the reel ess

We obviously think about fishing a lot more than the average person. I think too often we attribute human thoughts and feelings to an animal with a pea-sized brain and very little in the way of thoughts or reason. I think a fish might see the line, hook, boat and person standing 7' over their heads. But when they see something shiny or delicious looking their brain says "You must kill this!" If the water was gin clear, I might be open to some debate. But here it never is even when it's most clear.

Do you guys really believe florocarbon is invisible to a fish, a creature that lives underwater and starts its life off eating things so small we cant see them without a magnifying glass?

Yes, I do. I was bummed when the Johnny Morris nameplate fell off my favorite reel. It still works just as well, but seems lower quality now.

Yeah, this right here. I've started fishing with straight braid on single hook lures and even some trebles on a medium spinning combo. I've caught as many and some very nice fish on braid that I can plainly see in the water. It took me 45 years to get to this point.

I am going to try to troll for stripers on Lake Wateree, SC Monday. I was planning on using Rat L Traps and a Yumbrella Rig. Does anyone know how to know how deep you're getting your umbrella rig? The entire thing weighs 3 3/8 oz. Just weighed it on a food scale. Thanks.

You can usually use bigger baits in the fall because the yearling shad are bigger now. It's starting to feel a little fall-ish 'round here too. I have Monday off. I'm hoping this little bit of cooler weather will turn them on.

They set an ambitious date to get people hyped, then they deliver later when people are in a frenzy! (Maybe) I'm sure it'll be worth the wait though. They make great stuff. I'm very impressed with them.

The Wee Craw takes no prisoners.

I use a glass bead between my bullet weight and hook on a T-rig. As you pull the bait over a limb or snag, the weight falls first and separates from the hook. Then you pull the bait snug to it again. That's part of the appeal of the T-rig. I still get bites and I think bass like the click it makes. So I doubt it matters much. Anything to get a reaction when they aren't very active.

I have a Chevy 1500 pickup so it's pretty easy. Straps are in the truck. If I think I might go, I'll leave all my tackle on the back porch and strap the kayak in the bed of the truck the night before. I even have a cable and lock if I feel it's needed, but usually not. I don't carry a fish finder or any other electronics. I always keep the rods I think I'll need rigged up for what I think they'll bite. I have a crate that holds 4 and the kayak holds one. I'm usually going to a reservoir 2 miles away. Then I throw a few bags of plastics behind the seat and paddle away. I can go from unprepared to on the water in 30 min. I have a real boat that's too big of a hassle unless I'm going to a big lake. I have to crank it in the yard with the water hose attached every so often to ensure it still runs.

I just yard sold 2 25 year old 5'6" BC rods, both of which I'd fixed the tips on and they stayed fixed. I also have a 9' (now 8') crappie rod that the tip broke on. I filed it down just beyond the next guide. It works fine and has a little different function now.

If you'll walk in to the closest Bass Pro Shops and ask them what bait they sell the most of for bass, you'll get a 6" or 7" Texas Rig plastic worm of their brand. At one time I'd caught more bass on this in purple color than all other baits combined. Then I branched out into basic crankbaits in the shad or chrome colors. When I was a teen, I had a combo for the T-rig and another for the crankbaits. This covered most of the water I fished and most of the fish's moods. Then I branched out to spinnerbaits, Carolina rig, topwaters and other techniques. For the first combo, a MH spinning combo, 6'6" long, with 10-12 lb mono will do for an all-around most versatile. Again, you can branch out from there. If you want to buy a BC reel at this point, same criteria applies. But the spinning will allow you to cast more light baits. Start with what's comfy to you that catches fish and move forward. Some days you won't need but one lure. I usually take 5 combos with me and only use 2. One is a T-rig because they'll bite it even when they aren't biting. The other is a quick reaction-type like the Rat L Trap or the aforementioned crankbait. I'll also generally take a topwater bait and a spinnerbait. For weight on the T-rig worm, use as little as you can get by with given the water conditions (roughness) and wind. Start with 1/8 , 3/16 & 1/4 oz bullet weights to cover the basics. You just have to maintain contact with the bottom. 3/0 or 4/0 Texas rig worm hooks will suffice. Buy a premium brand and you'll be glad you did. They'll set a lot easier. Watch the videos on this site and YouTube for advice on any technique you're interested in. If you have access to an overpopulated, underpressured pond, try these out there first. You'll gain confidence in it faster. My current best baits (mind you, I fish mostly in about a 20 acre reservoir): T-rigged Craw T-rigged Trick Worm, weightless Rat L Trap A popping topwater, like Pop R (early or late in the day) These have caught 90% of my bass since the water warmed.

You can use tubes that are so big they discourage bites. There was a movement toward huge ones after Ish Monroe won a big tourney one them. But that was in FL and he was catching hawgs. I think medium to small tubes should get about as many bites as a small T-rigged worm or craw.

Two things I don't have with my $500 Perception Pescador 12.0 that I wish I had are stadium seat with an up and a down position and the stability to be able to fish standing. That said, Perception is coming out with a Pescador for 2016 with both those features. MSRP is $800, so it'll probably run a tad over $600.

My dad started me off with a cane pole and worms. Then we moved on to pole and minnows for crappie. Finally, we started using jigs to compliment the minnows. He did a good job of keeping me interested by making it easier. We probably would have stopped there, but I wanted to start bass fishing so he got the right kind of boat and indulged me. Since then I don't think I've ever intentionally bass fished with live bait. I just like casting and "fooling" them more.

This is a sure-fire, tried and true method for beginners (children and women). Put them in the back of the boat with a beat up Zebco 33 on a mismatched rod, some lure you never use from the bottom of the tackle box like a white grub or Mepp's Comet Minnow & tell them to just keep casting. They're almost guaranteed to beat the pants off you. Works every time. You'll beat the water all day for a few bites from bass and they'll fill the livewell with all species. Then they'll shame you into cleaning them for dinner.

I agree. There's an artificial for every situation. I've been crappie fishing many times when jigs flat outfished minnows.

Give us a report. And you might want to use a circle hook to keep it out of the fish's gut. Nothing worse than killing a large fish unless your intention is to put it on the wall. But they aren't all trophies. There are golden shiners and some very big bass in the primary place I fish. I'd like to give live bait a try there to see if I can break my PB. I see no reason it wouldn't work as it does on Okeechobee. But I do enjoy casting for them way more than free-lining.

So your profile pic is actually you?

I guess it makes a man look like a thoughtful, intelligent outdoorsman or conservationist. My dad kept on one the mantle so people would think he smoked it. I quit smoking too. I can't smoke tobacco in any fashion either for fear that I'd go back to it.

#3 jointed floating Rapala minnow. 1/5 oz Bomber model A. Rebel Tiny Wee Craw-this one slays the smaller and bigger bass. I even caught a 3 lb striper on one in the river.

I think that's the same thing. You'll have a larger pool to draw from if you target smaller fish.Go with the numbers baits like 3" grubs, for example, that are easily bought in different colors. Just my opinion.

I forgot one: 1/8 oz Roadrunner. I've caught a lot of bass on it and it'll also catch crappie and larger bluegill. I went with my friend this morning and we managed 4 small bass. He likes to troll jigs for crappie so we did. We caught 20 crappie and a bunch of small bass. These are 1/64 and 1/32 oz curly tail grubs.

I don't really target small bass. But sometimes I catch them on all the same baits I catch bigger ones on. T rigs, jerkbaits, fluke, cranks...

Sunny conditions can cause the fish to just slap at the frog like they want to stun it. After they do and it doesn't sink they don't bite. 30X in a row would be a bit unusual though.