Shad_Master

There's a lot more that goes into an answer to this question than just color -- the size of the body of water can have an impact as well as the type of bottom, structure and cover you are fishing. The traditional answer of "black" is partially based on the concept that fish will be looking up and see the outline of the lure against the ambient light in the sky. But not all fish (bass) are always looking up and there may be differing degrees of ambient light. For this reason, it has been my experience that lure action has more to do with attracting fish (bass) at night than color. Buzz baits work excellently on my home lake after the sun sinks below the tree line, but chatter baits and spinner baits with colorado blades also work well. My goto lure is a ZOOM Vibratail worm and I have even been able to fish these like swim baits after dark with good results in colors ranging from junebug to watermelon -- it's all in the tail. Brush hogs and lizards also work well after dark when dragged along a soft bottom by giving a lot of action in the water and kicking up the silt. Crank baits also work well, but wider wobble (especially in the warmer months) seem to be the ticket. The only thing I haven't done much good on at night has been stick baits (like Senkos) and jigs, but I certainly wouldn't rule them out.

I agree with fisherboy, these are great for the $ -- I have two of them and plan on picking up at least one more.

The only time I don't throw a Baby Brush Hog is when I don't want to catch a fish -- actually that's not true, but I do like to throw them a lot. On my favorite lake there is an area with lots of standing timber and snarly roots. This is a prime area for throwing a Brush Hog and almost always seems to work.

Deep is one of those funny words that means different things in different situations - I assume by "deep" you really mean away from the shore line. If you have a good depth finder, look for changes in the contour of the bottom - this is called structure. If you see an area where the bottom drops down or rises, this change in the contour can signal and area where fish may be holding. Now look for signs of cover in that area - trees, stumps, rocks, brush piles, etc. and you have potentially struck gold. You will need to put your bait where the fish are. Jigs, T-rigs with weights of 1/4 oz or larger, deep running crank baits and C-rigs are good for fishing "deep". If you don't have a depth finder, try dragging a heavy jig or throwing a Rat-L Trap until you come in contact with the cover at various depths. Then switch over to the lures mentioned above. There will always be fish along the shore line, but the further away you get from the spawn, the more likely it is that they will pull back and set up in "deeper" areas. Once you get locked in on 'em you will be surprised how great the fishing can be when you go "deep". Of course this all begins to change back in the fall when water temps start dropping. Ain't bass fishing great?

I don't know how deep you consider deep in this this situation, but Senko style baits make for awsome drop shot lures and can be fished with either bait casters or spinning rigs.

I had a similar situation with a pond in a local park - I called it my test pond and would always try out any new lures there -- this was where I learned to throw buzz baits, sweet beavers, and became more confident with Senko's. The key was alway changing up. And, by the way, if you are not sure there are any fish in the pond, just try thowing a GULP! - if they are there they will bite it.

If the water is really muddy, the color may not matter as much as the vibration - try something with a wide wobble and rattles.

As my fishing buddy always says, "don't throw what they bit on yesterday - throw what they're bitin today". You have got to change up from time to time, but don't leave that spinner bug at home, just mix it in with some other lures.

LC Man, in answer to your question about drop shotting at 10 feet -- the first time I ever saw this technique was when fishing with a guide on Table Rock Lake (about 10 years ago). I had been told by the locals that the bass were "suspended at 30 feet over 70 feet of water". I thought how in the he** would I ever be able to catch these suckers. The guide started rigging us up after locating the bass in the water column - I began to have doubts about this guy because he was riggin upside down - after he explained we started fishing and loaded the boat with spots and large mouth. Lesson being, if you can find 'em on the depth finder and dangle the bait in front of 'em they will bite it.

I had a similar situation a couple of years ago when I first started using Sweet Beavers - after experimenting with them a little to see what the action was like, I made my first serious cast to an area where I was sure there were bass -- sure enough I saw my line moving to the left immediately. I "set the hook" and got his head turned and he was swimming right at me on the bank - I had to scramble to stay up with him and lifted him over the grass on the edge of the pond. When I did, he dropped down. I picked him up and got him back in the water and started to re-set the hook point when I discovered that the point was still buried in the lure. That was quite an endorsement for me about the Beavers.

