Felixone

This all great information, thank you very much for your input. I definitely have some things to think about. As far as the rods are concerned all of my rods are 6' - 6' 6". I have found that to be the sweet spot for me when I am on the kayak. Any longer and I sacrifice manageability, any short I sacrifice casting distance. From the kayak I am probably only casting about 75' - 100'. Of course I am also not great at judging distance from the kayak either so it could be further, but not by much. I can see how setting a hook from this distance can be difficult with a stretchy line, which is part of the reason I started using braid. Since I currently have a reel spooled with each type of line I will take the advice of picking up a couple spooks and just trying them on each rod/reel to see if that will help me decide on line type. I suppose in the end I need to just bite the bullet and try using braid on the baitcaster. Thanks again for all the great advice!

So, I have decided that one of the lures I intend to learn this year is the Zara Spook. The spot I fish the most has mainly bucket fishermen using live bait. There are usually a couple people out on kayaks (small pond, no gas motors allowed). I typically see these guys fishing soft plastics, and maybe a spinnerbait or two. However, I have yet to actually see anyone using a Zara Spook. I expect that some of the reason is the pond doesn't seem to do great with topwater. I have caught a few on a buzzbait, but nothing on a popper or frog. Since I have heard so much about the spook and I don't see many people using them I thought it might be a great bait to try now that I finally have a rod stiff enough to be able to throw the larger baits. The pond is creek fed, and pretty shallow, but there are a few deeps spots (about 15' at the deepest, with most of it being probably around 5-10'). The water is relatively clear (little suspended matter), but is heavily tannin stained. Depending on the color of the lure I can typically see 3'+ below the surface. There is a lot of grass in the pond however which makes things like bottom lures, and cranks difficult. The pond is highly pressured given it's size which is why I am looking for "different" types of lures to try (apart from just expanding my skills). I do know from personal experience that this pond holds some very large bass. Since the pond is so close to my house I tend to use it as a training ground though. I figure if I can catch bass out of this pond I should be able to catch them just about anywhere. I typically fish from a kayak but have been known to spend lunch breaks shore fishing. Currently I have a baitcaster setup that can support lures from 1/4 oz - 1 oz. It is currently spooked with fluorocarbon, but I am about to have to replace it after a few bad backlashes and constant lure changing while I taught myself to use the new reel. I also have 2 spinning reels, the rods support up to 5/8 oz. lures. One is spooled with 20 lb braid, the other with I think 14 lb mono. I really don't like the type mono I have on there and plan to re-spool that reel as well. This brings me to my questions. Given what you now know, and with the idea that I want to learn to use a topwater walking bait this year, what rig would you recommend. I mainly see people talking about walking baits and baitcasters so I assumed that I what I would use unless someone has a good argument for using the spinning gear (it would limit me to the smaller spooks though). Regardless of which rig I use what line would you recommend? I know that fluorocarbon sinks, as does copolymer I believe. I am pretty sure braid sort of floats, and with mono it definitely floats. I really like braid, but I have heard negative things about using braid in a baitcaster (mostly about clearing backlashes). I have also heard that braid isn't always the best for topwater as it has no stretch and cause you to yank the bait from the fishes mouth. Does the fact that fluoro sinks really affect topwater lures that much? Is braid really that bad for topwater? Should I simply be looking at mono? If I should go with mono what is a good brand with minimal memory? For that matter should I forget about the baitcaster all together and just use a spinning reel and limit myself to the lighter baits? I apologize in advance for the craziness of this post, I do tend to get a little compulsive about stuff. Last year I spent way too much on fishing equipment that I never use so this year I am trying to be a little more careful with what I purchase.

My first bass of the season was accidental. I was actually fishing for panfish with a beetle spin. It was small (maybe 12") bass. The next one I caught was a monster. I caught it on a blue/black/silver lipless crankbait.

This right here is why I can't watch that show. It is almost obscene the way he handles fish. It is like he is trying to molest them or something... Holding them at odd angles, opening and playing with the gills, smacking them, not to mention he plays with them for far to long before landing, then after groping them he just roughly tosses them back.

Ha! I love the old Beetle Spins. I actually sort of stumbled upon them one day. I had inherited a bunch of tackle from my father. In it there were a bunch of random crappie/bream jigs and stuff. I was having a bad day with no bites so I thought I would play around with the beetle spin. I went through a few different combinations, then I found the magic one. I use a brownish curly tail grub, and on the main lake I fish I almost always catch something with it. For the most part it is bream and perch, but a couple weeks ago I was shocked when I pulled a bass out. I had been out for about 4 hours at the time and hadn't caught a single bass so this was a nice treat. It has gotten to the point where I almost always bring a light rod with me when I head out now. If the bass aren't biting, I am not too proud to try to catch a few bream. Better to catch something than nothing in my book. Besides bream and perch caught on a tiny lightweight rod can be a lot of fun when they put up a good fight.

Yeah I don't know about 10 pounds as much as I would like it to have weighed that much. Conservatively I would say 7 pounds though. I actually gave it to some other guys that were there fishing. It is taking every ounce of my will not to bail out of work and head back with a scale to find out.

