the reel ess

I went yesterday with a buddy and rode the back seat. I caught 4 and he caught 4, with the best being my 3 pounder. They were on the Rat L Trap. They were choking it. I also got one on a Colorado blade spinnerbait. It was a pretty warm and very breezy day. A front was blowing through. He texted me he didn't get a bite today, although it was a beautiful day with a high of 72. There's rain and bitter cold (for SC) in the forecast.

I haven't used a swimjig, per se. I've used most types of baits but not all the popular ones of each type. I haven't used a paddle tail or cut tail worm.

A white double willow leaf spinnerbait in the fall.

Same here. I've been looking for a worm pouch with ziplock bags to keep them separate that will fit in the zipper pouch on the end of my bag, but so far, no good. I just cram a few into one big compartment in one of my 3500 boxes. I do have a spinnerbait box but it's almost a cube in shape. I'm getting to the point that I have a lot more tackle out of my bag than will fit in it.

I haven't used the plain twin tail grub but I've used the Hula Grub a good bit. It's saved my day several times and I lost a PB on it. It's like the jig and trailer all in one package and so versatile. I usually use it T rigged with 3/16 oz. I have one rigged right bow with a shakeyhead.

I wish someone had told me to buy a kayak instead of a bassboat about 6 years sooner. I've caught a lot more fish from it and can put it in anywhere.

Around here, gulls can equal stripers in the area. But they can also have a herd mentality where they all flock because one bird moved or one shad flicked the surface. You can run out a tank of gas chasing birds. As for other birds, I don't know.

I have cards for Amazon, so it'll probably be another Lew's LFS Speed Spool reel.

Usually a Zoom Finesse worm in one of the natural colors. Last summer they were ignoring everything and I used a very light C-rig wth 1/8 oz bullet weight to get bites. Most of the bites were small fish. I also will use a T-rigged Trick Worm with some success almost any time of year. I intend to give shakey heads and dropshots another try this year.

Black/blue t-rigged craw and big black/blue spinnerbait with a big black/blue (seeing a color pattern?) Colorado blade, fished very slow, ticking the bottom and touching cover. Bass will often be touching the wood cover when it's muddy. As with Catt's RLT, rattles certainly help. Anything that helps the fish locate the bait. The water is turbid around here a good portion of the year and black/blue is a good all around color for things like jigs, soft plastics, buzzbaits and chatterbaits. It's easy to distinguish in off-color water even in low light periods. Only when the bite slows do I go with the watermelons and pumpkins. http://www.basspro.com/Strike-King-Tour-Grade-Night-Spinnerbaits/product/11071915395657/

If you're in a kayak you might want it calm. But that's the wind, not the wave action. The wind is still there and it will still push your oily kayak around.

It seems to me when the water's really cold, my best bet is during mid-day. That might just be because I don't want to go out and fish in sub-freezing temps. I want to fish after lunch, during the warmest part of the day. The last time the Classic was on Lake Hartwell, SC one of the days started in single digit temps. The anglers were held until the sun was up to let it warm a little before they blasted off. Some of them were miffed because they had been catching a limit early. They were getting an early morning shallow bite despite freezing temps. I believe that was February and that can mean big bass are feeding up for spawn. The later pattern was a football head jig on deep, rocky points and humps.

Yep, my Chevy was built in Ontario. What people seem to care more about is union-made. But not me.

It was a GY in black/blue t rigged with a 2/0 hook and 3/16 tungsten bullet weight. But the GY are so delicate. Are any of the others more durable? Also, be as quiet and stealthy as you can. Big bass are big because they're good at not getting caught. That last comment was not meant for @Yeajray231, but my comments were merged.

The #1 trick to catching big bass is fish where there are some. Sounds like you're on the right track. I fish a reservoir with a lot of bass in the 4-6 range as well as the spectrum of smaller size fish. I've caught maybe 15 fish over 5 lbs from this place in two years. Probably 4 fish over 6. And I didn't do anything specific to target larger fish. Here's what I've caught 5+ lb on: Trick Worm, weightless T rigged craw (several) T rigged worm White spinnerbait with willow blades (my biggest, almost 7 lb) Black spinnerbait with a black Col blade (in cold water) Chug N Spook Jr Rat L Trap Buzzbait Frog And I lost a certain PB on a Yamamoto Hula Grub. Not a bait known for producing size. If you pull a bait around in front of big bass you'll eventually catch some. My buddy caught an 8 lb in this place on a crappie jig while trolling.

I use 3/16 oz. bullet weights almost all the time with BC gear because I'm usually (always) fishing smaller waters with weedy bottoms. If it's windy I'll go to 1/4, but it feels like it's always digging in too deep.

NM Merry Christmas!

And I quoted him. He was referring to a backup $5 scale

He said the $5 spring scale

Spring scales are almost always wrong and that will be in one direction so that everything you weigh will weigh either lighter or heavier than it really is. At least the length average is dead in the middle of the bell curve.

I'd trust the length-only method more.

Welcome from a fellow SC fisherman. My aunt lives in Irmo. I am up around Wateree. But I usually fish local ponds and private waters from a kayak now. Occasionally I make a trip to the Wateree R or the lake. I've been on Murray, but it was for stripers.

I learned to downsize to catch fish when it's really hot in the middle of the Dog Days. I reverted to the ol' Do-Nothing split shot rig. Later I changed it to a light weight C-rig with a T-rigged Zoom finesse worm. I learned that the loud colors like bubble gum and lime don't work as well as pumpkin and watermelon when the bite gets tough. This is really hard for me because I LOVE to fish and don't get to nearly enough by my estimation. My 12 YO daughter has a kayak as well and I like for her to go with me. But she bumps into me, slaps the water and makes a general racket. She's just not into fishing and she told me she was just about done kayaking with me because all I do is fish and it makes me sad. She was so excited when I first bought the kayak for her in the late winter that she would go outside and sit in it. I asked her if we could do one more trip when it warms and leave the fishing rods at home.

You can use larger lures. Huge ones even. But you'll run the risk of days with no bites.

From a kayak you can lip them all. In fact, I'd probably lose more trying to get the net ready and keep the fish hooked up. If they're heavy you just let them rest with most of the body in the water. It's better for them. I haven't caught the bass I won't lip yet.