michang5

Went out on local lake yesterday and boated 4 and lost 4. Of the 8 total fish that bit one of my baits, 5 of them were on senkos (5" WMRF and 4" watermelon laminate). All were wacky rigged with o-ring and each one survived the strike to be used again. Only lost two senkos in 5 hours on the water -- tail tore off one (dunno how) and one got snagged during an awful cast and had to be broken off. Not a bad senko day!

I have a 1000 size Stradic with my 6'6" premier. I only fish for bass, so the smaller spool is not a problem. I have a 2500 Okuma reel for my other setup and it's fine, but half of the spool is filler line. My third setup is a baitcaster with an *** Black rod. I like it quite a bit for heavier lures. Finally the Premier is made in the US.

If you're Texas rigging, try using parasite clips (in small size). 99.9% of the time I throw senkos wacky with a rubber o-ring. Much more durable. But, yes, all GYCB products are super soft and rather fragile, but they catch fish!

I stood in Cabelas and compared the Premiers and Triumphs side by side. The guides are different and appear of better/stronger construction with the Premiers. Combine that with being made in the US, I went with the Premier. It just also happened that Cabelas has an exclusive split-grip Premier that I wanted. FWIW since I mostly thrown light, finesse plastics with it, I got the 6'6" MF 2-piece with split grips. Love it.

Like usual, I'm in step with DarrenM's recommendations. I have two spinning setups -- for simplicity, let's say one is "heavy" and one is "light." My heavy setup HAD 20# PowerPro Super 8 Slick with a 10# fluoro leader. I recently decided to downsize to 15# PP S8S, mostly to see if I could eke out a bit more casting distance. I can't say my casts have gotten any longer. However I did catch a 7.25# personal best Wed. morning with it. My light setup has 10# PP S8S with a 6# fluoro leader. I've not lost any fish as a result of the 10# braid, but I have snapped off a few fish with the lighter leader. When the 10# braid depletes, I intend to switch to the 15# on my light spinning reel. Mostly so I don't need to carry two braids. I suspect I will keep the two different weight leaders. Maybe I'll consolidate to 8# fluoro, but I doubt it. To summarize: You're fine with 10-20# braid. As math would indicate, 15# appears to be a good compromise.

I wear glasses and have a pair of prescription sunglasses in (pretty dark) grey. They work fine for fishing when the sun is its brightest. When it's partly cloudy or darker, I find them to be too dark and I can tell my eyes are straining. I know you're not interested in clip-ons, but I'll share with you my experience with the three different colors I bought off EBay directly from some Chinese vendor. They were very cheap polarized clip-ons in yellow, amber and grey (about the same darkness as my Rx sunglasses). I don't use the grey ones at all because I have the Rx in similar shade. Probably could have saved the $8 and not bought them. Anyways, I haven't found a BOW that matches well with the amber. I would say the ponds and lake I fish are mostly clear to slightly stained with at least 2 or more feet of visibility. The amber glasses don't seem to improve my visibility in any brightness of sun. Surprisingly the clip-ons I grab most often are the yellow. I like them when the sun is rising, when it's partly cloudy or overcast, and I kinda like having them on just in general. I look like a total dork though. So my order of preference is: 1) yellow 2) mid to dark grey 3) amber But I'd you could somehow swing it, I'd get #1 and #2.

Holy Zombie Thread! My buddy and I throw a lot of TINY weightless plastics — Zoom tiny flukes (probably the smallest things) and finesse worms, as well as GYCB shad-shaped worms and 4" senkos. We use the same line, size of spinning reel, same length and advertised action of rod, and same hook size. Obvious variables are brand of reel and rod. My friend can always get a few extra feet on me. I've studied his cast, and he snaps his wrist hard at the end of his cast. He does so very late in his motion as well. He has told me the negative of his casting motion is that he occasionally slams a lure into the water 10 feet in front of him. My side cast is more catapult-like with a softer snap of the wrist earlier. I've tried to adjust my cast, but it feels awkward. I've come to accept my shortcomings.

Even with my limited knowledge, I have to disagree.Sensitivity has nothing to do with being a baitcaster or spinning setup. Rod and line choice are the biggest factors. Accuracy is dependent on the angler. I'm much more accurate with my spinning setups versus my baitcaster. One buddy of mine is the same, while a second does all his work with a BC. Finally, you can spool up 50-65# braid on either setup. I will agree that you don't typically want to use as heavy of fluoro on spinning as you do baitcasting, but I suspect some experts might even debunk that. Each setup has its pros and cons. There are times you will do better with one over the other. But saying a baitcaster is more sensitive, more accurate and more capable with heavier line is just false.