So this season I decided I wanted to learn to use a baitcaster. Today at lunch I ran to a local pond just to practice casting from the dock. I had been using a lipless crank with no hooks for yard practice, but decided at the last minute I should throw the hooks back on while I am at the pond. So glad I did... I caught this beast after clearing a birds nest. Biggest bass I have seen in person to date. Of course as luck would have it I didn't have a tape measure or scale with me. We estimate the length somewhere near 24". The weight was like nothing I had held before. The best part is I caught it out of a pond that pretty much everyone says doesn't hold enough bass to make it worth it. Gotta love those happy accidents!

I use the following: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ugly-Stik-Fishing-Bag/23597657 It works out great for me as I fish from a kayak and it fits perfectly in the bow. However, I struggle with the amount of tackle it holds. There was actually enough slack in the bag that I have been able to add an extra slim box vertically and second slim box horizontally on top of the others. I then use a smaller slim box in the back pocket for my crappie jigs, but I might swap it for better spinnerbait storage. All total I have 7 boxes in the one bag. They are however 3600 series boxes not 3700 series. I then have the pockets stuffed with plastic trailers, scents, weights, scale, etc. I keep a separate worm folder for my worms and some spinnerbaits. I keep the tackle bag between my legs in the bow, and the worm folder stuffed beside the seat. It makes for a cramped cockpit, but it works and I can carry a crazy amount of tackle. I just weighed the bag and it is just under 12 pounds. Contents of Bag: 30 Crankbaits/Jerkbaits 24 Jig Types (2-3 of each type/color) 1 Full box of hooks A couple Chatterbaits 3 Buzzbaits 4 Frogs 4 Soft plastic rigged swimbaits 8 Types of plastic trailers 12 different types of weights 3 Different Scents Scale Tape Measure Line Cutter Culling system Bug Spray The software plastic binder has about 2 dozen types of soft plastics, accessories (swivels, beads, etc), as well as 8 spinnerbaits. Overall I think I have an excellent selection of baits at a given time, at least enough to cover the types of water I fish and the skill level I have with different baits.. Of course this is how I have it packed today. I typically stock the bags based on the type of fishing I expect to do by either swapping out boxes or individual lures. I am actually looking at a solution for mounting a milk crate on the back of the kayak to give me more room, but it is slow progress since I haven't run into a situation yet where I couldn't bring all of the tackle I need. Nevermind the fact it is a bit more difficult to mount a milk crate to a sit-in kayak. Of course this doesn't answer your question exactly. I mainly did this to show that you can fit an amazing amount of tackle in a very small bag. If I had just a bit more vertical space I would upgrade to a 3700 style bag, but for now it works. It is difficult for me but the thing I try to remember is I don't need to bring the entire tackle store with me. On a given day I might only fish 6-8 different types of baits depending on conditions so if I plan right I can have exactly what I want/need. A few minutes of thought combined with a bit of organization means I can be ready for the water in just a few minutes. Having said that, tackle storage is one of the primary reasons I want to upgrade to a proper boat. I love watching videos and seeing people open up their tackle storage compartment and seeing box after box after box. Some day I will have one, and I will finally have the excuse I need to go crazy buying tackle.

On TV I only see FLW, Bill Dance, and occasionally Roland Martin and Jimmy Houston. I can't really get into FLW much since it is too much like listening to sports announcers for more mainstream sports like football or soccer. FIVE BASS LIMIT!!! Ugh... I don't really care for Roland Martin much, and I rarely see Jimmy fishing. Bill Dance though is on all the time. I don't mind him too much personally but I cringe every time he catches a fish. I feel like he lets them "dance" around on the end of the line too long. It seems like he waits until the fish is completely exhausted and just falls over on its side. Then once he gets it in the boat he holding it all wrong. Have you noticed how often he puts his fingers inside the gills. Then he slaps them a couple times before throwing them back in the water. I know it is completely irrational but it kind of creeps me out. Anyway, the rest of my fishing "TV" comes from the internet. If it is still up you should watch the "reality" show FLW put out where they followed anglers on tour. It was kind of neat to get that perspective. Watching them get up in the morning and head to the tournament reminded me of the old Dunkin Donuts commercial. It is time to make the donuts! If you want to be a pro angler you should definitely watch it. It helps you realize the reality of the situation and that is this is their job, and every tournament is a gamble just to stay ahead, let alone win. I am not very competitive but even if I was tournament fishing at that level just isn't for me. Anyway, bored at work on a Friday and I digress.

Thank you very much for this. I don't know why but chatterbaits are one of the lures I really wanted to work for me, but all I have caught on them are pickerel. Honestly I had kind of given up on them. However, after reading this I realized that I too might be missing a bunch of strikes. I couldn't even begin to guess how many times I have fished them and on retrieve felt something similar to what you describe. It makes me wonder how many fish I have missed. I have plans to head out for a couple hours tomorrow so I will definitely give them another shot. Even though it hasn't been successful yet in regards to bass I also use similar retrieve techniques. Some times I will just slowly reel in just fast enough to get the blade just barely moving, other times I will do a fast retrieve. The retrieve I use the most though is the "pumping" style you mentioned. I typically raise the rod tip up just far enough I feel a small "buzz" from the blade before letting it settle again. I will reel the slack line in as it sinks back down.

