Fishes in trees

Back in the day, when I was a meat fishing bush hippie, I knew a guy who was good at making blade baits work fishing from the bank. I think he threw a Cordell Gay Blade. Anyway, his strategy was bombing then out, casting as far as possible and then bringing the bait back pretty quick, the plan being to stay close to buy not on the bottom. He did ok with that technique, from ice out til spawn that is pretty much all he did. I didn't have any luck doing that with the Gay Blade - my general approach to spring pond fishing was low & slow. A couple of windy spring days I had bad days turn into good days by throwing a 3/8 oz ball head jig head/ 4" purple grub, casting it far and winding it back quick. I think if you're going to throw that blade bait in ponds, keep it moving and don't let the fish get a good look at it, kinda try to force the decision.

I like Lucky Craft Pointers over Rapala Husky Jerks and I have many of both. I like Rogues over the Husky Jerks. My issue with Rogues is that every one seems to be different and require varying amounts of suspend dots to work right. I haven't drank the Vision 110 Kool-Aid yet. I did get a set of the Rick Clunn Vision 110 knock offs marketed by Walmart a few years ago - they look ok in the water but I haven't given them a real fair test yet.

Timber Tiger had a wake bait in their DC line up - but they've been discontinued for a while now. I know the Minus 1 comes in several sizes - have you tried all the different sizes? I must have gotten lucky - I have a couple of the largest size and 4 or 5 of the medium size and they all run like they are supposed to. Excalibur used to offer a wake bait - they've been discontinued for a while now too. I don't know, but Rebel probably offers a wake bait - they offer every other type of crank bait or they have at one time or another. You could try making one. I made mine out of a Cotton Cordell jointed Red Fin. Take a lighter, heat up the lip and bend it down to a 90 degree angle. Be sure to keep the face of the bill in line with the body like when you started. I found this easiest to do in the kitchen because I could instantly cool the plastic by holding the bait under running water, but a pan of cool water in the shop works just as well. Mine wobbles on the surface and if you reel it pretty fast it might dive 6" if you hold your rod low. This is the bait I go to if the fish say they don't want the minus 1 that day.

In the shops where I go, Indiana blades aren't readily available. I have a few of the old Terminator Turtle back baits, I have a couple of the old Rick Clunn Trickster spinnerbaits , which had the extended Indiana blade, most of the time I throw willow leaf blades, until water clarity gets less than 2 feet, then I throw Colorado blades. The only times I threw an Indiana style blades this season were: a couple of times I tied on the Rick Clunn trickster, I was in an area where I was occasionally getting bit - fairly shallow, grass was starting to grow good and fish were occasionally (every 6 or 7 minutes) coming up out of the grass patches to hit the spinnerbait as it passed over them. Tied on the Clunn trickster and that action stopped. It was a different color and slightly lighter than what I was fishing, but the fish definitely didn't want that bait that day. ( 2 different occasions ) The middle of the summer, for no good reason, I tied on a Mepps. A bigger one ( size 3?) red & white blade with red plastic threaded on to the treble. I had to stay at least 3 feet off the deep weedline, I was throwing parallel to the weedline, and I caught 7 or 8 fish in 40 or so minutes, 2 over 15", the rest were slot fish. I guess a Mepps blade is more or less and Indiana blade, but I'm not a blade shape expert either. That's the extent of my Indiana blade fishing this year. Mixed results

I didn't frog fish a whole lot this year. I do have a dedicated frog fishing rig. I have an old All Star 6'10" telescopic super jig rod - paired with a Calcutta reel and 50 or 65 lb braid. I find it a little heavy, but it is balanced more or less and can throw a frog as far as I need to. What makes it a "budget" rig is that it is old enough I've forgotten what I paid for it, so it fits into my current fishing budget perfectly. It is ready to go for next year, probably won't even have to replace the line.

Set up with a decent spinning combo-light braid & leaderfluorocarbon and a quarter ounce Brewer Spider Slider and a 4" Slider worm. Throw it as far as you can and "polish the rocks". What Charlie Brewer meant by this was to move your bait, as slowly and steadily as possible, occasionally touching the bottom, but trying to stay within 6 to 8 inches off the bottom. Sudden jerks, erratic motions are bad, Brewer encouraged moving the bait as slowly and steadily as possible.

