primetime

For Spinning gear, I would agree that 10-15lb braid is all you need and if you feel a leader gives you more confidence instead of tying direct, I personally find that a copolymer or Nylon Mono like Yo-zuri Hybrid or Trilene XT, Big Game is good for Topwaters and most presentations and I like to use both green, green mist, or clear depending on water color. I use a black max when on my Kayak since it is a reliable and solid all purpose baitcasting reel, and I find it handles best with any braid that has a 10lb diameter and if weeds are heavy, I like regular Power pro since it is rough and cuts weeds like a weed whacker. If you want a line that casts like a dream, I find Power Pro Plus (8 strand Spectra) to be great for casting distance and overall ease of use. Suffix 832 is also a great line as it is an 8 strand with a strand of gore added so it is still sharp, but also handles well. Power Pro 40lb is 10lb dia, and suffix #30 is 8lb diameter and personally, I always go #40-#50 but that is just for my confidence and it lasts on my baitcaster until it loses all its color which is a good thing. Depending on how heavy the weed growth is, you can still get away with throwing 15-20lb Copolymers and many like Yo-zuri Hybrid test out much higher than 15lb test would normally be as it is thicker. I believe 15 is 21.8, and 20 is almost 30, I want to say 28.8? Trilene Big Game in #20-25 is also not a bad choice as Mono and copolys float which is advantageous to frog fishing or topwater. Simple Nylon Mono still casts very well but does have alot of stretch if making long casts, so braid is almost a must for Frogging as the idea is covering water and casting deep into cover, so do what you feel is going to give you confidence. Tuff Line xp is a great line as well, and I have had success with any Spectra or Dyneema weave, I just can't deal with coated superlines on baitcasting gear, however I love crystal and other coated lines on spinning gear, and Nanofil is an awesome line for spinning gear and worth every penny in my opinion. Hope that helps. The Black Max is a solid reel and one that is hard to beat at the price point they are sold at and I flat out like the entire Abu Garcia line of reels. Also Like Okuma as well, so you have a good foundation.

I like to tie without any swivels and snaps for the most part but only because I have more confidence when I have less hardware on my rigs. With that said, obviously using swivels and snaps is effective since many people use them with plenty of success, and as long as you have confidence in wha you are using, you will do well. When it comes to line twist, a good quality ball bearing swivel is extremely helpful, and I also feel it helps when fishing a weightless presentation as it helps with extra weight.

THanks for all the suggestions, it really helped me out. I have more confidence with the baits I will be throwing so that should help me on the water....

Thanks for the suggestions, you and I think alike, as I tried some keitechs a friend let me borrow, and they worked great on a dropshot which is not how I would have fished them usually, but they worked great. I also used them on a chatterbait and they were also one heck of a trailer... Thanks for your help, and everyone else who responded as well.

Thanks for the suggestions....I have been looking for an excuse to buy some of the Roboworm and Zman baits as they have some awesome colors and designs and I will be buying some Elaztac baits tonight. I think I have a pack of Zinkers laying around, and some Zero Lizards but I never throw a lizard. I just picked up some Kalins Sizmic Shads that I first thought were Keitech Swimbaits but I noticed the Kalins Stamp on all the baits and had to grab them as the colors that came in are awesome. They seem a bit stiff, and I have heard the Keitech are awesome so want to try them for sure. I also want to get that Jackall Clone gill for dropshotting.......I also found a cool looking swimbait today from Power team lures that looks like a big fish bait but the colors were funky as they are blemished but the black and blues look good and can't wait to chuck these creature/swimbaits if I do Powerfish at all. Time to pick out some colors and sizes.....Kind of into the copper/Houdini colors lately.

I love to buy these cause they look awesome, and always add a pack to all orders to see a new color pattern...I thow them like a toad, and flip em, and they work good, the color patterns are awesome and realistic and bait pushes alot of water.

Thanks for the tip, I was thinking about the Gambler worms but the reviews were not great and I usually don't pay attention to a review unless a pattern is repeated over and over. I love Gambler and Tackle Warehouse is where I am going since it is the only place that has all the necessary accessories and lures, plus they ship fast and seem to be good people. Maybe I will try them. I don't mind color and 7" sounds good. I get the bright colors for back in the 80's, but with all the new finesse tactics, you would think we would have more options. Does a Roboworm float well? I use them but only on light texas rigs and dropshots, and I have noticed they make some bigger baits as well.....

