the reel ess

I grew up on Wateree. It has become a very good bass lake in recent years. But I eventually quit fishing it too. I just don't go looking for competition.

It's topwaters by a long shot. I love it when a bass attacks a topwater to annihilate it. When I was younger it almost stopped my heart! I'd rather catch 5 medium bass on top than 10 on the bottom. I arrange my trips to be mostly in the evening because that's when I feel most confident I can get a topwater bite. Sometimes I go out with 5 topwaters tied on. Second to that I like the good ol' T rig 6 to 8" plastic worm. I like to feel the bite, reel down and see the line moving and WHAM-O! I like spinnerbaits-caught my PB on one. I've really grown fond of lipless cranks lately. They catch big'uns.

I went Saturday afternoon to my friend's farm pond, using the kayak. This place has a lot of standing timber and some cypress trees in the shallow end that usually hold some bass. The fish are somewhat stunted, but they're easy to catch. I managed a few 2 pounders on the frog and caught some smaller ones on a spinnerbait around the timber. It was easy so I thought I'd experiment with a jig and chunk trailer since I'm lacking at that tachnique. I caught maybe 5 fish on probably 10 bites. It definitely is a different feel from the T rig and that's why I've always shied away from it. But I know it's a big fish technique and I need to have it in my arsenal. I'll just keep a jig tied on until I feel proficient with it.

The best advice I can give for fishing a frog is to use it at a place with a lot of weeds or other vegetation. You'll get a lot more bites on and around that vegetation than in the open water. The "walk" won't matter that much on the mat because you're just making fish aware of its presence. I had a frog for years before I ever caught anything on it because I was fishing a sand and mud bottom lake that was devoid of weeds. They'll also work well around laydowns, stumps and docks. They're a presentation that needs to be used around specific shallow cover, not as much in open water. Whenever you see a mixture of these covers, like say, a log around some lilies or weeds at the base of a dock, throw the frog. It works better at the edge, so throw it up on the bank if you can and have it drop in and surprise bass. It's a stealthy critter and you'll be amazed how shallow fish will be even in summer. I got tired of the big lake rat race and bought a kayak and started fishing ponds and smaller bodies of water. The frog excels in shallow places where the fish are looking up. And if you see a fish chase bait around vegetation, always throw a frog at it. Lastly, they'll work better in the morning and evening than high noon. Of course, that's just a generality, not a rule so don't hesitate to throw it anytime conditions are right.

My favorite and the one that stays tied on all the time is the Booyah Poppin' Pad Crasher. If you just twitch-twitch it, it walks easily. But you can occasionally give it a pop. It seems to get noticed on the pads better for me. Believe me, it takes a little time to get the knack of walking a frog. But I catch a lot more right off the top of the pads than I do in open water. The ones I do catch in open water usually attack the bait before I start a retrieve.

Here's a rule of thumb regarding weight for a T rig. You want as little weight as you can cast, but enough to keep the bait on bottom and enough to overcome wind because you have to feel the strike. That's usually in the 1/8-1/4 oz range. I usually try 3/16 oz with baitcasting and if that's too light, I will use 1/4. Very rarely have I ever used larger than 1/4 oz with a T rig. I use tungsten bullet weights most of the time now, but it's not necessary. As for the retrieve, Just cast it out, slowly pull a couple feet with the rod, reel up slack, pull, reel, cast, repeat. Sometimes in weeds the bait will get fouled with weeds and feel heavier. Just give it a quick, short jerk to free it up and resume retrieve. Weeds are just something you'll have to deal with. For really weedy, shallow ponds I'd probably go with a weightless Zoom Trick Worm over a T rig. You can just slowly reel it through the weeds or work it like a jerkbait.

What lakes? I'd be afraid to cross Wylie or Norman in a kayak. I've done it at Wateree, but was still wary. If I was getting one for those lakes I'd get a neon color. I can only comment on the one I own, which is a Pescador Sport 12'. I like a SOT for fishing. It's easier to get in and out of. I can really fish when it's cold and stay dry if I'm careful. It looks like the Vapor is on the $400 range. You have to get what's right for you. But one thing I've learned from using mine is I'd really like to have a rail-type seat, not one that's molded into the kayak. Mine has a padded seat with a lower back support, but it doesn't take long for the butt to go to sleep. That option usually puts you in the $600 and above range, but you can always look around for used ones. Craiglsist is a good source. You might try Badin Lake or Tillery if you can. They're not very heavily fished and there are no skiers. It's a good drive from you, but Stumpy Pond is on the Catawba chain and it's usually deserted. I've been the only person there before. Good Luck.

There are times when I've caught big bass on consecutive trips, but rare. I started fishing a place with a good many big bass in it about 4 years ago. Since then I've probably caught 10 or 12 fish over 5 lbs., including by PB last fall. But this year I have not been so fortunate. I've lost several fish that I know would have exceeded 4 lbs. I lost one just Wed evening.Those are the breaks. But I also have dealt with the passing of my dad this year and haven't been fishing nearly as much or I've fished other places. But I've made a conscious effort to use big bass lures everywhere I fish. I have one place that i caught a previous PB at that I have not caught a fish bigger than 2 pounds in the 12 years since. I guess the moral of the story is: Fish where there are big, unpressured bass. Big ones will be the first to shut down if there's a lot of fishing pressure. They'll just feed at night. Fish big bass lures. Try mornings and evenings unless you can actually stay and fish nights. Fish where the dinks are not. Big bass are loners, not usually schoolers. Try live bait if you have to. Eventually the big one will bite.

