KY Outdoorsman

Thanks for the help guys

What would be other good baitcasters within my budget??***

I'm looking for a new baitcaster. My budget is 100-150$ for the reel and around 100 for a rod. I've checked out the shimano citica 200g7 which I really like but could someone else give me some advice? I will be using this for jigs and soft plastics if that helps. Can someone give me a good rod to go with it? I really like the duckett rods i just need to know which one would be best for the type of fishing I'll be doing. Thanks for the help everyone!!

First off I'd like to apologize for my absence from the forums for the last couple of weeks. I began working at the local mill and the 50 hours a week were getting the best of myself. However we had a huge layoff and I found myself one of the unlucky ones so now a couple of friends and myself who found themselves with the same bad luck i experienced at the mill are planning on going wade fishing for some east ky smallies. This is my first trip of the season. I have been wade fishing for several years but I'd like to have some suggestions for baits to use. Temps for last week were around 80-90 degrees but a cold front moved through Saturday night into Sunday bringing alot of rain. The trip is planned for Wednesday to allow the river to clear up and the water to warm back up. I plan on using the faithful fluke and possibly a 3/16 oz. jig if the bites are slow with the fluke. Does anyone want to share some of their favorite baits to use when fishing for river smallies? I will fill everyone in on how the trip goes.

I was at Norris Lake last weekend. I was fishing from the bank so i tossed a weightless fluke. I casted Out and accidentally popped the bait on the top of the water and surprisingly I got a strike. I set the hook but it got off at the bank. It was a nice one. My gf and I went I Knoxville the next day to watch the Jason Andean concert and needless to say on the way down I made her stop at bass pro. Is it bad that I spent $130? Among my purchases were a spro bronze eye popping frog and the KVD sexy frog. I live in KY and I plan to start using them in late may through July. Happy fishing guys!

Good question, unfortunately I do not know the answer. However I will tell you this. I was at Norris Lake, TN last weekend and I got very bored. It had rained all morning and it started warming up so I talked my father in law into both of us going and doing some fishing around the dock. When we made it, I was pitching a jig under the dock. Never had any luck. I decided to walk to the other side of the bank and toss a fluke. GOOD IDEA!!! When I got there, I seen loads of bass in the shallows. More importantly, I watched a couple of bass spawn and I caught 2 bass off the bank. I never was able to do that. Luckily the nests were made it a good depth of water and they do not run the danger of being destroyed by the water dropping. It was awesome!! Sorry I can't answer your question once again.

Hahahaha clever sports jokes my friend!!! I don't watch much college baseball but I watch uk basketball religiously and I have to say we should be tough next year lol. I look for put football program to get better with time. Im realy excited for basketball next year though. Thanks for the help guys and SAM thanks for the tip on feeling their belly I thought that was always pointless. I fished yesterday at a local strip job pond. My buddy and I were both fishing flukes, bad idea I know, we should had different baits but he is a beginner like myself. It was sunny and we only had a couple bites on the flukes so he tied on a white spinnerbait an I tied on a black and blue jig. The sky went from Sunny to overcast idk if that would have anything to do with it but we caught six in a span of about 20 minutes. I caught 5 on my jig working it fast. Funny how stubborn they can be. Biggest was only about 2 pound though

Thanks for the help guys!!!

My girlfriend and i had this same conversation the other day. No one in my family enjoys bass fishing as much as my brother and i, hes the one that got me in the sport. When i was about 17, (now 20), i had just totaled out my first car and I was devasted, i busted my leg up so i was laid up for a week or so. He had just moved to northern KY and invited me up for the week, so north i went. He told me to bring my pole although i hated bassin at the time. The next day we went out to Linville Lake, he and his buddy were catching at least 3 a minute to my one every 10 minutes. His buddy said here man tie this on, it was a shakey head. I tied it on and caught up with them. we ended the day catching at least 30 a peice even thought they were small. I got the concept the very first day and ive been loving the sport ever since. My leg prevented me from standing but i still caught my fair share. I fished for bluegill all my life but that day was when i caught my first bass that i can really remember well. Good times.

