a cast and got the dreaded "professional overrun" - after pickin out the loops he started to reel in and caught his first fish of the day. This immediately triggered me to tie on a white jig and I caught all of my fish for the remainder of the day on this lure. I did throw my spinner bait some more, but only got followers or nippers. The trick was that white jig.

yeah, it works - I am starting to think that the time of year has something to do with "the best way" to retrieve these lures. I have found that during the pre-spawn/spawn what I call a "horizontal jig" is best - they tend to hit it on the drop. In the early post-spawn a steady retrieve can be very productive. In the summer months the kind of jigging you are talking about can be good, but you may need a bigger lure and fish it deeper. then in the fall, the straight retreive begins to pick up again. Now this is just my $.02 but it is what I have experienced recently and, after all, I am still learning.

For my part, the answer to your question is "Yes" and "Maybe". Part of it has to do with water clarity - a lure with lots of action (like a Brush Hog for instance) may attract more attention than say a worm. Every lure, in order to be effective, has to have both "triggering" qualities and "attracting" qualities. But you still have to know what will trigger or attract the bass. I have always heard that fish are more prone to strike a "lizard" type bait during the spawn to protect their eggs. But there are no "lizards" in the water around here and these baits still will work some of the time. It's a frustrating/interesting sport ain't it?

BPS sells neoprene gloves for about $10 - they are pretty good.

These look very similar to a Lake Fork Craw Tube

It's really interesting that you bring this up - I was sitting out on the porch the other morning watching the sun come up and noticed a 4" wooly caterpiller crawling up the side walk - he was black on both ends and sort of golden brown in the middle (divided equally into thirds). It occurred to me, "if these are dropping out the trees around here ----". So I picked up some 4" trick sticks from a local bait shop in a pumpkin color and plan to color in the head and tail black with a Sharpie. Wonder if it will attract any attention from the fish?

Everything that Chris Moneymaker did to build up tournament poker can be be completely undone by Phil Hellmuth.

Personally, I tend to use a small circle or octopus hook for drop shottin - but I have also used hooks as large as 3/0 EWG - a lot of it depends on what lure I am using and if there are lots of blue gill or crappie around that I want to discourage from messing with me.

I have no idea what all that is about in Muddy's post - but here's another one: "Pick it up - put it in - die like a man"

This past weekend I was fishing a club tournament on a lake that has a history of being a hawg producer but has been really off for the last couple of months due to lots of pressure and an over abundance of shad. I was working my way past another competitor who is known as a "hoover" for bass - he was working a spinner bait in the area and had picked up several 12" to 12.5" fish concentrated on one point - as we passed, I threw in a GULP! Sinking Minnow and hauled an 18.25" fatty right behind him. You guys that don't like 'em - keep leaving the fish for those of us who do

the way I understand it, and I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, is that the vegitation in the water produces oxgen through photosynthesis - as the sunlight begins to diminish the vegitation begins to die off and will eventually consume more oxygen than they produce. This causes the fish to leave the are to look for water that is more O2 saturated. The pads you are talking about are usually found in the backs of pockets where the water is more stable - you may want to look for an area where water is moving such as an inlet or creek as this will give the fish better quality water. Just my $.02