the reel ess

It was the gold/black back until I used a Cordell Super Spot in the same pattern. I can't tell any difference in the action, but the Spot's gold is "golder" and it gets more bites. I still love the gold Trap and the H2O Express in gold is a pretty good option for half the price, but the finish isn't durable.

You could always do that with a spincast reel. Fact is, 5.1:1 is pretty pedestrian for a baitcaster nowadays. I own three reels that are 7.5:1 and one that's 5.1:1. The slow one feels like it takes twice the effort to use. In the last couple years 7.5:1 has become normal. Spinning reels can do everything this reel does better for less. I have one that cost $40 that just won't quit. I have another that I bought on a BPS combo that cost $70 for the whole combo that's more than a decade old, with heavy use. But I'd certainly be open to hearing how well it works.

Yeah, that's an issue with all pros. If you look very long you'll find them saying different things or things that you know from experience don't work well for you.

I hold the frog by the nose with the tail up. Let the legs hang down and trim them even with the nose. That seems to work well enough. It keeps the dinks from only getting legs sometimes when they strike. Big'uns usually get the whole frog. I'm not sure it matters, but it's what I do. Less than 10% of my strikes on frogs come when actaully walking them. They usually come off the top of lilies or when I drop the frog in an unsuspecting bass's lap. Meaning said bass attacks the bait before the retrieve starts. The walk is a tease for open water. But the walk is a lot easier on a Poppin' Pad Crasher than it is on a regular frog.

Right now, I think it's more like 90% of the bass are feeding at night. No, I think most casual anglers aren't going to spend the money and time it takes to be in the 10%. But do not despair! For the 90% there are kayaks and cheap combos and smaller public waters that will swing the odds for you.

I now have three 7.5:1 Lew's reels for steady retrieves and for frogs/pitching. I am getting older and don't want to crank away all day. I can always reel slower. Fewer turns = less fatigue.

My dog goes insane at the littlest thing. No way I could take her. 6 Lbs of neuroses. We used to have a lake house and I had a lab that was a really good retriever. We had to tie the dog and my mom would untie her a few minutes after we got out of sight so she wouldn't swim after us. She would swim for hours.

Well, I bought a V8 4wd to avoid this very thing. Once I got my trailer tire off my parents' ramp and once I almost got stranded at a ramp because it was too steep for me to get out of with my weak 2wd 6 cyl F150. It took me 3 runs to barely make it out. I think I could yank the boat and trailer out of just about any place now. But about 5 years ago I bought a kayak and rarely use the big boat anymore. That was to avoid the crowds at the ramp, the long dives and wasted time. So I guess the point I won't use a ramp at was 5 years ago.

I would ask the people living around a neighborhood pond. One of them will probably at least give you permission to fish it once. I don't know the law where you live, but some neighborhood ponds here require a "pass" to fish them. I have one for the local water reservoir that is surrounded by private owners. The way I built up a "stable" of regular fishing ponds is just by asking. Sometimes people will ask me if I want to fish their ponds because i talk about fishing. I have three friends who own ponds and they don't fish them enough so it's like I'm doing them a service, LOL.

Catfish, stripers, white bass, white perch and crappie, mostly on crankbaits. Crappie in my local reservoir seem to really like the gold lipless crank. We've had days when they won't leave them alone. Bluegill will bite the dressed back hook on a lot of topwaters. I've caught a 1/4 lb warmouth with an 8" plastic worm in crammed in his mouth. Stripers on the Spook. Warmouth, yellow perch, bluegills and shellcrackers while crappie fishing with jigs or minnows. Catfish, bass, white perch and gar while striper fishing. Soft shell turtles while catfishing. I've had a couple fish that I never got turned, probably catfish, possibly very large stripers.

Late winter/early spring can be really tough around here. Often you're fishing for one bite from a big gal. I go with my buddy that time of year because it's too cold to take the kayak and risk unintentionally going swimming. He usually gets the one bite. But it's a cure for cabin fever.

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass-lures.html I would add walking baits, lipless cranks, buzzbaits and hollow body frogs for myself.

I use the 3/8 oz. War Eagle double willow a lot of the time. It's light enough to retrieve slowly when you want without it digging into weeds and the blades are big enough give off a lot of vibration. I think you can use it 3/4 of the year around here. The gold/gold is my favorite color. http://www.wareaglelures.com/g05-gold-shiner.html

The same happens in the smaller streams here. Nothing turns them on like a few days without a meal.

nm

It's far too common to get skunked. Whenever I'm facing a skunk, I'll make up a lightweight C rig with a 4" Zoom Finesse Worm and throw it out and drag it slowly. It'll catch fish all day. They'll be smaller on average because, when forced to downsize, you're really targeting smaller bass. That's a decision you have to make. If I get skunked twice in a row on the same body of water, I'll avoid it. After a while, that's not fun. I have a go-to pond where the bass are dumb and hungry and the bluegills and shellcrackers are big. It's exactly what the doctor ordered when the confidence gets low. It's also the place to get the hang of a new technique because you'll get practice catching and not just fishing. And if all else fails, I can tie on an inline spinner on a lightweight rod and go after the bream.

Still make it. BD did a show with it last season.

Google Table Rock Lake. Since I already have a wife and am eyeballing retirement, I'd probably go to some place in central FL. Double digit bass are what I'd like to see on a regular basis.

I agree that often times, showing fish something they never see or in a way they never see it can trigger strikes, especially in a small body of water. My buddy has a pond and only fished two or three lures. I'll go and catch 20 or more (mostly dinks) and he'll be amazed. Well, I throw 7-10 baits at them until I find a few they like. I'll bet a wacky Senko under a float would produce as well.

I don't wacky rig much, but when i did, the best hook for hookup ratio was a smaller worm hook. You know, the kind you T rig with. They weren't weedless, but I could just go get them if they made it to the bottom and got hung.

No, that's just dirty. I might make an exception for a PB, but I haven't yet.

I also have a black/blue Strike King (I think) Midnight spinnerbait with matching color huge Colorado blade. But I've never used it at night. It works well in late winter when the water is usually off color. It's a really slow moving spinnerbait that's easy to see and feel upon retrieve.

Yes, black or black/blue will make a better silhouette in low light conditions. It will do the same in the morning and evening. For the longest time I caught more bass on one black/blue buzzbait than I did all others combined. I would start out a morning with the black one and when they quit biting it, I'd switch to a light colored spinnerbait. I have since noticed that pond bass will bite a white buzzbait when the sun is higher or on overcast days.

I really dislike fishing live bait as well. I usually draw the line at the old inline spinner or Beetle Spin. I would however make an exception, like say, a live shiner, for a PB.

Yes, bass do enjoy manna from heaven occasionally.