I have seen it in a major catalog and I forget the manufacturer. I want to say Southern Plastics, Burke, or Luck E strike but the shop where I work part time just received a shipment of a few hundred today....They look cool, realistic, but I have never tried it or even know how it sits in the water. River 2 sea makes a dragon fly popper that is pretty cool, I purchased one early this year, but lost it after a few casts when it landed in a tree that moved faster than most trees I have lost lures in....I do want to get another one as the price is good and lure looks great for $7.99 and River 2 Sea has awesome Packaging and the lures work great as well.

I have a tournament coming up and I love fishing this particular lake since it has a sandy bottom and a shaky rig, dropshot is usually very effective. I also like to flip and pitch fish buoyant baits, but the last few floating worms and baits I have tried with the exception of Charlies Worms are not true Floaters. I would love to find a true floating bait that is also soft and I could care less about durability as I just want the bait to be doing a headstand on the bottom. I also like buoyan swimbaits but some of them are stiff, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I tried some brands recently that floated and for some reason the fish would not hold onto them or commit, and they were also very hard. I really want a worm like the Trick worm, Mag worm, or floating curly tail, segmented swimbait..... Thanks. And where can I get them and have them shipped to my door by Friday. Not happy with my floating soft baits lately.

I once saw Michael Vick throw a football a 100 yards on tv......Anything is possible with practice, and editing. I did not watc the above video, but I tend to find that most guys can all throw an equal weighted lure on the same line the same distance for the most part after a few years of time with a casting reel.....Limp Nylon Mono like Trilene Xl allows me to get the most distance, but 50 yards seems like alot, but I am sure I could do it with wind at my back, two handed cast from the side, and a large 8 oz Berkley Power Mullet on the end.....I actually spend a few hours every month practicing my flipping into a small pond in my complex and find that to be the most beneficial and distance not so much. I also find that watching how my lures react underwater to be extremely helpful so I can tune them and have them ready to hunt.

I also feel that thicker braids, especially 8 strands are more abrasion resistant and that also helps me with confidence when fishing in phosphate pits and strip mines that have some sharp objects that cause abrasions, and I am not good when it checking my line as often as I should. If Power pro is a 4 strand spectra weave, then I feel more confident that the plus which is an 8 strand weave will give me 8 fibers which will possibly allow me to land a fish even if 6 fibers are frayed. I have not idea if this is true or not, I also like the feel and handling of 8 strands like Plus, Samaurai, 832, and some of the new lines that are adding graphite, teflon, and other fibers to increase the abrasion resistance. I like the fact that 832 adds some gore, but I am a believer in the confidence factor......If you believe it to be true, and think using a heavier line while flipping is going to help you boat more fish, then it will allow me to fish without worries. Maybe I am not the best when it comes to casting thin braids on a casting reel, but I can cast 50-80 until all the color is gone, have the tension knob spinning free, and I just don't have any digging issues or failure for whatever reason.... I still prefer to fish with heavy Mono like Big Game 25lb, or Hybrid in #15-20 and when it comes to spinning gear I am always comfortable with 10-20lb test, usually 15, but I also feel good using 6-12lb Trilene in certain cases. I never have issues with braid breaking regardless of pound test. I do fine with 10, 15, 20, even 8 on spinning gear, and I take my time tying knots. I am getting into big swimbaits, and I find throwing them on 25lb big game allows me to get more strikes or at least I believe it does, and I trust that line from years of use, so it is good for what I do....I guess that is all that matters....Guys Like Patrick Sebile enjoy the thrill of trying to land trophy fish on very light line, and I can respect the skill involved, in fact, I just read a woman landed a 33lb redfish on 4lb test out in the gulf....I am impressed even if it was a hybrid line with 6-7lb breaking strength. That takes skill.

