SupraTT

I have just recently acquired a Perception Caster myself as my Dad and Brother pitched in for my birthday present. They both have the Heritage Redfish 12 and really like them but it wasn't enough leg room for me. The Perception has the leg room I need and seems to be a good kayak for the money. I have taken it out once and I really enjoyed it. For the price, I would guess it is hard to beat unless you are willing to spend more on the Tarpons or Ride. I will eventually buy another kayak that has better seating and the ability to stand such as the Native or Wilderness Commander or Coosa but will still use my Perception for smallie fishing in faster waters so I can get in and out to wade easier. And as previously mentioned, allow yourself $200 - $300 extra to spend on Accessories. I got a good deal on the FishStix paddle for $170 and got a nice MTI Dorado PFD for $60 and then a depth finder and other stuff so it adds up really quick. You pay $1K for a Coosa and by the time you are done buying all the other accessories, you will be in it for over $1300 I would bet.

And next time you are fishing in the rain, throw a buzzbait! I have had two of the best days fishing buzzbaits in the rain as the smallies were blowing up on it.

You weren't very specific about the type of structure in the water and the depths you are fishing but I will give it a shot anyways. I don't have the experience fishing lakes or reservoirs for smallies as I do a lot of wading in rocky, shallow rivers but you can't go wrong with any of these: Buzzbaits, Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, Flukes, 3, 4, & 5 inch grubs and Senkos all work for me. I am sure I am leaving out other popular baits, but this is my bread and butter for where I fish. I would try some Yamamoto Hula Grubs in 4 or 5 inch and the wacky senko. Add some lead nail in the Senko if you are fishing over 8 feet or so if you feel the need to.

Actually, I fish the Trick Worm at various speeds but similar to a spook in that I am constantly working the rod and getting the bait to dart side to side and keep it moving. I probably work the bait faster than most but it works for me. Grab a pack and give them a shot as I don't think you can go wrong with them. Since I am fishing shallower pools usually less than 6 feet deep, I keep it right under the surface so I can see it. And the majority of the time, they rise and crush it and it is gone. I have caught 6 to 8 inchers on the worm which is crazy to me. I usually use white or limetruse but will experiment with the four colors I mentioned. I also did try the wacky worm on the Senko two weeks ago and it blew me away. I was catching fish left and right and my buddy was looking at me like I was crazy. I had caught about 10 - 12 smallies on spinnerbait and a fluke and then switched to the wacky senko and caught about 20 in 2 hours or so. Crazy!

Smashing Smallies, I got your PM, but I am unable to send private messages as I don't have enough posts on the forum :-? In regards to the Trick Worm, a lot of people refer to it as a floating worm but the Zoom Trick Worm doesn't actually float on top of water. It is a 6 inch worm and I basically work it anywhere from a few inches to a foot or so under the surface usually and they crush it just as largemouth bass do. My normal retrieve is just working it side to side on a weightless hook, usually a EWG hook. I have heard of some people wacky rigging it as well as using it with a weighted hook to get it down farther but I normally throwing it as a surface bait. I am sure that I will eventually get around to trying it with the wacky rig or weighted hook. I usually stick with white, bubblegum, metholiate (SP?) and my favorite is Limetruse. I typically throw a double willowblade spinnerbait in white but my favorite is a Stanley Wedge Willowblade in Bluegill. I also raid the local Wal-Mart for the $1 spinnerbaits! ;D Hope this helps. Juston

Have been wading a local river for smallies for years now and my top producing baits are a Zoom Trick worm Limetruse or White, 1/8 or 1/4 oz buzzbait, and believe it or not a Double Willow Spinnerbait boiled near the surface. We have had luck with flukes as well but I prefer the Trick worm or spinnerbait. I get some strange looks throwing a big willowleaf spinnerbait but it produces. My other two go to baits are a Senko either texas or wacky rigged and a yamamoto hula grub. I typically start with a spinnerbait or trick worm and switch over to the senko or hula grub. Last weekend, I caught my first fish of the day off my willow spinnerbait and it was a decent 2lber. I had about 10 fish caught and swapped to the Senko and they were eating it like crazy. I caught at least 20 more on the Senko and my buddy was amazed. If you haven't tried a Trick Worm, give it a shot as they eat it up and they hit my big spinnerbait just as hard. Even the dinks will crush the spinnerbait. Hope this helps.

Hello everyone, I just joined this site and I am looking for a fishing partner or a couple of people to fish with on either a regular or occasional basis. I took a break from fishing for a while due to my job and being a newlywed and having children, but I am ready to get back to serious fishing. I live in Prince George county, just south of Richmond and I am hoping to find someone in the Metro Richmond or Tidewater area who wants to bass fish. I do have a Lowe aluminum bass boat with a 50hp on it, so we wouldn't be setting any speed records, but it gets the job done. I also have a jon boat with seats, but I don't have a pickup to put it in. I typically fish the Chick lake and some other lakes in the area and I wade/float the appamattox for smallies as well. I am hoping to find someone who wants to fish the James, Appamattox, Chick and other lakes and reservoirs within an hour or so drive of Richmond. If you already have a boat and would prefer to use yours, I will pay for gas and ramp fees if we use yours instead. I am able to fish weekends and even an afternoon-evening after 4pm during the week. You can PM me or email me at jstiltoner@yahoo.com. Thanks and I look forward to fishing with some of you. Juston

I'm in the Hopewell/Prince George area and I do a lot of wading/floating in the Appomattox for smallies as well as taking the boat out in various lakes around the area.