ClackerBuzz

ur popper wanst working during the day b/c the topwater bite wasn't on...but it turned on a dusk. it had more to do with time of day. most likely NO color would have worked during the day and ANY color would have worked at dusk. bass roam more at sunup/sundown b/c there is less light so then can ambush in open water.

A previous back lash can cause line damage. I've picked out a bad backlash which compromised my line. A week later i lost a lure just like you did and realized the damage probably came from the prior 'overrun'. it took me awhile casting baitcaster to learn "don't make the cast if i'm not 100% sure i can make it successfully". that meant not trying to bomb extra far to a sweet spot, casting at nite before i was ready, into the wind, near a tree, substituting the wrong rod b/c i stop at a pond unprepared and really want to cast a specific lure. i lost a lot of lures before learning to resist the temptation. (substituting the wrong rod was last week ).

now that's what i call a keystone toad!

yes. better chance in the fall. try a few different angles while circling the pond. you can cover the whole pond in 20 min and know if they wanted it or not. i've found it to be a waste of time burning multiple casts thru the same water. ur first cast in new water has the best potential for a bite with a big lure in a small pond.

great advice. the dog days of summer are tough enough let alone trying to get stressed fish to bite in a bowl of soup. if i stick my hand in a pond or small lake and it feels like hot soup i move to a new location. i have a list of 'cooler' body waters that have constant water moving thru them so i just relocate. i give the soup bowls time to cool off, give the fish a break, and look forward to heading back to them in the fall. good luck

from this point forward i'm only looking for sales like u found. everything else can wait till the black friday 20% sales. if we had academy sports up here i'd hightail it over there

nice! thats like taking candy from a baby!

fishing as much as possible with as many different people as possible makes for a good fisherman. you learn new techniques and tricks you never would have discovered solo. Years ago I had been fly fishing for 2 seasons with mediocre results. I got a guide the 3rd season and learned more great tips in 4hrs than on my own the first 2 seasons (would have saved me alot of headaches too!). Chances are you are going to learn alot on a guided trip but maybe you need to separate 'learning' from 'catching'. Which is more important? Would you be happy with a little of both? 1/2 day guided trips are usually more affordable (if you choose the AM and the weather/bite is good maybe the guide will let you buck up/upgrade and pay for the rest of the day). good luck!

congrats! you should be able to duplicate that success every night at dusk. or at dawn. i close every fishing day just like that. in crystal clear waters it has to be virtually dark before they start to roam and crush it. the buzzbait turns on much earlier if the water has any stain to it. throw a chatterbait after its too dark for them to track the buzz.

welcome to the site!

all great advice. use the poor man's depth finder=a jig. it doesn't get snagged up and you can bounce it along the bottom to search for flats, drop off, rocks, ledges, weeds. if ur in a pond having clean green weeds come back on the hook good. and mulched leaves sticking to ur hook are good b/c it is a clean, aerated bottom. fish will prefer any of these bottom types as opposed to muck algae. after you've searched a few hundred feet and know the bottom, start back at the beginning and pick it apart more thoroughly. catching a fish on a jig is easy. next time you go out just pitch it in lots of locations. 50% of ur hits will come on the vertical fall. if nothing...let it hit bottom, bounce it off and swim it back. if there is any reaction bite at all they will hit it while swimming back. if that doesnt work they want the dead stick with a few twitches thrown in. "shake the weight not the bait". it takes very little to tug or move a lure. put ur jig in shallow water and practice noticing what little touch it takes to make it jitter/vibrate/pulsate. when i starting jig fishing and couldn't get bite is was b/c i was way over doing the action. good luck

I have this same philosophy. most time a knot fails its b/c of the user. all knots like to lay a particular way, like the hair on ur head. they bend and twist different directions at every turn. the trick is to pay attention and respectful of the line from beginning to end. if its a small lure that easily fits thru a loop (like a jig or worm hook) i use a palomar. if its a larger lure (buzzbait etc) i use a San Diego Jam. i have never had a failure with either. i did have some failures when first leaning to tie them but it was my fault not the knots (was using mono back them). more importantly i can be successful with any knot now that i am a 'good knot maker'. oh yea make sure to practice lots when ur home in front of the tv. test the break strength to make sure its breaking 10" above ur knot. builds experience and confidence