This is great. I recently bought some 6" ZMan Swimmerz and can't seem to find the right size/weight hook combo. I emailed them for a suggestion and they ignored me. A big soft swimbait rigging video would be good (unless there's already one and I'm missing it).

Senko on a spinning rod.

It was so close and so unconcerned with my presence, I wondered if I could have picked it up.

My best retrieve with the 40 seems to be reeling so slowly that it just swims on top.

Weightless or finesse worms catch me the most when I try them as well as T rigs. But they're not my favorite or what I use most. Those would be topwaters like frog, spook, buzzbaits, rat, etc. These are what I catch the most on because they're what I dedicate my time to. I plan my trips and locations to use these baits. I want to enjoy my fishing by doing it my way. I'm not competing with anyone and I'm also targeting bigger fish. I also love spinnerbaits and lipless cranks. I'm easing into soft swimbaits.

Warn the backseat partner before trimming the motor. Scares me every time. My dad was notorious for this. But he had a pontoon that went 25 MPH max so he wouldn't get them in the prop. We started using concrete blocks for anchors because it was much cheaper to lose them.Both the rope lugs on his pontoons were bent from doing this. If your boat won't start check the kill switch. Yep, I actually missed fishing time because my kill switch was open. Always work from the easiest fix to the harder stuff during the process of elimination.

Throw the kitchen sink. Yeah it's frustrating. Even when there's a few bass busting it can be impossible to get one to notice your insignificant little bait. A popper of some kind can get noticed. If you can, see some fish swirl or buts the surface, as Tom said, throw a Pop R at them. I've caught some that way. You need to have that rod in your hand and I'd crash the Pop R right at the action and make a commotion. I also had some luck with a smaller L'il George when I was a kid too. At least you can cast it far enough to cover a lot of area.

Barbie or maybe Batman should do the trick

It's a 2013 Wrangler Sport soft top. It has the bars to the windshield and past the back seat. It's a 2-door. Spare on the back, trailer hitch. I have a 12' Pescador Sport sit on top kayak. I'd prefer not to have to go topless while carrying the kayak because I son't want water and grass and dirt falling on me. Thanks.

It still is. And I have a pool cue for a frog rod. When Hurricane Hugo hit here I lived at Lake Wateree with my parents. The lake level went up about 8 feet for a week or so. My dad was sitting up the steps to the dock, which was way underwater and hooked a bass. It went under the dock steps and got him hung up. I came to the rescue by putting on my swimsuit and going diving for the chunky little bass.

I have the older generation of Pescador and it's been a good one. The main issue I have with it is the seat gets uncomfy after a couple hours on my old butt. But at least it has a padded seat and back support. It also doesn't lend itself well to standing. I'm not he most coordinated guy so I don't even try. My next one will have a frame seat. But I'm looking at a higher end one next because I want it to get me into my retirement, which I expect to be about 10 years. If i were to get one right now it would be the NuCanoe Frontier fishing package. They're just so customizable.

Check this out: http://kayakfishingblog.com/2016/03/value-battle-pescador-pro-120-vs-pelican-catch-120/

I have a bait I bought years ago called a Frontrunner by Blakemore. They were on a closeout endcap at BPS. I bought two of these the same day I bought the bass colored Spook. I think they stopped making it, but I believe it was bought out by War Eagle. You tie it on your main line, tie a short leader, then tie on your Spook or other walking bait. As you walk the dog it looks like a baitfish running from your walking bait. It zigs as the Spook zags. It is supposed to allow for double hookups. So far, it has never produced a double. I think that's because the rear bait is big baitfish size. Most fish would go for the bigger bite. I think I'll tie it on next trip.

My dad had a Jeep Wrangler when he passed away and I've decided to keep it. I love driving the thing for many reasons, not the least of which is it was his. Who on here uses one to carry a kayak? How do you do it? Show me what you got? I've been doing it with my truck and that's always an option. But I'd love to be able to take the Jeep to the beach and carry my kayak.

I'm not about to say it's better than a Curado because I've never owned a Curado, but I have two Lews LFS Tournament MB reels. I loved the first one so much that after a season I bought a second. And I'm seriously considering asking the wife for a third for my birthday. It's a helluva reel for the $120 range. I have to replace a worn out BPS Clunn reel for lipless carnks and topwaters. For our birthdays, we usually just put what we want in the Amazon prime cart and wait until our birthday and act surprised. All that said, I've been considering the Curado too because of its reputation.

I had one particularly magical May morning where I slayed the bass on a Spook. I motored into a cove and sat on my favorite spot of all time at the local hydro lake. I caught 5 bass on 5 casts with another fisherman watching me while he trolled up the bank in my direction. I got a 6th bite, but it broke me off because I'd gotten so excited I had forgotten to check my line. I only had one Spook, so I tied on one of the few other topwaters I had, a Pop R. I didn't get another bite, even after switching to other baits.