ClackerBuzz

I shave my head and it usually intimidates people so I make sure I have a big smile on my face when I knock. "You have a beautiful property. I'm a catch and release fisherman and I was wondering if I could have permission to fish your lake just for the day". If they are talkative I keep the conversation going and usually end up with permanent permission. Lots of people like getting company so I stop in a tell them fishing tales about their fishery. Don't get discouraged when people say NO. I got rejected from an amazing pond last summer. As I was walking away I asked her if it was ok if i showed up with an apple pie and tried again next year. She just politely smiled. I know she'll say yes next time.

2xs. The Mojo feels like a tank in ur hands compared to the Duckett. Check the specs--the have to be several ounces lighter. If you put ur reel on a Duckett I guarantee you'll buy it.

We are all guilty of trying to use one rod for multiple techniques but like everyone said, you're at opposite end of the spectrum. Pick up a Berkely Lightening Shock 7' MH ($50 max) for cranking, topwater, rattle traps & spinnerbaits. I upgraded to a Powell 703 Glass Crank 7' MH and the parabolic action is virtually identical for $100 less. I bet you can find one used on craigslist for $25 or at Walmart for $35 (they are re-vamping their fishing sections now so tons of stuff is on sale--I check my local Wally's weekly).

My thoughts are with ya Joe. "Inch by inch it's a cinch, yard by yard its hard." I say it to myself 100x's a day in tough times. Helps alot. "Tell me the things ya can do, not the things ya can't." Works wonders too. Stop by the dollar store at every holiday and make sure you send your girls some cards. It will brighten their day and strengthen ur bond and until you are all together again. And don't forget to treat yourself along the way too. Best of luck

2X's. Use 30lb braid for flipping and learn how to tie an albright knot (it is simple) for attaching a 40-50ft, 12lb mono/copoly leader when ur going to crank. when you can pick up another rod..buy a H or XH rod w/ 65lb braid for heavy jig/frog/slop applications and keep the current one for lighter casting/open water

I used Shimano grease. They sent it to me free to grease my Curado. I will measure them in the next few days. I would like to change them out on all my PQ's so I'll need 4 sets. I did make sure the spring washers are oriented. Let me know if you have any other recommendations. Thanks DVT!

thanks DVT. i just cleaned out two of my PQ. it was a fun experience. I'm going to flush the bearings next week. (planning on soaking them in a jar of acetone overnight and giving them a few good spinnings in between). i would love to save money by turning one into a burner so i'm going to order 7:1 gears from BPS. i've always had a drag issue with them. i have to tighten the drag down virtually all the way to get it set for heavy cover (I've literally gotten into the habit of undialing my drag after each outing b/c it is dialed down so hard.). i know reels come with alot of grease from the factory so i was hoping the issue would be resolved when i cleaned them. it didn't help and now its worse. i only applied a thin layer of grease to the drag washer but the drag no longer works. should i clean more of the grease off the drag washers? or maybe replace/upgrade the washers?

loon in the coal mine?

I have 4 PQ and also a Curado I absolutely love them all. However the Shimano drag system is much better than the BPS reels. I throw a jig alot and I'm often in heavy cover so my drag is often set at 80-90%. It is easy to achieve with the Curado. But the PQ have to be almost completely tightened down to the point where its almost impossible to set properly. I know they probably came with too much grease packed in from the factor so I'm going to open them in the next day or two to clean the and see if it helps. Let me knw if anyone has any suggestions. Maybe replace them with carbon drag washers? Hope this inside helps

did you watch gene's jig interview w/ mark zona? 5:10 talks about the hook set

make sure you take an old reel in working condition. bps is doing a reel trade in--they donate the reels to kids in need. and shimano is participating. my closest shop told me its from march 2-6th. the rod trade is going on too so maybe you'll end up with a new rod too

I was talking with a guy the other day about upgrading the spool bearing in my pro qualifier reels also. He said the gear box is compatible with Revo's, which can be bought on sale for $25. After the two mod's he said you basically have a revo for $110. Do you know if the gears are interchangeable DVT? tks

I've had great success with ebay too. A lot of times I'll list my items as "local pick up only" but in the description I will add "I am willing to ship if buying pay's exact shipping fees, not a penny more"---it works amazing b/c buyers know they aren't getting ripped off.

welcome dave. i hear its beautiful up there. good luck this season!

