FrogTosser88

Like I said.. I'm just looking into getting started myself.. So i was not offering pro advice just something I saw online.. I'm actually not trying to save $ at all.. I don't mind paying for quality products.. However I am looking for something simple to get my feet wet and to learn... Likely by trial and error..

I also am trying to get into making soft plastics.. I saw a recycling kit you can get for 16.00 +6$ s/h... Basically you melt down your used baits to make senko style stick baits.. I think that might be a good way to get started.

I also have had bad luck on windy days. I tried spinner baits and weighed swimbaits last time but only caught one small bass on the spinner. I am limited to weedless baits here on the ca delta, due to the thick weeds. Which also is an issue because jigs or heavy t-rig is going to still get hung up in the weeds. So in heavy winds it's very limited on what you can throw

So what didnt work?

If you walk the levees' of the CA delta in the spring.... I have seen some huge females in shallow beds... They sit there completely motionless sometimes. Any bait is completely ignored. If there is a way to catch these girls, I hope i can figure it out some day..

Trick worms worked great for me in the summer as well. Most of my quality fish have been caught on spinnerbaits and paddletail swimbaits lately. Tom is right tho. If they stock trout ,I would be targetting the larger fish with trout stlye swimbaits.

Bps and fishermans warehouse both same distance from my house.. I get my rods and reels at bps because they have allowed me to trade in combos just because i didnt like it. Also they always let me upgrade to the next reel if i want to pay the difference.

The ponds i fish have a super soft bottom like that.. I bet if you fell in and your arm or something went into that stuff.... You would have no leverage to pull yourself out....

So, even your weedless soft plastics are getting slatherd in goop?... Its isually the ponds that have no current at all that seem to be affected by that real fine stuff.. Over here it just seems to die off after a few months.

So is it just dangerous to be near water in a lighting storm?.. Or do graphite rods attract lughtning?

Lately the fishing has been great here.. Alot of big fish going for spinnerbaits.. Im like you in the spring... Everyone talks about the spawn and how amazing it is.. This spring, I fished the delta for the first time and saw 10lb+ females and one that had to be 15lb just sit there as I slap her in the face with every bait known to man..... So my next challenge is to figure out tye spring... Sounds like you got to figure out what works there in the fall... Good luck man.. Lol

I definately have shad in my waters.. In the CA delta. This is the first time I have seen them this year or ever. They are in several schools up in the pockets between the weeds. Since seeing them arrive. A spinnerbait has been hot!! I have been landing nice fish on every outing. A rattletrap is out of the question because how thick the weeds are here.

Small SK white... Is the only one i seem to get hits on.. The bigger baits or the ones with clackers dont seem to work where I fish

T-rigged trick worms have served me well.. The green pumpkin with red flake and chartreuse tail is my fav. I have been catching big fish on black spinnerbaits lately... But as far as go to baits.. Flukes, trick worms and small paddletail swimbaits.

If the hook was clean through i would of cut the tip off.. It was imbedded in his tongue and lower jaw and the angle was wide so i had to bring tye barb back through alot of meat to get it out... I hope it survived.. Was 3-3.5 lb fish.

Thats what i used

Yesterday I was throwing a black spinnerbait. A nice bass tooknit and we fought for a few seconds. He eventually jumped and spit the hook.. So I threw a terminator finesse jig with a small creature bait trailer... Well he took it and I made sure to set the hook good this time. When I pulled him in, he was hooked through his tounge and towards his lower gills.... The hook went in at an angle so it was hard to get it back out through all that meat... He bled a bit andbI probably knocked a few things loose getting that hook out... Is there a tool or better technique that I can use to handle these badly hooked fish? It makes me feel bad when I think I may have killed the fish ... :'(

Berkley makes fake egg clusters and the 3" pink worms.. Both work great for me.. Just a split shot or 2 and drift it around.

Caught 2 today that were 4+... A week before that I caught a 4-5lb fish. The last couple weeks I have been landing alot of healthy fish, so this month has been my best fishing.

Zoom trick worm or finesse worm... I peg my weights wity a bobber stop

Just toss him back.. If he dies, the critters will eat him. Then a bass will eat the critters. Cycle complete

Its a 6600cb.. I got this reel at a yard sale and thought it would work well for striper or cats.. Someone here recommended an ugly stik catfish rod for it so i got that and spooled it with 80lb power pro braid... It was pretty dirty when i got it. So I cleaned the dirt off and it looks pretty good. Maybe used a couple times and left to lay around.... So I'm just concerned that it needs a little work done before taking it out.. Problem is I dont know much about servicing this type of reel...

The worm thingy on my abu garcia has a little whine or "jingle" to it as i reel it in... Im wondering of thats normal or if it just needs a little lube

I have some machine oil that I use for oiling my hair clippers and such. Would that be safe for my old reels after i clean them?

Thanks guys. Sorry to hijack your post. I will post something in the tackle section because I have more questions lol