ClackerBuzz

I know Bill used a specific split shot size for the 'perfect' weight. But I remember being confused b/c I think he sighted multiple sizes (#3 and #5?). What size/kind weight are you using? Split shot makes me nervous and there are so many alternatives available now. Is that a cylinder style weight?

spoken like a true bass whisperer

x2. It's all about the pause then single twitch. drives'm crazy. sometimes its a short 5sec pause...sometimes 30sec. that single twitch usually puts'm over the edge. but be open to all kinds of retrieves like Grizzn said. can be very a versatile lure.

i know you have a UFO one in ya mike

sweet mary and joseph! those are some stout smallies! is that all natural or are there feeders on that lake?!

i'm looking forward to this. i'll be ordering more than just food

do you fish jigs!?! one of my top 3 lures. you can toss a jig into basically any heavy cover w/ that braid. i'd actually recommend a punch rig over jig instead b/c it comes thru virtually anything w/o getting hung up. MH rod w/ 65lb braid. toss jig or punch rig into fallen timber and dead stick it. if no bite give it a twich or two to shake it in the same spot. if still nothing drag a bite. pause. if still nothing hop/drag it out. awesome stuff. play around and take note of what you were doing when you got the bite. all my rods have braid as main line. i just add a leader for the specific application. you can add a 15ft leader of 12lb mono or fluoro and use the rod for other techniques you like. 65lb braid isn't the best for distance casting but it will work for t rigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits etc. what techniques do you like? from a boat or bank?

love it. i can see the headlines now: "Hungry man decapitated in dark"

don't feel bad ur not the only one getting beat up. this is my first season structure fishing and i'm getting my butt kicked right now. i admit after 2 hr of jambalaya i go shallow and skip a tube under some lay downs or flip a jig in grass so i can be reminded of what a bass looks like. its raised alot of questions for me like: 1 are there even any fish holding on a particular point i'm working? 2 what if there are bass there but they want a power technique? and not my slow worked jig or weightless worm. power fishing is fun but the whole reason for me slowing down is to land quality fish over quantity. in ponds or small unpressured lakes its easy for me to start slow b/c i know i'm going to get a big bite. however this success and philosophy is biting me in the back in big/deep water. now i have to reinvent my fishing and go back to fast fishing and slow down after i find fish. i'll admit if i was more proficient in deep water fishing i would establish fish were on a point and then slow down. after 3 or 4 outings like this i completely understand why pro's use a 1oz spinnerbait, 3/4oz football jig, 12-15ft deep diving crank etc to keep their bait on the bottom while covering lots of water to locate fish. i'm going to try adding some of these heavier lures/ deeper techniques to establish fish holding points but there will be a learning curve as its new to me. i'm used to working cover 8ft or less. what makes this even more painful is that there are tons of great weed beds that are relatively easy to pull nice fish out of. i know you are more far more experienced than me. i wish i could do it tomorrow but can't so i will pose the question to you. would you consider establishing the point/structure is holding fish via a power technique on day #1 and going back to slow stitch it for bigger fish on day #2? or even letting the spot cool off and coming back a few hours later?

i was out with a smallie guide a few weeks ago. he grew up on the lake and said he's caught the same bass bedding in the exact same spot year after year. some literally clear out the same 3ft radius of stones. picky picky

x2. Columbia Omni or Omni freeze fabric is amazing. a light breeze and/or water on it feels like central A/C. don't know how they did it but i'm in heaven (and SPF 50). i also bought a pair of arm sleeves ($32) to wear with tee shirts instead of spending $300-400 on a bunch of specialty fishing shirts. http://www.columbia.com/Freezer-Zero%E2%84%A2-Arm-Sleeves/SU9090,default,pd.html the buff that comes with this set has holes for ur nose so it doesn't fog: http://www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com/product/Columbia_Mens_Freezer_Wrap_Glove_Set/Columbia_Fishing_Apparel columbia gives free shipping if you sign up as a reward member

forget about hawgzilla for a second. many fish you'll come across are dinks to medium size. smaller bass will hold on to a senko and don't even mind playing tug of war. bait fish fight like heck when trying to get away so many small fish like the pull/fight of a senko. strictly for understanding the tap feel... keep ur rod at 10 o'clock and watch ur line tighten. then you'll feel the rod tip bend. this would be a good time to drop, reel up slack and set hook. you can take it farther and even let the rod tip bend and play tug of war. obviously don't use this method alot b/c if you wait too long you'll gut hook the fish (I'll post hook removal). it will def help you understand the whole process. getting back to hawgzilla..there is very little chance of you gut hooking his old wise @$# while trying this and if you learn the bite feel/hook set there is a much better chance of you catching the beast http://www.electric-bass.org/throughTheGill.htm

nice vid! i like the POV of ur camera mount much more than when guys wear it on their head.

you definitely get hung up way less with lighter weight. and no dragging. use gentle high lifts when you want to move it. i use 1/16 oz in chunk and tend to keep it in one place more vs using it as a search bait. in chunk i'd also try weightless senko or fat ika and a 1/16 oz tube b/c they don't get hung as easily.

if you have a renta'car Paul is 2.5hr away in Danbury CT. he's a smallie slaying wizzard. check out his youtube also. http://www.paulmuellerfishing.com/

don't forget to wacky them on a 1/16 to 1/8oz drop shot. you will slay them if you toss it onto a smallie bed during spawn

lotta good info (search night fishing). let us know how ya make out http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/118475-best-night-fishing-lure/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117597-night-fishing-question/

nice report. what was the water clarity?

decent rod.. on par with Powell's. but i'd much rather have a Dobyns for the money. fathers day is coming up and i believe TW has a 20% off sale. whats ur upper price limit and purpose for the rod?

the link won't work so just type "drop shot rod" into the forum search at the top of page. 17 pages of heaven. i often fish gin clear water so went with a 7'6" for distance. plus i like to put as much distance between me and bubba as possible. have both a ML and M to switch between depending on what else i'm tossing

block it and maybe supplement with these. i work in landscaping so customers ask me how to keep their cats from eating their indoor and/or outdoor plants. best thing indoors is to fill a spray bottle with water and add a bunch of drops of Tobasco sauce and hose down the plants. if you spray down ur carpet, they should groom and make the connection. outdoors=sprinkle black pepper all over the flower bed. cats groom constantly and they don't like licking hot black pepper flakes off their paws. let alone inhaling it with their acute sense of smell. black pepper in ur boat carpet? those giant 32oz bottles are $3 at my discount store. either and/or both... just don't have a boat honeymoon moment under the stars with the wife.

it sounds like ur having a hard time consistently catching bass so i'll put in another vote for shaky head and/or drop shot. either one should produce in tuff times. when the bite is good, try keeping RW same method but taking one of his other great suggestions and upgrading to a 6" senko. it separates the dinks from hawgs. its literally taken my senko fishing to a whole new level of 'dating big girls'. slow dragging a big worm and/or jig is hard to beat. if i'm looking for any bite my go to=drop shot. if i'm looking for a big bite my go to=slow dragging big worms/jigs

x2. more likely the jig bite just wasn't 'on' that day and ur associating lack of success with lack of rattles.

yea its nice not loosing treble hook fish on a crank rod. i only use my crank rod in open water and/or rocks. don't sleep on a regular MH fast tip rod when in grass. its much easier to rip the lipless off tips of grass and it generates vicious strikes (the crank rod loads too much so i don't get near the grass bites)