These days Academy Sports is the exclusive distributor for All Star rods - according to the Academy web site. I don't think that they are owned by Shakespeare any more. I've gotten an few of the Academy All Star rods on close outs and I like them. They come in different colors. The ones I got were purple.

I have a couple of the Curado DC reels in the 6.2 - 1 ratio. I use them mostly to throw spinnerbaits. There was a learning curve to using these reels. I generally throw half ounce spinnerbaits and I'm finding that I can throw them significantly farther ( 20 feet or so ) , with the same amount of effort than I was previously getting. For the record, previously I was using the 11 ball bearing Calcutta TEGT. I bought these reels because the round Calcutta TEGT was feeling a little heavy and I was just hoping to get the same distance with a lighter weight reel. I was pleasantly surprised that when I got it dialed in I got better distance with the same amount of effort. On the down side, just like the TEGT, when you put extra effort into the cast and it isn't properly coordinated , the Curado DC will back lash just like any other reel.

Ned has written extensively about why the smaller hooks are the way to go. I haven't drank the Kool aid as far as Ned rig fishing goes, but in my experiences messing with the Ned rig, the smaller hook doesn't get stuck as often as a 1/16 oz shakey head with a 2/0 or 3/0 open hook does. I don't like fishing the Ned rig around vegetation at all, so I think that for the waters that I fish and the way that I like to fish, a 4 to 5 inch straight tail or paddle tail worm, tx rigged, on a Brewer Slider jig head works better for me. Brewer does market jig head variations that are designed to be an open hook presentation, the only success that I've had with this style is fishing around bridge pilings 5 to 15 feet down in 20 to 40 feet of water, where the fish are suspended.

What kind of bass fishing you going to do? "Feel" , bottom contact type baits - cast & wind reaction baits? For bottom contact/"feel" baits, I'd choose the Chronarch. It is probably the lightest of the 3 choices. Cast & wind reaction baits - ? - I got no experience with the Tranx. Got no real use for the 300 & 400 sizes. - I'm intrigued by the 200 size - but I haven't popped for one yet. I have popped for a couple of Curado DC reels and in my experience so far I'm getting an extra 20 feet or so when I want it without any more effort AND I don't backlash nearly as much. Contrary to advertising copy - Believe it or don't - it is possible to backlash a Curado DC reel. The Curado DC is the best spinnerbait/chatterbait/square bill reel that I've ever owned. It is so much lighter than the Calcutta TEGT reels I previously used for these baits and I think this reel has given my extra distance that just wasn't there for the TEGT reels - for me, even though the Curado DC has fewer ball bearings

I wouldn't use it - just on general principles - but I ain't broke and I don't desperately need line right now. I'd let someone else claim it. If I was on a fixed income and I needed some fishing line and it was the pound test I needed I'd use it in a heartbeat.

In my case I've found this to be true on a few occasions. I have a Kistler 7'5" Heavy action telescopic pitching rod. With an appropriate size reel, like a 200 size Curado or Calcutta, it worked ok. I ended up using it primarily for my bubba drop shot rig. Then, on a whim, I put some 20 lb Abrazx on a 50 size Calcutta and put that reel on the Kistler rod. WORKS GREAT !! Significantly lighter, you don't. hardly feel the reel on the rod at all, casts as far as I've ever needed it to - a significant improvement in every way. A similar situation, I have a Curado 300 E. I bought it because I thought I might throw swim baits or A-rigs some day - turns out I don't A-rig fish all that much. I have been getting into throwing big 1 oz square bills and I thought I needed that 300 E to throw them right - and I fished that way for several weeks. Then I tried putting a Calcutta TEGT with 17 lb mono and tried throwing the same 1 oz cranks. WORKED BETTER. - I get pretty much the same distance - rig is lighter so I don't get tired throwing cranks as quickly. Only down side is that in getting the same distance I'm throwing out about half the spool ( which wasn't the case with the 300 E at all ). I like the gear ratio of 5-1 better than the higher ratio of the 30 E. So - switching reels, going smaller than normal has worked good a couple of times for me. I don't think it is a rule though, I think it is more of a case by case, experiment, live & learn thing.