i love chatterbaits! the hooks are solid..in fact i wish they were fine wire so i wouldnt miss any hook sets. you gotta have a more stout/fast tip rod or swing for the fences to push the hook thru thick lips (or give them an extra second to have it before setting). slow roll it along the bottom of lake keeping a steady low vibration. if you reel slow enough you can actually turn the blade off. give and occasional tip twitch to turn it back on and hold on b/c they crush it. its replaced my spinnerbait when around weeds or any kind of cover/pads etc. it can get covered in grass and all you have to do it give a good hard rip and the blade vibrates the grass right off. yesterday i cast a SB over weeds and it came back covered 4 times in a row. switched to my chatter and bounced it right over/thru them with no problem. and now that the fall is upon us its prime time for them. grab a white/chartreuse and have fun

if you never see boats there i'd paddle out asap! nothing better than fishing un pressured waters from a boat. even shore pressure only is great when u drop a boat in. they never see ya coming. good luck

are you 'sitting in a lawn chair' fishing? cast and move cast and move. hunt the fish. every cast on fresh/new water yields the potential for the biggest bass in the area. then why not keep casting and moving. once you've fan cast and area move down water. if you move 3 times and don't catch anything on that lure..change it. i don't care what 3 lures you give me...i could get one to work just by relocating to fresh water. i hike/fish and will catch 3 fish up water...pass a guy sitting in a chair...and catch 3 more below him. he just scratches his head and asks what magic lure i'm using. good luck and give us an update

I transport my rods the same way. Only my mesh covers sit in a box now b/c its too difficult to carry 5 rods in one hand with the covers on them. The rods slip 12" out of the covers and its a mess by the time I walk up my 3rd floor apt. So now I'm back to being careful sliding/loading them in my rod tube. (I only put my baitcasters in the tube now and leave the spinning out=much easier). The micro guides do poke thru the standard mesh. Not a big deal but if there is an option I would spend the $2 extra so they don't---after all you've already spent $6

i love the video. don't u think ur equipment is failing b/c ur system isn't set up properly? i.e. ur spinnerbaits aren't bending b/c of the size of the fish. they are bending b/c of ur braid. if u have the proper hook, line, rod and reel...you should be able get many fish in the boat all day w/o any failures or the need to re-tie, re-straighten, re-spool. why don't u have a leader to absorb some of the pressure from the fish? am i missing something? btw i like ur dead sticking sb technique

well said

nice!!!

remind me not to fish around you till i'm done having kids!

didn't buy mine yet but doing the research now. just came across the best video i've seen explaining down imaging vs side imaging. i've seen posts saying s.i. is a no-brainer if you can afford the upgrade. maybe it will help with ur decision. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tdYT3i9ip8&list=FLGxyInFcUX6_t7ZmKLevUUQ&feature=mh_lolz

great photo francho. who snapped the pix the fish?!

i fish both. canoe's are more stable, have more room to stretch arms/legs/back, and you can spread ur gear everywhere, fit coolers with lunch, can take a buddy out, have option to add a trolling motor for bigger bodies of water, has oar locks so i can paddle easily (like a row boat). the wind blows my canoe a lot more b/c the sides are higher so i need a slightly heavier anchor. if given the choice i would fish my canoe exclusively (i cant fit it into my apartment so i had to buy a kayak that would fit up the stairwell). i like the canoe for full day fishing trips. i can stand up to fish, stretch, or take a nap...i never need to go to shore. my sit in kayak is more close quarters, solo use, paddles faster, better for tight or shallow streams with rocks/obstacles. the kayak is great for half day/quick fishing trips. i can't stand up in mine so i usually paddle to shore during the day to stretch and eat lunch. both are same load on/off my car. if you want to take a buddy sometimes get a canoe. anythings from dicks or sports author is fine for a 1st canoe. also check ur local craigslist for 'radisson' or 'sportspal' canoes. they are made for fishing, constructed from lightweight aluminum like airplanes so they are very light (but dent so no white water rafting), have oar locks for rowing, and the floors are lined with foam to buffer noises like moving around or dropping a lure. http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_wide_transom_canoe.htm good luck and let us know how you make out.

things get scary when you're trying to make extra long fly casts when learning b/c the fly comes so close to ur face. and when u have a buddy that doesn't pay attention! the best piece of advice i can give is get a pair of sunglasses. i bought a pair immediately after a buddy did the same thing to me--his treble hook crank flying right past my face. now i don't feel safe unless i have my sunglasses on. and when dusk sets in i switch to clear construction glasses b/c i'm on the water well into dark----had a few close calls

x2. its more about location for me. if i'm deep in the woods or in my kayak/canoe i like shorter 6 6" rods b/c they are easier to manage. and i can cast them darn near as far as my longer 7'6" rods.