If Fishing Fluorocarbon line gives you more confidence when on the water, then I would suggest going with Fluorocarbon. Confidence is key when it comes fishing and regardless if it is "Invisible" or has more stretch etc... If you believe that it will help you get more strikes, then it will. I know several guys who use fluoro for finesse fishing and cranking and they would never use anything else even with the troubles they have had with certain lines. I remember the days when braids were very tough to fish and it was almost like casting yarn, but now the line manufactures have been able to improve braids drastically each year, and I am very confident that Fluoro will be very good across the board for the most part in a few years. I can remember when the original Vanish hit the market and other fluorocarbons and they were super stiff, brittle and just a nightmare. I can tell the difference in the quality of Stren Fluorocast since I have tried it a few times over the years and each spool seems to be better, and that is also true for Berkley and others. As Much as I dislike using Fluoro, I almost always use it as a leader for dropshotting in clear water or when fishing in phosphate pits which have alot of bottom structure that will cause braid to fray, and a leader is something I believe helps me get more strikes, and lose less fish due to all the sharp objects in the water. I have a tournament this weekend and I plan on using alot of finesse tactics, and I will be using mostly fluoro leaders simply because 1% of my mind tells me that it is the right move, and even though I will rant about it not being any less visible etc....I still use it just in case it truly does help with stealth even if it gets me just one extra strike.....If I take my time with tying knots, and I use a Flurocarbon Leader material, not just line, I find the knots to be really good. I have no idea if leader material is any different, but an old timer who has 50 years under his belt tells me it is absolutely necessary, so why risk it? Seagaur & Triple fish leader are ready to go....

I would agree, sounds to be overfilled, and fluoro is usually stiff out of the box so conditioner or just getting it wet for first time and letting your reel bring it back in tightly usually helps. I find if I spool my reel using a machine, the line goes on super tight and if I don't wet it or spray it first it will always unravel since I always overfill and save fluoro for leader that I have to cut off....... I find that more than half of the people I spool with fluoro mainline and we have about 8 choices of the most popular brands end up coming back to complain, want it off, and end up hating it..Actually, more than 50%..I now tell everyone I won't spool it unless they have used it before and can explain to me why they are using it...I usually find out that they just picked up a magazine and have no idea why they are paying .14 per yard as opposed to Nylon Mono for .2 a yard....heck, braid is cheaper.

If new to using a baitcasting reel and distance is important, I would suggest using a nylon monofilament and avoid any fluorocarbon or braids until you can achieve the distance you want with 10lb trilene xl which I find to be one of the easiest lines to handle on any reel. Just make sure the box labeled Mono is actually Nylon and not a copoly as Fluoro and nylon hybrid lines are popular and companies call lines Mono, and are actually a mix so they test out higher in strenght etc.....Line companies play so many games so I like to buy trilene original or stren mono as I have used it for years and it is still great line. You have an awesome reel, and I would work on accurracy and flipping/pitching as well as distance since accuracy and getting your baits to land quietly are often the most important part of bass fishing. Many times I am only tossing baits 10-20 feet, but pin point accuracy and skipping or low trajectory is key to catching fish or getting shut out...The idea of having to cast far is over rated in my opinion unless throwing a crankbait or c-rig to find fish in a hurry.

a (Flourine) Monofilament line will stretch more than a (Nylon) Mono of equal diameter, and good old Mono will not have the memory issues that fluorocarbons have as they stretch and are never the same, where a Limp Mono like Trilene Xl may stretch but it will bounce back to it's original shape or much closer for much longer. Only advantage I see with fluorocarbon is abrasion resistance, as the invisibility and light refraction is hardly different than nylon, and all water is tinted differently so why not just go with a copoly which gives you a coated or fused mono and many lines labeled as Mono are actually copoly's if you look at diameter, breaking strength, and read the back.... Yes, Fluro will sink, but if I want to fish a crankbait on 10lb test, I am better off with 2lb dia even though braid floats since it will get my lure to dive faster to it's depth since it has less resistance due to being thinner, and fish will not feel it or see it any more than any other line if you color it to match water conditions. I was at a recent Bass Tournament in Orlando and all the pros who pitch fluoro main line for flipping, cranking, finesse etc...all had braid main lines or all braid, and my guess is nylon mono since it floats....Cranks were all on what appeared to be light braid which is what would make sense for many reasons. I do see fluorocarbon line being good for leader in situations where I need abrasion resistance like Rock, salt water, bridges etc....Otherwise, I will save and fish a hybrid if I want strength vs. dia and have UV resistance, fluorocarbon sensitivity and look....just a thought after researching this stuff now for months and realizing that companies are not selling line anymore at same pace since braid never gets re spooled once you learn how to use it...Go read mags from a few years back...All Braid all the time