I would agree with GrandSlam. The drop shot is an excellent presentation for suspended bass. But another technique that I have heard about, but seldom use, is a bobber rig with a Senko or similar lure. This will keep your bait in the stike zone longer with less movement and may just aggravate them basses to take a swipe at it.

For me personally, I always hit the banks first thing in the morning - usually with a top water (mostly a buzz bait) - but as soon as the sun touches the water I put it away and start hitting the offshore structure. Depending on the time of year and the conditions, I may not stray too far from the banks that have produced fish, but I always pull out as the day goes on.

There is no doubt that there is better quality, craftsmanship, etc. in LC lures - I have even heard that there is a lot of science behind the designs, the sounds they make in the water and the colors -- but on the other hand, have you ever taken a real close look at big ol' juicy night crawler? They both catch fish under the right conditions and one costs a bit more than the other

There is a stretch of bank that I fish pretty regularly - it is about 50 yards off of the main channel in this fairly small watershed lake. The channel runs 20 - 25 feet deep and the bank shallows out at about 1 foot. There are lots of grass and stick-ups out from the bank 10 - 30 feet. There is an over population of blue gill on this lake, but the result is that the bass have really exploded in the last couple of years. One pattern that I picked up on was to let the BG's hit my lure and even run with it - if I noticed a change in direction, I would set the hook and most times catch a bass. It seems that the bass like to take the baits away from the BG's and will hook up even when they are not particularly active. Also, later in the evening, the bass will pull off the channel into the shallows to feed, when this happens the BG's get the heck out of of Dodge. During these times, if you are getting BG hits you know you are in the wrong area. If you were getting BG bites and then they stop - hang on and get ready!

If you happen to be of a certain age, like me, it can be hard to see your line under a lot of different conditions - this is why I am not as good at it as I should be. The alternative is to have low stretch line that signals the bite (flourocarbon or braid).

Wondering what size hooks you are using -- if you're getting lots of gut hooks, it might be because you are using too small of a hook - I would try at least a 4/0.

My home lake has had a reputation for having heavy weeds throughout the season and the fishing has been tremendous. This year they sprayed the lake all around the bank to accommodate the bank fishermen. However, now we have this slimy crap all along the edge and the fish have pulled out to deeper water and are holding in the channels away from the bank . Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it.

GULP! P.S. welcome to the forum

Before "just forgetting about it" I would check with the local authorities and make sure to ask the right questions. In our club, we have an optional pool for big stringer and big fish. There is no required pay-in and so we don't "officially" meet the definition for "tournament" on some lakes - however, when 12 - 15 boats all show up at the ramp at the same time and some of the guys have club shirts on - it is hard to convince the DNR guy that we are not a tournament. As a result, there was some difficulty later on when we did apply for a permit for that lake. Most permits come with a nominal or no fee at all - if they are trying to gouge you for a permit, take a look at another lake. But trying to skirt the rules can cause you problems down the road. JMO

It's not really an attractant, it is a line conditioner that is supposed to keep your line from getting loopy and make it slide through the guides easier. There are several different kinds and some may have an attractant in them, but that is not the real purpose.

In the last two days, I have caught fish on a backlash -- that is, after making a cast I was picking out the loops and when I went to reel in found I had a fish on. What this tells me is I am fishing too fast. When I let the lure sit for awhile it gets bit. It is just so hard to leave it there when you are not getting bit.

Last Saturday at a tournament - I pulled up on my first spot and started throwing a buzzbait - on my third cast, my reel looped out and I was readjusting it. When I started to reel in the bass hit it before it broke the surface. I thougt at the time, it hit it like a spinner bait. The only fish caught on a buzz bait all day. Go figure.

I have a bout 4 or 5 cans/bottles of stuff rattling around in my boat that I never use - don't think about it when I'm on the water and too much hassle to dig it out. I do like baits (soft plastics) that have some attractant built in 'em - but can't really say that I have ever felt this made a difference one way or the other, except for GULP!. I remain convinced that this is not only an attracting substance, but it also causes the fish to hold on longer.

Other than a lizard/brush hog my other goto bait for C-riggin is a Lake Fork Ring Fry

I tried it a couple of years ago when we were marking suspended fish in a cove -- didn't have any luck.