BassinLou

No fishing for me this weekend unfortunately. Work stuff. Let's see what happens this week. PitBoss, I am glad the new outfit and tips I gave you at the park is working out for you.

Looks like a great location to fish. WTG, on those catches.

Had an interesting day at the park. Work was light, so I was able to go out in the morning, chilly, overcast,winds from the NW. Fished the back lake this time before the ski boat started up. Was able to land 3, 2lbrs and lost a nice 3.5-4lbr. All spinnerbait again. Then I got a call from the school to check on one of my kids, and on the way back from some errands stopped at a canal and landed this nice piggy, same spinnerbait.

Nice job PitBoss. Those baits are great, they cannot be thrown everywhere in the park however. There is un-seen debris in there that love to hang up those baits.

Went to the park for a little bit. Saw a lot of fish, but they were playing hard to get none the less. Managed to catch 3, 1 went for 3lbs, the others were 2's. Spinnerbait bite still getting their attention.

Nice fish... what's the bobber for?

In between jobs today, I stepped out to the park for a little bit and caught this guy on a stickbait.....

Thanks for the info guys! Everyone is making good points. It was an older spinnerbait. I have caught several nice fish from it, and I also I had to re-tune it a few times. Unfortunately, a nice bass was the straw that broke the spinnerbaits back...

Jacob, do think this will occur on the titanium wire baits as well? I know you bend wire enough it breaks, I guess I wasn't ready for it. LOL...

MCS, I was thinking along the same lines. The problem is I have a utility box full of spinnerbaits, and they are mostly booyah's!!

That particular spinnerbait has caught me several fish, and I have had to manipulate the wire back in place quite a few times. Would titanium wires be immune to this abuse?

After hanging with the family for a bit, I managed to go out right before sundown. I was throwing the spinnerbait again not getting any bites until.... a 4lb+ beauty slammed my bait. She made a beautiful headshake with her gills fully flared and then my bait popped out. As I was reeling it back in I could not believe she threw the hook, I had a trailer hook on it, the hit was solid. When I reeled in my bait my spinnerbait was broken broke in half!!!! The wire severed right where you tie off. I had the portion of the blades, the fish took the head, skirt, and trailer hook. I was so disappointed. I have been using strictly Booyah spinnerbaits. What spinnerbaits do you guys recommend? I do not want this to happen again!!

Congrats!! I am excited for you. I will be in the market for a new boat in a about a years time, and the rangers really have my attention. Keep us in the loop when your new boat arrives.

I think your making a good move. We can talk B/C's when we meet up. As far as ratio's go, I like 6:2 variety. I am not familiar with reels you are mentioning, but I will say again. Find one that's in your budget, and that feels great on your rod. I highly recommend pairing it with a rod at the store so you can really get a good feel of the weight and balance. Good luck!!

You are faced with an interesting dilemma. A B/C is a great piece of hardware to have in your arsenal. However, you have no experience with them. There is a learning curve with them, and it may take you a while to effectively use one. You are having frustrations catching fish as of late, and I personally attribute it to your current set up. I feel a heavy spinning rod is not ideal for many situations. I would lean toward another spinning outfit. Down grade the rod to medium/medium heavy and get a 2500 size of reel if you don't have one already. That way, the set up will be within your current expertise. Going the B/C route, in my opinion requires a little bit more time and research. Don't rush into something today. The choices can be overwhelming if you don't know what your looking for. If you decide on another spinner, depending on your budget, shimano's are great reels. I would lean toward a 3000 Saro's. They are cheaper than the stradics and tad bit heavier but none the less great reels. Now... this is my humble opinion, others will chime in with other recommendations. You pick what feels right for you.

LOL... don't you hate it when the fish are not on your schedule.

If you can't reach the bank with a stickworm, you have to seriously re-evaluate your set-up. For example, i noticed you like to use a spinner outfit. I use a 7ft Medium carbonlite on a 2500 size Shimano Stradic CI4. I have it spooled with 20lb braid and various leaders. When I cast, with a stickworm I have to control the distance because this kind of set up will fly off the reel. I am sharing this with you not to show how far I can cast, but to demonstrate how a different set up can yield you a different result.

Pit Boss, not all stickbaiting is the same either. Presentation, I believe play's a big role on your success. I was taught from a seasoned, bass stick many years ago, the lighter you go the more natural your presentation will be. Most of the time fishing the stickbait weightless is all you need. Sometimes just using a 1/32 or 1/16 will get you good strikes as well. Also, hook sizes can affect your presentation as well.

I will not spend the $$ on Senko's. They tear and rip very easily. BPS and DICKS have an assortment of stickbaits that are cheaper and more durable than Senko's. I like the WM seed and green pumpkin variety. Geo G, turned me to some other colors as well.

Stickbaits are a must. Sometimes that's all they want. Stickbaiting is not my preferred mode of fishing, but if that's what the fish want, what are you going to do?

Welcome to BR. What parts of South FL? Who knows, we may bump into each other someday out there.

I agree with Snook, putting on some sneakers and covering water will increase your chances of a hook up. Stickworms are effective baits, and for me they are in my arsenal, to add some spice and excitement I also carry other baits that I find effective in our canals down here.

If you are identifying 5lb fish, staying in the same spot, then you have a bedding female. What baits are using in that situation? Using a lizard with a 1/4 oz weight pegged in place, on a 3/0-4/0 should do the trick. Jigs also come to mind as well.

The males usually run on the small side. Sometimes you get a decent buck, 2-3lbs. But, the females are the bigger ones. The question is, was the buck preparing the nest for some romance, or did the female already vacate the nest leaving the buck to guard the nest.

When you come a across a big female who doesn't swim away but holds her ground, you may have a contender. Keep poking around the area, and your bound to find what her limits are and she will start getting ticked off. That's when the fun starts. I swear, if someone would be walking by when I am stalking a big girl, they would think I am insane. Because I am talking to her and myself to keep my cool. LOL....