I just want to make sure all my rambling makes sense....I will buy chinese lures that are cheap, knowing they are inexpensive, and I like to sell tackle as a part time hobby at flea markets here in Florida, so I am always looking for cheap lures that I can package, give a name, and sell for $1.99 or 5 for $10. I have a hard time getting $8 for a Yo-zuri crystal minnow, or $5 for a Rapala X Rap. I value every minute on the water, and every time I cast, I am prepared or hoping for a true Florida Lunker to strike, and I have always been willing to spend more money for a certain brand of soft baits regardless if they only catch one fish per bait, even if I know that I will only get 1 extra strike per day. That 1 strike could be a 15lb Plus lunker for all I know, but I am realistic and realize most guys don't enjoy casting for one or 2 strikes a day while your partner in the boat is getting a fish every few minutes on a smaller lure. I am just getting into the big hard swimbaits after discovering how good the larger soft swimbaits are, and after seeing a Sebile magic swimmer and Spro BBZ in the water I have been trying every segmented swimbait I can find but my budget has been tight as I realize that my Reel, Rod, and Line for throwing large expensive lures needs to be top notch. I now have 2 nice set ups for big swimbaits, and I am now ready to try some of the lures that I thought were silly a few years back, but that is only because I see how good a spro or sebille magic swimmer is and a 6" money minnow. I want to throw a 10" swimbait that weighs almost half a pound in some cases, but I enjoy chasing big Fish lately and all my focus is on getting a 12lb fish, and then I will strive for a 15lb fish. I used to hate flipping as well, never understood how guys could do it all day, but after learning the finer points of how to truly do it right, have the right equipment, and once I started catching bigger fish on a regular basis, it was not work anymore, especially when I spent the money for a light rod that had plenty of power and a small reel I could palm instead of a heavy broom stick. Overall, After having a swimbait that was genric break on a big fish, and then have several customers have the same thing happen, I just figure an American made version that may cost more is worth it as I can possibly lose the fish of a lifetime with an inferior lure even if it catches fish....I will still use lures that are inexpensive for fear of losing them, but like the previous post said....A lure is just a tool to get the job done at hand, and it is always different for everyone and for different places you fish.

I just checked out the Mattlures website....I need to have one of those gliding versions in 7"....With those patterns I can see whey they are not in stock....I want a baby bass swimbait that is big like that, and I also checked out a video on you tube with bluegills trying to mate with one of the bluegill lures....I would love to have a 12lb Lunker here in Florida Try to Mate with my Bass pattern swimbait while my partner gets us a limit throwing soft baits....I would have to think I could get a 1-2 strikes from 7lb plus fish in Lake Tarpon right now with all the Fry in the water.....I hate how Hollow bellies that list as 6" are only 5" when measured from front to back. I want to start throwing 7-10" versions on my Round Baitcasters for Lunker Snook as well...... I would think Color matters for this size bait as I would see myself fishing it very slow in most situations, although a 7-10" bass cruising fast at another fishes territory sounds like a sound strategy for a Lunker.....Going to get one, need to look for one in stock and order.....I have never seen anything overseas in a gliding version or that large with color like that.......