Finesse fishing is one of my weak spots so I’m glad I came across this post. Thanks RW. I think I miss fish on senko’s a lot bc I set the hook too fast. I was doing the same thing with frogs. Someone suggested I wait till the bass takes the frog, lower my rod and count to 3 before setting the hook. That helped a lot. But then someone else suggested I wait until I “feel the weight of the fish on my line”. I don’t set the frog until I literally feel the bass pulling it under. That helped tremendously. Would you suggest waiting for the same pull with senkos? Or should I go with ole “let the fish tell me how to set the hook”? I’m also interested in floating plastics for shaky head/drop shot/Carolina rigs. I know there are great floating worms on the market. I’ve read about Big Bite Bait Squirrels, Strike King 3x Finesse worms (supposed to be super durable/elastic), and Roboworms to name a few. Does anyone have a preference? I’m leaning toward the Strike King b/c of durability (4” for drop shot in shallow; 7” for shaky head in pond slight algae/leaves on bottom). I use the same cast approach with a fan configuration and it has been deadly with spinnerbaits, chatterbait, buzzbait, jigs, swimjigs. Re: Bring up your "User CP" at the top of this section. Hit "Posts". Under "Posts" you will see "My Favorites". Where is the “User CP”? Thanks

I heard a psychologist explain something crazy the other day. Un-friending someone or publicly saying something rude about them on facebook is the equivalent to standing in a crowded room/party of people 10 years ago, pointing at someone and yelling "I don't like you". What it means to be "social" has definitely changed with the younger generation. Its weird but I understand it.

Tks KSRonH. good to be here smalljaw67 i'm over in the se corner near philadelphia but i would love to make a trip over to central and fish the susquehanna with ya. i love watching these guys slay pa smallies on youtube!

Hi everyone, I’ve been enjoying the site a few weeks now and I want to take a second to say hi and thank everyone for the amazing content. I love how everyone shares their personal tips for success, the amazing articles, and great videos. The site not only is making me a better fisherman but it is helping the cold winter month’s pass quickly. This is the first winter I’ve kept bass fishing (as long its upper 40’s) and it has been a humbling experiences. My weakness for finesse fishing has finally come to the surface. Thankfully I’ve read lots of great tips and articles and have a new plan each time I go out (looking forward to trying a float’n’fly 1/16oz marabou jig thanks to “Triton” Mike Bucca’s article). I fish 4-5 days a week for 9 months of the year and I’m always up for a road trip if anyone would like to meet up. I fish ponds, rivers and small lakes/reservoirs (usually under 1000 acres). Thanks and I hope everyone catches a big one this season!

I get out at least 3 days a week as well and would love to fish central pa if ur offer is still open. I'll shoot ya an email about this spring.

I fish lots of ponds throughout the philadelphia area (I use google maps to locate 3-4 ponds and head out with a few rods). And I'm going to be fishing green lane alot this summer. Shoot me pm if you'd like to meet up or I can let you know which ponds I stop at in ur area.

I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals. Winston Churchill If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim. Margaret Thatcher It's a recession when your neighbour loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours. Harry S. Truman

Def the jig. Start out easy with vertical fall bites. Fish love to kill it on the initial fall. If they don't take it on the fall, let it hit the bottom, bounce it off, and swim it back. They like to smack it on the swim retrieve. You will have instant success without snagging/loosing jigs. Learning how to work them thru heavy cover w/o getting snagged is another story..learn to jiggle softly thru wood. Reeling too hard or jerking ur rod too hard will just set ur hook into a log. "One of the lessons I learned about jig fishing is to "sweep" your rod to your left or right when setting the hook. Like you do for crankbaits." great advice. A lot of guys set the hook so hard they blow the fishes mouth open with the weight of the jig. I was taught to reel into them while slowly sweeping to the side. Boss jigs are a great recommendation. Buy direct from FishingSkirts.com. I like 3/8 oz with a 4/0 hook w/ recessed eye or vertical eye for an all purpose jig.

2x's Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue. BPS has them on sale now for around $4.50

i was thinking this exact same thing. or you can keep ur current retrieve if you use a carolina rig. try a 1/16oz weight. when u texas rig ur worm make sure you bury the off set shank/hook AND the knot inside the worm/plastic of choice. the knot picks up a lot of scum. use ur rod tip to lift the weight off the bottom and ur worm should float behind it. lighter worms and hooks help a lot. a 6" senko on 3/0 hook is too heavy.

looks like ur getting some great advice. when you think ur going slow...slow it down even more. 9 months of the year i prefer to fish where the feeder streams enter my ponds. it brings oxygen, a cool current and is a food source so the biggest bass usually occupy the space. however in winter i fishing the back/dead end coves that usually hold all the slop/scum/algae in the summer. these coves are too hot to fish in summer but are perfect for a bass to warm up in dead winter. try reeling a 1/4oz in line spinner thru the back cove and see if it nets ya anything. good luck and stay warm