Where I live and in the waters that I normally fish, the water is a little too clear, IMO to flip - so I pitch. The underhanded, wrist flip is a good cast to know. Like any other skill it takes a while to get good at it. Currently, after a number of years of practice, using soft plastics of a reasonable weight ( 3/8 - 1/2 ) I'm pretty accurate at distances up to 40 feet or so. On a good day, with the wind behind me or quartering behind me, that can get extended to 50 or maybe 60 feet. Anything farther than that I'm going with an overhand or maybe a roll cast. I do own a " finesse" pitching rig. I use a 6'10" Falcon Finesse Jig rod, a 50 size Chronarch and 10 lb Abrazx. 95% of the time with this rig I'm throwing quarter ounce Brewer Slider jig heads with a 4" or so soft plastic, so the total weight is somewhat north of a quarter ounce. I like this rod alot. Some days I will throw this bait most of the day, not because I think it is the best approach, but because I like the combo.

These days, I use 1000 size reels for most of my spinning presentations just because they are lighter. As I get older that seems to be more and more important. There are a few exceptions to this rule, the most recent one being I like a larger reel to throw light weight balsa crank baits. I like the slightly larger spool for this purpose. I've officially packed it in for the season, so my preferences for next season may change.

I don't throw football jigs all that often, but I do throw 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz Biffle Bugs several trips per year. I wish I had a rod like yours to throw that bait, but I don't, so I use a 7' All Star Carolina Rig rod and it has worked fine for me so far. Anyway, I use a 200 size Curado spooled with 20 lb Abrazx to throw the half ounce ( most of the time ) and 3/4 oz ( sometimes ) Biffle Bugs. I forget which Curado letter it is, but as I recall it is a green one and relatively new, so it probably is a Curado E. I considered using a Calcutta TEGT, but the Curado is lighter ( which make a difference to me ) and with the half ounce weight casting distance is negligible. Edit: comment about post immediately above mine - As soon as you tell yourself that you "may" buy a reel, it is as good as bought. Go ahead and get it so that you can wonder about the next thing that you "may " get.

This is why I don't keep a scale in my boat. They lie. I can't tell you how many times I've caught a 5.5 to 6 lb fish and the stupid scales calls it a 3 lb 12 oz or something like that. All scales lie - the Rapala Digital Scale mentioned above is no better or no worse a liar than any other scale, mechanical, digital, whatever. I won't have one in my boat.

I use Seagaur 15 or 17 lb Abrazx for bottom contact baits in this weight range - more likely 17 than 15. If I'm throwing the Biffle Bug I'm using 20 lb Abrazx.

What is the horse power limit on the lake you're going to be focusing most of your fishing on and how is it enforced. As far as motor restrictions go, it doesn't matter if you don't understand why it is there, it is just something you must deal with. Here are some different instances that I must deal with in Missouri. Many of Missouri's lakes owned & maintained by the Conservation department have horse power limits - many of the lakes less than 300 acres have a 10 hp limit. Many lakes allow you to run your bigger motor, as long as you don't create a wake. I'm ok with that - I have a 100 hp Yamaha and it is quieter than many 8 hp 2 strokes. Some lakes are "electric only" but they allow you to use your bigger motor to put in & take out. Some lakes have an "electric only" restriction and they are religious about enforcing that. I don't go there. I know of a couple of lakes up by Kirksville, MO where you can launch your boat with the larger motor, but the motor must be trimmed completely up out of the water AND the prop removed AND it is a guaranteed ticket if you don't. It is a bit of a drive for me to get there and despite the stellar reputation of this lake fish wise, I think it is more trouble than it is worth to drive & put in there. There are some guys in this area who own 19 & 20 ft glass boats with a 10 ph motor, just to fish this lake. (These guys own several boats ). There are other lakes around Missouri operated jointly by the Dept. of Conservation and the nearest city which have unique rules. The point of this rant is to raise the point that in different places horse power limits mean different things and you might be prudent to know exactly what you're getting into on this particular lake. I know this thread started with a question about big motor horse power requirements and I'd agree with the majority to get the biggest motor that the boat is rated for and that you can afford. Be mindful that this advice applies to trolling motors also. Don't go with a 12 volt - 24 volt at least and if there is the battery room and on board charger room for it, go with a 36 volt trolling motor. The extra cost is worth it.