Unfortunately, several of the large OEM's who produce these lures for major companies will sell the real thing to trading companies who meet the MOQ of 3k pieces, and they then sell them in small blocks of 10, 100,1000 because I have had customers bring me lures they purchased from overseas and they are the exact thing unless the weight, color, size of hook and split ring, action, all just happen to be a coincidence? Now, with that said, some OEM's will protect your design and not allow you to buy certain lures in their catalogs, but the fact they are in the catalogs is strange enough to me, especially when they say " we can't ship it tot the USA")...HMM...maybe it is stamped? The Real thing, but will they ship to someone in Australia or Romania??? Yes they do, and they do it all the time, so I guess we just never know. If Apple Engineers visited an Apple Store full of Knock offs in China, and did not pick up on it, I doubt lure manufactures are going to.....That is a true story by the way..... Who knows, but unless a lure is in original packaging with an original bar code, never tampered, I will not trust it when it comes to landing a trophy. I love Sebile Magic Swimmers, and when I saw Cabelas selling the Rad swimmer which is identical to it in appearance, then storm has the Kickin Stick, Strike King has a version, and now lots of up and coming lure brands are including one in their line up, and I have tried most and have had success with all but they all have slight modifications that I don't think most would mind. I like the shimmy the magic swiimmer does on the fall, and the cabelas version is a bit off, although my buddies think I am crazy, they say it is identical in action. Is it a copy? I don't even know what came first anymore, but it was not the magic swimmer in terms of color, and the Academy Hardbait segmented swimbaits with another 50 brands now making them for $5-10 all seem to be awesome, and the Chinese versions on Ebay sell more than the Academy and Cabelas version....Why is Spro and Sebile not going after these companies? So I guess if you design a segmented swimbait in a new color, you are a lure manufacturer if you by 1000 and package them with a new logo and brand? You would only pay a few bucks to get 3k OEM direct, $1 for nice packaging, so I guess unless a lure is stamped MADE IN AMERICA, you never know what you are getting.....I have seen glitter filled cavities on lures from China, and Sebile Lures are made in China, and the same OEM has every lure they make in their catalog....They would allow anyone who wants to buy them to buy them, and if I had a few million dolllars, I bet I could get the price under a few bucks......Just my 2 cents worth as I know Power Pro will not honor any fake braid if you purchased from online for replacement as these shady companies overseas are knocking of good quality products that end up in the hands of USA distributors, and then end up in your local tackle shop. We had a dozen fake Max Raps show up a few months ago, and these were HORRIBLE knock offs, but packaging was sharp and very good....It is a shame for companies doing business the right way, I guess there are not many protected pattents in Fishing, since all new lures are a spin offs from someone elses idea. Gee, I will make a 5/8 instead of 1/2 oz. use Owner trebles in chrome not silver, and add a Red eye...So confusing, but a little research and buying some stock in companies will open your eyes to some things that are quite amazing. A $10 lure from China if the lure is made in china anyway, is most likely going to be good, just look at feedback, and then read back of package of real lure to see if that lure is indeed made in china, not costa rica or another area. Most times on Ebay the quality is subpar from my experiments. We have 2 new comapnies in Florida starting to take off nicely copying a few lures from other comapnies, and i can see where they are getting them from.....Can't blame them, we see BPS doing this for years.

I fish a bait from BPS (I believe it's called a shad clone) and it is about 3", shaped just like a shad, has a tail that does not have any action, and also a hook slot which is on the bottom which is odd since I have not been able to rig this bait successfully with any consistent luck with any rigging style except rigging it flat or sideways. I don't use the hook slot and I simply use a Screw in or hitchiker swimbait hook in EWG which I believe is called the beast lock by Owner in 3/0-5/0. I find this bait to be similar to a bait made by D.O.A. called the Tough Guy which comes rigged with a single hook protruding from the top just below the top fin. Either way, it is great for guys who sight fish for bass as a good bluegill or shad imitation dropped on a nest will almost always elicit a strike. I do not enjoy sight fishing for bass when they are nesting, but I simply rig it flat, cut a slit in the tail down the middle, and fish it without a weight, or a weighted swimbait hook and work it slowly near cover, let it flutter off of breaks or drop offs slowly to the bottom, carolina rig it and drag it slowly, or at times I use a color with some flash and swim it like a swimbait with a very errractic stop and go retrieve and try to bring my Rod tip high and lift it to the surface as if the bait is dying and reaching for one last gasp of air, ony to slowly fall back to the bottom. Most strikes come on the drop, or when paused or first starting my retrieve after a pause. If you have open water, you can rig this just like a sassy shad but with the hook slot I am sure you can skin hook it and use the hook slot since it is a hollow belly.. Sorry for the ramble, I type fast, but I actually find this is most effective as a flipping bait rigged under a bullet weight in heavy cover and when it hits bottom, I just lift and drop, shake, and try to give the bait action as if it was a dying shad, stuck in weeds, or basicly wounded and struggling. The bait comes with absolutely zero action built into the design, and I had to experiment with alot of options in the pond in my community to figure out how to get it to move the way I wanted. My suggestion is to look up the Tough Guy bait by D.O.A. and then visit you tube as the owner of that company has awesome instruction videos on how to work his baits, and even though he is showing you how to work it for Saltwater, the Saltwater fishing here in Florida for Snook, Reds, and Trout is basically the same as Bass Fishing and he mentions that he designed alot of his baits and this bait for Okechobee bass fishing as well since most guys do both as they often share the same waters in the Lake Outflows. Best advice I have ever been given was from a book I read years ago about Bass fishing......ALways try to think like a Fish, but not the fish you are trying to catch, but the baitfish imitation on the end of your line.....If you were a shad or a bluegill/small panfish all alone and seperated from your school which is a way they protect themselves, you would obviously be in a paniced state, nervous, moving erratic, possibly wounded from a close encounter....Just Chuck it in an area where bass are present, and remember this tip......Baitfish rarely move in increments more than a few inches when darting around in the shallows, and when a shad dyes, they always make one last kick to the surface which is abrubt and after breaking it they glide to the bottom. Imitate that action and you can find success no matter how you fish it since the carolina rig is great as it slides through weeds, and I give it little hops and twitches to make it seem like it is on the bottom about to Die. I find flat rigging gets me a hook set ratio that is much better than any other I have tried and don't expect it to look pretty coming through the water cause it will never do that. But then again, take a shiner or shad and drop it in a pool or saltwater and watch the behavior before it dyes....That will teach you how to work almost any swimbait and also study the baitfish at the dock the next time you launch your boat and you will soon realize that baitfish and small forrage move and dart with a purpose but in short lengths. Doug Hannon used to give Seminars about this, and I am guilty of killing a few dozen baitfish in my life to study them, but it has helped me catch more fish for sure. Good luck, great bait, and nobody else is throwing it on a regular basis as you can tell from the lack of responses. That is good. I believe bass are sick of seeing Senkos and Rattle traps all day every day, and give them a new look and often that is key to success. I can always tell if a pond has never been fished with a rattle trap since I can get a hit on almost every cast the first day I fish it. After 2 trips, I am lucky to get a few small fish to grab it as I am convinced they learn from negative experiences and will usually avoid hitting the same style bait or lure again, unless on a nest of course. Hope that helps. You tube is my best friend, someone always includes a video of every bait and how to fish it, and I never discount any technique no matter how silly it may seem.