I hope you aren't hunting for Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving! I would hate to get skunked on that hunt and have to tell the wife we aren't having Thanksgiving dinner this year.

I am always pulling stuff out of the water/trees when I go out. This is my biggest haul so far: Like someone else said I mostly just find floats, hooks, and lots and lots of line. I have found a couple small crankbaits, a frog, and a spinnerbait. Mostly all junk. I can't wait for the day I find some super fancy and very expensive swimbait or something similar.

I am not much of an eater during the day. For some reason night time changes everything. Anyway for me it is usually a few Sprites, a Clif bar, some form of nut/seed, and maybe a candy bar. The occasional jerky, or chips have been known to make it into the kayak as well. However, generally when I leave about the only thing eaten is one of the snacks, and about half a bottle of soda (unless it is the middle of the summer and I have to drink more). Usually I am too busy trying to fish, or maintain my position with the kayak to stop and eat/drink.

I love taking trips to a local pond for lunch. Sounds like you had a great one. I will say this. You are definitely braver than I am. It was in the low 40's yesterday and windy here. There was no way I was going on in that weather though, especially since the place I go to at lunch doesn't produce very much.

I have only been fishing for 4 months now, but for me it was a Cavitron Buzzbait, and chatterbaits. Beyond these two lure types the only other thing that has worked for me is Senkos and a couple other random soft plastics. I am trying to get into spinnerbaits but so far they just haven't produced for me yet. A little off topic but my goal for this year though was really to just catch a few fish and get comfortable with different types of tackle and how they work. For the most part I achieved that goal. My goal for next year is to gain proficiency with the following lures: 1. Spinnerbait 2. Jigs 3. Rattle Trap style cranks 4. Soft Body Swimbaits None of those have anything to do with the types of areas I fish as much as those are the types of lures that "speak" to me and the ones I want to learn. Of course this might explain why I haven't had much luck with them yet as well.

I have had similar issues when attempting to use a jig. This is part of the reason I haven't used them much. I don't have a baitcaster, and I fish from a sit-in kayak so pitching and flipping are difficult. I have a process that more or less works. I am able to more or less hit the spots I want. The problem I have is that when trying to retrieve the jig I end up just collecting weeds/grass. Based on some of the more helpful comments here I think I have some ideas on what I am doing wrong. 1. Not attempting to "pop" the jig up above the grass 2. Not retrieving fast enough to keep the jig up above the grass after the pop Although I still haven't caught anything on a jig I want to get proficient with them as a couple of my regular spots have a lot of lily pads and other emerging weeds. I have tried frogs, and dragging software plastics (senkos) over the top of the weeds. Unfortunately they are very dense and there frankly are not many places for a fish to even bust through to get my lure. I know there has to be bass in them if I can just get down in there. This lead me to try punching through with a jig. Unfortunately I gave up after I kept plowing weeds when I would try to reel in for the next cast. At least now I have some things to try. Thanks everyone!

I hear you on the lack of snow in the SE. However, I have you beat. Two Saturdays ago I got up early to go fishing. I knew it was supposed to be cold and rainy, but I figured I was tough enough. When I went outside in the morning I was shocked to see it was snowing. I checked the weather and there was a small pocket of snow just over the area I live in. Since that pocket covered the pond I was heading to I called it off and went back inside to stay warm. As I understand it beat the earliest snowfall by about a week. Still it was crazy to see. I hope it doesn't mean we are in for a rough winter.

Don't all the packages now have the big warning label that says "This is product is know to contain a chemical that if used outside of California will cause skunkiness". I just figured this was California's way of getting back at us for all those products that only cause cancer in California.

I managed to get some fishing in yesterday. I couldn't get a bass to take my lure if my life depended on it. Rather than accept another day with no fish I decided to try to catch some of the bream I could see in the water. In the end I caught 4 baby perch and 2 bluegill (at least I think they were bluegill). I have to say catching those baby perch was actually a lot of fun. For their size they fought quite a bit. They were also very playful. 3 of the 4 perch I caught was on the second or third attempt. They would try to grab it but inevitably would miss, and it would take another cast or two before I could finally catch them. So not the day I was hoping for but a fun trip regardless. Too bad it might be my last one for the year if the weather gets worse.

I am curious about this. Is there a specific reason you do this? I ask because I am about to wrap up my fishing until the spring. My plan was to strip all the line from my reels, possibly disassemble and clean the reels, and wipe down the rods. I intended to put the reels back onto the rods, but if there is a reason I shouldn't I won't. BTW, I am only removing my line as a way to force myself to stay off the water. Although you can theoretically fish all year here I am a terrible angler. I got skunked more often than not during good fishing weather. The last thing I want to do is go out and freeze my rear off only to go home disappointed. It is a personal choice and I plan to stick to it. Besides if something comes up I can respool my reels in just a few minutes.