Spring time has been in the bluegrass state for a couple of weeks now. The warmer temperatures are moving in which has warmed the water up tremendously and the trees have bloomed again. This is my favorite time of the year to fish and with college ending next week along with the fact that i wont be starting work until at least June, i plan on fishing; ALOT!!! So my question is, what is everyones favorite lure at this time of year. I personally like tossing flukes, jigs and frogs during this time but i would like to know whats everyone else go to lure during May into early june. Go into detail if you mention cranks because i do not fish crankbaits at all but id love to start. Thanks for the help, hopefully this time next year i will not be asking these "nooby" questions. Happy fishing!!!

Thanks for the help guys!!

Hey guys, i need some suggestions. I plan on buying a tackle bag. i will be ordering from bps but im unsure of which one to get. i dont want to get a cheap one that rips on the first trip. this is my first one ive bought which is why i need the advice. thanks for the help. happy fishing!!

Ive used them but i havent had any luck. I dont think im using the correct size jig. the bag only had the two rattles and the 5 trailers, no jig came with it. what size has anyone had success with?

Prayers from the bluegrass state my friend. Keep the faith and get better soon

Camera men have it rough. Ive seen a number of competetiors in this series "land" the fish because the cameraman was in the way. Or they possibly wasnt as close to the fisherman as it appeared.

Your never cheating by fishing at a pond!! You dont have a dip net the size of the pond swooping it along the bottom. I love going to ponds to try my new baits and just relax. Nice fish though, hopefully you threw them back to see how big they end up getting. Throw some trees along the bank, take good care of that pond and you will be set for life!

First off, congrats on the boat as well as having a long career in a great field. I am going into the KY state police once i obtain my bachelors degree. This is only my first year i am close to getting my associates in CJ but enough of that. Jerkbaits and jigs fished SLOW would be my choice. If the water temp is around the lows 50s, slow it down. Keep the bait in their strike zone longer, when the water temp is around the mid to high 50s, you could possibly speed it up. Im going by what ive been told on this site. Great site with very helpful members.

I agree, ish is a passionate fisherman imo. I was pulling for the rookie tonight i think his name was randy howell? He didnt do bad. Denny Brauer had a rough trip which shocked me but his specialty is dock fishing.

I have 2 scum frogs. One is dark green and the other is neon I was jus gonna buy maybe a spro jus to try it out. I actually had a 3rd scum frog but my second to best bass crushed it and it ripped lol.

Thanks for the help guys I think I'm going to pick up a spro frog on my next trip to bps. Is there a size I should get or a specific color?

Which is the better bait? I caught my #2 pb on a scum from last summer. However, i notice many anglers on youtube and such like the spro frog. I havent used the spro frog. Whats the difference? Thanks for the help!!

My girlfriend and i got on this subject earlier this week and im just now getting around to asking about it. Its probably a dumb question so try to be patient with me. I realize that many organizations maintain ponds such as placing artificial tree, bushes, and stocking fish. My question is how does fish get to a pond that has no river or stream running to it? Has someone stocked it at some point in time? Someone help, its been bugging me since i questioned myself about it.

I caught my first bass of the season on a 1/8oz black&blue jig believe it or not and it was at a local pond. Here in KY, the temperature is starting to warm up and fish are more active. Normally at a pond, no matter what weather, size or water temp, ill throw a fluke just to experiment. If its colder, ill let it sit longer. If its warm, ill work it faster. Usually for ponds soft plastics are key. Dont forget scum frogs for the lilly pads and grassy areas.

Let me ask you guys... I have a 1/8 oz. jig will they work ok with this size or do I need a bigger or smaller size?? I assumed the 1/8 oz would work fine

Yea they are a good buy IMO to me anything is worth trying when it comes to fishing. I got a guy in my class who's uncle makes jerkbaits for his small tackle shop and he is gonna give me a few to try out for him so it's always worth a shot.