Why don't you ask the man at his place of business -- instead of a public forum where he may or may not be frequenting? https://www.siebertoutdoors.com/contactus.sc

I mostly use and recommend spinning gear because I stink with my baitcaster. I am incapable of skipping and placing baits where I want without a backlash. If I want to "keep it simple" the baitcaster stays in the car.

I've only been doing this since last July, and I've seen things get more and more complicated ever since. This is as simple as I can make it and catch fish: Get a spinning reel, put on your line of choice and tie on a 1/0 Gamakatsu finesse wide gap hook. Get a pack of Zoom finesse worms in watermelon red flake and/or green pumpkin. Get a pack of Yamamoto 5" senkos in the same two colors. If it's calm and your fishing shallow water, insert the hook through the finesse worm just below the egg sack. If it's windy, insert the hook directly in the middle of a senko. Throw either at any submerged or overhanging vegetation (branches, grass, cattails, etc). Count to 5 or 10, twitch your rod tip up, reel slack and repeat. Done.

Just making sure before I buy it... This one? http://www.amazon.com/Largemouth-Bass-In-Fisherman-handbook-Strategies-ebook/dp/B005NCTCGI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397151897&sr=8-2&keywords=Largemouth+Bass%3B+an+In-Fisherman+handbook+of+Strategies

It's cool, Brian. I'm currently running 12# Seaguar Red Label for my main line. Throwing on Tatula reel with 7'1" MH *** Black rod. Since I only throw the C-rig from the bank, I actually downsized from 15# Invizx to 12# RL. The only time I fish from a boat, it's a canoe or kayak and the C-rig is just too unwieldy. I will report some success this evening. Caught two (2.75 and 1.25#) in about 90 minutes as the sun went down. Missed one on hookset and one came unbuttoned. Didn't have time to go to store and look for new baits mentioned above. Caught the larger fish on Lake Fork ring fry. The other on baby brush hog. Vertical retrieve worked again to minimize grass pickup. Despite catching the two, I am not a fan of Stren 8# mono leader. Line broke at the hook last week hauling in what would have been a 4-5# with 1# grass attached. And it broke today as I was cinching down on my Palomar. Going back to Seaguar 10# Red Label.

Zoom finesse worm! It ain't luck. You asked for help. We gave suggestions. You took it, made your own modifications and caught a fish. Good work! In my limited experience with bedding fish, they don't seem too far out if the bank you're fishing is pretty shallow. I've seen them 1-5' from the bank.

I fish a lot of small ponds in warm central Texas. I haven't done as well as everyone else on the main city lake, but I've been killing it at ponds. What has really worked for me the last two weeks: 1) Go around lunchtime when the sun is the highest. 2) With a pair of polarized sunglasses, you should see any bedding bass. Walk slowly and carefully from as far back as you can. 3) If you can see them, they likely can see you. This doesn't mean you can't catch them, but it might be harder. Either way, take note of where any beds are. If you don't catch them that day, you can come back later/tomorrow and stand farther back and throw to the same spot. 4) Other times of day will work, but it may be harder to see without direct sun and calm water. 5) Whether you can find beds or not, switch to a Zoom finesse worm (watermelon red flake is my favorite) on a small drop shot hook (I like Mustad size 2 or Gamakatsu size 1). 6) If your pond is shallow and if there is no wind, go weightless wacky. Insert hook through worm right below "egg sack." Cast it out with light spinning gear and line. Count to 10, twitch 2-3 times, count to 5, repeat twitch and pause. 7) If the pond is deeper and/or if there is wind, switch to an actual drop-shot rig with a 1/8oz drop-shot weight about 6-12" below the hook. I use a Palomar knot and run the tag end back through hook eye. I cast out, wait for weight to reach bottom, reel up slack, count to 3, lift rod tip 1', reel slack and repeat. I used to nose-hook the worm, but I've found that hook-up ratio is much better with wacky. The trade off is that you will likely get a big tangle to unravel after each hooked fish. 8) Throw either of the rigs past beds or toward grass patches, weed lines, near any submerged branches, and parallel to the bank. 9) You won't need to set the hook hard on either presentation. Just drop rod tip, reel up slack, and snap the rod tip up firmly. Hope it works for you. Here's what I was able to get in 90 minutes walking around my neighborhood pond. Got 7 at a different pond a few days later.