I rarely use heavier than 15lb braid on spinning, and most of my casting reels have 10-17lb mono on them, but I find for baitcasting reels, I like a line with a diameter of at least 8lb test since I have been throwing 10-20 lb my entire life, and if I try a thin braid I just seem to have some issues I never have with a #40-65 and I find that I need less line with a 65-12 or 50-10, can get away with 50-75 yards with backing, casting distance is the same, never digs or have over runs, so I just stick with it. Plus, here in Florida I often need 2 ounces to punch through mats and I can flip with more confidence and accuracy with a line in the diameter near 10lb test. and I have caught 50lb plus tarpon on 25 lb test mono, 20lb braid, but in saltwater I prefer Spinning gear since it is usually more windy, and I agree that #50 is overkill, but it makes more sense for me since I am only flipping 20-30 feet and distance on flipping or even frogging gear is not important as I can chuck a frog a mile on 50 braid, and the confidence of being able to handle the worst stuff just makes me feel good. I also think it depends on the type of braid and how you have your drag set, but many times I can't afford to let a big bass in the 10b range to take more than a few inches of line or I am not getting him out of the mats. When Possible, I try to flip with 15lb hybrid, or 20lb big game as I feel I get more strikes with a mono or copoly then with braid even in dirty water. I guess to sum up my point....I can use a heavier braid better and flip more precisely, so I don't see the need to change. Maybe braids are better this year than last, I don't know and have not tried the best stuff in lighter tests yet.