I've tried that bait in front of a variety of poppers and a Lucky Craft Sammy. Zero results. I've taken the front runner out of the equation using both poppers & the Sammy and got bit. Don't know why. Seems like a good idea.

I'm pretty certain that in Slidell, LA there is a fishing tackle store. I'd say go there and ask your questions in person and see what they say. You might say " Those people just want to sell me stuff." and that is true, however responsible sales people in tackle shops realize that if they give bad or stupid advice, or talk down to their customers, that they won't become regular customers - and THAT is what they want. Especially if they just work there and aren't an owner, they don't want to get the rep of "burning" a customer, and most of the tackle sales people that I know go out of their way to avoid that label. Using that logic I've found that I can more or less trust what tackle shop sales people tell you. Be mindful that many fishing tackle decisions come down to opinions and sales people can have a different opinion than you do. Especially your questions about basic gear - they can show you the differing levels of quality and then you can do more research with a basic knowledge of what you're asking about

Let me lead off with a sincere "thank you" for your service. A while back you made a decision that service to something larger than yourself was important and you did it and that is pretty strong. You might want to try reminding yourself from time to time that you're pretty strong. I know that is easier said than done, but still, remember to remind yourself that from time to time. I've fished a number of Fishing for Freedom events put on by the Leavenworth Bass Club, taken a number of vets out fishing, mostly spent the day fishing & listening. Very therapeutic for both of us IMO. I know that it sounds like a cop-out to say " Don't beat yourself up just because you don't catch as many fish as you think you should" - but it isn't - understand that some days the fish are going to win. Next & last - you're in Tulsa - I'm pretty sure that there is a bass club or two in Tulsa. Sometimes when you go fishing - two minds are better than one. If you end up fishing from the back of the boat, and to start out you probably will, you learn how to fish the moment. You make your best guess on what will work at whatever place your boater drives you to and learn how to live with it. Most boaters that I know take a certain amount of pride at being able to put their co-anglers on fish. The more you fish the better you get at it - BUT !! - it isn't necessarily a straight line progression. In my case, there were alot of ups & downs - correct steps & missteps . For a long time I fished like a French General, i.e. I showed up ready fight the last war. It took me a long while ( a decade more or less) to learn how to try to recognize current conditions/ as opposed to situations I remembered from the past or what I felt the fish "should" be doing. Alot of fishing is " trial & error" , don't beat yourself up getting stuck on the error part of that equation.

I don't break a lot of rods - lifetime, maybe 15 to 20. Nearly every time "operator error" was the primary reason the rod broke. The other few times I'm pretty certain that "operator error" was a strong contributing factor to busting that rod.

Your assortment of rods is fine - as long as it suits your needs. Me - I carry a few more rods rigged & ready to go, basically because I can and because I don't like to waste time changing out baits/tying knots unless I have to.

I think that any rod you'd use for a spinner bait you can use for a chatter bait. My first choice ( not super expensive, but not cheap) is a Fenwick AETOS 6'8" MH/fast. It is just a little more "tippy" than my worm/jig rods which makes it a spinner bait rod IMO. These rods were in the neighborhood of $150 more or less when they were available. Not certain if Fenwick still makes that model or not. Choice #2 is an old Diawa Light & Tough rod that I found in a pawn shop. It is labeled as a wormin/jiggin rod (their spelling), it has way too much tip for me to be a decent worm rod, but it casts half ounce spinner baits & chatter baits great. Price wise, I believe it was around $60 more or less, but it was at least a 15 year old rod when I got it - maybe probably older.

A number of years ago I had that tool or I had one that looked just like it. I bought mine through Cabelas. I found the plastic a little brittle. One of the places that you snapped the rod into broke within a couple of weeks. Within a year or so it was unusable for its intended purpose. I repurposed it as a rod stand in my fishing shed. The plastic base, the aluminum poles and the T at the top hadn't broken so I used it as a rod stand and placed the rods upright in the base and used rubber bands around the nearest guide to hold the rod upright. It kinda worked for that purpose. Until it didn't - the plastic tray and plastic T kinda disintegrated . Never did work for its intended purpose. I'd keep looking for a better design.