Wow, primetime! That is an unbelievable amount of info. I'm going to sheepishly admit that I haven't even heard of 65% of the baits you listed above. I'm one of those Zoom lizard (actually fish baby brush hog the most) guys. I've got some homework to do!

Thank you. This is why I love this forum. Every time I've asked a question (or 10), there are always folks willing to lend their thoughts. I learned the c-rig as a drag-and-keep-bait-on-bottom method and was always confused as to why or how I would make it float. It's good to know there are multiple ways of fishing the c-rig. And since I hooked two yesterday after switching almost everything about my standard rig (leader material, bait, number of beads and retrieve), there must not be a right or wrong.

Oh... And you tried your best. It comes with the territory. Birds and turtles need to eat, too.

I believe most stocked trout are meant for people to keep and eat. I went in a trip last year and fished a mountain lake. I caught a handful of smallish trout -- my first ever -- and all but one of them died. They either swallowed the hook too deep and/or were just too delicate for any hook removal. Bummed me out, but the guides I was with assured me "this just happens with trout." They also strung them up and later cleaned and cooked them for my group and me.

I'm a fan of the "ol ball and chain" rig and have caught many fish with it, but am flummoxed by all of the variables. Recently I've read tons of threads and articles and watched bassresource's video, but I've come away with more questions. Maybe there are no definitive answers, but I wanted to survey the BR population. FLOAT OR SINK? I usually fish Zoom baby brush hogs or Rage Craws on my c-rig. I'm pretty sure they sink. But folks are always talking about getting their baits to float and/or sit on top of grass. Is this only possible with an unsalted, modified or Elaztech baits? MONO OR FLUORO? I think this goes back to question above. If you are certain that your bait sinks, it shouldn't matter if you use mono or fluoro, right? SIDE OR VERTICAL RETRIEVE? Until yesterday, I've always dragged the rig by side sweeping rod 1-2'. Watching glenn's vid, he did a 9:00 to 11:00 lift of rod tip. I tried his technique and it seemed to pull in less grass versus side drag, but it didn't seem like I was in contact with the bottom as well. Is one method or other better for a particular type of bait (say a swimming fluke versus a lizard that should crawl on the bottom)? Or is it just personal preference? Thanks for any insights.

I throw a baby brush hog most if the time and therefore have caught the most fish on it. I've experimented and have had success with Zoom 6" lizard and Rage Craw. I went out yesterday and tried a Lake Fork ring fry (French fry bait) and hooked two. I tried a trick worm, but it strangely tore after a few casts (don't think it was from bites). After researching, I'm curious about flukes and senkos. Will have to try them next time.

Last time I checked it costs money to ship items from Point A to Point B.

I've been fishing beds recently with a 1/0 EWG, 1/16oz pegged, 15# braid, 10# fluoro leader. Throwing baby brush hog or GYCB hula grub. Bank fishing with spinning gear. What had worked for me is: feel tap or see bite > drop rod tip > count to 2 while reeling slack > pop the rod tip up to set the hook. Not sure if it's the pause or vertical hookset or both, but it's been working. With Carolina rig, I'm always dragging to the side, so my hooksets are side sweeps.

I just spent the last few hours at a fairly new-to-me neighborhood pond (fished 2-3 times in the fall). I'm on the bank and there are only few places to cast from. I ended up catching 7 small LMB -- all on a drop-shot. I chose it because there was a TON of algae and grass on the bottom. Keeping the bait above the muck was key. Started with a Zoom finesse worm and took awhile to catch 3. The last hour, I switched to a GYCB shad-shaped worm and then a Zoom tiny fluke and caught 2 more with each bait. In between, I tried a wacky 4" senko with no luck -- and a lot of algae pulled up. Also tried a Zara Puppy, more for the practice.

I've personally owned a Sedona (which is out of the price range, I know). I had issues with it, paid for repairs, then attempted self-repair, and ultimately trashed it. A friend if mine got a Sienna recently and has already had issues with the bail and drag. In shop now. I really love some aspects of my Stradic 1000fi (purchased second-hand, MSRP is way out of the budget) and really like it overall. Did have to send it to local repair shop for bail tweaking. Point is... If/when the time comes again, I likely wouldn't buy another Shimano -- especially low-end -- without concern. Since you mentioned shopping at DSG, I would recommend the Okuma Stratus 2500. It's a little heavier than a comparable Sedona, but has been MUCH more durable and reliable. Has caught me many good fish. And haven't done anything with it since October other than wiping it down.