Jar11591

A 7" bait is very big for smallmouth. Maybe try a 4" Roboworm? I would think it would dance better than a Slug-O on a dropshot also. The Slug-O you could fish weightless wacky rigged. It sinks slowly so it would spend a good amount of time in the strike zone of the suspended bass.

You always catch some nice fish...due to this thick layer of hard stuff on the lakes I won't be fishing for a month or two so the next best thing is reading reports of people who can fish. Can't wait to see the next pictures.

I guess Gar are the southern equivalent of Northern Pike. We have a few Gar up here, but as far as I know they don't get very big. But it sounds like you have a lot of different fishing opportunities close by. If the saltwater bite isn't on, the feeder canal/nearby pond bite might be! Do you ever toss bass lures for saltwater fish? I would think they'd produce in the ocean as well...

A "pit" is referring to strip pit or strip mine. It's basically a pond that was created by a mining operation. They dig these huge deep holes in the ground until they hit ground water, and eventually the "pit" fills up and an ecosystem is created. Pits and mines are usually very deep (at least 30') and the water is usually crystal clear. And for whatever reason, the bass get HUGE.

It's tough to tell. Personally I always use low-vis line but I can't really say if it affects whether or not the bass hit a bait. I would think using low-vis line increases your ODDS of getting bit and vise-versa, even if it is a fraction of a percentage point. I use low-vis line because worst-case scenario, I get bit just as much as with high-vis line. Best case scenario, I catch more fish.

I'm from Schenectady as well. Welcome!

Today is going to tack another 3-6" of snow on to the 36" we already have. Yay...feels like spring!

Yeah the hulagrubs, just like all YCB are usually good for only one fish. They just get ripped apart.

Looks identical to the Yamamoto Hula Grub. They work awesome for smallmouth. I usually just fish them on a jig head, or if I'm largemouth fishing I will C-rig them. Awesome bait.

YCB Hulagrub and Zoom Baby Brush Hog

Shameless, The Walking Dead and most stuff on the World Fishing Network. Am I really the only one on here who watches Shameless? I highly recommend it.

I fish senkos mainly wacky-rigged and sometimes Texas rigged, always weightless. Definitely my favorite soft plastic.

The bottom will most likely be made of gravel or hard sand and depending on the age of the pit, little to no weed growth as well as very clear water. Maybe some larger rocks as well. In my experience natural colored soft plastics work best for pits and mines. Watermelon or brown wacky-rigged senkos or Texas or Carolina rigged creature type baits. Any crawfish imitation bait as well.

My 15" estimate was before I stepped outside. Definitely got at least 20" by me.

Got well over a foot of snow here. Probably around 15". Now I'm just hoping my boss tells me to stay home so I can put off shoveling and go back to sleep...

It's all about odds to me. The baitball might boost your odds of catching by a fraction, maybe the opposite. But i believe that color, action and shape & design all change your odds. In my opinion, the subtleties like color and action of a lure, and in this case the baitball, all add up and its reflected in the number of fish you catch. I definitely believe some colors work better than others in particular bodies of water, but the percentages might be different by only a fraction of a fish being caught on a daily average.

Read, read and read some more. This forum, books, magazine articles or anything. When I'm not fishing, I'm reading about ways to improve my fishing skill.

1. 5" YCB watermelon/pepper senko 2. 2-3/4 " Storm Chugbug in Tennessee Shad color 3. 7" Culprit curly tail worm in Green Pumpkin color 4. Rapala DT-6 in Bluegill color 5. Matzuo Phantom Minnow in shiny blue color

Im pretty sure thats a Matzuo nano crank. I dont know if they make them with the fin anymore. I remember seeing a Matzuo jerkbait with the same fin but i cant find it stores now.

Glass worker.

Caught this guy in a torrential downpour....I AM A BASS FISHERMAN i swear. But the idea of a 10+ lb carp is too good to pass up occasionally.

I see you got a couple Rebel Pop-Rs. Great baits. The only surface lure i prefer over over the Pop-R is the Storm Chugbug. You should add a couple of those to your box. You wont be disappointed.

Wacky-rigged 5" senkos are my most used bait. I use it throughout the year during morning, day and night hours, it doesn't matter. When I'm fishing heavy cover or thick weeds I always use a weedless hook. And when I'm going for smallmouth I'll usually downsize to a 4" senko. And for night fishing, nothing beats a black senko.

YCB Hulagrubs and Storm Chugbugs have caught me more smallmouth than anything else. I fish the Hulagrubs anywhere there is a rock pile or drop off, and the Chugbug I fish early morning and as soon as the sun starts to set.

Fluorocarbon doesn't have anywhere near the elasticity that mono does. Is it possible you're using to much power? When is it breaking, on the hook set? And I know its not the knot that's the issue but I always use a clinch knot and never/rarely have break offs.