I have been Bass Fishing seriously for over 25 years, and I have seen all the trends in the tackle industry, and although their are no absolutes in fishing, here are a few baits and techniqes that will almost always produce if patient and on the right water..... You need time on the water to get better, and you don't need a ton of tackle although I love to buy lots it regardless, but I always end up throwing the same few baits....... 1- Plastic worm weightless if water is less than 6-10',or with light split shot, or bullet weight under 1/4 oz as most strikes come on the fall regardless of worm...I try to fish with a 1/0-2/0 EWG worm hook from a top brand and I usually start with a black and blue power worm or ribbon tail in 7.5" or 6" or a powerbait finesse worm, trick worm, or senko in 4-5" and if you stick to the basics...Black, Black/Blue, Junebug, Grape, Black Chart, watermelon red, Bama bug.....you are good and can catch bass on a weightless, texas rig, and carolina rig...Learning these rigs are easy for the most part and will always catch fish if you figure out where they are. 2. To locate fish, look for structure, weeds, moving water, or anywhere that looks like a good place to hide and ambush bait if you were a bass. If you are fishing a pond, look at the entire pond or lake before starting and if the shoreline on one side drops off quickly, has rocks, or you see a long flat area, you can assume for the most part the bottom is similar......Fishing shallow is easiest as a beginner IMO and to cover water a Lipless crankbait in 1/4-1/2 oz in Chrome blue back, Craw pattern, and silver chartruese is a lure that will always help find fish and cover water and a spinnerbait will do the same. IF you catch one bass, rarely is that fish hanging out alone. 3- Fish any type of rod you feel comfortable with, but use quality line and try to match line to conditons and unless flipping heavy cover which is not fun as a beginner to learn alone, 10lb or 12lb mono should be heaviest you need to go, but if you can get away with 6lb test you get more strikes. - Crankbaits are not so easy as people make them out to seem, but a few lures that are a must are a floating rapala or minnow jerkbait in small to medium sizes, natural color and a firetiger pattern, few suspending jerkbaits and always work slower if in doubt, buzzbait, Popping topwater lure like a Rapala Skitter Pop, but worms and grubs by Powerbait, Zoom, strike king, Gambler or any bait you feel matches the forrage base in the water you fish will do the job....and always ask someone who is catching fish for advice. I learn just as much today from taking someone fishing for the first time as I do when I go with someone who fishes high level tournaments. Don't get brainwashed by magazines.....I am guillty of buying lures based on the bait monkey but I am aware I am doing it, and eventually after a few dozen trips, you will have a few favorite lures and methods you always rely on. I caught 90% of my bass up north by fishing culprit ribbon tails in 7.5" and color was always purple, red shad or black, manns jelly worm, powerbait worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and topwaters like a torpedo and Rebel Pop'r....One of my fishing partners I have fished with for 20 plus years and is now in Florida with me still only brings a few bags of culprit worms, powerbait, and a 4" grub in smoke which he swims on a jighead, pitches on a texas rig, or uses them as trailers to spinnerbaits. He rigs all worms with a 3/0 Mr. Twister Keeper hook and he does well. He brings 2 spinning rods, and a baitcaster which only I grab when we fish. Hope that helps....I love trying crazy methods, tinkering with rigs, new techinques, and never be afraid to trust your gut and do something others would most likely never try......Sombody thought of the wacky rig and the Sluggo/Senko......

I find that the best braids for casting reels and especially new ones I have not yet dialed in and are not familiar with how they handle is to use either a softer braid like an 8 strand like Power Pro Plus, Samurai, or any softer line that will not dig in to my reels. I used to try to use lines under 8lb diameter and always ran into problems with the line digging into the spool, overruns etc, and once I started using an 8lb braid min, or preferably #50-#65 which is 10-12 for the most part. I have been throwing 10-20 lb mono and copolys for years and never have issues, and I am now only using braid on spinning reels, 2 flipping set ups and a frogging rod, and I have #50 PP Plus, #40 Suffix Braid y6 which is 10 dia I believe, and #65 Plus which has been awesome for last few months. I still like to use 10-15lb mono on a few set ups, and hybrid #15 or #20 for flipping..... I always use a Simple Mono like Trilene xl or Xt or whatever is on sale on a new reel which is an all purpose MH set up to get used to casting it and Mono is still a good choice for flipping...Big Game has never let me down either, nor has any mono on sale including cabelas and Stren. FLuoro is smooth and nice to throw but based on the tendancy to get overconfident real quick with a new baitcaster, I like to go Mono and always suggest the same to guys buying a new setup in 12-15lb for all purpose.... Just my experiences, but I know guys use 832 in #20-30 with success, I just do not have any long term success and have blown too much money on braid on new reels and 10lb 2 diameter would never cross my mind except for spinning gear. I also hate coated lines on casting reels but love crystal on my spinning gear. Lots of the braids are good and I like Stren, Hi-Seas, Fins, and any other reputable company like bass pro line etc.

Am I the only one who can't resist buying a Yamamoto lure every time I walk into a Dicks SPorting Goods store? I would love to find out what company did their packaging and created the names to their lures as well as the collor patterns which are flat out fisherman catchers. With that said, I know have a few Topwaters and a few suspending jerkbaits in awesome colors and I have only opened once and tried it for a few minutes. THey are actualy priced in an affordable range for lures that seem to be of high quality. Anyone having any luck with these lures? I have a watermelon green color jerkbait with red eyes I am planning on throwing Tomorrow on a pond trip as the bass are guarding fry, and was curious if anyone has had any luck with these, or suggestions on how to work them. I have not taken the time to examine the action of the suspendiing jerkbait so not sure if I should be working it aggressive or more finesse. I have to think the Bass Pattern Topwaters will be a good start for early morning and I am seeing pics of 23-25" fish daily with a solid 10.3 caught last night on a buzz bait......Can't wait to hit this and surrounding waters that are never fished by anglers since they are in the woods and have a few gators.

I love the windcheater series for salt and fresh. I still have a ton of Rebel Windcheaters from the late 70's and early 80's I fish with and I can say for sure that the Older Bomber Long A and Rebel Plugs, Red Fins, and Tracdown series were much better quality then as they are now. Many Pradco Brands are nothing more than a bunch of cheap imports packaged in bulk, and only worth .50 only we are paying for their advertising and name from the past. If you look at a Rebel T10 or Rebel T20 Topwater Walking lure which they discontinued at one point but brought it back due to popular demand, the new models lack a split ring, sound like noise as opposed to the dual knocker sound the older models were equipted with, and the packaging actually listed a part #, How to fish, Size, and had some English writing. I look at a Rebel Squarebill and I see a .50 chinese lure so I get your point and you are right. I have cracked a few Rapala DT bills, Sebile Flatt Shad and BOngo Minnow bodies, and the finish on many top lures is terrible compared to my older spooks and rattle traps as an example. I am not experienced enough with the swimbaits over $20, but I have never found that any of them are durable, and I now fish large soft hollow bellies, Ez swimmers, and Lake Fork Magic minnows as well as the soft Sebile Magic swimmers instead. I watced my buddy snag a seagul with a Ragu Swimbait that was $89 and I felt terrible for the poor bird to have such a heavy lure tangled in its wing....I laughed at my buddy since the lure was stiff and didn't seem to offer anything special if compared to say a Giron IMO. All Lures are being made cheaper and it is often a race to the bottom as profits become the main motive instead of R & D, and that is why I love companies LIke CHarlies Worms and Mirrolure as they don't have to advertise and prices of their products are more than fair, and you get what you expect when a shipment comes.... Anyone looking for TRUE floating worms needs to get on the Charlies site since they have not been around for years because they sell junk. Every worm and even their lipless crank is quality and should be in every box.......I do like the bomber A Salt Saltwater lures and love a CHug bug, but they are looking cheap these days as well. I guess if you fish any lure hard and run it into cover for deflections and cast toward rip rap even well built lures can break, defects occur, so I have no problem with the chinese making lures since they make everthing else in the stores from Electronics to clothes, and now tackle. It is what it is. We need them, and they need us, I just want to get a good value and why Pay certain companies a markup for a product you can by from a site owned by Yahoo when they didnt develop the lure, just picked it out of the OEM's catalog and said we will take 3million pieces and mark them up 600%. I can find my own cheap square bills and many are not cheap if they come with an owner, VMc, or gamakatsu treble which only raises price a few cents each as a good chinese carbon steel hook is what we get often anyhow.

The last time I went into the bushes to get a lure (First cast with a new Sebile Flatt Shad that cost $15) a water Moccassin fell out of the tree I was shaking and landed about 2 feet from my friend who was driving the boat.....I have never seen someone freak out like that but man was it a big snake and a ticked off one at that. The good news: I was able to get my lure back, but in the process, my friend knocked his brand new Rod and reel in the water when he panicked and jumped into the front of the boat to avoid being bitten. I was able to flip the snake out of the boat and get out of trouble, but had to stop at Gander mountain on the way home and replace his Exo baitcaster and *** rod.... I still don't remember him ever having an exo or ***, but based on the terror I saw on his face, and since he was not bitten, it was all worth it looking back as we laugh to this day, and will never shake branches for lures again.....